ACCA welcomes the opportunity to provide to respond to the consultation issued by HMRC on Business Systems Integration. ACCA has over 100,000 members working in accountancy and finance roles across the UK. As a chartered professional body, we operate in the public interest; our members operate across a broad range of sectors, public and private, from micro businesses to large firms. Many of our members operating within organisations, but also members working in practice with a broad range of clients, use some form of standard and bespoke solutions on behalf of their clients, including APP integration and other cost and timesaving solutions including bridging software.
As detailed in our May 2025 response to the HMRC consultation titled: Promoting electronic invoicing across UK businesses and the public sector, ACCA views bridging software as a key component to enablement of business growth as it helps keep costs lower for many organisations. We therefore would encourage HMRC to ensure that bridging software is incorporated into any future system designs and incorporated within the design must be a strong consideration for any future building of systems.[1]
ACCA would make the following suggestions:
- Address barriers to integration, including complexity, high costs, legacy systems and digital skills shortages by supporting accessible and affordable solutions.
- Promote the adoption of common standards and interoperability across software providers to enable integration for businesses of all sizes.
- Recognise and leverage the role of professional accountants as trusted advisors in digital transformation and systems integration.
- Provide targeted government and industry support through financial incentives, skills development, and collaborative policy design to encourage broader uptake of integrated business systems.
To read our comments in full, please download the consultation response document found on this page.
[1] ACCA response Consultation: Promoting electronic invoicing across UK businesses and the public sector.
