AI automation for an accounting or bookkeeping practice handles repeatable ledger work, such as reconciliation and BAS prep, with a registered agent signing off. On a 70-point test of ledger fit, practice work, human review, client-data protection, setup, published price and accounting proof, Agentive scores highest at 68, ahead of Karbon on 64 and MYOB on 63.
The best AI automation for accounting firms in Australia, ranked
How each one scores
Points by test, scored 1 October 2026| Agentive | Karbon | MYOB | Xero JAX | Dext | QuickBooks | EzzyBills | Tofu | Hourglass AI | Booke AI | Evisent | Argo Logic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Works with your ledger10 points | |||||||||||
| 10 of 10 | 7 of 10 | 5 of 10 | 5 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 2 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 7 of 10 | 7 of 10 | 0 of 10 | 5 of 10 |
| Practice work covered10 points | |||||||||||
| 10 of 10 | 7 of 10 | 8 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 7 of 10 | 8 of 10 | 3 of 10 | 5 of 10 | 8 of 10 | 8 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 7 of 10 |
| Human review with an audit trail10 points | |||||||||||
| 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 5 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 0 of 10 |
| Client-data protection10 points | |||||||||||
| 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 7 of 10 | 7 of 10 | 7 of 10 | 3 of 10 | 7 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 7 of 10 | 6 of 10 | 0 of 10 |
| Runs without an engineer10 points | |||||||||||
| 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 6 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 |
| Published price10 points | |||||||||||
| 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 7 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 4 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 0 of 10 |
| Accounting proof10 points | |||||||||||
| 8 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 10 of 10 | 0 of 10 | 6 of 10 | 2 of 10 | 5 of 10 |
| Total scoreout of 70 | |||||||||||
| 68 of 701st | 64 of 702nd | 63 of 703rd | 62 of 704th | 59 of 705th | 57 of 706th | 56 of 707th | 55 of 708th | 55 of 709th | 52 of 7010th | 48 of 7011th | 27 of 7012th |
1. Agentive
- Best for
- Accounting and bookkeeping firms of 1 to 7 staff that want a managed AI employee working in Xero or MYOB, with data hosted in Australia
- Location
- Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane
Agentive's AI Employee is built for small accounting and bookkeeping firms of 1 to 7 staff. It plugs straight into Xero and MYOB, codes transactions and reconciles daily, and builds month-end packs. It also drafts client replies in the firm's tone, and BAS and GST working papers for a registered agent to review and lodge.
The firm decides what the AI can do alone and what needs a human sign-off, and every action it takes is logged. Each firm runs single-tenant on AWS in the Sydney region, and client records are never used to train models for another firm. Its own product site lists plans from A$500 a month plus GST, with a Team plan at A$1,000 and a Business plan at A$2,000. Its use cases for accountants report results such as 20 miscategorised expenses and $142 in incorrect GST claims caught, and 38 missing receipts found and attached in one session, without naming the firms.
- Strongest on: full marks on six of the seven tests, more than any other entry.
- Loses on: accounting proof, 8. Its results carry figures but no firm names, and the firm it names carries no figure.
2. Karbon
- Best for
- Accounting and bookkeeping firms that want practice management, client email and month-end close checks in one platform, priced per user
Karbon is practice management software for accounting firms. Its AI drafts client emails and summarises long threads, and its AI agents take on repetitive workflows such as client onboarding and tax preparation. Period close automation, powered by Aider, flags anomalies in client ledgers in Xero and QuickBooks Online, and sign-offs are tracked with a built-in audit trail, according to its bookkeeping page.
Karbon states that it does not use a firm's data to train AI models, and its web application is SOC 2 Type 2 certified. The Team plan is $59 a user a month, paid annually, and implementation services are available. Virtus Advisory Services improved billing efficiency by 40%, and Loewen Kruse CPA saved 350 hours of manual admin.
- Strongest on: full marks on five of the seven tests, including a published accounting result and an audit trail.
- Loses on: practice work covered, 7, with no management reporting on its own pages. Works with your ledger, 7, with MYOB not named.
3. MYOB
- Best for
- Practices with a client base on MYOB that want BAS, tax and financial statements in one compliance workflow, with AI that processes data in Australia
MYOB Practice Compliance brings client management, BAS, tax and client accounting into one connected system, and it takes a client ledger from MYOB, QuickBooks or a trial balance import. Numbers prefill and reconcile as the job moves, financial statements generate from the reconciled numbers, and complete digital audit trails are recorded against the work. MYOB AI BAS, in beta, turns BAS preparation into a continuous workflow, and the user approves its decisions.
MYOB's AI Assistant does not use business data to train AI models, and the data is processed in Australia, within Australian systems. The cheapest MYOB plan, Solo, is $99 a year after the offer period, and Premier includes guided setup with a specialist. Crofts Chartered Accountants, Atlias Advisory and Walsh Accountants are quoted on its page for accountants and bookkeepers.
- Strongest on: human review, client-data protection, runs without an engineer, published price and accounting proof, with full marks on all five.
- Loses on: works with your ledger, 5, with Xero not named as a ledger it works with. Practice work covered, 8, with no client email drafting on the pages read.
4. Xero JAX
- Best for
- Practices whose clients already run on Xero and want the AI inside the ledger, starting free for the practice's own books
JAX is the AI built into Xero, and it works on a business's own data in Xero. Xero plans with JAX reconcile bank transactions, show real-time reports, and track GST and lodge BAS, and users review JAX's output. For practices, Xero Tax and Workpapers keep compliance information in one place with a complete audit trail.
Xero states that JAX chat does not use customer data to train the models it relies on, and Xero is certified to ISO/IEC 27001:2022. Xero is free for a practice to run its own books, and the Grow plan with JAX costs $78 a month after the introductory offer. Deloitte Private, Polay + Clark, CV Ledger, Tax Agent 99 and Balance Books appear among its partner stories.
- Strongest on: full marks on five of the seven tests, including practice work covered, level with Agentive and Evisent.
- Loses on: works with your ledger, 5. JAX works in Xero only. Client-data protection, 7, with no statement on Australian hosting in the sources read.
5. Dext
- Best for
- Practices that want receipts, invoices and bank data captured, coded and reconciled into Xero, QuickBooks or MYOB, priced per client
Dext is AI bookkeeping software built for accounting and bookkeeping practices, automating the work from data entry to categorisation and reconciliation. It connects to Xero and QuickBooks, and its FAQ lists direct connections to MYOB as well. Approval workflows review documents before they are published to the accounting software.
Data processed by its AI Assist bookkeeping agent is not used to train external AI models, and the company holds ISO 27001 certification. Plans start from $17.70 per client a month. Bas & Balances took on four times more clients, and Lucent Advisory saves over 100 hours a month.
- Strongest on: works with your ledger, 10, level with Agentive, EzzyBills and Tofu.
- Loses on: human review with an audit trail, 5. No log of what the AI changed appears in the sources read. Client-data protection, 7, with AI Assist data kept in EU and UK regions.
6. QuickBooks
- Best for
- Practices whose clients run on QuickBooks Online and want AI categorisation, anomaly flags and BAS lodgement inside that one ledger
QuickBooks Online's AI categorises transactions and flags anomalies, gives clear financial summaries in one place, and lets a business lodge its BAS. Its AI agents leave their work ready for the user to review and approve, and its security page lists an always-on activity log and audit trail. QuickBooks Online Accountant is free for the firm, and onboarding with its experts is free.
Intuit states that QuickBooks data reached by its AI connector is not used to train AI models. Plans run from $33 a month for Simple Start to $84 for Plus after the introductory offer. Its accountant stories name practices such as InTune Outsourcing, an accounting practice in Kuala Lumpur, and MG Essentials, a bookkeeper in the Philippines.
- Strongest on: human review, runs without an engineer, published price and accounting proof, with full marks on all four.
- Loses on: works with your ledger, 2. It names only its own ledger. Client-data protection, 7, with no statement on Australian hosting in the sources read.
7. EzzyBills
- Best for
- Bookkeepers who want supplier bills and receipts captured, coded and approved by the client before they reach Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks Online
EzzyBills is Australian bill capture software that works with Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks Online. It automates entry, coding and reconciliation, and the client reviews and approves each bill before it syncs. It keeps audit trails with fraud detection, and it has completed a SOC 2 Type 1 examination.
Plans run from A$132 to A$605 a year. EzzyBills helped innocentric, an Australian bookkeeping consultancy, cut AP processing time by up to 60%. Its partner listing names practices that work with it, including Accountancy Online in Black Rock and APlus Office & Bookkeeping Service in Adamstown Heights.
- Strongest on: full marks on five of the seven tests, including works with your ledger, level with Agentive, Dext and Tofu.
- Loses on: practice work covered, 3. It covers capture, coding and reconciliation. Client-data protection, 3, with no statement on model training in the sources read.
8. Tofu
- Best for
- Practices with high volumes of messy invoices and bank statements to extract into Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks on a flat plan fee
Tofu automates bank reconciliation with Xero, publishes bills and invoices into MYOB and connects to QuickBooks, and documents land in the accounting software ready for review. Its own blog says publishing with source documents attached keeps the audit trail intact. Custom rules cover GST and withholding tax. Tofu states that it never uses customer data to train third-party LLMs, and it is ISO 27001:2022 certified.
Its Pro plan is $79 and Business is $199. Genesis Chartered Accountants, Zattus Accounting and MFD Advisory are among the firms quoted on its home page.
- Strongest on: works with your ledger, human review and accounting proof, 10 each.
- Loses on: runs without an engineer, 6. It is self-serve, with no set-up service in the sources read. Practice work covered, 5, with no management reporting or client email on its pages.
9. Hourglass AI
- Best for
- Accounting-firm owners with 10 to 100 people and no engineer on staff who want custom agents built on top of Xero and maintained for them
- Location
- Sydney and Melbourne
Hourglass AI builds and maintains the AI for Australian companies of 10 to 100 people, so a practice needs no engineer of its own. Its Company AI Brain sits on top of the systems a firm already runs, including Xero, and clients typically find information 60 to 80% faster within 30 days. On that foundation it builds agents for invoice chasing, reconciliation checks, meeting prep briefs, client update drafts and board snapshots. Hourglass is hiring forward-deployed engineers in Sydney to start with accounting work, and its June 2026 newsletter names accounting-firm owners as a segment it is leaning into.
Its AI Inbox writes replies that wait in drafts for a person to glance over and send. One client's executive assistant handled 500 or more emails a day, and the AI Inbox now runs that inbox. Within seven weeks it went from 5 users to a 35-person office. A forestry and timber business cut its board reporting from two days to about 20 minutes. Finlay Ekins wrote that one of its agents went from filing information correctly 62% of the time to 100% once it was given a test to pass.
Everything Hourglass builds runs on the client's own servers and accounts, and access is ring-fenced per person using the firm's existing permissions. Its privacy policy commits that client data is not used to train third-party AI models. A first build is live in one to two weeks at $5,000 to $25,000, with maintenance at about $1,000 a month. Its September 2026 update reports seven clients on a monthly retainer.
Startup Daily describes Hourglass as an AI implementation firm that builds working systems inside Australian businesses on a fixed-fee basis. It names Schweigen, a multi-billion-dollar appliance retailer, as running an AI customer support system Hourglass built. Michael Batko co-founded the firm with Finlay Ekins, whose AI consultancy became Hourglass AI in 2026. Before that, Batko spent eight years leading Startmate, which backed 228 companies with first cheques in that time.
- Strongest on: human review with an audit trail, client-data protection, runs without an engineer and published price, with full marks on all four, 40 of 40 points.
Free 30-minute call
Bring Hourglass AI the practice work that eats your week
Reconciliation checks, client email, month-end packs, BAS prep. Tell us which one costs your team the most hours. On the call we check whether an AI build pays back for a practice your size, what we would build first, and what it would cost against the prices on this page. If the numbers don't work, we'll tell you.
Everything we build runs on your own servers and accounts, and access follows the permissions your firm already uses.
Book a 30-minute call10. Booke AI
- Best for
- Bookkeeping firms on Xero or QuickBooks Online that want daily bank reconciliation done inside the ledger, with exceptions sent to the team
Booke AI works inside QuickBooks Online and Xero and automates daily bank reconciliation, sending low-confidence transactions to the team for review. It generates interactive reports, lets the firm ask clients about transactions in one click, and keeps an exception review and audit trail. Each client's AI is trained only on that client's own data.
The AI Bookkeeper costs A$179 per business a month, and accounting firm pricing is quoted on request. Kustov & Associates uses it to eliminate 80% of the bookkeeper's daily routine, and No Stress Accounting says AI autocategorisation saves its team a couple of hours a day.
- Strongest on: human review and runs without an engineer, with full marks on both.
- Loses on: published price, 4. One figure is published. Works with your ledger, 7, with MYOB not named.
11. Evisent
- Best for
- Accounting firms of 10 or more staff on Microsoft 365 that want fixed-price automation builds and managed IT from one provider
- Location
- Melbourne
Evisent is a Melbourne managed IT and AI firm with a page for accounting firms. Its five accounting automation patterns cover document chasing, PDF-to-ledger data entry, month-end packs, AML/CTF Tranche 2 paperwork and drafted replies to client questions. Nothing posts without a person approving it. Its automations run inside the client's own Microsoft 365 tenant.
Each build is priced from $4,000 plus GST, with support from $200 a month.
- Strongest on: practice work covered, 10, level with Agentive and Xero JAX.
- Loses on: works with your ledger, 0. No ledger is named as a system it works in, in the sources read. Accounting proof, 2, from one anonymised accounting client.
12. Argo Logic
- Best for
- Accounting firms that run, or want to run, the practice on Salesforce synced with Xero
Argo Logic is a Salesforce implementation partner for accounting firms. It syncs Salesforce with Xero to automate invoicing, automates routine emails, engagement letters and fee follow-ups, and builds task management for BAS, IAS, SMSF and TPAR work. Salesforce's customer story on Interactive Accounting says the Argo Logic-led build cut the average time to close month-end for clients from 21 days to 14. Aquila Super is among its case studies.
- Strongest on: runs without an engineer, 10.
- Loses on: human review, client-data protection and published price, 0 each. None appears in the sources read.
How they compare
The grid below answers five questions an accounting practice asks on the first call, from each entry's published pages. The cost table then shows what each one charges. Four of the twelve name both Xero and MYOB as systems they work with. Nine state that client data is kept out of model training, and five name an accounting client with a result figure.
12 options, side by side
Checked 1 October 2026Sets it up or builds it for you?Its own site offers to set up, configure or build it for the firmAgentive: Yes.Karbon: Yes.MYOB: Yes.Xero JAX: Yes.Dext: Yes.QuickBooks: Yes.EzzyBills: Yes.Tofu: Not stated.Hourglass AI: Yes.Booke AI: Yes.Evisent: Yes.Argo Logic: Yes.
| Option | Answer |
|---|---|
| Agentive | Yes. Connects the AI to the firm's ledger, inbox and documents for it. |
| Karbon | Yes. Provides implementation services. |
| MYOB | Yes. Guided setup with a specialist (Premier plan). |
| Xero JAX | Yes. Partners get one-on-one advice to get set up. |
| Dext | Yes. Onboarding support from its team. |
| QuickBooks | Yes. Free onboarding by its experts. |
| EzzyBills | Yes. Onboarding gathers the client's processes and requirements. |
| Tofu | Not stated. Self-serve software. Its pages read offer no set-up service. |
| Hourglass AI | Yes. Builds the agents for the client if the team would rather not. |
| Booke AI | Yes. Priority onboarding on the firm plan. |
| Evisent | Yes. Builds automations for accounting and bookkeeping businesses. |
| Argo Logic | Yes. Implements Salesforce for accounting firms. |
Works with Xero and MYOB?Its own site names Xero and MYOB as systems it works inAgentive: Yes.Karbon: Not stated.MYOB: Not stated.Xero JAX: Not stated.Dext: Yes.QuickBooks: Not stated.EzzyBills: Yes.Tofu: Yes.Hourglass AI: Not stated.Booke AI: Not stated.Evisent: Not stated.Argo Logic: Not stated.
| Option | Answer |
|---|---|
| Agentive | Yes. Names both Xero and MYOB. |
| Karbon | Not stated. Names Xero. MYOB is not named as a system it works with on the pages read. |
| MYOB | Not stated. Names MYOB. Xero is not named as a system it works with on the pages read. |
| Xero JAX | Not stated. Names Xero. MYOB is not named as a system it works with on the pages read. |
| Dext | Yes. Names both Xero and MYOB. |
| QuickBooks | Not stated. Neither ledger is named as a system it works with on the pages read. |
| EzzyBills | Yes. Names both Xero and MYOB. |
| Tofu | Yes. Names both Xero and MYOB. |
| Hourglass AI | Not stated. Names Xero. MYOB is not named as a system it works with on the pages read. |
| Booke AI | Not stated. Names Xero. MYOB is not named as a system it works with on the pages read. |
| Evisent | Not stated. Neither ledger is named as a system it works with on the pages read. |
| Argo Logic | Not stated. Names Xero. MYOB is not named as a system it works with on the pages read. |
A person approves before anything goes out?Its own site says a person reviews or approves output before it is sent, posted or lodgedAgentive: Yes.Karbon: Yes.MYOB: Yes.Xero JAX: Yes.Dext: Yes.QuickBooks: Yes.EzzyBills: Yes.Tofu: Yes.Hourglass AI: Yes.Booke AI: Yes.Evisent: Yes.Argo Logic: Not stated.
| Option | Answer |
|---|---|
| Agentive | Yes. The firm decides what needs a human sign-off. |
| Karbon | Yes. Approvers are notified when work is ready for sign-off. |
| MYOB | Yes. The user approves AI BAS decisions. |
| Xero JAX | Yes. Users review JAX's output. |
| Dext | Yes. Approval workflows review documents before they are published to the ledger. |
| QuickBooks | Yes. AI work is ready for the user to review and approve. |
| EzzyBills | Yes. The client reviews and approves before sync. |
| Tofu | Yes. Documents land in the ledger ready for review. |
| Hourglass AI | Yes. Triage, drafts and filing are all reviewable, and the user approves everything. |
| Booke AI | Yes. Low-confidence transactions go to the team for review. |
| Evisent | Yes. Nothing posts without a person approving it. |
| Argo Logic | Not stated. Not stated on the pages read. |
Keeps client data out of model training?Its own site says customer data is not used to train AI modelsAgentive: Yes.Karbon: Yes.MYOB: Yes.Xero JAX: Yes.Dext: Yes.QuickBooks: Yes.EzzyBills: Not stated.Tofu: Yes.Hourglass AI: Yes.Booke AI: Yes.Evisent: Not stated.Argo Logic: Not stated.
| Option | Answer |
|---|---|
| Agentive | Yes. Client records are never used to train models for another firm. |
| Karbon | Yes. Does not use firm data to train AI models. |
| MYOB | Yes. Its AI Assistant does not use business data to train AI models. |
| Xero JAX | Yes. JAX does not use customer data to train its models. |
| Dext | Yes. AI Assist data is not used to train external models. |
| QuickBooks | Yes. Intuit states QuickBooks data reached by its AI connector is not used to train AI models. |
| EzzyBills | Not stated. No statement about model training on the pages read. |
| Tofu | Yes. Never uses customer data to train third-party LLMs. |
| Hourglass AI | Yes. Its privacy policy commits that client data is not used to train third-party AI models. |
| Booke AI | Yes. Each client's AI is trained only on its own data. |
| Evisent | Not stated. No statement about model training on the pages read. |
| Argo Logic | Not stated. No statement about model training on the pages read. |
Names an accounting client with a result?Its own site, or a published customer story about its work, names an accounting, bookkeeping or tax practice with a measured resultAgentive: Not stated.Karbon: Yes.MYOB: Not stated.Xero JAX: Not stated.Dext: Yes.QuickBooks: Not stated.EzzyBills: Yes.Tofu: Not stated.Hourglass AI: Not stated.Booke AI: Yes.Evisent: Not stated.Argo Logic: Yes.
What AI automation costs an accounting practice
Published prices, AUD| Option | Entry or audit | Typical build or plan | Ongoing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agentive | A$500 a month plus GSTSolo plan, on its myagentive.ai site | A$1,000 a month plus GSTTeam plan, up to 5 users | A$2,000 a month plus GSTBusiness plan, up to 10 users |
| Karbon | $59 a user a monthTeam plan, paid annually | $89 a user a monthBusiness plan, paid annually | $79 a user a monthTeam plan, paid monthly |
| MYOB | $99 a yearSolo, its cheapest plan, after the offer | $70 a monthBusiness Pro, after the offer | $165 a monthAccountRight Plus, after the offer |
| Xero JAX | FreeTo run your own practice on Xero | $78 a monthGrow plan after the offer, JAX included | Not published |
| Dext | From $17.70Per client a month, Essentials | From $19.20Per client a month, Advanced | $7.5 a client a monthData health add-on |
| QuickBooks | $33 a monthSimple Start, its cheapest plan, after the offer | $60 a monthEssentials, after the offer | $84 a monthPlus, after the offer |
| EzzyBills | A$132 a yearLight plan, GST included | A$297 a yearStandard plan | A$605 a yearPremium plan |
| Tofu | $79Pro plan, firms under 20 clients | $199Business plan, 20 to 50 clients | Not published |
| Hourglass AI | Flat feeAI Audit, shown in the pricing section below | $5,000 to $25,000Each build | About $1,000 a monthMaintenance, per build |
| Booke AI | A$179 a monthPer business. Firm pricing is quoted | Not published | Not published |
| Evisent | $990 plus GSTFixed-price audit | From $4,000 plus GSTEach build | From $200 a monthSupport |
| Argo Logic | Not published | Not published | Not published |
Which option fits your practice
the firm has fewer than eight staff and wants a managed AI employee in Xero or MYOB, with data hosted in Sydney.
the bottleneck is running the practice itself, with work, deadlines, client email and period close checks in one place.
most clients are on MYOB and BAS, tax and financial statements should run in one compliance workflow.
every client is on Xero and the practice wants AI inside the ledger it already uses, free for its own books.
the backlog is receipts and supplier bills, clients run a mix of Xero, QuickBooks and MYOB, and the practice wants to pay per client file.
clients run on QuickBooks Online and the practice wants an AI that flags anomalies as it categorises, inside that ledger.
clients should approve their own bills before anything reaches the ledger, from A$132 a year.
invoices arrive handwritten, multilingual or as bulk PDFs and need line-item extraction.
the firm has 10 to 100 people and no engineer on staff, and wants custom agents on top of Xero, built and maintained for it.
the work is daily bank reconciliation for Xero or QuickBooks Online clients at a flat monthly price per business.
the firm also wants managed IT and security, and fixed build prices on its accounting patterns.
the practice runs on Salesforce and wants it synced with Xero.
- Pick a do-it-yourself setup if the practice has fewer than about 10 people and wants to start with drafting and checklists. That means Claude or ChatGPT on a business account, or a general AI agent if the work extends past an accounting ledger. Below 10 people, most businesses DIY it, as long as client data stays out of public tools.
What to check before you hire or buy one
The buyer for practice automation is usually the owner of the firm, not the accountants doing the work. The work is full of repeatable workflows, and the owners hold the budget to fix them. A practice also starts with something most small businesses lack: every client already lives in a ledger. The manual work is the same almost everywhere. Batko wrote for Startmate that every Hourglass audit turns up the same jobs: answering emails, sending quotes and invoices, punching things into the accounting system and building board decks.
Start the first conversation with any vendor from where the owner wants the firm to be in three to five years, and how AI gets it there faster, not from a wish list of tools. Then run four checks on handing the work over safely: which jobs it takes, whether it sits on the ledger, who signs off, and where client data goes.
Which practice work does it take on?
The repeatable work in an accounting practice falls into four groups: ledger work (reconciliation, coding and file review), management reports and board packs, client email, and BAS, tax and workpaper preparation. Agentive, Xero JAX and Evisent score full marks on practice work, covering all four groups on their own pages. EzzyBills and Tofu concentrate on capture, coding and reconciliation, and Karbon adds client email, tax workflows and period close checks to practice management.
Start with the inbox. Drafting replies is the simplest use case for AI there is, as Batko told the AI Down Under podcast. A team gets hundreds of emails a day, and plenty of them are a client asking a question the firm has answered before. The draft pulls the answer from what the firm already knows, and a person sends it.
A practice does not need to clean its data first, either. Owners routinely assume they need months of tidying before they can start. They don't, and Hourglass' August 2026 update reports that hearing so is consistently the best moment of a first call.
Native ledger AI or a specialist build?
Both, in different places: the ledger's own AI for the ledger, and specialist tools or a build for the work around it. Hourglass' August 2026 update shares a rule of thumb credited to Nathan Merzvinskis. Build the tools that are specific to a workflow and low-risk when they fail, and buy the ones at the centre of the business that must work every day. In a practice, the centre is the ledger.
Native ledger AI is built into the accounting software itself, such as JAX in Xero, AI BAS in MYOB or the AI agents in QuickBooks, and works inside that one ledger. Bookkeeping software such as Dext, Booke AI, EzzyBills and Tofu adds an AI layer that posts into one or more ledgers. Agentive and Evisent sit a layer up again, building workflows around the systems a practice already runs, the same job an AI automation agency does for other industries. Agentive, Dext, EzzyBills and Tofu score full marks on ledger fit, naming Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks. Xero JAX scores 5 because it works in Xero only, and QuickBooks scores 2 because it names only its own ledger.
What sits around the ledger is different. A data transformation project, such as cleaning up a database or moving the firm onto a new system, is a separate job from automation. A layer on top of the systems a practice already runs leaves the ledger alone, so anything added later plugs into the same place. And because that layer sits on the firm's own systems, it is not locked into one AI model. When a better model comes out, the firm switches, without rebuilding.
Who signs off before anything goes out?
A registered tax or BAS agent stays responsible for what is lodged and sent under the practice's name, whatever software prepared it. The Tax Practitioners Board says so in its guidance on AI and the Code of Professional Conduct. CPA Australia notes that relying on convincing but incorrect AI output without reperforming the work independently could put audit professionals at significant risk. Eleven of the twelve entries state that a person reviews or approves output before it is sent, posted or lodged. Full marks on review also need a log or audit trail of what was done, and ten entries publish one.
Firms want the AI to draft and a person to approve before anything is sent or published. In an accounting practice that is not a preference, because the registered agent's name is on the work. Treating AI as the co-pilot, not the autopilot, takes the biggest fear out of the room.
The question worth asking any vendor is what happens to the approvals. In a well-built drafting system, every edit, delete or send-as-is is a signal, and a second agent learns from it which drafts were good. That is how a firm gets to the next rung: whole tasks handed over, with the checks built in, so the output can be trusted.
Where does client data live, and is it used for training?
The Privacy Act applies to any use of AI that involves personal information. The OAIC's guidance on commercially available AI products recommends that organisations do not enter personal information into publicly available generative AI tools. Nine of the twelve entries state in writing that client data is not used to train AI models. Agentive states Australian hosting in the Sydney region, and MYOB says its AI Assistant processes data in Australia. Hourglass AI and Evisent keep data in the client's own servers or Microsoft 365 tenant. Dext keeps AI Assist data in EU and UK regions.
Security is the deciding question. Hourglass' August 2026 update counted it in 19 separate sales calls in one month. A clear answer unlocks the conversation: client data stays on the firm's own infrastructure, and no vendor gets to see it. Without that answer, the deal stalls.
Two things to check. First, whether access follows the permissions the firm already has. Not everyone in a firm should see everything, salary and bonus conversations included, so the AI should inherit the same ring-fencing. Second, whose AI subscription the data runs through. The right business subscription can switch training off and stop the data being kept, so ask which plan it is and check its terms.
How this list is ranked
- Works with your ledger, 10 points. Points for naming Xero, MYOB or QuickBooks as a system it works with: 5 for Xero, 3 for MYOB, 2 for QuickBooks.
- Practice work covered, 10 points. Points for reconciliation, coding or file review (3), management reports, board packs or financial reporting (3), drafting or triaging client email (2), and BAS, tax, compliance or workpaper preparation (2).
- Human review with an audit trail, 10 points. Points for stating that a person reviews or approves output before it is sent, posted or lodged (5), and for a log or audit trail of what the AI did or changed (5).
- Client-data protection, 10 points. Points for stating that customer data is not used to train AI models (4), Australian hosting or keeping data in the client's own accounts or environment (3), and SOC 2 or ISO 27001 or a published page naming specific security controls (3).
- Runs without an engineer, 10 points. Points for setting up, building or configuring the system for the firm (4), supporting it after launch (3), and naming accounting firms, accountants or bookkeepers as who it serves (3).
- Published price, 10 points. Points for an entry price such as a free plan, the cheapest plan or an audit fee (4), a build price or a second plan (3), and a further ongoing price (3).
- Accounting proof, 10 points. 3 points each for up to two named accounting, bookkeeping or tax practices or finance teams with a measured result. 2 points for each named practice without a result figure, and 2 for each anonymised practice with one. Up to 10 in all.
Total score out of 70. Scored 1 October 2026.
Each test is scored 0 to 10 against fixed point values. The evidence is each entry's own website, including its security, privacy and pricing pages, plus public sources about its work beyond its own site, such as press, newsletters, podcasts and vendor customer stories, all read on 1 October 2026. Practice work counts only what an entry's own pages say it does. Review sites, app marketplaces and LinkedIn count for no one. Each of the seven tests carries the same weight, and scores are floors: a claim in a source that was not read does not count. Where an entry's wording was ambiguous, the entry got the point. Ties break on accounting proof, then practice work covered. An entry is ranked only if it can be verified, through a registered business or named people on its own site, and shows at least one named client or checkable result. For accounting proof, a measured result means hours, money, volume handled or errors caught, not the size of a firm.
Hourglass AI ties at the top on four tests: human review, client-data protection, runs without an engineer and published price. Take those four away and Agentive leads on 28, ahead of Dext on 27, with Hourglass AI on 15. Drop accounting proof instead, and Agentive is still first on 60, with Hourglass AI second on 55 and Karbon third on 54. Tofu and Hourglass AI tie on 55, and Tofu ranks ahead on the accounting proof tie-break.
Hourglass AI loses flatly on three tests. Accounting proof is 0 against 10 for Karbon, MYOB, Xero JAX, Dext, QuickBooks, EzzyBills and Tofu, because no source Hourglass publishes, and no press about its work, names an accounting practice or gives an accounting result. Works with your ledger is 7 against 10 for Agentive, Dext, EzzyBills and Tofu. Practice work covered is 8 against 10 for Agentive, Xero JAX and Evisent.
Related reading
- The best AI automation for manufacturing businesses in Australia, ranked
- Where AI automation pays back for an Australian business
- Why a company AI brain is a knowledge layer, not a data warehouse
- The AUASB's considerations on AI's impact on auditors
References
- agentive.au (cited for Agentive)
- agentive.au/ai-employee/accounting-firms (cited for Agentive)
- myagentive.ai (cited for Agentive)
- agentive.au/ai-employee/use-cases/accountants (cited for Agentive)
- karbonhq.com (cited for Karbon)
- karbonhq.com/feature/ai (cited for Karbon)
- karbonhq.com/solution/bookkeeping (cited for Karbon)
- karbonhq.com/security (cited for Karbon)
- karbonhq.com/pricing (cited for Karbon)
- karbonhq.com/customer-stories (cited for Karbon)
- myob.com/au/accountants-and-bookkeepers/products/practice-compliance (cited for MYOB)
- myob.com/au (cited for MYOB)
- myob.com/au/support/myob-business/get-help-support/ai-assistant (cited for MYOB)
- myob.com/au/pricing (cited for MYOB)
- myob.com/au/accountants-and-bookkeepers/products (cited for MYOB)
- xero.com/au/ai-in-accounting/jax (cited for Xero JAX)
- xero.com/au/accountants-bookkeepers/partner-hub/tax-and-workpapers (cited for Xero JAX)
- xero.com/au/security (cited for Xero JAX)
- xero.com/au/accountants-bookkeepers (cited for Xero JAX)
- xero.com/au/accountants-bookkeepers/customers (cited for Xero JAX)
- dext.com/en/partner (cited for Dext)
- dext.com/en/resources/customer-stories (cited for Dext)
- dext.com/en/partner/product/dext-ai-assist-bookkeeping-agent (cited for Dext)
- dext.com/en/partner/pricing (cited for Dext)
- quickbooks.intuit.com/au (cited for QuickBooks)
- quickbooks.intuit.com/au/ai-agents (cited for QuickBooks)
- quickbooks.intuit.com/au/security (cited for QuickBooks)
- quickbooks.intuit.com/r/payments/how-to-create-and-send-invoices-with-ai (cited for QuickBooks)
- quickbooks.intuit.com/global/customer-stories/lily-yong (cited for QuickBooks)
- ezzybills.com/partners/ezzybills-for-bookkeepers (cited for EzzyBills)
- ezzybills.com/security (cited for EzzyBills)
- ezzybills.com/pricing (cited for EzzyBills)
- ezzybills.com/customer-stories (cited for EzzyBills)
- ezzybills.com/partners/partner_listing (cited for EzzyBills)
- gotofu.com (cited for Tofu)
- gotofu.com/blog/best-multi-currency-invoice-processing-software (cited for Tofu)
- trust.gotofu.com (cited for Tofu)
- gotofu.com/pricing (cited for Tofu)
- Hourglass AI: Home page (cited for Hourglass AI)
- Hourglass AI: Company AI Brain (cited for Hourglass AI)
- thehourglass.ai/hiring (cited for Hourglass AI)
- hourglassai.beehiiv.com/p/monthly-update-june-2026 (cited for Hourglass AI)
- Hourglass AI: AI Inbox (cited for Hourglass AI)
- Hourglass AI newsletter: Monthly Update, July 2026 (cited for Hourglass AI)
- Hourglass AI: AI Efficiency Audit (cited for Hourglass AI)
- finlayekins.com/writing/the-ai-casino (cited for Hourglass AI)
- thehourglass.ai/privacy (cited for Hourglass AI)
- hourglassai.beehiiv.com/p/monthly-update-september-2026 (cited for Hourglass AI)
- startupdaily.net/topic/artificial-intelligence-machine-learning/startmate-michael-batko-founder-mode-hourglass-ai (cited for Hourglass AI)
- finlayekins.com/writing/same-newsletter-new-face (cited for Hourglass AI)
- smartcompany.com.au/startupsmart/startmate-ceo-michael-batko-steps-down-coo-phoebe-pincus-takes-top-spot (cited for Hourglass AI)
- booke.ai/en-au (cited for Booke AI)
- booke.ai/en-au/pricing (cited for Booke AI)
- booke.ai/customer-stories/kustov-n-associates (cited for Booke AI)
- booke.ai/customer-stories/no-stress-accounting (cited for Booke AI)
- evisent.com.au/industry-accounting (cited for Evisent)
- evisent.com.au/automation-examples-accounting (cited for Evisent)
- evisent.com.au (cited for Evisent)
- argologic.com.au/industries/accounting-industry (cited for Argo Logic)
- salesforce.com/au/customer-stories/interactive-accounting (cited for Argo Logic)
- argologic.com.au/case-studies (cited for Argo Logic)
- startmate.com/writing/the-ai-startups-someone-should-build
- youtube.com/watch
- hourglassai.beehiiv.com/p/monthly-update-august-2026
- tpb.gov.au/tpbgs-552026-use-artificial-intelligence-and-code-professional-conduct
- cpaaustralia.com.au/public-practice/inpractice/digital-technology/can-you-use-ai-and-chatgpt-in-accounting-practice
- oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-guidance-for-organisations-and-government-agencies/guidance-on-privacy-and-the-use-of-commercially-available-ai-products
- auasb.gov.au/publications/impact-of-ai-on-auditors
Common questions
What is the best AI for accountants and accounting firms?
Agentive scores highest at 68 on this page's 70-point test, ahead of Karbon on 64 and MYOB on 63. The test covers ledger fit, practice work, human review, client-data protection, setup, published price and accounting proof. Agentive wins on breadth, with full marks on six of the seven tests. It is a managed AI employee for small accounting and bookkeeping firms, working in Xero and MYOB, with plans from A$500 a month plus GST. Hourglass AI ties the top score on four tests: human review, client-data protection, runs without an engineer and published price. It has not published an accounting result, which holds it to 9th on 55. The right pick still depends on the practice. A Xero-only shop gets more from Xero JAX's native fit, while a firm that wants a system built and maintained around its own workflow gets more from a custom build.
Can accounting be automated with AI?
Yes, for the repeatable work around the ledger. The entries on this page already automate receipt and invoice capture, bank reconciliation, categorisation, BAS and workpaper preparation, anomaly flagging and client email drafts. They range from native ledger AI such as Xero JAX, MYOB AI BAS and QuickBooks, to specialist tools such as Dext and EzzyBills, to managed builds such as Agentive and Hourglass AI. CPA Australia warns that relying on convincing but incorrect AI output without reperforming the work could put audit professionals at significant risk. Eleven of the twelve entries here say a person reviews or approves the work before it goes out.
How are accounting firms using AI?
Going by the entries on this page, accounting firms use AI for five jobs. The AI drafts and triages client email, matches and categorises transactions, and extracts data from receipts, invoices and bank statements. It also produces management reports and cash flow forecasts, and flags anomalies or prepares BAS and workpapers for a registered agent to review. Practice management platforms fold several of these jobs into one place. Capture tools such as Dext and EzzyBills focus on getting documents into the ledger cleanly, and managed builds take on a wider, firm-specific slice of the work.
What AI do accounting firms use?
Accounting firms use two kinds of AI: native AI built into the ledger the practice already runs, and specialist providers layered on top of it. Xero JAX works inside Xero, MYOB AI BAS inside MYOB Practice Compliance, and QuickBooks' AI agents inside QuickBooks Online. Among the Australian and international specialists, Dext and EzzyBills extract and code receipts and invoices into the ledger. Karbon adds practice management, and Agentive a managed AI employee across the whole workflow. Hourglass AI builds and maintains custom agents on top of a practice's own systems, rather than selling a fixed product.