What to expect for the rest of 2026

In a follow up to our popular Prepare for 2026 series at the start of the year, ICAEW’s experts across tax, audit and assurance, corporate reporting and economy have reflected on where we are six months in.

You can watch videos and read articles from each of our experts explaining what you should be thinking about for the rest of the year, including:

• keeping an eye on the government’s plans to modernise corporate reporting;
• preparing for developments in sustainability assurance;
• the continued importance of resilience planning in the face of uncertainty; and
• seeing how MTD for income tax works in practice.

We’ve also got updates from our teams across the world, outlining the universal impacts of technology and providing regional insights, such as the mandation of climate related financial disclosures in Australia and the increasing demand for international expertise in China.

To finish off you can listen to our podcast looking at the global impact of uncertainty and on what to expect from HMRC for the rest of the year. Hear from Lindsey Wicks, ICAEW’s Senior Tax Technical Manager, on new tax agent registration rules and more, as well as from Junaidy Ab-Mutalib about the profession in Malaysia.

Catch-up while you’ve got your hands full

For those who need to keep their eyes on the prize or on children over the summer, our podcasts are a great way to stay up to date and catch up on CPD while cracking on with other things.

In August we’ll be publishing our usual monthly podcasts. Keep your eye out for a special war-gaming episode towards the end of the month – we’ll be running through the blow-by-blow of a hypothetical (but possible) scenario: if Russia targeted a NATO country, how might that affect a business in the UK?

Hear from business-risk experts on the sort of response such an action might provoke, and how that might impact supply chains, energy, and other factors that might affect businesses across the world. We’ll look at this from the perspective of an SME retail/manufacturing business based in the UK that may be more exposed than they realise.

Meanwhile, next week you’ll be able to hear all about how EY is rolling out the use of AI agents, alongside expert insights into insider trading risk and polymarkets.

If that’s not enough, we’ve got a back catalogue of more than 100 episodes that can keep you company as you tick off your to-do list. If you need to get to grips with the new UK tax requirements for companies and directors, or get a refresher on ensuring tax returns are correct and complete, ICAEW’s Tax Track from the Tax Faculty has you covered.

Meanwhile, if you’re wanting to understand the reality of AI in accountancy, we’ve got episodes cover the impact on skills in the profession, the ethics of using the technology in tax work and how to manage risks when using it audit.

Other popular episodes that you might want to catch up, include:

• How do I get to the C-Suite?
• Are you taking fraud seriously enough?
• How the Celsius scandal is reshaping Crypto regulation.
• Understanding tokenisation plans; rethinking the audit report

If you manage all of these over the summer, you will have clocked up more than five hours of CPD!

Share your thoughts and shape policy for the better

For those who might have a little more time over the summer months, there are also opportunities to share your expertise and help ICAEW in its bid to simplify the tax system and support UK businesses.

The Tax Faculty is in the midst of its programme analysing how to make the administration and application of tax in the UK fit for the future. They’ve outlines what they think the issue is and their take on how to improve two of five key areas, and they’re keen for everyone to contribute their thoughts on potential solutions.

Watch videos and read more from Ed Saltmarsh, Indirect Tax Technical Manager, on:

• why the tax system needs rebuilding,
• how embracing independent advice will improve policymaking; and
• how to fix HMRC.

The next phase of the project is focused on the role of the tax profession, the judiciary and digital infrastructure. If you’ve got an idea – or 20! – share them with the Tax Faculty.

ICAEW is also working to support the government in identifying ways to cut red tape for small businesses. In June, Iain Wright, ICAEW’s Chief Policy and Communications Officer, attended the first meeting of the Small Business Regulatory Taskforce.

The taskforce has been created by the government to gather evidence on how to reduce the regulatory burden on UK businesses. ICAEW is asking members to share their experiences by completing a short survey covering:

• what area of regulation creates the largest burden on SMEs;
• what the biggest challenge facing SMEs is;
• what action would produce the great reduction in administration; and
• what one change should the government prioritise.

The taskforce is due to share its findings in the Autumn, so August is your last chance to share your thoughts.