INTHEBLACK July 2026 - Magazine - Page 9
“There are enormous productivity benefits with AI, but trust is what really matters.”
JOHN MUNNELLY, KPMG AUSTRALIA CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER, COMMENTING ON FINDINGS OF THE COMPANY’S
Q1 2026 GLOBAL AI PULSE SURVEY.
Accountants
plan to lift fees
Almost 80 per cent of Australian
accounting practices plan to increase
their fees this year, largely due
to rising costs. This is a key finding
in the 2026 Tax and Compliance
Pricing Benchmark report from
revenue and billing platform Ignition.
However, despite the momentum,
only one in five firms report being
“very confident” in their pricing
strategy. Common barriers include
fear of losing clients, uncertainty
about what others charge and
discomfort in pricing conversations.
The most common fee increase
is 5 per cent, with firms spreading
adjustments across services rather
than applying blanket rises. Among
firms that have raised their fees,
45 per cent said most clients accepted
increases without pushback.
Read the report
Singapore leads in digital resilience
Digital resilience is an organisation-wide discipline that spans
processes, people, infrastructure and systems — and some markets
in the Asia-Pacific region are proving more robust in their capabilities
than others.
A new report from Economist Impact, supported by
Telstra International, evaluates digital resilience capabilities across
five pillars: the external enabling environment, technology and
infrastructure, risk management, leadership, and workforce
and cultural agility. It finds that Singapore leads the way for
digital resilience in the region.
Charles Ross, head of policy and insights in APAC for
Economist Impact, says “Singapore’s top ranking is a testament
to its gold-standard regulatory environment and national focus
on digital resilience”. However, the report also shows that
strong compliance and operational discipline are not enough
to withstand disruption.
“In an era of compounding risks, digital resilience depends
not only on internal safeguards but on the strength of wider
ecosystems,” says Ross. “And ultimately, the ability to respond
and adapt rests as much on leadership and culture as on technology.”
Read the report
intheblack.cpaaustralia.com.au 9
