If you've spent any time on accounting Twitter in 2026, you've seen the AI bookkeeping hype. Here's the realistic version.
Where AI genuinely helps
- Receipt categorisation — a 3-second AI scan vs. 30 seconds of typing
- Chase emails — AI drafts a polite "where's my money" so you don't have to write awkward ones
- Anomaly detection — AI spots duplicates and subscription creep humans miss
Where AI still loses
- Tax strategy — choosing between sole trader and Ltd is a human conversation
- Edge cases — multi-currency, complex VAT, partial-exempt: real accountants still win
- Trust at filing time — HMRC penalties are too expensive to bet on a hallucination
The right combination
Use AI for the boring stuff: categorising, chasing, summarising. Use a human accountant for the strategic stuff: incorporation, tax planning, year-end filing.
Ledgerly Pro is built around this principle — AI handles the day-to-day, your accountant gets clean books and a one-click read-only link when they need it.