From Automation to Autonomy: How Agentic AI Is Reshaping the Accounting Profession
TL;DR
Agentic AI is redefining accounting by introducing intelligent, autonomous systems that can understand goals, plan workflows, and act independently. While the technology is still maturing, early applications from vendors like Microsoft, NetSuite, and Hypatos.ai hint at a future where accountants oversee strategy while AI handles execution—especially for complex, repetitive, and data-intensive tasks.
What Is Agentic AI—and How Is It Different?
Unlike generative AI, which focuses on producing content, agentic AI is designed to accomplish tasks. It understands an intent, forms a plan, retrieves the right data (often from ERP or tax systems), and performs actions—all autonomously. Think of it as a digital staff member that not only knows the rules, but adapts them in real-time using feedback and contextual awareness.
Moving Beyond Automation: Why Agentic AI Matters
RPA follows a rulebook; agentic AI writes the next chapter. While robotic process automation handles structured, repetitive tasks, agentic AI goes further by:
- Analyzing complex tax regulations or financial scenarios
- Learning from historical patterns to detect anomalies and prevent fraud
- Communicating with clients via natural language and triggering actions across platforms
- Managing global compliance workflows, like e-invoicing in dozens of countries
Current Use Cases in Accounting
- NetSuite’s Financial Exception AI: Scans transactions, flags anomalies, and suggests corrective actions.
- Microsoft’s desktop AI agent: Completes HMRC forms and runs tax software based on simple text commands.
- Hypatos.ai: Enables autonomous processing of tax documentation, withholding calculations, and treaty applications across multiple jurisdictions.
Imagining What’s Next: From Reactive to Proactive Accounting
Accountants today still think in terms of enhanced efficiency. But agentic AI opens new frontiers—handling workflows that weren’t previously automatable. Imagine an agent processing a tax return request, interpreting treaty clauses, navigating compliance forms, and filing them—independently. This isn’t futuristic speculation; it’s a prototype away from reality.
Addressing the Skills Gap with AI Agents
With recruitment challenges and rising workloads, firms are now weighing the ROI of technology over new hires. AI doesn’t just plug the talent gap—it retains knowledge and scales efficiently. As one expert put it, “Why train someone who might leave in a year when AI stays, evolves, and scales with your business?”
But Don’t Count Out Human Oversight
Agentic AI can take on complex tasks, but it still needs humans for edge cases and ethical judgment. Tax regulations are nuanced, full of grey areas. AI may handle 95% of a tax return, but final validation, interpretation of ambiguous clauses, or advisory roles still belong to trained professionals.
Agentic AI in Global Compliance and E-Invoicing
Governments worldwide are enforcing digital invoicing, each with unique formats. This adds overhead for global companies. Agentic AI can automatically read and translate diverse formats, apply tax rules, and streamline filings. Its flexible data processing capabilities, powered by large language models, make it ideal for handling e-invoicing complexity.
Implementation Best Practices
- Human-in-the-loop design: Ensure oversight, especially for compliance and ethics.
- Data quality: AI is only as smart as the data it receives. Validate and clean your inputs.
- Traceability: Make decisions auditable to meet regulatory scrutiny.
- Change management: Prepare teams with training, clear objectives, and a robust roll-out plan.
Final Thoughts: Accounting’s Agentic Future
Agentic AI won’t replace accountants—it will reimagine their role. By handling the grunt work, these systems allow humans to focus on strategy, ethics, and high-value decision-making. From invoicing to international tax workflows, the shift from automation to autonomy is already underway.
Sources
Originally published by Tom Herbert in AccountingWEB and Uli Erxleben in Forbes Finance Council You might also like
