Artificial intelligence is no longer a promise for professional firms. It is a reality that is entering their daily operations in earnest and that is starting to change how tax, labor, and accounting advisers work, relate to their clients, and organize their processes.
That was one of the main conclusions from the new edition of the Wolters Kluwer Advisors Forum, which we attended yesterday in Madrid, after its stop in Barcelona. A day that brought together professionals in advisory services, economic experts, and technology specialists to analyze where a sector facing the AI revolution and a tight calendar of regulatory changes is heading.
And the data presented during the event make it clear that transformation is already underway. According to the V edition of the Wolters Kluwer Advisory Barometer, 70.5% of professional firms already use artificial intelligence, while 67.5% consider digitalization a strategic priority. These figures help explain why AI occupied a large portion of conversations throughout the day.
From experimenting with AI to integrating it into daily work
During the opening, Sergio Liscia, Vice President & General Manager of Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting for Spain and Italy, emphasized the combination of technology and specialized knowledge as one of the keys for firms to continue growing. Liscia has only been in the role for a month, replacing Tomás Font, and we had the opportunity to speak with him in a private meeting during the event.
The executive told us he has more than 15 years at the company and has arrived at this new position at a moment “very intense in the market.” Liscia referred to Spain, as this week not only did we learn of the election call but two aspects that will condition the sector of management and advisory services: the publication of the Ministerial Order regulating technical and functional elements of the public electronic invoicing solution and the possible postponement of VeriFactu. In any case, Liscia recalled the importance of having a provider and technology partner that helps SMEs with their digital transformation.
Roundtables also tackled AI
During the two roundtables held during the event, they addressed precisely cases of AI adoption in the daily work of firms, with professionals sharing their experiences alongside Victoria Miravall, Product Strategy Director of Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting Europe South Region. NP Wolters Kluwer Advisors Forum
The trend is also taking place beyond our borders. In the Barcelona edition, Bas Kniphorst, Vice President & Managing Director of Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting Europe, highlighted that European advisory firms are quickly moving from an initial experimentation phase with these tools to directly integrating them into their work routines. NP Wolters Kluwer Advisors Forum
This opens up a particularly interesting scenario for a knowledge-intensive sector. Automation can handle certain repetitive tasks and processing large amounts of information, but expert knowledge remains the element that enables interpreting that information and turning it into useful advice for the client.
VeriFactu and electronic invoicing back at the center
The technology was a protagonist, but not the only big topic of the meeting. Professional firms are facing a particularly intense regulatory period. VeriFactu and electronic invoicing were very present during the Advisors Forum, along with other changes that will directly affect advisory work.
Representatives from organizations such as the Labor and Social Security Inspectorate, the REAF, the Col·legi d’Economistes de Catalunya, and Fomento del Trabajo Nacional participated in different specialized sessions focused on taxation and the labor field.
Among the issues analyzed were VeriFactu, electronic invoicing, the digital timekeeping register, and wage transparency, all changes that will force firms and companies to review procedures and technological tools.
In the case of VeriFactu, the coming into force in 2027 makes adaptation particularly urgent. And, once again, the adviser appears as a fundamental figure to help SMEs and self-employed people understand what affects them and how they should prepare.
Here we find one of the major points of connection between regulation and technology: every new obligation increases the need to automate processes to prevent the rise in administrative tasks from overwhelming firms.
Economy and geopolitics, beyond technology
The Forum also sought to broaden the focus and analyze the economic context in which businesses and professionals operate today. One of the highlights of the Madrid day was the speech by Luis de Guindos, former vice president of the European Central Bank and former Minister of Economy, who analyzed European economic policy in the current geoeconomic scenario.
His presence raised the debate from the daily operations of the firm to some of the big uncertainties that condition business decisions.
The day ended following that same line. Vicente Vallés, director and presenter of Antena 3 News, was tasked with closing the event with a talk dedicated to geopolitics and its impact on business management. In the Barcelona edition that role had gone to journalist Enric Juliana, who focused his talk on Europe’s position in the new international scenario.
The AI could also be tried
Beyond the talks, attendees had the opportunity to approach some of the tools Wolters Kluwer is developing for the sector. The Experience Zone became one of the most practical spaces of the event, allowing participants to learn about different solutions aimed at transforming professional firms.
Among them, a standout was a3innuva Nómina Expert AI, one of the AI proposals the company is incorporating into its ecosystem of solutions.
This practical segment reinforced a theme that ran throughout the day: AI is beginning to be seen not as an independent technology, but as an integral part of the tools professionals already use.
After listening to the various presentations, one conclusion seems clear: the professional firm is entering a new era. AI will enable automation of processes, faster analysis of information, and increased productivity, while tools like VeriFactu and electronic invoicing will push digitalization even faster.
The value of a firm will continue to lie in its ability to interpret increasingly complex regulations, anticipate problems, and offer specialized guidance. The difference is that, more and more, that knowledge will be supported by tools capable of processing information and automating much of the administrative tasks.
