Drawing insights from 434 accountants and bookkeepers across Australia, The Access Group’s The State of AI in Accounting Report 2026 examines how AI is impacting the accounting industry and evaluates the time saved from using AI tools.
Firms already using AI are experiencing a boost in productivity and efficiency in their workflows with 26% reporting time savings amounting to at least 1.5 work weeks every year. However, translating these gains into firm-wide scale to boost capacity remains secondary to individual practitioner’s gains.
Key stats you need to know
- 56% and 61% of AI-equipped firms experienced productivity and efficiency gains, respectively.
- 49% of firms report AI improves delivery of service at scale.
- Almost 4 in 10 (37%) accountants report AI saves them at least 30 minutes per day, translating to a minimum of 125 hours per year.
Early AI adopters realising significant time savings
- 1 in 4 firms (26%) save 15 to 30 min daily, equivalent to 60 to 120 hours per year.
- 37% of firms save at least 30 minutes per day (125 hours per year minimum).
Accounting professionals are already reaping the benefits of AI, reclaiming billable hours previously spent on repetitive tasks. A daily savings of 15 to 30 minutes (reported by 26% of firms) translates into 1.5 to 3 weeks of work annually, freeing practitioners to focus on higher-value services.
More than 1 in 3 firms (37%) report saving at least 30 minutes daily with AI, including 15% saving 1 to 2 hours, 3% saving 2 to 4 hours, and 1% saving 4 hours or more, demonstrating substantial time savings. Daily savings of 30 minutes add up to over three full work weeks, which equates to roughly $13,750 annually, according to the study.
These firms are building a clear competitive advantage. By automating routine work and accelerating turnaround times, they are increasing capacity for growth, while firms that delay adoption risk falling behind in efficiency, client service, and talent retention.
“Firms that adopted AI early are already seeing measurable gains in time and efficiency,” said Michael Johnson. “Those saved hours are being reinvested into client work and strategic initiatives, giving these firms a clear edge over competitors still waiting to adopt.”
AI benefits accounting firms in efficiency and client communications, but scaling impact across firm lags behind
- 6 in 10 accountants say they’ve become more efficient since adopting AI.
- 55% of firms report AI improves their ability to communicate and interact with clients.
- In delivering services at scale, 49% of firms reported that they’ve benefited from AI while 46% say that there has been no change.
In terms of how AI impacts different practice areas in accounting, 61% of firms are able to deliver more with fewer resources since adopting AI, including 9% reporting significant efficiency gains and 54% seeing improvements in client communication and interaction.
Interesting to note that efficiency gains on a firm-wide scale is felt less by accountants. Only 49% of firms say AI has improved their ability to deliver services and advice at scale, while nearly as many (46%) report no change. The impact of AI is felt more at the individual practitioner or team level. It suggests that AI currently enhances existing workflows more than growing the overall capacity of firms.
“What we’re seeing is AI delivering on its promise of boosting accountants’ day-to-day productivity,” said Michael Johnson, Director at Agile Market Intelligence. “The next step is redesigning workflows so these gains scale across the firm instead of staying at the individual level.”
About the research
The Access Group’s State of AI in Accounting Report 2026, conducted by Agile Market Intelligence, maps out AI adoption, risks and barriers holding back adoption, and the practical use cases already delivering value today. The report captures the sentiments of 434 accountants, bookkeepers and other accounting professionals across Australia around their experiences of artificial intelligence in their practice. Responses were collected between 9th of September and 13th of October 2025.
You can download the report here.
