Dext (rebranded from Receipt Bank) remains one of the most impactful AI tools in a UK accountant's arsenal. The core promise is simple: clients photograph receipts and invoices, Dext's AI extracts all the relevant data (amounts, dates, VAT, supplier details), and it pushes clean, categorised entries straight into your accounting software.
The AI extraction accuracy has improved dramatically over the past year. For standard UK receipts and invoices, you're looking at 99%+ accuracy rates, which effectively eliminates the most tedious part of bookkeeping. The system learns from corrections too — if you fix a miscategorisation, Dext remembers for next time.
For practices, the real value is in the 'Dext for Accountants' portal. This gives you a single dashboard to manage all client accounts, see who's falling behind on submissions, and set up automated rules for common transactions. The workflow automation can genuinely save 5-10 hours per week for a typical practice.
The integration with Xero is particularly smooth — extracted data appears as draft bills or spend money transactions, ready for review and approval. The Sage and QuickBooks integrations are solid too, though the Xero connection feels most polished.
The main downside is getting clients to actually use it consistently. Dext has invested heavily in making the mobile app intuitive, but there's always a adoption curve. The pricing model can also add up if you have many clients, though most practices find the time savings more than offset the cost.