Accountex 2025: Our Take on the Conversations That Mattered

This year’s Accountex was packed. Stands full, sessions oversubscribed, conversations in every corner. We spoke with firm owners, accountants, tech vendors, and people who came with one goal: figure out what AI actually means for the future of accounting.

Plenty of vendors made noise. AI was on every banner, every booth. But as we spent two days listening and asking questions, it became clear that most people weren’t looking for slogans. They were looking for real answers. What’s changing? What’s working? And who’s actually delivering?

What we took away

Here are the biggest takeaways from the Outmin team:

• Bookkeeping is still a cost centre for many firms. It’s something they do to win or keep the client, not something they expect to make margin on. But that’s starting to shift. The idea that bookkeeping could become more profitable (without more staff) got people’s attention.
  
  
• AI is top of mind, but not yet making a (real) difference. People are curious. Many are using it to help with admin or writing tasks, but few feel it’s changed their practice in a meaningful way. Several asked how automated Outmin really is, with genuine interest. Some were sceptical, which is fair. When you’re used to patching together five tools to get one job done, it’s hard to imagine something simpler. Even among the big players, a lot of the AI talk – like Sage Copilot – felt like a first step rather than a breakthrough.‍
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• Offshoring is no longer a clear solution. It’s getting more expensive, and concerns about quality haven’t gone away. Some firms have started offshoring even higher-value work like year-end accounts and tax returns, which adds more complexity and oversight.
  

• There’s a misunderstanding about what’s “automated.” Most firms assume that platforms like Xero and Dext already offer strong automation. They don’t always realise how much manual work is still happening behind the scenes. Categorising transactions, chasing suppliers, cleaning up reports… It’s still someone’s job.
  
  
• There’s caution around headcount. Many firms worry about hiring to meet new demand, especially when client retention isn’t guaranteed. A bigger client might require a new team member, but what happens if that client leaves? This made the idea of scalable, zero-touch bookkeeping very real to many of the people we spoke to.
  
  
• No one had seen anything quite like Outmin. That’s not our wording, it’s what we heard repeatedly. Some found it hard to believe that we automate the full bookkeeping flow. They asked for demos. They asked to see what’s real. That curiosity is what excites us most.

Inside the panel discussions: from MTD to practice strategy

The sessions this year were wide-ranging but shared a common thread: how do firms build for what’s next, not just fix what’s broken?

Making Tax Digital (MTD) dominated the agenda, and rightly so. IRIS’s session on sole traders shared a stat that stuck with us: only 10% of sole traders feel “very prepared” for what’s coming. The rest are either unsure or in the dark. Many sessions focused on practical steps: who needs to own it internally, how to engage reluctant clients, and what the quarterly rhythm might unlock.

Other big themes:

• Practice management as strategy. Not just better workflow, but rethinking how teams are structured, how pricing works, and where to invest time.
  
  
• Carbon accounting and sustainability. This is no longer fringe. NHS procurement thresholds are changing the landscape, and some firms are building new revenue streams around ESG advisory.
  
  
• AI as infrastructure, not feature. Vendors spoke about embedding AI not just to save time, but to shift how firms make decisions. Some were still cautious, while others – like Karbon, Payhawk, and Modulr – were leaning all the way in.
  
  
• The people side of performance. From leadership coaching panels to Gen Z training, it was clear that firms are thinking hard about culture, resilience, and retention, not just tech.

Overall, the main message across multiple sessions was simple: the firms that adapt now will be in a much stronger position a year from today. Pricing models are changing. Practices are being more selective about the clients they serve. Technology is no longer a nice-to-have. It’s part of how firms attract staff, build value, and compete.

Where we stand

At Outmin, this was a moment to take stock. What we heard on the floor echoed what we’ve been hearing from our accounting firm partners for months: firms are looking for margin, for smarter capacity planning, and for ways to grow without overextending their teams.

Bookkeeping isn’t broken because of people. It’s broken because our accounting systems were built for another era, long before daily cash flow visibility or real-time reports became possible. Firms aren’t just looking to bolt on AI. They’re starting to question the foundations.

Outmin isn’t a co-pilot. We’re not a simple dashboard with smarter charts. We’re not an add-on.

We’re a full replacement for the manual systems firms use every day – Xero, Dext, Quickbooks, spreadsheets, outsourced bookkeeping. We automate 80% of the work, from reconciliation and document handling to categorisation and VAT.

And we do it with one intelligent system, already in use by firms serving hundreds of clients. Our AI does the heavy lifting. Our accountants handle what matters. Our client dashboard gives instant, real-time visibility.

We saw it at Accountex: the future isn’t tools stacked on tools. It’s systems that just work, without the mess.

Be part of the journey

Accountex reminded us that the profession is ready to evolve. But it also made clear that firms need more than inspiration. They need real change they can implement, test, and trust.

That’s what we’re building at Outmin.

If you’re exploring what that looks like for your firm (or you just want to see how zero-touch bookkeeping actually works), we’d be happy to show you.