Adventurous, creative: Hallmarks of accounting’s new breed

Tax professionals are shrugging off the traditional view that they are tedious number-crunchers.

This article was originally featured in Accountants Daily

Creative, curious and adventurous are how tax professionals increasingly see themselves, according to research by global accounting software outfit Caseware.

The profession is shifting towards more insights-driven and human-centred work according to the survey, which interviewed nearly 500 accountants and auditors worldwide.

It found 37 per cent place a high value on creative problem-solving while 47 per cent said they are adventurous when it comes to trying new technology.

Accountants also said they want to spend more time collaborating with clients and colleagues, and their focus has shifted from analysing what has happened to anticipating what happens next.

“We’ve been listening closely to our customers for over 30 years and a clear message from this research is that the industry will look significantly different in the future than it does today,” said Caseware chief executive David Osborne.

“What has traditionally been seen as a tedious, number-crunching profession is rapidly transforming into one that’s dynamic, driven by analytical insights and focused on creative collaboration.

“Cloud-based solutions, intelligent automation and other innovations are sparking new business opportunities and opening up new career paths.”

The Canadian company, which specialises in software as a service to the auditing and accounting industry, conducted the study from August through December 2021.

It said the findings were already being applied to the company’s product development and had informed its recent rebranding.

Among the insights shared by survey respondents is that many have been developing their people skills in order to foster closer working relationships with clients and teammates. They are also increasingly conscious of their potential to create lasting impact, the research showed.

“More than ever, we see auditors, accountants and financial analysts taking pride in the fact that their work benefits and improves the world,” Mr Osborne said. “They play a key role, for example, in helping organisations move beyond traditional financial disclosure to share environmental, social and governance information.

“Whether accounting professionals are detecting and preventing fraud, ensuring systems work properly or helping companies operate both efficiently and ethically, the people who count on Caseware are making a difference.” 

Caseware’s rebranding comes as it launches the first in its next generation of products.

Central to the offerings is a cloud-based business intelligence tool called Sherlock, which consolidates data across multiple engagements and generates insights to help sharpen efficiency.

“As we build the tools that are helping transform the future of accounting, we’re also helping individual customers pursue careers fuelled by curiosity and creative intelligence,” said Mr Osborne.

“These are exciting times for the accounting and auditing industry, as digital transformation takes us to places we never imagined.”