# Building the future of accounting > Canonical page: https://briefcase.so/blog > Briefcase content index: https://briefcase.so/llms.txt Expert insights on AI-powered bookkeeping, OCR alternatives, VAT automation, and building AI agents for accounting. From the Briefcase engineering team. [We're hiring→](https://briefcase.so/careers) Thoughts on AI, automation, and bookkeeping from the Briefcase team. [ ![Interviewing at Briefcase](https://briefcase.so/marketing/blog/interviewing-at-briefcase.jpg) Engineering9 Sept 2026 ### Interviewing at Briefcase We hire only for individual contributor roles and evaluate a single criterion: is the person likely to raise the bar in at least one area? Here is what the engineering interview process looks like, start to finish. 4 min readRead ](https://briefcase.so/blog/interviewing-at-briefcase)[ ![MTD is a labour problem, not a software problem](https://briefcase.so/marketing/blog/mtd-is-a-labour-problem.png) Insights30 Apr 2026 ### MTD is a labour problem, not a software problem Less than one third of the sole traders and landlords required to comply with MTD have signed up so far. The problem is not a lack of software. We believe it is something much more foundational: who is going to do the work? 7 min readRead ](https://briefcase.so/blog/mtd-is-a-labour-problem)[ Briefcase Ledger Insights30 Mar 2026 ### Introducing Briefcase Ledger From 6 April 2026, 864,000 sole traders must file quarterly digital updates with HMRC. Today we're launching Briefcase Ledger: a standalone MTD platform with automated reconciliation, document capture and direct HMRC submission. 8 min readRead ](https://briefcase.so/blog/introducing-briefcase-one)[ ![Building autonomous evaluation pipelines for retrieval](https://briefcase.so/marketing/blog/building-autonomous-evaluation-pipelines-for-retrieval.png) Engineering24 Mar 2026 ### Building autonomous evaluation pipelines for retrieval Hand-labelling retrieval datasets doesn't scale. We built an LLM-powered labelling agent to evaluate retrieval quality automatically. 7 min readRead ](https://briefcase.so/blog/building-autonomous-evaluation-pipelines-for-retrieval)[ ![Build for verification, not review](https://briefcase.so/marketing/blog/build-for-verification.png) Engineering16 Mar 2026 ### Build for verification, not review How reinforcement learning with verifiable reward is reshaping AI, and why building for verifiability is the key to becoming a truly AI native company. 7 min readRead ](https://briefcase.so/blog/build-for-verification-not-review)[ ![Our culture](https://briefcase.so/marketing/blog/how-we-build-briefcase.jpg) Engineering9 Mar 2026 ### Our culture A company is just a group of people. Briefcase is a group of people that are naive enough to think we will change the world. 5 min readRead ](https://briefcase.so/blog/our-culture)[ ![Building Tax-Aware AI](https://briefcase.so/marketing/blog/building-tax-aware-ai.png) Engineering15 Dec 2025 ### Building Tax-Aware AI When an AI agent classifies a transaction's VAT treatment, it shouldn't be guessing—it should cite the exact HMRC guidance it relied on. 12 min readRead ](https://briefcase.so/blog/building-tax-aware-ai)[ ![Why build what you can buy?](https://briefcase.so/marketing/blog/why-build.png) Engineering17 Nov 2025 ### Why build what you can buy? Most startups avoid spending engineering cycles on internal tools. Meanwhile, we built an internal LLM Observability platform. Here's why. 10 min readRead ](https://briefcase.so/blog/why-build-what-you-can-buy)[ ![Building autopilot](https://briefcase.so/marketing/blog/building-autopilot.png) Engineering9 Nov 2025 ### Building autopilot Probabilistic AI agents paired with deterministic formal verification create the perfect combination for high trust domains like finance and accounting. 15 min readRead ](https://briefcase.so/blog/building-autopilot)[ ![Introducing AI Autopilot](https://briefcase.so/marketing/blog/introducing-ai-autopilot.png) Insights22 Aug 2025 ### Introducing AI Autopilot Today, we're releasing our biggest feature yet: AI Autopilot. Autopilot evaluates uploaded transactions and determines whether they're safe to publish directly to ledgers. 5 min readRead ](https://briefcase.so/blog/introducing-ai-autopilot)[ ![OCR vs AI Bookkeeping: What Actually Changes When You Switch](https://briefcase.so/marketing/blog/beyond-ocr.png) Insights9 Jun 2025 ### OCR vs AI Bookkeeping: What Actually Changes When You Switch OCR reads text from invoices. AI does the bookkeeping. Real examples of how AI handles VAT, categorisation, and prepayments that OCR tools miss entirely. 8 min readRead ](https://briefcase.so/blog/beyond-ocr-how-ai-is-transforming-bookkeeping)[ ![Everyone codes](https://briefcase.so/marketing/blog/everyone-codes.png) Engineering7 May 2025 ### Everyone codes At Briefcase, we are product-obsessed. Every team member provides customer support, everyone contributes to our product roadmap, and everyone, including our commercial people, codes. 6 min readRead ](https://briefcase.so/blog/everyone-codes)[ ![Building a Vertical AI Agent](https://briefcase.so/marketing/blog/vertical-ai-agent.png) Engineering29 Apr 2025 ### Building a Vertical AI Agent How Briefcase constructs AI agents for the accounting industry, emphasizing predictability, consistency and accuracy. 8 min readRead ](https://briefcase.so/blog/building-a-vertical-ai-agent)[ ![Introducing 'Contextual Learning' in the world of AI Accounting](https://briefcase.so/marketing/blog/contextual-learning.png) Insights12 Aug 2024 ### Introducing 'Contextual Learning' in the world of AI Accounting Generative AI offers substantial efficiency improvements, yet foundational models lack specific business knowledge. Contextual Learning provides the solution. 10 min readRead ](https://briefcase.so/blog/introducing-contextual-learning-in-the-world-of-ai-accounting)[ ![How can you trust an AI to do your accounting?](https://briefcase.so/marketing/blog/trust-ai.png) Insights24 Jul 2024 ### How can you trust an AI to do your accounting? LLMs are inherently probabilistic, so how can you trust them with deterministic accounting workflows? We cover self-reflection, explainability and auditability in AI. 5 min readRead ](https://briefcase.so/blog/how-can-you-trust-an-ai-to-do-your-accounting)[ ![What is an 'AI Agent' and what does it mean for accountants?](https://briefcase.so/marketing/blog/ai-agent.png) Insights12 Jun 2024 ### What is an 'AI Agent' and what does it mean for accountants? AI agents are advanced AI systems designed to interact with their environment autonomously. Unlike conversational AI, these systems operate through integrated infrastructure. 4 min readRead ](https://briefcase.so/blog/what-is-an-ai-agent-and-what-does-it-mean-for-accountants)[ ![How will multimodal AI transform the accounting industry?](https://briefcase.so/marketing/blog/multimodal-ai.png) Insights24 May 2024 ### How will multimodal AI transform the accounting industry? Recent AI advancements have introduced Gemini 1.5 and GPT-4o, highlighting multimodal capabilities as the new standard in AI. 4 min readRead ](https://briefcase.so/blog/how-will-multimodal-ai-transform-the-accounting-industry) ## More from Briefcase [How to Automate Invoice Processing for Accounting Firms in 2026A practical guide to automating invoice processing in your accounting practice. Compare OCR, AI agents, and rule-based tools.](https://briefcase.so/blog/automate-invoice-processing-accounting-firms/index.html)[Top 6 AI bookkeeping software tools for UK accountants (2026)An honest comparison of the best AI bookkeeping software for UK accounting firms. We cover Briefcase, Dext, AutoEntry, Xero, QuickBooks, and more.](https://briefcase.so/blog/best-ai-bookkeeping-software-uk-accountants/index.html)[Dext Alternative: Why UK Accounting Firms Are Switching to AI AgentsLooking for a Dext alternative? Compare Dext with AI-native bookkeeping tools. See why UK firms are switching from OCR to AI agents.](https://briefcase.so/blog/dext-alternative-uk-accounting-firms/index.html)[MTD for ITSA 2026: A Practical Guide to Software and Compliance for AccountantsEverything UK accountants need to know about Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment. Deadlines, software requirements, and how to prepare.](https://briefcase.so/blog/mtd-for-itsa-2026-accounting-software-guide/index.html)[AI Bookkeeping vs OCR: A Practical Comparison for Accounting FirmsWhat is the difference between OCR and AI for bookkeeping? A clear comparison for UK accounting firms covering accuracy, VAT handling, and automation.](https://briefcase.so/blog/ai-bookkeeping-vs-ocr-accounting-firms/index.html)[AI Agents for Accounting: How They Work and Why They Matter in 2026What are AI agents in accounting? A practical guide for UK accounting firms covering how AI agents differ from traditional automation, what they can do today, and how to evaluate them.](https://briefcase.so/blog/ai-agents-accounting-how-they-work/index.html)[Month-End Close Automation: A Practical Guide for UK Accounting FirmsHow to automate the month-end close process for your accounting clients. Covers working papers, prepayments, fixed assets, bank reconciliation, and VAT.](https://briefcase.so/blog/month-end-close-automation-accounting-firms/index.html)[AI Working Papers Software: A Practical Guide for UK AccountantsCompare AI working papers software for UK accounting firms. We cover Briefcase, Silverfin, Papercare and others, with honest detail on what each does well and where they fall short.](https://briefcase.so/blog/ai-working-papers-software-uk-accountants/index.html)[Bookkeeping Automation Software: What UK Accounting Firms Need in 2026A practical guide to bookkeeping automation software for UK accounting firms. Covers what automation really means in 2026, how to evaluate tools, and what the best platforms actually do.](https://briefcase.so/blog/bookkeeping-automation-software-uk-accounting-firms/index.html)[MTD for ITSA Penalties Explained: Points, Fines, and What Late Submission Actually CostsA clear breakdown of MTD for ITSA penalties, including the 2026/27 quarterly-update exemption and what late tax returns or payments can cost.](https://briefcase.so/blog/mtd-itsa-penalties-late-submission-guide/index.html)[MTD for ITSA Software Compared: What Sole Traders and Landlords Actually Need in 2026An honest comparison of MTD for ITSA software for UK sole traders and landlords. We compare Xero, QuickBooks, FreeAgent, Sage, Hammock, and Briefcase Ledger on features, pricing, and what each does well.](https://briefcase.so/blog/mtd-itsa-software-compared-sole-traders-landlords/index.html)[Briefcase vs Silverfin: AI Working Papers Software Compared (2026)A side-by-side comparison of Briefcase and Silverfin for UK accounting firms. We cover pricing, AI capabilities, integrations, and which approach works for which kind of practice.](https://briefcase.so/blog/briefcase-vs-silverfin-ai-working-papers/index.html)[First MTD for ITSA Quarterly Submission: A Practical Guide for Sole Traders and LandlordsThe first MTD for ITSA quarterly deadline was 7 August 2026 and the next is 7 November. A practical guide to what to file and how to prepare.](https://briefcase.so/blog/first-mtd-itsa-quarterly-submission-guide/index.html)