iscover Productivity and efficiency boom, but AI yet to impact firm growth
BusinessThe latest findings of AI’s impact on the accounting industry revealed mixed results.
Firms using AI are seeing improvements in workflow productivity and efficiency, according to The State of AI in Accounting Report 2026. In its survey of 434 Australian accountants and bookkeepers, The Access Group found that 26 per cent reported time savings of at least one-and-a-half weeks per year.
Translating these gains into firm-wide capacity boosts, however, is not seeing the same rates as individual practitioners.
Regarding AI-equipped firms, 56 per cent saw increases in productivity and 61 per cent saw gains in efficiency. In addition, 37 per cent of accountants cited at least 30 minutes of extra time daily, thanks to AI, amounting to at least 125 more hours per year to focus on higher-value services rather than repetitive administrative tasks.
A similar trend was identified within firms, with 37 per cent also reporting saving at least 30 minutes per day, and another 26 per cent saving between 15 and 30 minutes per day. In terms of firms, just under 50 per cent of those surveyed reported that AI is improving the delivery of service at scale.
The report found that daily savings of just 30 minutes translated to approximately $13,750 annually.
Beyond the financial advantage, the study noted the competitive advantage of automating routine work and accelerating turnaround times. The study said this also allows for a greater capacity to retain both talent and clients, especially compared to firms that delay adoption.
Regarding clients, 55 per cent of firms said AI improved the ability to communicate, and 49 per cent said AI improved the ability to deliver services and advice at scale; however, nearly the same number, 46 per cent, claimed no change from AI adoption.
The report suggested that the impact of AI remains stronger at the individual or team level within workflow, rather than significantly impacting the overall growth capacity of firms universally.
Director at Agile Market Intelligence, Michael Johnson, said: “What we’re seeing is AI delivering on its promise of boosting accountants’ day-to-day productivity.”
“The next step is redesigning workflows so these gains scale across the firm instead of staying at the individual level.”
Amelia is a Professional Services Journalist with Momentum Media, covering Lawyers Weekly, HR Leader, Accountants Daily and Accounting Times. She has a background in technical copy and arts and culture journalism, and enjoys screenwriting in her spare time.
