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Hi {{firstname|everyone}},
I’ve been saying this for a while now: the grunt work in accounting is on its way out.
What once defined the profession, i.e., endless reconciliations, checklists, and compliance cycles, is now the part no one wants to do.
So, when EY announced a $1 billion bet on AI, I wasn’t surprised. In fact, I see it as the clearest signal yet: accounting is moving from clerical to cognitive, from being task-heavy to decision-heavy.
And if the Big 4 are doubling down on this, the rest of us can’t afford to ignore it.
Built in collaboration with NVIDIA, the new EY AI platform is designed for tax, risk, audit, and finance. To me, it’s an early glimpse of how Agentic AI could reshape the very way accounting operates.
Let’s break it down!
Tax Risk Is Becoming a Data Problem
For global businesses, changes in tax rules create an environment where a single missed update can mean millions in penalties.
Traditionally, firms responded by adding people: teams to monitor updates, double-check filings, and run manual reconciliations.
EY’s AI platform flips this model. Instead of people chasing rules, AI tracks regulatory feeds in real-time, flags anomalies across jurisdictions, and even models how changes may impact different client segments. That reduces late adjustments and firefighting.
What this means for mid-sized firms:
Even if you’re not dealing with multinational tax, AI tools can help you stay on top of local changes automatically. Simple integrations with tax portals and compliance trackers can save hours every month.
Clients now expect a proactive stance. Saying “we’ll update you when the law changes” is not enough; they’ll expect instant awareness and scenario planning.
Start identifying the 2–3 most repetitive compliance areas and explore how AI-enabled software can automate them.
AI Will Redefine Roles Inside Firms
Most graduates entering firms don’t dream of reconciling bank feeds or chasing missing receipts. That work is necessary but doesn’t develop advisory skills, the very skills clients value most.
It’s the same principle I see in my own businesses. People don’t leave because they work hard, they leave because they work on things that don’t grow them. If AI can take over 60–70% of compliance grunt work, firms can finally give staff meaningful paths forward.
This creates a more compelling career path and keeps turnover in check.
What this means for firm owners:
Review your workflow: What proportion of staff time is currently spent on routine compliance tasks? If it’s above 50%, you’re at risk of losing talent.
Begin repositioning training and development now. Staff should be learning client advisory skills, communication, and data interpretation.
Start with small steps: use AI-enabled tools for bookkeeping or expense categorization, and then redirect staff towards analysis and advisory work.
The Competitive Divide Is Already Here
EY’s billion-dollar investment is much more than a trial balloon.
Truth is, within a few years, AI in tax and audit will be as standard as accounting software is today.
Think about it: if your competitors can deliver insights faster, with fewer errors, and at lower costs, where does that leave you? Technology has always created divides, and in accounting, this divide will be sharper than ever.
For smaller firms, this creates a fork in the road. The ones who invest early, whether through AI-enabled tools, offshore capability centers, or hybrid models. will deliver a service level closer to the Big 4.
How to gauge your position:
Speed: How quickly can you turn around a client report compared to your peers? AI-enabled firms will shorten reporting cycles by days or even weeks.
Accuracy: How many adjustments or corrections creep into your filings? AI-driven anomaly detection will push error rates close to zero.
Cost base: Are you scaling by adding headcount, or by improving process efficiency? Firms tied to traditional hiring will hit growth ceilings faster.
The question is whether you plan for it or wait until client attrition forces you to.
Where Samera Fits In
At Samera, we’ve begun testing these ideas ourselves by piloting Samera.ai inside our own firm. Currently, we’re focusing on putting it through its paces and making sure it solves the problems we believe it can.
We’re building, testing, and learning trying to perfect it to serve the greater accounting purpose. The early results are promising: onboarding feels smoother, reporting cycles shorten, and the clerical grind starts to lift.
And while the Big 4 pour billions into AI, we’re proving what it could look like for the rest of the market.
Cheers,
Arun
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