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BENCHMARKING REPORT · 2026 IT, cyber security and AI in SME accountancy firms 2026

Is your firm doing IT right? It’s the question we hear most from partners, directors and practice managers. So we set out to answer it.

This report combines results from our IT Maturity Scorecard with 658 calls and meetings with accountancy firms across London, the Home Counties and the South East. It sets what we found against guidance from the NCSC, the ICO, ICAEW and ACCA. The result is a clear picture of where SME accountancy firms are strong, where the gaps are, and what the best-run firms do differently.

 

What’s in the guide

  • How firms compare: average scores across seven areas of IT maturity, from productivity and continuity to security and strategy.
  • Why criminals target accountancy firms: the five attacks firms face most, from fake HMRC emails to payment diversion, and why the tax calendar makes them work.
  • Cyber readiness: how certification, staff training and risk assessments affect a firm’s security score.
  • The outside view: what anyone, including an attacker, can see about your email and website security before they ever contact you.
  • The first 72 hours: who does what when an incident hits, from your IT provider to your partners and data protection lead.
  • What the leaders do differently: how strategy, budgeting and hardware planning separate the top-scoring firms from the rest.
  • AI in accountancy firms: where firms stand on AI, what’s holding them back, and six questions every partnership should be able to answer.
  • Ten actions for your next partners’ meeting: a practical checklist you can take straight to the partnership.

Still have questions?

Speak to our team