CPDStore

10:00 - 10:50

AI for Practice Accountants: From Invoice to Working Papers

Speaker: Sam Methold - Briefcase

For years, automating accounting meant speeding up individual tasks — faster data entry, quicker bank rules. The shift now underway is bigger than that. When you ingest source data with enough context, you can automate the work downstream of it, in real time, as it happens. An invoice no longer just gets captured and coded: the system can recognise that it needs a prepayment, an accrual, a fixed-asset addition or a deferral, make that adjustment as the document lands rather than parking it for month-end, and build the supporting schedule at the same time. Do that across every transaction and your working papers stop being a year-end job — they assemble themselves from the raw data as the year goes on. This session walks through how that actually works, from an invoice arriving to a finished, audit-ready working papers pack.

In this session Sam Methold will cover the following topics:

• From task automation to workflow automation — why automating bits of bookkeeping has been possible for years, and what context-rich data ingestion changes about automating the whole workflow downstream of it.
• Invoices, end to end — how a source document is captured, coded and VAT-treated automatically, with the accountant reviewing by exception rather than processing every item.
• Adjustments in real time — how prepayments, accruals, fixed assets and deferrals can be detected from source documents as they arrive, rather than deferred to a month-end task.
• Schedules that build themselves — how the supporting schedule is created the moment a transaction posts, so working papers come straight from the underlying data, with an immutable audit trail behind every figure.
• What it means for the practice — a close that moves toward real-time, review by exception.

By attending this session, you will be able to:

• Explain the shift from automating individual tasks to automating whole workflows, and what makes it possible now.
• Describe how an invoice can move from capture to a posted, correctly adjusted transaction with no re-keying.
• Identify which accounting adjustments — e.g. prepayments, accruals, fixed assets, deferrals — can be detected and made in real time from source data, versus which require additional historical context
• See how supporting schedules and working papers can be generated from the raw data as the year progresses, rather than assembled at year-end.
• Plan how your practice could shift effort from preparing the numbers to reviewing them and take on more compliance volume without matching headcount.

This session will be of most interest to practice accountants, bookkeepers, accounts-prep and year-end teams, outsourcing and offshore team leads, and practice owners. Useful at any level of AI experience — the focus is the workflow and what it changes, not any single tool.

Course level: Intermediate

11:10 - 12:00

Is It Actually Safe? AI Security for Accountancy Firms

Speaker: Billie Mcloughlin - Aiccountancy

Your team is already using AI. The question is whether you know where, on whose account, and with whose data.

Most firms have gone from 'we're not touching it' to 'half the team has a ChatGPT tab open' in under a year, and the policy side has not caught up.

Client data is being used in some cases and notetakers are joining client calls. Accounting software vendors are switching AI features on by default, and you probably aren't even aware. Meanwhile nobody has checked whether the firm's professional indemnity cover responds to an error caused by AI, or whether the engagement letter says anything about AI use at all.

This session gives you the answers. Not a warning to avoid AI, and not a sales pitch for it. Billie will show you exactly where your data goes in the main tools, what the ICO and your professional body expect of you, and what to do about the AI use already happening in your firm without your knowledge. There is a live walkthrough of settings so you can see it for yourself.

You will leave with questions to ask your vendors for your next software adoption. Firms who get this right are able to say yes to AI with confidence. Firms who ignore it are carrying a risk they cannot see and have not yet priced.

In this session Billie Mcloughlin will cover the following topics:

• What AI security means for a firm. Four separate worries hide under one phrase: data privacy, accuracy, regulatory compliance and client trust. Most firms only worry about one and leave the other three wide open.
• Where your data goes. Consumer versus business plans, training data settings, data residency and retention periods. Live walkthrough of the real settings in the AI tools you use so you can check your own firm afterwards.
• The risk you cannot see. Where to look to find out what everyone is really using, including personal accounts on work devices, notetakers on client calls and browser extensions nobody approved.
• When AI gets it wrong, who carries it. Hallucinated tax positions, human review that stands up to scrutiny, audit trail, what your PII insurer needs to know, engagement letter wording and what to say when a client asks whether you use AI.
• The firm AI security checklist. Data classification, vendor due diligence, staff training, and what to do if something does go wrong.

By attending this session, you will:

• Understand where your data goes in the main AI tools, and be able to check and change those settings in your own firm the same day
• Be able to call out unapproved AI use across your team and know how to bring it under control
• Know what the ICO, your professional body and your insurer expect from a firm using AI, and where your current position falls short
• Have clear wording for engagement letters and for the conversation with a client who asks about AI
• Leave with a security checklist to work through with your partners, and know which points to fix first

Course level: Foundation / Intermediate

12:20 - 13:10

Artificial Intelligence Working with Cryptocurrency and Digital Asset

Speaker: Alan Sellers - Your Crypto Coach

As digital assets like Bitcoin and stablecoins become more common on corporate balance sheets, the sheer volume of data can be overwhelming for traditional accounting methods. At the same time, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is moving from a "futuristic concept" to a practical tool that can help accountants manage these new assets. This webinar provides a plain-English introduction to how AI and digital assets work together. We will explore how AI helps you track transactions, ensure tax compliance, and identify risks without needing to be a computer scientist.

In this session Alan Sellers will cover the following topics:

• Demystifying the Tech: A simple explanation of why AI is the "brain" and Digital Assets (Crypto) are the "data" in the modern finance office.
• Automating the Audit Trail: How AI tools can "read" blockchain data to perform instant reconciliations that would take humans days.
• Tax Compliance & CARF: Understanding the new 2026 reporting requirements (CARF) and how AI simplifies the reporting of gains and losses.
• Spotting Red Flags: Using AI to detect suspicious patterns or "fraudulent" digital assets before they impact the business.
• The "Human in the Loop": Why professional judgment remains the most important part of using AI in accounting.

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• Explain the basic relationship between AI and digital asset record-keeping.
• Navigate the 2026 HMRC/Irish Revenue reporting landscape for digital assets with confidence.
• Evaluate which AI tools are actually useful for a standard accounting practice vs. what is just "hype."
• Identify the key risks digital assets pose to a client's balance sheet and how technology can mitigate them.

This course will be of particular interest to Finance Directors, Partners, and Accountants in the UK and Ireland who are still fairly new to digital assets or AI and want a clear, jargon-free overview of how these technologies affect their daily work.

Course Level: Foundation

13:50 - 14:40

Surviving Tax Season Without Sacrificing Your Sanity

Speaker: Jonny Bevan - The Police Burnout Coach

Accountants are facing increasing pressure as they navigate growing client demands, tighter deadlines, evolving regulations, and the expectation to deliver more strategic value than ever before. Balancing technical responsibilities with business development, client relationships, and personal commitments can often lead to stress, overwhelm, and difficulty maintaining a sustainable work-life balance. Effective time management, resilience, and productivity have become essential skills for long-term success.

This webinar is designed to help accountants better manage competing priorities, reduce overwhelm, and develop practical strategies to work more efficiently and confidently.

By attending, accountants will gain valuable tools to enhance personal wellbeing, strengthen practice performance, improve client service, and create greater value for their business, their clients, and their long-term professional growth.

In this session Jonny Bevan will cover the following:

• Challenging common myths and misconceptions about time management
• Discovering the real foundations of effective time management
• Understanding how your brain influences productivity, focus, and overwhelm
• Applying the Self Coaching Model to manage thoughts, emotions, and behaviours
• Letting go of guilt and creating a healthier work-life balance

By attending this session, you will:

• Feel more in control of your time, workload, and priorities
• Understand how to work more effectively without constantly feeling busy
• Build greater confidence in managing competing demands and deadlines
• Learn practical strategies to reduce overwhelm and increase productivity
• Be more present in both your professional and personal life
• Overcome guilt and create a healthier, more sustainable work-life balance

This session will be of interest to Accountants finance professionals, and business owners who feel overwhelmed by competing demands, struggle to switch off from work, and want to improve productivity while creating a healthier balance between professional success and personal life.

Course level: Foundation

15:00 - 15:50

The New Landscape of Dismissal Protection: A Seismic Shift in 2027

Speaker: Kate Lawson - Element Law Limited

There are significant changes to employment rights taking effect in 2026 and 2027 through the phased introduction of the Employment Rights Act 2025.

One of the most substantial changes is the reduction of the qualifying service employees need to bring a claim for unfair dismissal in the employment tribunal from the current 2 years to 6 months from 1 January 2027. This will have an impact on all employers and businesses, and change how employers need to manage probationary periods and early poor performance, as well as the use of and termination processes for fixed-term contracts including maternity cover roles.

In this session, we will reflect on this change in the law and the practical implications for all businesses, covering information that is vital for management of your practice as well as awareness when advising employer clients.

In this session Kate Lawson will cover the following topics:

What is the change in the law and when does it come into force?
• We will consider the current law and the law following the change in 2027, and how this is immediately relevant to all employers, including partnerships, SMEs and third sector organisations.

What will this change mean in practice for my business?
• We will consider the circumstances and potential claims impacted by a reduction in qualifying service, and what this means for dismissal of new joiners. We will also summarise context around the workings of employment tribunals.

What should we be doing to prepare for this change?
• We will consider the increased significance of probationary periods as a result of this change and how to use probationary periods effectively.

How does this change impact fixed-term contract roles for projects and maternity cover?
• We will consider the rights of fixed term employees and the important considerations for maternity cover roles.

What related changes under the Employment Rights Act 2025 are also important to prepare for?
• We will summarise other changes of significance under the new Act in the context of unfair dismissal, including the removal of the current cap on compensation that a tribunal can award.

By attending this session, you will understand the impact of this change in the law for all employers and have the tools to make practical preparations for this significant shift in employment rights for your business and your clients.

This will be of interest to all business owners who currently have, or intend to hire, employees, as well as vital context in advising clients on organisational structure planning, change and financial management.

Course level: Intermediate / Need to know

16:10 - 17:00

PRACTICE GROWTH: How to Build a Profitable, Scalable Accounting Practice

Speaker: Bev Flanagan - Bev Flanagan Financial Ltd

In this session, I’ll share practical strategies to help accountants grow their practice without working longer hours. If you’re feeling stuck, underpaid or overwhelmed, this course will show you how to position yourself as a trusted expert, confidently charge what you’re worth, and create a business that works for you - not the other way around.

In this session Bev Flanagan will cover the following topics:

• Why being busy doesn’t equal being profitable
• How to shift your mindset and start thinking like a business owner
• Practical steps to increase your fees (without losing clients)
• Streamlining your services to save time and boost value
• Building long-term client relationships that lead to steady growth

By attending this session, you’ll learn how to attract higher value clients, charge what you’re worth, and create a more profitable, manageable accounting practice.

This session will be of most interest to accountants and bookkeepers running their own practice, or those looking to move beyond employer roles and build a thriving business.

Course level: Intermediate