New updates help small businesses and their advisors capture data, spot compliance risks earlier and act faster
Johannesburg — 22 June 2026 — Xero, the global small business platform, has released a set of new tools to help accountants and bookkeepers spend less time on admin and more time with clients. The updates reflect Xero’s vision in South Africa for the “elevated practice”: one with the structure to see real-time data and uncover actionable insights for small businesses.
For South African accounting and bookkeeping firms, this matters because the gap between when transactions take place and when an advisor is able to act, costs time and creates compliance risk. Xero’s latest updates are designed to close that gap, giving practices the tools to spot issues early and take action quickly.
“Accountants and bookkeepers play a crucial role in helping small businesses stay resilient, especially in times of uncertainty and change. They need fast access to the right information to guide their clients with confidence, stay on top of compliance and respond quickly when it matters most,” said Colin Timmis, Regional Director EMEA, Xero.
AI tools to speed up data capture and bank reconciliation
New features for small businesses simplify two of the most important building blocks of accounting – record keeping and bank reconciliation. These updates use AI to get financial data into Xero faster, with fewer manual steps. This creates a stronger system of record for small business owners and their accountants to act on.
- Smart Document Capture: Small businesses can snap a photo of a receipt or forward a bill by email, and Xero uses AI to read the details and pre-populate the digital record. It can even suggest the matching bank transaction to review and approve
- AI-powered automated bank reconciliation: Powered by Xero’s AI financial superagent, Just Ask Xero (JAX), bank reconciliation is now automated, matching and categorising transactions in real time, while still keeping accountants and clients in control when review is needed
Using data to support better decisions
Having clean, up-to-date client data is the starting point. Xero has also released new tools to help accountants spot issues sooner and empower them to have better conversations with clients:
- A compliance dashboard gives practices a proactive view of client tax obligations, such as EMP201, VAT and IRP6, all in one place. That means less reliance on spreadsheets, fewer manual checks and a clearer view of client tax status without switching between systems. Accountants can spot red flags or unallocated funds and, with one click, see whether the issue is an outstanding return, a missed payment or another compliance risk.
Angelique Van Der Berg, Practice Director at CFO 360 says her firm is looking forward to using the new compliance dashboard: “Having a clear view of tax compliance right inside the same Xero ecosystem we use for daily accounting is a massive win. This tool is incredibly exciting because it completely eliminates software fatigue – there is no more jumping between different apps just to keep up with the ever-increasing administrative and correspondence demands from SARS.”
- Industry benchmarks in Xero Analytics helps small businesses understand how they’re tracking against businesses like them. The AI-powered insights give small businesses a stronger starting point for proactive, data-driven conversations with their accountant.
Both the compliance dashboard and industry benchmarks will be available to Xero customers from July.
New tools to complete compliance work in one place
Xero has also released new practice tools specifically designed to help firms turn what they know into action, with more connected workflows across the practice and less manual work.
- Xero Partner Hub gives practices a customisable home to manage staff, clients and workflows in one place, with widgets tailored to the way each team member works.
- New Xero Workpapers brings year-end and compliance work into a single workspace, directly connected to Xero. Accountants can review, adjust and reconcile in one view, post updates back to Xero, standardise work with smart checklists and maintain a robust digital audit trail.
- EMP201 payments helps close the loop on compliance by enabling accountants to execute payments to SARS directly in-platform once a liability has been identified and reviewed, with mobile approval helping clients act quickly.
“Too many accountants are spending precious time chasing paperwork, entering data, and switching between different systems. That’s too much administration. And it’s eating up too many hours they could be spending with their clients. Our vision for the ‘elevated practice’ is one where AI-powered tools help accountants move quicker from paperwork to insight, and from insight to action, so they can play a more strategic role in the businesses they support,” adds Timmis.
