The Accounting Firms of the Future Are Being Built Right Now
The firms pulling ahead aren’t waiting for the profession to tell them what’s next. They’re deciding for themselves: how they work, who they serve, and what kind of firm they want to build.
At Gusto, we work with accountants and firm owners every day and we’re seeing a clear shift. The firms growing with confidence aren’t doing more of the same, they’re making more deliberate choices about where they spend their time and how they create value.
That's why we are launching the Gusto AI-Powered Practices Contest. We're awarding $30,000 to firms sharing how they use AI in practice, because the best examples shouldn't stay inside one firm. Details on how to enter below.
What the fastest-growing firms are actually doing
Referrals still drive a significant share of new business at most firms. But referral-dependent growth tends to be hard to plan around, making capacity planning and client mix harder to manage over time.
Firms scaling steadily are more intentional. They've defined the client profile they want to serve, the services they want to lead with, and how they communicate their value. They're not just taking on whoever comes in.
As automation creates capacity, a new question comes into focus: where does that time go?
The firms making the most of that added capacity are going deeper with clients. More proactive guidance. More structured advisory work. More clarity in how they price and deliver it.
For many firms, advisory isn't something new to build. It's work they're already doing, just not always structured, scoped, or priced that way.
Integrated systems create room to grow
For most firms the challenge isn't just workload. It's how everything connects.
When systems don’t talk to each other, time gets lost in the gaps—re-entering data, tracking down context, managing handoffs. If you've ever had to re-enter data across three platforms before a deadline, you know what this costs.
The firms moving faster with AI usually didn’t start with AI. They started by simplifying.
When your systems work together, the day-to-day runs with less friction and creates space for higher-value work that requires judgment.
Over time, that changes how firms think about growth. Taking on more clients doesn’t have to mean adding headcount at the same pace. That shift opens up new possibilities.
Efficiency is expected. What you do with it is what sets you apart.
Faster workflows and tighter processes used to be a competitive edge. Now they’re the baseline.
What stands out is how firms use that efficiency. Better client conversations. More proactive insights. Services that go beyond compliance work.
AI is accelerating that shift but it also raises important questions around data security, confidentiality, and professional responsibility. Leading firms are working through these questions thoughtfully, while continuing to move forward.
That balance – progress with intention – is what sets them apart.
How is AI showing up in your firm
We’re launching the Gusto Powered Practices Contest to hear directly from accountants and firm owners integrating AI into their practice.
Six firms will each receive $5,000 for sharing how they’re using AI in real, practical ways.
Show us how you’re using AI in your firm. We’re especially interested in examples that improve client experience, streamline operations, or create new opportunities for growth.
How to enter
Sharing your story is easy. To enter:
Join the Gusto Accountant Partner Program (if you're not already a partner — it's free.) → Sign up here https://gusto.com/partners/signup
Create a post on LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, or X sharing how your firm uses AI.
Your post must include:
Hashtag: #AccountingWithAI
Tag the @Gusto account on your chosen platform (LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, or X)
Tag to your firm's social account
Submissions close July 5, and winners will be announced July 12. See official rules.
Award Categories
Gusto will select one winner per category — six winners total — judged by a panel on category fit, creativity, scalability, impact, and storytelling. Winners will be notified directly and announced on Gusto's social channels.
Industry Transformation — Reimagining workflows with AI Firms fundamentally rethinking how accounting work gets done: AI-first audit prep, real-time anomaly detection, natural language interfaces.
Client Experience — Improving the client experience AI that makes the SMB owner's life tangibly better: chatbots, proactive alerts, plain-English summaries, automated reminders.
Community Building — Creating AI ecosystems Firms helping other firms adopt AI: study groups, prompt libraries, peer mentorship, conference talks that teach.
Operational Efficiency — Streamlining firm operations AI that makes the firm itself run better: staff scheduling, WIP tracking, workload balancing, meeting summarization.
Growth & Scale — Expanding firm capacity AI that helps firms take on more clients without adding headcount: client onboarding, lead qualification, productizing expertise.
Innovation Pioneer — Pushing the boundaries of AI Experimental, forward-looking applications: multi-agent workflows, custom models, voice-first, multimodal AI.
The firms we’re learning the most from aren’t waiting for the profession to settle. They’re building the kind of practice they want to run and finding better ways to do it along the way.
If that sounds like your firm, we’d love to hear your story.
Share your story → #AccountingWithAI
This contest is not sponsored, endorsed, or administered by LinkedIn Corporation, Meta Platforms, Inc., X Corp., or TikTok inc. Any questions should be directed to Gusto, not to these platforms.
