Australian accountants face constant workload pressures

Dext has published research on workload and staffing pressures facing accountants and bookkeepers in Australia. The survey covered more than 400 practitioners nationwide.

The findings suggest the profession is facing persistent capacity constraints, rather than seasonal spikes in demand. Some 43 per cent of respondents ranked hiring and retaining talent in a competitive market among their top three challenges, while 42 per cent cited managing high workloads with limited staff.

Day-to-day pressures were sharper still. Asked about their routine work, 60 per cent said managing high workloads was one of their top three daily challenges.

The results add to concerns about labour shortages in accounting and bookkeeping, as firms manage compliance work, client expectations, multiple software systems and growing volumes of data. They also reflect broader sector concerns about retirements among experienced practitioners and a weaker pipeline of new entrants.

Paul Wittich, General Manager for APAC at Dext, said the pattern now extended beyond traditional busy periods.

"Australian accountants and bookkeepers have always worked hard, particularly around BAS, payroll and EOFY deadlines, but what we are seeing now is different. Workload pressure has become constant, not occasional," Wittich said.

"Firms are dealing with more client demands, more regulatory complexity and greater expectations to provide real-time advice, but they are often doing it with the same number of people, or in some cases fewer than they need. This is creating a real capacity problem across the profession," he said.

Across firm sizes

The pressure was not confined to large practices. Managing high workloads was the biggest challenge across firms of all sizes, ranging from 60 per cent among sole traders to 68 per cent among organisations with more than 100 employees.

That spread suggests the issue cuts across the market, even if the operational strain differs by business model. Sole operators may have little slack when work builds up, while larger firms may face complexity from broader client books, bigger teams and heavier compliance demands.

Wittich said the problem took different forms depending on the size of the practice.

"What stands out in the research is that workload is not only a big-firm problem. Sole traders, small practices, mid-sized firms and large organisations are all feeling it," he said.

"For sole traders, the pressure can be particularly personal because there is often no one else to absorb the overflow. For larger firms, the challenge is scale: more clients, more staff to manage, more systems, more compliance obligations and more complexity. The shape of the problem changes, but the underlying issue is the same. There is too much manual work still sitting inside accounting and bookkeeping workflows," he said.

The findings also point to wider effects for small businesses and other clients that rely on external finance support. If firms cannot recruit enough experienced staff, some may limit new client work, maintain waiting lists or stop taking on smaller accounts.

Technology pressure

Alongside workload and hiring issues, many respondents reported pressure to keep up with technology. Dext said 72 per cent of those surveyed agreed or strongly agreed that they felt pressure to stay up to date with the latest tools.

That pressure was especially pronounced among sole traders. Two in five in that group said the need to keep pace with technology had worsened since the rise of artificial intelligence, marking the sharpest negative shift recorded across any practice size in the survey.

Wittich said artificial intelligence had changed expectations quickly.

"AI has changed the conversation almost overnight. Accountants and bookkeepers can see the potential, but many are also asking how they are supposed to assess, adopt and manage new tools while already dealing with heavy workloads," he said.

Even so, the research suggests some practitioners are already seeing practical gains from AI tools and automation. Almost half of respondents, 46 per cent, reported some or significant improvement in workload and stress management from using such systems.

The contrast highlights a tension across much of the profession. Firms are under pressure to learn and implement new systems while also being expected to process more work with limited staff, yet some are beginning to see relief when those systems reduce repetitive manual tasks.

Wittich said technology should reduce administration rather than add to it.

"The encouraging finding is that many accountants and bookkeepers are already seeing AI and automation make a positive difference to workload and stress," he said.

"Technology should not create another job for accountants and bookkeepers. It should remove the repetitive work, improve the quality of data and give practitioners the confidence to spend their time where it matters most," he said.

He linked the issue to the role accountants play for clients during periods of uncertainty.

"When economic conditions are uncertain, business owners rely on their advisers for clarity, confidence and timely information. The challenge is that advisers cannot provide that level of support if they are buried in manual administration," he said.