New ICB research with Dext shows the vital support bookkeepers already provide as HMRC changes gather pace.
Today, ICB releases new research carried out in partnership with leading intelligent bookkeeping automation platform Dext, revealing the important role bookkeepers are already playing in helping small businesses navigate change, and how much of that support is going unpaid.
Small businesses are facing a raft of HMRC changes. Making Tax Digital went live in April, with three-quarters of those affected saying they were not ready. The next wave, covering businesses with income over £30,000, arrives in April 2027, while mandatory payrolling of benefits in kind also starts that month.
Against that backdrop, new research among 349 ICB members shows that the people already supporting businesses through these changes are often doing so without charging for their time.
Some 59% of bookkeepers say clients turn to them for advice beyond bookkeeping. Almost two-thirds (64%) give their clients at least an hour of unbilled guidance each month, with 28% giving three hours or more. And 44% say clients appreciate the advice they provide but don't see it as something worth paying for.
Ami Copeland, CEO at ICB, said: “A bookkeeper’s role has always been much more about recording numbers and keeping clean books. Business owners rely on their bookkeeper to understand what’s happening in their business, flag when something doesn’t look right and provide guidance. Whether it’s spotting a change in cash flow or helping make sense of the figures, bookkeepers are often the trusted person clients turn to when they have a question.”
The research puts figures around a role bookkeepers have always played in the day-to-day life of a business. Some 84% say they proactively share insights with clients, either as part of their regular service (40%) or when they spot something worth flagging (44%).
It also shows the scale of the gap between the support being provided and how it is valued commercially. Just 27% of bookkeepers believe their clients fully recognise and appreciate the informal guidance they provide, while 23% believe clients don't notice how much guidance they are receiving.
There is an opportunity for some of this advice to become a more structured service. More than half (55%) of bookkeepers believe at least some of their clients would pay for advisory services. However, 42% say a lack of confidence in explaining the value they provide is a significant or major barrier to charging for business guidance. Pricing, finding the time to package the service and concerns about how existing clients will respond are also barriers.
AI is also changing how bookkeepers work. 78% of respondents have adopted AI tools, with 20% saying this has helped them provide more proactive financial insight to clients and 15% spending more time on client relationships.
Ami continued:“Small business owners are facing the biggest changes to tax administration in a generation. Making Tax Digital is already live, a far bigger wave of businesses joins from next April, and payrolling of benefits arrives at the same time. No one should have to struggle through that alone, and with a Certified Bookkeeper they don't. Bookkeepers are the first line of defence for a small business - the calm, approachable professional who knows the business day to day, spots problems before they become crises, and explains what the numbers mean without the jargon. This research finally puts figures on what business owners have always known - their bookkeeper is the friendly trusted adviser they can call on.”
Sabby Gill, CEO at Dext, said: “AI is handling the heavy lifting of routine processing, giving bookkeepers back precious hours every week. But efficiency is only half of the story here. Our research with ICB shows that bookkeepers are already providing the trusted guidance and expertise their clients rely on everyday. That human judgement and understanding of the client is irreplaceable. The opportunity is to make that value more visible and ensure the time and expertise they already give to clients is recognised and, where appropriate, paid for. AI tools can help by giving bookkeepers more time to focus on their client relationships and judgement that are already such an important part of their role.”