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AI isn’t just knocking on the door of the tax and accounting industry; it’s kicking it wide open. According to Wolters Kluwer’s Future Ready Accountant survey, just 9% of firms reported implementing AI-enabled tools in 2024. Fast-forward just one year, and 41% of firms have done so. Nearly one-third of tax and accounting professionals say they are now using AI for work-related tasks, daily.
This isn’t incremental change; it’s a seismic shift. AI, in all of its forms, is transforming how work gets done, in real time. And in tax and accounting, agentic AI is moving beyond automation to orchestrate entire workflows, from document classification and transaction categorization to audit preparation and client communication.
Just a year ago, the debate about AI focused more on whether and how firms would embrace the technology. This year, the question has flipped: How fast can leadership adapt to keep up?
Here are six strategic priorities firms must embrace to stay ahead.
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1. Align leadership and build trust
Speed without strategy can undermine any transformative technology’s potential. Although many firms are already using AI, without a unified vision and strategy, efforts can splinter, resources can be wasted, and even early adopters can risk losing their edge. Leadership must set the tone, by aligning on and clearly communicating a clear AI strategy, and policies that define data governance, validate models, and clarify accountability. These guardrails don’t just ease concerns, they accelerate adoption, unlock ROI, and ensure AI remains ethical, auditable, and future-ready.
2. Map workflows to unlock AI’s real potential
Mapping processes may not sound glamorous, but it’s the foundation of agentic AI success. This isn’t just about sprinkling automation across a handful of existing processes. It’s about rethinking how work gets done. Tax and accounting firms run on high-volume, repetitive tasks, layered with complex regulations and ever-increasing client expectations. Mapping workflows exposes bottlenecks and manual steps, revealing where agentic AI can deliver the biggest impact. Prioritize automating mundane, routine tasks, like data entry, reconciliation and reporting. The goal isn’t just operational efficiency; it’s enabling professionals to shift their focus to more rewarding, high-value work, like strategic advisory services.
3. Start small, share wins, build momentum
In a profession built on accuracy and compliance, the smartest way to embrace AI is through focused, high-impact use cases—think automating document classification or streamlining client intake. These early wins provide measurable value and help overcome skepticism, proving how AI can enhance core operations rather than disrupting them. The 2025 Future Ready Accountant survey shows that 40% of firms are using AI for tax and audit research, 38% are using AI assistants, and 73% of respondents who use AI regularly report improved client service, decision-making ability, and efficiency. Share these types of successes loudly because even momentum that starts small can scale fast.
4. Leverage APIs for customization
APIs are the backbone of scalable AI adoption. They allow firms to plug AI into existing software, enable real-time data exchange between AI models and business tools, and automate tasks across systems, without rebuilding infrastructure. That matters because survey data shows that firms’ top AI implementation hurdles are privacy and security risks (41%), lack of staff experience (39%) and data quality (38%). A smart API strategy can help tackle these concerns head on: secure integrations reduce exposure, standardized connections simplify workflows for less-experienced teams, and real-time data syncing improves quality. A phased API approach ensures new AI tools enhance current processes, delivering measurable ROI while preserving the integrity and reliability tax and accounting pros demand.
5. Re-imagine your talent strategy for an AI-enabled future
The talent game in tax and accounting is changing fast. Recruiting is no longer the top talent priority: It dropped 10 points in the most recent Future Ready Accountant survey. Instead, firms are doubling down on enabling their existing teams: 31% now rank technical skill development as their primary focus. Employee expectations are evolving, too. Nearly 29% of respondents say that their teams are demanding better technology tools—a jump of 10 points year-over-year. The takeaway? Investing in intuitive, efficiency-boosting tech isn’t enough. Firms must pair those tools with structured training that empowers professionals to understand and lead the AI transformation.
6. Leverage AI to elevate advisory services
AI isn’t just streamlining workflows; it’s redefining client engagement. Over one-third of firms already use AI to deliver timelier, tailored communication, and 29% are generating predictive insights from client data, with another 37% planning to do so within the next year, according to the survey. By automating manual tasks and filtering data more efficiently, AI can free professionals to focus on high-value conversations and proactive guidance, which are increasingly critical differentiators. Instead of reacting to client needs, firms can anticipate them, offering personalized, data-driven advice that deepens relationships and elevates the value delivered in every interaction. Advisory isn’t the future of accounting, it’s the present. And AI is the engine powering it.
Closing thoughts
AI isn’t a sprint; it’s a strategic marathon. The promise is transformative, but the real success won’t come solely from quick wins. It requires sustained investment, iterative experimentation, and a commitment to evolve alongside technology. For tax and accounting professionals, the AI revolution isn’t just about adopting new tools. It’s about redefining what it means to deliver value in a profession where insight, agility, and advisory excellence set the standard.
Those who lean in now won’t just keep up; they’ll lead the next era of the profession.
Cathy Rowe is senior vice president and segment leader, US Professional Market, Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting North America.