Sage reveals five bold predictions for the future of accounting by 2030

ATLANTA (September 12, 2024) – Sage, the leader in accounting, financial, HR, and payroll technology for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), today unveils its vision of how AI will reshape the accounting industry by 2030, with findings from their Forrester Consulting study.

A new Forrester Consulting study of 2,339 SMB finance leaders, commissioned by Sage, reveals how AI will unlock real-time insights, enhanced risk management, and strategic decision-making capabilities. Using these insights, Forrester made five predictions for how the financial function for SMBs could look by 2030.

“For centuries, the accounting industry has relied on processes that provide a point-in-time snapshot of financial health. AI is ushering in a new era of continuous accounting, continuous assurance, and continuous insights," said Aaron Harris, Chief Technology Officer at Sage. "This shift will empower businesses with unparalleled operational efficiency, improved compliance, robust risk management, and more accurate financial forecasting.”

Predictions for the AI-Powered Accounting Landscape of 2030:

1. Ethical AI Leadership will be Priority:  With 80% of SMBs having adopted robust AI ethics policy, by 2030 ethical AI will be non-negotiable. However, businesses won't just adopt ethical AI policies – they will become the leading force in ethical AI assurance.
2. There will be a Total Overhaul of Risk Management: Over 90% of SMBs globally will leverage AI for continuous monitoring and anomaly detection, reducing financial errors and fraud by over 95%. This will ignite a reinvention in risk management.
3. The End of the Monthly Close: Real-time data will replace the traditional monthly close, with 75% of SMBs transitioning to dynamic, continuous accounting practices. The transition hinges on the success of continuous assurance. As AI revolutionizes risk management, real-time reconciliation and other assurance capabilities will become possible.
4. Real-time Data will Fuel Finance Decisions: Over 70% of SMBs will integrate real-time data into financial decisions, empowering them to drive growth and innovation helping them thrive in the competitive landscape of 2030.
5. Increased Creation of New Roles and Opportunities for Accountants: AI will automate routine tasks, freeing up accountants to focus on strategic thinking and providing valuable business insights. This transition will create opportunities for accountants to leverage their expertise in new ways, driving business strategy and innovation.

“While AI will ultimately be used to monitor all business activity and discover opportunities and risk in real-time, it will still play a supporting role in the industry, with outcomes and decisions always residing with a human,” Harris continues.

In the U.S., SMBs balance innovation with ethical vigilance

The U.S. is at the forefront of AI adoption in accounting, with 76% of SMBs already integrating AI into their financial processes. This widespread adoption has yielded impressive results, with 34% of U.S. SMBs citing AI as a transformative tool in forecasting capabilities.

While U.S. SMBs are committed to ethical AI use, data security remains a concern. Despite 73% of SMBs having established formal ethics policies and 75% conducting regular ethics training, 12% still lack specific measures to address AI-related security and privacy risks – highlighting the need for stronger safeguards as AI usage scales.

Despite these challenges, the U.S. excels in AI-driven risk management, with 60% of SMBs fully integrating AI for continuous monitoring and anomaly detection. This proactive approach minimizes financial risks and strengthens compliance, positioning the U.S. as a model for secure, AI-enhanced financial reporting.

Additional notable findings from the U.S. include:

• Top Benefits of AI in Accounting: The U.S. demonstrates robust satisfaction in AI’s ability to enhance core accounting tasks, with 86% of SMBs reporting improvements in processing times and 81% citing better decision-making. AI also boosts customer satisfaction, with 89% of U.S. SMBs feeling positive about its impact.
• AI's Efficiency on Accounting Processes: U.S. firms are particularly confident about AI's ability to enhance anomaly detection and financial reporting, with 27% and 24% respectively anticipating over 40% efficiency improvements.
• Confidence in AI’s ability to Enhance the Strategic Role of Accounting: The U.S. shows strong belief in AI’s potential to improve decision-making and efficiency, with 66% of SMBs agreeing that AI will transform business practices, and 72% affirming AI’s role in strategic decision-making. However, there is caution regarding AI’s ability to fully eliminate the monthly close, with only 53% in agreement.

“There is an abiding sense of optimism around the potential that AI presents in terms of enhancing complex accounting tasks; and that potential is coming into sharper focus with more practical experience,” says Alistair Brisbourne, Head of Technology Research, Policy & Insights at ACCA.

“It’s also positive to see that organizations are planning a strategic and collaborative approach to managing ethical challenges, which speaks to some of the hallmarks of the profession. There is a real opportunity to level-up based on securing the ethical standards, professional judgement, and human insight that make accountancy and finance professionals trusted sources of data and insight,” continues Brisbourne.

“By embracing AI technologies thoughtfully and strategically, the accounting profession can enhance capabilities, deliver greater value to clients, and play an even more crucial role in guiding business decision-making."

Sage's vision for the future of accounting emphasizes the importance of ethical AI integration and building trust in AI-powered solutions, such as Sage Copilot. Sage is committed to working with businesses to navigate this transformative period and harness the full potential of AI to drive success.

Notes to editors:

Methodology 

Sage commissioned Forrester to conduct a survey to investigate the impact of AI adoption on accounting functions within SMBs globally, and test the following hypothesis:

The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in accounting significantly enhances operational efficiency, financial accuracy, and strategic decision-making across small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs). This hypothesis suggests that SMBs utilizing AI-driven accounting tools will experience substantial improvements in data processing speeds and accuracy, leading to better compliance, risk management, and financial forecasting.

A total of 2,339 completed surveys were collected from finance and accounting professionals, including roles such as Head of Accounting, Senior Accountant, Director, Treasury, CFO, and Business Owner. Participants were drawn from eight countries: the United States (N=513), United Kingdom (N=260), France (N=258), Canada (N=259), Spain (N=258), Portugal (N=257), Germany (N=257), and South Africa (N=277). While the study targeted SMBs with 10 to 499 employees, no specific industry quotas were implemented. The survey was conducted in August 2024.

About Sage  

Sage exists to knock down barriers so everyone can thrive, starting with the millions of Small and Mid-Sized Businesses served by us, our partners and accountants. Customers trust our finance, HR and payroll software to make work and money flow. By digitizing business processes and relationships with customers, suppliers, employees, banks and governments, our digital network connects SMBs, removing friction and delivering insights. Knocking down barriers also means we use our time, technology and experience to tackle digital inequality, economic inequality and the climate crisis.