Showcasing how agentic AI and Expert AI within CCH Axcess are transforming tax and accounting workflows at AICPA ENGAGE 2026
The tax and accounting profession is undergoing a fundamental transformation driven by a combination of structural challenges and accelerating technological change. Firms are contending with persistent talent shortages, growing regulatory complexity across jurisdictions, and clients who increasingly expect faster turnaround times and more strategic, advisory-focused services. In this environment, traditional approaches centered on manual processes and incremental automation are no longer sufficient. Instead, firms are turning toward more advanced forms of intelligence that can actively participate in work execution and decision-making. Among the most significant developments in this shift is the emergence of agentic artificial intelligence—AI systems capable of not only analyzing data but also initiating actions within defined workflows.
Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting is positioning itself at the forefront of this evolution. The company is redefining how tax and accounting work is performed by embedding intelligence directly into end-to-end workflows through its cloud-native platform, CCH Axcess™. Rather than treating AI as a standalone tool or external assistant, Wolters Kluwer is integrating what it calls Expert AI into the core of its platform. This approach enables intelligence to operate in context—leveraging firm data, documents, and processes to support professionals in real time.
At AICPA® ENGAGE 2026, one of the industry’s leading professional gatherings, Wolters Kluwer showcased this vision in detail, demonstrating how agentic AI is reshaping core functions across tax, audit, and advisory services. The company’s presentations focused on how firms can move beyond simple automation toward connected, intelligent workflows that actively help manage engagements from start to finish.
A central theme of the event was the shift from fragmented tools to unified platforms. CCH Axcess serves as an integrated ecosystem that brings together tax preparation, audit, document management, workflow automation, client collaboration, advisory services, and firm management. Within this ecosystem, Expert AI is not an add-on feature but a deeply embedded intelligence layer that interacts with every stage of the workflow. This integration allows firms to reduce manual effort, improve data accuracy, and accelerate decision-making while maintaining professional oversight and control.
Wolters Kluwer highlighted several key innovations within the CCH Axcess platform that illustrate how agentic AI is being applied in practice. These include CCH Axcess Advisor, CCH Axcess Intelligence, CCH Axcess Audit, and emerging capabilities powered by Expert AI that are designed to support more autonomous, context-aware workflows.
CCH Axcess Audit demonstrates how agentic workflows can transform traditionally labor-intensive audit processes. By combining established audit methodologies with firm-specific data and document context, the system can automate routine tasks, assist in analyzing large datasets, and guide engagements forward while ensuring that human professionals remain in control of critical decisions. This balance between automation and oversight is central to Wolters Kluwer’s approach, ensuring that AI enhances rather than replaces professional judgment.
Another significant innovation is CCH Axcess Scan, which addresses one of the most time-consuming aspects of tax preparation: data ingestion and document handling. The solution focuses on extracting and structuring data at the source, beginning with commonly used financial documents such as K-1s. Through AI-driven automation, it performs document ingestion, data extraction, validation, and categorization, then feeds structured information directly into the tax preparation workflow within CCH Axcess. This process significantly reduces manual data entry, minimizes errors, and shortens turnaround times, enabling professionals to focus more on analysis and client service rather than administrative tasks.
CCH Axcess Intelligence represents another key pillar of the platform’s AI strategy. It provides professionals with trusted, citation-backed answers and insights directly within their workflow. Rather than requiring users to leave the platform to search for information or verify guidance, the system delivers contextually relevant intelligence grounded in authoritative sources. This helps improve both speed and confidence in decision-making, particularly in areas where regulatory requirements are complex and constantly evolving.
Complementing this is CCH Axcess Advisor, a capability designed to help firms identify and expand advisory opportunities. As accounting firms increasingly shift toward value-added services beyond compliance work, this tool uses embedded intelligence to surface insights that can support strategic client conversations. By analyzing firm data and client activity patterns, it helps practitioners uncover opportunities for higher-value engagements, enabling firms to grow advisory revenue streams while deepening client relationships.
Across these capabilities, a consistent theme emerges: the transition from isolated tools to interconnected, intelligent workflows that span the entire client lifecycle. Instead of treating tax preparation, audit, and advisory as separate functions supported by disconnected systems, CCH Axcess integrates them into a unified environment where data flows seamlessly and intelligence is continuously applied.
The impact of these innovations is already becoming measurable for early adopters. Wolters Kluwer shared examples demonstrating significant efficiency gains, particularly in document-heavy processes. For instance, CCH Axcess Scan powered by Expert AI has been shown to reduce K-1 processing times by as much as 91.7%. Tasks that previously required hours of manual effort can now be completed in minutes, with improved accuracy and consistency. These gains not only increase productivity but also free up professionals to focus on higher-value analytical and advisory work.
Beyond efficiency metrics, customer feedback has also highlighted broader organizational benefits. Firms report increased capacity to handle growing workloads without proportionally increasing headcount, improved consistency across workflows, and greater confidence in adopting AI within regulated professional environments. Importantly, users emphasize that the integration of AI within a trusted platform like CCH Axcess reduces friction and enhances usability compared to standalone AI tools.
At AICPA ENGAGE 2026, Wolters Kluwer also underscored the importance of trust and transparency in the adoption of artificial intelligence within the profession. Given the high-stakes nature of tax and accounting work, where accuracy, compliance, and accountability are essential, AI systems must be designed with strong governance frameworks and explainability. Expert AI is built on Wolters Kluwer’s authoritative content and operates directly within firm-controlled environments, ensuring that outputs are grounded in reliable data and aligned with professional standards.
This emphasis on trust is central to the company’s positioning. Rather than promoting AI as a fully autonomous replacement for human expertise, Wolters Kluwer frames it as a collaborative system that enhances professional capabilities. The platform is designed to support practitioners by providing intelligence that is both actionable and transparent, allowing users to understand how insights are generated and apply them appropriately within their work.
Jason Marx, CEO of Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting, reinforced this perspective, emphasizing that the future of the profession will depend on how effectively firms can integrate intelligence into their daily operations. He noted that embedding Expert AI directly into CCH Axcess enables firms to improve productivity, strengthen work quality, and create additional capacity for higher-value client services. His comments reflect a broader industry recognition that AI is no longer a peripheral technology but a core driver of operational transformation.
Ultimately, Wolters Kluwer’s presence at AICPA ENGAGE 2026 signals a broader shift in the tax and accounting industry toward intelligent, connected, and adaptive systems. As firms continue to navigate increasing complexity and rising expectations, platforms like CCH Axcess demonstrate how agentic AI can serve as a foundational capability rather than an experimental add-on.
The direction of this transformation suggests a future in which tax and accounting workflows are continuously supported by embedded intelligence—reducing manual effort, enhancing decision-making, and enabling professionals to focus more on strategic advisory roles. Wolters Kluwer’s approach reflects a clear strategy: moving the industry from automation to true intelligence, where AI is not just assisting work but actively helping to shape and advance it.
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