The accounting industry is entering a period of rapid transformation. According to the Wolters Kluwer 2025 Future Ready Accountant Report, highlighted by Accounting Today, firms worldwide are setting ambitious goals for the year ahead. While growing revenue remains the top priority (52%), firms are equally focused on improving client service (41%), expanding their client base (40%), streamlining internal workflows (33%), and attracting and retaining top accounting talent (27%).
To achieve these growth objectives, leading tax and accounting firms are investing heavily in technology. What sets forward-thinking firms apart is how they leverage Industry Intelligence to enhance decision-making, strengthen client relationships, and position themselves as trusted advisors.
Industry Intelligence: The strategic advantage for accounting firms
In today’s highly competitive landscape, general advice no longer satisfies business clients. Companies expect their accounting partners to understand their industry challenges, risks, and opportunities. This is where Vertical IQ’s Industry Intelligence platform delivers a significant advantage.
By providing in-depth, up-to-date insights across hundreds of industries and thousands of local economies, Vertical IQ empowers accounting firms to offer tailored guidance that resonates with each client’s specific needs. Firms can identify high-growth sectors or geographies, understand emerging risks, and advise clients with confidence, backed by credible, industry-specific and local economic data.
Unlocking growth through smarter business development
Effective business development for tax and accounting firms requires a targeted approach. Vertical IQ enables firms to identify industries with strong growth potential and focus outreach efforts where success is most likely. Even more, firms can drill down to local economic data at the metropolitan statistical area (MSA) level, enabling precise targeting within specific regions and markets.
With these focused insights, firms can create highly relevant marketing messages that speak directly to the concerns of prospective clients. And tailored outreach has been shown to significantly improve engagement and conversion rates, setting the stage for long-term advisory relationships.
Deepening client relationships with relevant, timely insights
As tax and accounting firms move beyond strictly transactional work, client advisory services are becoming the true growth engine of the sector. Vertical IQ helps firms strengthen these services by equipping advisors with timely, actionable insights for every client interaction.
What’s more, by embedding Vertical IQ’s timely, relevant industry data directly into client conversations, firms deliver ongoing value with every login. During reviews, tax planning sessions, or quarterly check-ins, advisors can present fresh market trends, financial benchmarks, and industry forecasts that position them as trusted business partners. Even simple gestures like sharing Vertical IQ’s Quarterly Updates or industry-specific news articles fosters stronger client loyalty and differentiates the firm from competitors.
Streamlining advisory workflows, increasing efficiency
We all know that time is a critical resource for tax and accounting professionals. Vertical IQ simplifies advisory workflows by providing ready-to-use content that supports efficient meeting preparation, benchmarking reports, KPI reviews, margin analyses, and client presentations. Junior staff and senior advisors alike can quickly get up to speed before client meetings, ensuring they speak with authority and deliver maximum value in every conversation.
With less time spent gathering data, firms can devote more energy to client strategy, planning, and business advisory services — the key areas where firms build deeper relationships and drive revenue growth.
Attracting and retaining top tax and accounting talent
Firms that invest in modern advisory tools like Vertical IQ also gain a powerful edge in the ongoing competition for talent.
New hires are able to ramp up quickly, gaining the confidence to serve clients effectively from the start. Existing employees gain opportunities to deepen their expertise, specialize in key industries, and take on more engaging advisory roles that foster career satisfaction and long-term retention.
The future of tax and accounting firms: Insight-driven growth
The tax and accounting profession is no longer defined by compliance work alone. Firms that leverage Industry Intelligence as part of their growth strategy are successfully transitioning into advisory-driven organizations that offer deeper client value, stronger relationships, and more sustainable growth.
Vertical IQ provides the actionable, convenient, focused insights that modern accounting firms need to navigate this shift. With industry-specific data, local economic intelligence, benchmarking tools, and ready-made, shareable content, Vertical IQ helps firms unlock new growth opportunities, streamline client service, and empower their teams to thrive in today’s evolving marketplace.
>> If your tax and accounting firm is ready to elevate its advisory services, strengthen client loyalty, and drive growth in 2025, now is the time to discover how Vertical IQ’s Industry Intelligence can become a cornerstone of your success. Sign up for a free 7-day trial of Vertical IQ!