As 2025 closes out with Generative AI powering everything from emails to boardroom debates, Wicked redefining brand hype, and Y2K fashion suddenly becoming cool again (RIP my tattered Ugg boots), one thing is clear: every industry is going through it. With so much change affecting all aspects of our lives, I sat down with the Tipalti finance team to get their unfiltered take on 2026. Here’s what they see coming.

Most Played: Data You Can Trust

Accounting leaders must understand and validate the systems, data, and models behind financial results, ensuring transactions are traceable, explainable, and auditable. Their 2026 focus should be on building a robust data infrastructure for assurance and audit support, embedding compliance and controls in all automated processes, and retooling their teams to use the most up-to-date technology to improve data quality and efficiency.

Paul Henderson, Chief Accounting Officer, Tipalti

Breakout Hit: Smarter, Not Harder

AI is amplifying productivity across every function in finance, and this momentum is unstoppable in 2026. The finance function has adopted AI to not just automate routine tasks, but to apply intelligence to tasks that traditionally required human judgment. For example, the evolution of AP automation moves beyond basic OCR to Intelligent Document Processing, where AI can accurately extract, classify, and validate data from complex, varied invoices with minimal human intervention. It can even suggest the correct GL coding based on historical data. AI analyzes payment trends and cash flow to recommend optimal payment strategies, such as maximizing early-payment discounts and forecasting cash flow. AI has a real-time fraud detection feature, flagging suspicious invoices or any vendor changes, offering a level of security far beyond what manual review could achieve.

Faye Wang, Director, Accounting, Tipalti

Trending Now: KPIs That Predict the Future

Procurement’s core financial KPI will shift from reporting historical savings to demonstrating future risk mitigation and Speed-to-Value. Additionally, organizations that successfully implement Agentic AI in transactional, high-volume areas will see a step-change in their Cost-to-Serve and operational efficiency metrics.

Bryan Simpson, Senior Director, Procurement, Tipalti

Fan Favorite: AP Becomes the Brain

As automation and AI mature, accounts payable will evolve into an intelligence hub. Instead of chasing invoices or accruals, AP teams will forecast spend patterns, flag anomalies before they happen, and deliver insights that drive smarter business decisions. With AI-driven automation and predictive insights, AP will anticipate spend trends, optimize working capital, and close the books faster than ever before.

Elvis Nti, Accounts Payable Manager, Tipalti

Viral Moment: Dancing with Tech Change

Traditionally, auditing has been a thorough, manual process requiring teams of professionals to go over transactions line by line, taking hours, if not days. Now, AI can analyse millions of records in seconds, spotting anomalies with accurate precision, representing a clear leap forward in efficiency and insight. However, regulators still want a human signature and someone accountable for final judgment and oversight. This pressure between efficiency and assurance defines the current crossroads at which today’s finance leaders must navigate technological change.

Lucy Oxborrow, Financial Controller, Tipalti

Biggest Surprise: Budgeting in a Brave New World

As AI makes systems smarter and more capable, vendors will move away from fixed ‘seat-based’ pricing models toward more volatile models in consumption or volume-based pricing. This creates budget unpredictability, and procurement leaders will need to become experts at Technology Business Management—rigorously tracking actual usage against negotiated thresholds to avoid massive end-of-year overage bills.

Bryan Simpson, Senior Director, Procurement, Tipalti

Repeat Anthem: The Efficiency Mindset Shift

In 2026, a significant focus will be on automating manual tasks, streamlining processes, and fostering a mindset shift to achieve even higher levels of efficiency—meaning faster close cycles and tighter controls.

Reena Patel, Corporate Controller, Tipalti

Longest Streamed: Two Ledgers, One Strategy

Finance leaders are now expected to handle two ledgers at once: the established demands of payment control, compliance, and audit preparation, alongside the growing demands for speed, scale, and strategic impact. Long-term success depends on mastering both ledgers, with management prioritizing the assurance of governance and the agility to respond at speed.

Daniel Shem-Tov, EMEA Director of Finance, Tipalti

Collab of the Year: Humans + AI = Superpower

AI is transforming finance professionals from manual processors into AI interpreters, responsible for applying human judgment to validate and refine AI-generated insights. Most importantly, humans need to ensure technology outputs match changing regulatory requirements. Humans then become the safety net in the AI process, factoring in compliance and credibility. It isn’t about replacing humans—it’s about combining automation’s speed with human experience, knowledge, and accountable oversight.

Lucy Oxborrow, Financial Controller, Tipalti

Looking for more 2026 perspectives? Check out this blog post, which features insights from the Tipalti executive team.