Introducing Access Evo: AI-enabled software evolving the day-to-day of Accountants 

With 68% of Australian Accountants telling us that their job today is harder than when they started their careers, it's clear that something has to change. 

The promise of technology is that it will make work simpler, faster, better. But when you consider that 50% of Accountants are currently using up to five different technology platforms, that theory doesn’t exactly stack up. In most cases, in today’s accounting practices, there's too much tech, too many systems, and too few staff.  And at the end of the day, you’re an Accountant, not an IT consultant. 

We all know that data is the new currency. But having data is not enough. Being able to securely store, easily access, and act on that practice, client and tax data – fast and with certainty – is vital. 

But what many modern Australian accounting practices are experiencing is a situation where their data exists in multiple places – fragmented and often disconnected. This situation strips accountants of the ability to work at pace and with confidence.  

Having data in multiple systems that don’t know how to talk to one another, means you spend more time running reports, checking for errors, and re-keying information – leading to inefficiencies, slower decision-making, and in the worst cases, errors on client work.  

When you bill by the hour, this is not sustainable. 

So, what if you could use the functionality offered by AI to streamline your data and leverage it for a more productive practice? What’s more, what if you could unlock this functionality even using on-premises software – which we know many Australian accounting practices still prefer? Now you can. 

Access Evo is the biggest technology and innovation investment in the history of The Access Group. If you haven’t heard of Access, you may have heard of some of our frontline accounting tools, such as HandiSoft, Fathom, APS, Elite and ChangeGPS. Collectively, Access works with more than 12,000 Accountants in 8,000 firms across Australia and New Zealand, and its solutions account for more than four million individual tax returns, and 40% of all agent-prepared tax returns each year. All that is to say, we work with a lot of accountants and hear every day about the challenges facing accounting practices around the country. 

Access Evo delivers AI-enabled functionality to both on-premises and cloud-hosted software customers via three key functions:  

Access Evo’s copilot function will make it much simpler for accountants to keep up with ever-changing compliance. The intuitive chat-based interface, powered by Microsoft OpenAI (but within a closed environment), allows accountants to ask questions not only of their own data, but also access the most up-to-date guidelines, rules and tax rates directly from the ATO. This means an Accountant can complete all their work within a single interface, without having to move between systems, ultimately saving time and increasing productivity and accuracy. 

The revolutionary technology will be added to all products within the Access Accountant portfolio, importantly allowing both on-premises and cloud customers to benefit from the advantages of AI-enabled functionality. The Access mantra for this innovation: No customer will be left behind. 

In February 2025, Access Handisoft will be enabled with Access Evo – for both on-premises and cloud hosted customers. Customers will be able to try the upgraded experience free for 3 months as part of our committment to ensuring customer satisfaction.  

Our aim with Handisoft Evo is to help Accountants accelerate their everyday tasks so they can have more time for the work that really matters – servicing their clients. It will unlock their access to data, driving greater productivity and certainty. 

Learn more about Access Evo.