{"id":7101,"date":"2020-07-29T12:00:01","date_gmt":"2020-07-29T11:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/?p=7101"},"modified":"2026-01-29T10:12:50","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T10:12:50","slug":"data-entry-challenge-automation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/data-entry-challenge-automation\/","title":{"rendered":"How accountants can use automation to overcome the data entry challenge"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/category\/technology-innovation\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Technology &amp; Innovation<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tHow accountants can use automation to overcome the data entry challenge\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2020-07-29T12:00:01+01:00\">29 July, 2020<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"How accountants can use automation to overcome the data entry challenge\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/data-entry-challenge-automation\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/author\/keirthomasbryant\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/06\/keir-short-hair-350x350.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/06\/keir-short-hair-350x350.jpg 350w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/06\/keir-short-hair.jpg 760w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 40px) 100vw, 40px\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">Keir Thomas-Bryant<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Does your accountancy practice spend more time focusing on data entry tasks than you\u2019d like? There\u2019s a way to get around it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The recent&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/practice-of-now-accountants-bookkeepers\/\">Practice of Now 2020 survey<\/a> and report from Sage showed that nearly two-thirds of accountants consider automation of processes, workflows and payments the biggest challenge that will impact accountancy in the next 12 months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Only 6% of accounting professionals said they don\u2019t believe automation can help with any business tasks at their firm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/ai-and-automation-business\/\">Automation is already here<\/a>&nbsp;and is in use in practices worldwide. The benefits for your practice could be huge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And with UK accountancy practices spending on average nine million hours during tax season on manual data entry, \u201cit\u2019s important to start now,\u201d says Narayanan Vaidyanathan, Head of Business Insights at the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.accaglobal.com\/gb\/en.html\">ACCA<\/a>, \u201ceven if that means starting small and iterating from there on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He adds: \u201cThe automation of routine tasks is a stable trend in accountancy, with a high likelihood of intensifying further in times to come.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Read this article to learn more about automation and how you can use it within your practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"#gate-adbf67e7-f26f-4f58-a954-9e67147b2f85\">Download your free small business toolkit for your clients: a guide, business plan template and cash flow forecast template<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-accounting-automation\">What is accounting automation?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s take a moment to define accounting&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/cp\/sageautomation\/\">automation<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While it\u2019s a story continuing to be told by evolving artificial intelligence, in the here and now, it means two things:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Automation of data entry by photographing or scanning invoices and other documents.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Automation of account reconciliation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Data entry is a well-recognised area with potential for automation. The use of machine learning related approaches such as optical character recognition (OCR), for example, can greatly improve the speed and accuracy of data entry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Furthermore the use of software \u2018bots\u2019 in the form of robotic process automation (RPA) can increase the ability to conduct process tasks all day and all week, without stopping or tiring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For smaller practices, it\u2019s particularly relevant to note the benefits from&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/accountancy-firm-cloud-accounting\/\">migration to cloud technology<\/a>&nbsp;that provides access to data that is consolidated in a secure environment and can support scaling up more easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Discover the new Sage Accounting<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Try our award-winning accounting software and see why it\u2019s perfect for your small business.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/sage-business-cloud\/accounting\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tid=\"cta-id-7829\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tdata-button-location=\"cta_box\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>See plans and pricing<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"355\" height=\"352\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/CTA-dotdash-1x1-1.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"Sage graphic illustration\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/CTA-dotdash-1x1-1.jpg 355w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-automate-accounting\">Why automate accounting?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Whether that\u2019s scribbling transactions in a paper ledger or keying in data to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/accounting-software\/\">accounting software<\/a>, you know how time consuming data entry can be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You also know \u2013 despite anyone\u2019s best efforts \u2013 it\u2019s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/bookkeeping-errors-business-avoid\/\">hard to avoid errors<\/a>, such as when numbers are transposed or wrongly coded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Errors are not just annoying. They have a cost in terms of identifying and fixing them later on, and could have an indirect cost in declining client satisfaction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If there\u2019s one thing clients expect from an accountant, it\u2019s 100% accuracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then there\u2019s the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/making-tax-digital\/\">digitisation of tax<\/a>, and the burden of increasing legislation, leading to what Vaidyanathan calls \u201ca world with exponentially exploding amounts of data\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The move to automation isn\u2019t a choice, he adds, but a necessity. He says: \u201cTraditional and fragmented ways of input and reconciliation keel over quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But there\u2019s much more to it than even this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Keying in data is trivial and repetitive work that requires little if any expertise, yet it can consume even the most highly trained members of staff in a practice \u2013 especially in smaller firms that have limited resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAutomation lets accountants transition up the skills value curve,\u201d says Vaidyanathan. \u201cFor example, you\u2019ll have more time for understanding the business and opportunities for improvements in your clients, or to focus on interpretation of standards for particular or complex situations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Seen in this context, a lack of automation costs you money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Put simply, you are blocked from earning higher hourly fees for more complex work. Similarly, a lack of automation can hinder growth plans in the practice because you are blocked from taking on new, different kinds of work for clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A lack of automation can even drive away staff who hate repetitive drudgery. The millennial generation is tech-savvy enough to understand that automation technologies can be applied to repetitive tasks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Shoaib Aslam is the founder and chief executive of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pearlaccountants.com\/\">Pearl Accountants<\/a>. He says: &#8220;Automating data entry is just the beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;We have implemented extensive automation which touches all departments of our accountancy practice \u2013 everything from marketing to daily office work, even to automating key aspects of the client-experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;We do this through a sophisticated network of tools that dovetail neatly together, and which have taken years to implement successfully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;An accountancy practice simply cannot expect to compete effectively in today&#8217;s high-speed world if it doesn&#8217;t embrace the latest technology and automation in every possible way.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vaidyanathan adds: \u201cNew entrants to the profession are much more likely to be interested in an organisation that embraces digital, relative to one that feels like it\u2019s living in denial.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-automation-can-help-your-practice\">How automation can help your practice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Shaz Nawaz owns and runs <a href=\"http:\/\/aa-accountants.co.uk\">AA Accountants<\/a>, a chartered accountancy practice. He and his staff embraced automation a decade ago, and have been building on their achievements ever since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He explains the benefits:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI see more of the basic compliance work being automated through AI systems and processes in automation. And going forward, we\u2019ll see bank reconciliation being done automatically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo, many of the number crunching jobs are going to start going away. They\u2019ll be done quicker and with fewer mistakes \u2013 which is something people don\u2019t often mention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThis leads to accountants being able to add value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe accountant can take the role of an adviser for businesses, which is really important, and an area where the profession has been lacking \u2013&nbsp;but which clients have been requesting for the past 20 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBusinesses want their accountant to be more productive and give more advice, but accountants can&#8217;t give more advice because they&#8217;re too busy number crunching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cUntil now, accountants have been considered by businesses as a necessary evil \u2013 but now they can be more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAutomation for us has freed up time. We&#8217;ve now got time to say: \u2018OK, what can we now do to add more value to our client&#8217;s business?\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt&#8217;s having those conversations and meetings, but also thinking: \u2018Let&#8217;s look at their business, let\u2019s think about it, let\u2019s brainstorm.\u2019 What other opportunities are in their business that they haven&#8217;t thought about, that we can go to them now?&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"#gate-adbf67e7-f26f-4f58-a954-9e67147b2f85\">Download your free small business toolkit for your clients: a guide, business plan template and cash flow forecast template<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-benefits-of-accounting-automation\">The benefits of accounting automation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to what Nawaz says, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/accountants\/\">accountants<\/a>&nbsp;typically list the following benefits after the introduction of automation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-efficiency\">Efficiency<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As with all technological changes, it\u2019s cost savings that typically drive the introduction of automation, measured as hours of staff time that are saved. Automation has been described as like recruiting a new member staff, yet one that doesn\u2019t require holidays or a desk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Days and even weeks of staff time savings are often quoted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-staff-satisfaction\">Staff satisfaction<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Nobody enjoys the repetitive and mind-numbing work of data entry and reconciliation. If staff are freed to use their expertise and experience in more diverse situations, they\u2019ll be happier in their roles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This has real value in lower recruitment costs and decreased business disruption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-mobile-convenience-plus-open-all-hours\">Mobile convenience, plus \u2018open all hours\u2019<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Automation opens another door to the convenience of mobile working and working outside mandated office hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Buy a sandwich as an allowable expense, for example, and you can snap a copy of the receipt there and then. Its details will be understood and entered into the correct ledger automatically. Your clients can be encouraged to do this too, which avoids the box of receipts being dropped on your desk at year-end.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-growth-for-you-and-your-practice\">Growth \u2013 for you and your practice<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Perhaps the ultimate benefit of automation can be found in the time it frees up for you. With a lot of the hard slog taken care of, you can expand your role and your practice towards becoming a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/trusted-adviser-accountants\/\">trusted adviser<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can develop additional offerings to help client businesses grow and to share your knowledge and experience inspired by insights into their accounting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-introducing-automation-to-your-practice\">Introducing automation to your practice<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s natural to lack in confidence about introducing new technologies and have concerns about changing working processes (and finding the time to do so).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But the technology typically slipstreams alongside your existing solution, making adopting it extremely simple. You\u2019ll probably find a data entry automation solution in your<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/accountants\/\"> accountant software\u2019s<\/a> app store, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some tips to get started.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Start small.<\/strong> A good tip is to trial the software on your own personal accounting, to get an idea of its capacities and anything you might be unsure about. Don\u2019t forget to try out the mobile apps too, if there are any, to get an idea of how the software works together with your accounting solution. But ensure you push the software to its limits in your trial to really get an idea of its capabilities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Create a plan.<\/strong>\u00a0As mentioned, stage one might be to utilise the automation software on your own personal accounts. Stage two might be to introduce it to your own business accounts and to trial it in a wider context. Stage three might be then to roll it out to clients, which is the biggest step because it\u2019ll involve a significant education element, plus potentially upgrading your service offerings if you become a reseller of the software.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Structure your plan.<\/strong>\u00a0Remember that successful roll-out plans have two components: an owner who acts as a single point of contact, and milestones by which progress can be measured and that act as triggers for other phases of the plan. How will you know when it\u2019s time to roll out the automation to clients, for example? Well, one suggestion might be to have a certain amount of time pass when the automation is deployed within your practice without any issues of confusion among staff.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Make use of support.<\/strong>\u00a0The vendor behind the automation solution will have support staff ready to answer queries about not only how to integrate the software within your existing solution but also the best way to roll it out for your clients as time goes on. There\u2019s a whole body of experience out there, so ensure you make use of it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Set expectations and be prepared. <\/strong>\u201cThe technology generally only succeeds when properly integrated with people skills, organisational processes and alignment with the business model,\u201d says Vaidyanathan. \u201cThere\u2019s not much point automating data entry if you haven\u2019t thought about time and costs of training for your employees, managed risk of good people leaving because they fear job loss, or grumpy clients because your changes are having an impact on them, and they weren\u2019t properly advised and prepared for this.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-conclusion-on-automating-data-entry\">Conclusion on automating data entry<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Data entry within accountancy is a 19th-century task that in a lot of practices is handled in a 20th-century way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Yet, we\u2019re now in the 21st century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Technology is leaping ahead and solutions previously thought of as science fiction are available here and now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Can a computer read and understand invoices and receipts, and ensure the details are filed into the correct ledger? Yes. And it can do this for both yourself and your clients, leading to potential revolutions in the way you work \u2013 or, at the very least, leading to amazing time and cost savings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The solutions can be introduced slowly to your practice and added in alongside your existing cloud accounting software. There\u2019s nothing to lose and everything to gain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Editor&#8217;s note: This article was first published in December 2019 and has been updated for relevance.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta gated-content\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Small business toolkit for clients<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"SAGEBodyText\">Share this free guide, business plan template and cash flow forecast template with your clients to help them run their businesses and achieve their goals.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-adbf67e7-f26f-4f58-a954-9e67147b2f85\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Download your free toolkit<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__downloads\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t4,088 readers have downloaded this guide\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1214\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/07\/SageColleaguesManchester_170119-6251-1214x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2020\/07\/SageColleaguesManchester_170119-6251-1214x810.jpg 1214w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to the Sage Advice newsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Join more than 500,000 UK readers and get the best business admin strategies and tactics, as well as actionable advice to help your company thrive, in your inbox every month.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-b1a63862-3fa0-4a5e-bb67-c76b88bbc6b8\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe now<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<section class=\"more-topics alignfull has-grey-light-background-color wp-block-sage-post-topics\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-4\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"more-topics__title h2\">Browse more topics from this article<\/h3>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-lg-8\">\n\t\t\t\t<ul class=\"post-tags__list\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/tag\/accountant-automation\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAccountant automation\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/tag\/business-performance\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBusiness performance\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/tag\/grow-accounting-practice\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHow to grow your accounting practice\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li class=\"post-tags__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/tag\/workplace-technology\/\" class=\"post-tags__link button button--secondary\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWorkplace technology\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<div class=\"alignfull wp-block-sage-related-posts\">\n\t<section class=\"related-posts card-grid has-dark-background-color\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--featured h1\">Explore more wisdom<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"row 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https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/05\/accountex2026-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2026\/05\/accountex2026-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"card-post__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__label\">Recommended<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-05-15T16:54:23+01:00\">15 May, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">7 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h3\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__title-link\"\n\t\t\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/accountex-2026\/\"\n\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tAccountex 2026: Accounting work has changed. Most firms are still structured for what it used to be\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"card-post__description\">\n\t\t\t\tAccountex 2026 revealed a profession under pressure\u2014not from a lack of technology, but from work that has quietly outgrown the operating models most firms were built around.\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row related-posts__non-featured\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"related-posts__heading related-posts__heading--more h4\">More on this Topic<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-1 post-29890 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-technology-innovation tag-accountant-accounting tag-accountant-automation tag-ai tag-workplace-technology business_type-accountants\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/accountants-bookkeepers-practice-pricing-ai\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1402342490-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1402342490-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1402342490-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1402342490-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-04-29T15:24:07+01:00\">29 April, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">6 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tThe AI pricing trap: How accountants can avoid it\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-2 post-29887 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-technology-innovation tag-accountant-accounting tag-accountant-automation tag-ai tag-bookkeeping business_type-accountants\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/ai-accountants-bookkeepers-career-skills\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1369412492-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"A woman calculating MRR\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1369412492-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1369412492-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-1369412492-1215x810.jpg 1215w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-04-29T15:23:20+01:00\">29 April, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">6 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tStop experimenting with AI: How AI operational skills are defining the accounting profession\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-3 post-29099 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters category-strategy-legal-operations tag-accountant-accounting tag-accountant-automation tag-accountant-tax tag-accountants-online-hub-gb tag-mtd-accountants tag-making-tax-digital-for-income-tax tag-tax business_type-accountants\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/mtd-for-income-operational-checklist\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/09\/sage-advice-header-2222x1250-1-684x384.jpg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"A workplace where microlearning is taking place\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/09\/sage-advice-header-2222x1250-1-684x384.jpg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/09\/sage-advice-header-2222x1250-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/09\/sage-advice-header-2222x1250-1-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-04-20T10:12:53+01:00\">20 April, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">5 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tOperational checklist:\u00a0Before\u00a0you\u00a0price for MTD\u00a0for Income Tax,\u00a0answer\u00a0these\u00a0questions\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-6 col-lg-3 card-grid__item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<article\n\t\tclass=\"card-post related-post related-post-4 post-29066 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-money-matters category-strategy-legal-operations tag-accountant-accounting tag-accountant-automation tag-accountant-tax tag-mtd-accountants tag-tax business_type-accountants\"\n>\n\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\tclass=\"card-post__link\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/mtd-for-income-tax-breaks-pricing-model\/\"\n\t\t\t\t\t>\n\t\t\t<figure class=\"card-post__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"684\" height=\"384\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/08\/Mar2025_Financial-Family-office_0746-684x384.jpeg\" class=\"card-post__image\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/08\/Mar2025_Financial-Family-office_0746-684x384.jpeg 684w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/08\/Mar2025_Financial-Family-office_0746-768x512.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2025\/08\/Mar2025_Financial-Family-office_0746-1214x810.jpeg 1214w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 250px, (min-width: 30em) 100vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"card-post__meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2026-04-20T09:30:00+01:00\">20 April, 2026<\/time><\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"card-post__meta-text\"><span class=\"reading-time\">1 min read<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<p class=\"card-post__title h5\">\n\t\t\tWhy\u00a0MTD\u00a0for Income Tax\u00a0breaks\u00a0your\u00a0pricing model\t\t<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t<\/article>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is accounting automation? Overcome the data entry challenge with our guide to getting started with data entry automation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":280,"featured_media":3391,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"sage_hide_published_date":false,"sage_hide_read_time":false,"sage_hide_share_buttons":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[224,180,16,125],"business_type":[115],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[],"persona":[67],"imagine_tag":[220,77,87,200],"coauthors":[369],"class_list":["post-7101","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology-innovation","tag-accountant-automation","tag-business-performance","tag-grow-accounting-practice","tag-workplace-technology","business_type-accountants"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-gb","author_name":"Keir Thomas-Bryant","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2017\/12\/GettyImages-612505724_super.jpg","imagine_tags":{"220":"Accountant accounting","77":"Accounting software","87":"Enterprise management","200":"Payroll"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice UK","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7101","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/280"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7101"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7101\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/3391"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7101"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7101"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7101"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=7101"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=7101"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=7101"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=7101"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=7101"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=7101"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-gb\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=7101"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}