Tax and accounting professionals today are reshaping what it means to deliver value. They’re evolving their strategies, embracing AI and automation, and deepening client relationships to drive sustainable success. This year’s Future Ready Accountant report is your trusted resource for understanding how firms are adapting to rising client expectations, regulatory complexity, and the accelerating pace of technological change.
Why this report matters
Firms worldwide are making bold moves to stay ahead. This report reveals how forward-thinking leaders are transforming their operations, expanding advisory services, and embedding AI into everyday workflows to meet rising expectations.
Inside the Future Ready Accountant report: Combining global benchmarks with regional depth to help European firms build smarter, more resilient operations.
- AI as a core capability: How firms are embedding AI into daily workflows to unlock productivity and insight
- Growth with purpose: Why strategic resilience is replacing scale as the growth model
- Advisory-first engagement: How firms are using data and AI to personalise services and expand offerings.
- Private equity and M&A: How investment strategies are evolving, with infrastructure maturity driving investor interest.
- Digital shift in Europe: How firms are using cloud and AI to modernise their day-to-day operations.
- United Kingdom regional insights: How UK firms are leveraging technology to adapt to MTD for Income Tax regulations and strategically grow.
Immediate PDF ∙ Global benchmarks + European and U.K. analysis
AI is now essential for firm operations: 72% of firms use AI weekly; 77% plan to increase investment to enhance performance and decision-making.
Advisory services are now central to modern client engagement: 65% of firms now offer advisory as a key service, up from 49% in 2024.
Digital maturity is a growth accelerator: High-growth firms are 53% more likely to have highly integrated systems and 38% more likely to be fully cloud-based.
Regulation: a dual force driving change
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Regulatory complexity remains the top challenge for European accounting firms. 77% expect changing regulations to impact operations, and 39% anticipate significant disruption within the next year.
- Mandates like ViDA, AML, and MTD for Income Tax are accelerating change. While disruptive, these shifts are also driving innovation and prompting firms to rethink how they manage compliance.
- Firms are responding with strategic investments. To stay ahead, many are prioritising compliance expertise, adopting digital workflows, and implementing regulatory technology solutions.
European firms have adopted technology to stay ahead of regulatory requirements, including solutions focused on eInvoicing, bank confirmations and validations, and AML compliance.
European firms are taking steps to close technology gaps by investing in technology that promotes digital dexterity, including 48% of firms that are turning to workflow automation to ease deadline pressures.
Digital dexterity becomes a strategic imperative
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Technology gaps are widening across Europe. As digital demands grow, many organisations are finding their existing systems and skills stretched thin.
- Firms are prioritising digital resilience to stay competitive. Investments are accelerating in staff training (47%), cybersecurity and data privacy (44%), and tech integration (43%), all aimed at strengthening client-facing digital experiences.
- The focus is shifting from tools to transformation. These efforts reflect a broader strategy: building agile, future-ready operations that can adapt to evolving client expectations and regulatory pressures
Client expectations are driving digital engagement
- Modern clients expect seamless, tech-enabled interactions. The line between personal and professional digital experiences is blurring, raising the bar for how firms engage.
- European firms are responding with targeted digital upgrades. 47% plan to enhance digital communication, 46% are implementing AI-enabled tools, and 43% are expanding digital document collection.
- These investments boost both satisfaction and efficiency. By digitising engagement, firms are improving client experiences while streamlining internal operations.
Firms plan to leverage technology to enhance client engagement by enhancing digital communication, implementing AI-enabled tools and expanding digital document collection
With 70% of firms influencing the tech solutions their clients use, advisory is becoming a key lever for transformation.
Advisory services expand to meet emerging needs
- Demand for strategic guidance is reshaping service models. European firms are evolving their offerings to meet rising client expectations for deeper expertise and forward-looking advice.
- Advisory growth is focused on emerging priorities. 47% plan to expand services in areas like AML compliance, ESG reporting, cryptocurrency, and technology consulting.
- Advisory is becoming a lever for transformation. With 70% of firms influencing the tech solutions their clients adopt, advisory roles are increasingly central to driving innovation and long-term value.
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Innovation through investment
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Accountants as strategic partners
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AI, security and moderisation
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Resilience in a changing landscape
The investment that private equity brings will create space for innovation from accounting firms. With this new-found freedom, the relationship between Fintech vendors and accounting firms could dramatically shift. With more backing, larger firms could create their own software and resell it to the market
Clients want advice, expertise, analysis and strategy. Entrepreneurs increasingly need to work with a trusted professional who knows their company and the market and is able to take a cool-headed view of different situations to help them make strategic decisions. More and more, clients look to their accountants as partners who can analyse problems and put solutions on the table.
More companies need to have investing in technology as a priority goal. With the rapid developments in both AI technology and cybersecurity, it is extremely important to have modern and up-to-date technology in the business to handle data securely and correctly in our fast-paced environment.
The accounting profession is one that constantly faces challenges and knows how to deal with them. Of course, digitalisation and AI will change our profession. But our profession has undergone changes every year, from changes in legislation to changes in its organisation and structures. This is precisely the strength for an accountant or tax advisor. We may complain a bit, but we always embrace the future.
More insights from the Future Ready Accountant report
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Press releaseTax & AccountingOctober 08, 2025
Wolters Kluwer releases its 2025 Future Ready Accountant report, highlighting key trends in the global tax & accounting industry
Report reveals surge in artificial intelligence adoption with four in five tax and accounting firms globally planning to increase AI investment and a third of them using AI daily -
ArticleTax & AccountingOctober 08, 2025
Data meets insight: how European accountants are elevating advisory with AI
European accountants are transforming advisory services with AI, data, and cloud, making insight-driven guidance a valuable growth driver. -
ArticleTax & AccountingOctober 08, 2025
AI adoption in Europe: from hesitation to acceleration
Adoption of AI among European accountants has surged, moving from a phase of experimentation to becoming an essential component of the profession. -
ArticleTax & AccountingOctober 08, 2025
Tech with purpose: how European accountants are aligning technology with strategy
European accountants are driving growth by aligning technology with strategy, boosting client value and future-proofing operations.
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What does it mean to be a future-ready accounting firm?A future-ready accounting firm is one that actively aligns technology, talent, and strategy to deliver scalable, insight-driven services. These firms embed AI into daily workflows, adopt cloud-based infrastructure, and use client data to personalise advisory services. By integrating advanced tools and developing tech-enabled teams, these firms are positioned to thrive in a fast-changing environment.
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What are the key skills for accountants in 2025?In 2025, accountants need a blend of technical and strategic skills. Advanced data literacy, AI fluency, and cloud technology proficiency are increasingly essential. Soft skills like critical thinking, adaptability, and client communication remain vital as firms shift toward advisory-first models. The most successful professionals will be those who combine financial expertise with the ability to interpret data, deliver insights, and guide clients through complex decisions.
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How are European firms using AI in 2025?AI is now a core capability for European accounting firms. In 2025, 71% of European firms use AI weekly, and 75% plan to increase investment. Firms are leveraging AI for tax research, bookkeeping automation, document summarisation, and client communication. Advanced AI tools help firms streamline workflows, improve accuracy, and deliver personalised advisory services. As trust in AI grows, firms are embedding it into strategic planning and client engagement, making it a key driver of operational efficiency and competitive advantage.
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How can you prepare your firm for digital transformation?Preparing for digital transformation starts with aligning technology, strategy, and people. European firms are investing in cloud platforms, AI tools, and integrated systems to modernise operations. Key steps include assessing current infrastructure, training staff in digital tools, and streamlining workflows through automation. In 2025, 53% of European firms expanded cloud adoption, and 48% invested in technology integration. Firms that prioritise digital maturity and build agile teams are better equipped to meet client expectations and regulatory demands.
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Who is the Future Ready Accountant report for?The Future Ready Accountant report is designed for leaders shaping the future of the profession. It’s ideal for practice managers and directors, tax, audit and accounting firm partners, advisory and client service leaders, and technology and operations executives. The report offers data-backed insights to help firms to benchmark performance, identify growth opportunities, and build resilient, future-ready strategies.
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How is private equity reshaping the accounting industry?Private equity is accelerating transformation across the accounting industry. In Europe, 30% of firms received private equity funding in the past three years, and 31% plan to pursue it in the next year. These investments are driving innovation, expanding service offerings, and enabling faster adoption of cloud and AI technologies. Tech-mature firms are more likely to attract investors. While PE offers access to capital and scale, firms must balance growth with cultural alignment and client trust.
The Future Ready Accountant Survey included quantitative interviews of 2,768 tax and accounting professionals from firms of all sizes located across 14 countries in the Asia Pacific region (Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore), Europe (Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom) and North America (Canada and the United States). The survey was conducted in Q2 of 2025.
The Future Ready Accountant report examines global trends in tax and accounting and takes an in-depth look at the regional trends impacting accounting firms in Europe. You are currently viewing Future Ready Accountant: Europe edition.
The Future Ready Accountant report examines global trends in tax and accounting and takes an in-depth look at the regional trends impacting accounting firms in Europe. You are currently viewing Future Ready Accountant: Europe edition.