What Perplexity AI, Xero OS and GoCardless Redundancies mean for your practice right now

Indi is joined by Billie Mcloughlin and Kevin Fitzgerald for a busy episode covering AI's move into tax preparation, Xero's repositioning as an operating system, and a string of practical product updates across the accounting tech stack. Indi opens with news of Advancetrack's upcoming GBX conference on 12th May at the National Gallery, where the 2026 Accounting Talent Index launches. Early data suggests 70% of firms say workloads are increasing pressure on senior staff, cutting against the narrative that AI is the profession's most urgent problem right now. Kevin adds context with Employment Hero's March Jobs Report, drawn from roughly 120,000 UK employees. Headline employment growth is positive at just over 5.3% month on month, but wage growth at 8.8% remains high and SME hiring confidence is wobbling again as April's employer legislation updates and the Fair Work Agency's growing focus create fresh uncertainty. Billie recalls a live demo she recorded: Perplexity's new Computer tool filling out a US tax return end to end, pulling documents, error-checking and asking clarifying questions. It doesn't file, but it does everything up to that point. US-only for now, but a clear direction of travel. Kevin links it to a bolder claim from Tom Blomfield, ex-CEO of Monzo, who argued income tax collection could be restructured within five years, cutting out advisers and individual returns. The hosts are sceptical, but take the underlying question about accountant value seriously. Mayday gets a positive segment covering a strong Q1: centralised control of contacts, chart of accounts and tracking categories across multiple Xero entities, plus the acquisition of Easy Month End. Indi raises the question of whether a Xero acquisition is on the cards. Xero OS generates the most debate. Billie breaks down Jax shifting from assistant framing to something closer to an AI CFO. Indi's reading is more structural: the move from ecosystem to operating system signals Xero closing the dome around its data, compressing the opportunity for apps sitting on top of it. Kevin covers Oracle's Fusion Finance agentic applications, where agents chase payments and manage collections without waiting for human input, and notes AI is collapsing roadmap timelines from twelve months to weeks. Also covered: Dext Payments moving into payroll payments; Briefcase One adding live bank feeds with automated categorisation and ledger posting; FreeAgent's MTD bulk workflow release; and GoCardless cutting 90 jobs while targeting EBITDA positive in 2026. FreeAgent is the proud sponsor of this episode. FreeAgent is an HMRC-recognised MTD solution for sole traders, landlords and CIS clients. Find out more at freeagent.com. 00:00 Introduction to the Digital Disruptors Podcast 04:25 The state of accounting employment and talent 08:51 Perplexity AI going after accounting? 11:29 Income tax redundant in 5 years? 17:22 Huge Q1 for Mayday 22:10 Xero's new AI operating system 30:00 Oracle announces Fusion Finance 31:23 Dext Payments: automation in payroll and accounting 34:46 Briefcase One now has bank feeds 38:10 MTD-focused releases from FreeAgent 41:24 GoCardless axes 90 jobs 49:09 Close