Finance Work Is Crossing Borders, and Pakistan Is Well Placed to Take Its Share

In a 2026 survey of 500 accountants in the UK, the US, Canada and Australia, run by the UK firm Advancetrack, 73% said staff shortages were forcing their firms to turn work away. 71% said they could grow faster with more experienced staff. The work is there, and firms want to take it on.

A 2026 survey by Personiv found 84% of US finance and accounting leaders see a talent shortage. The share of companies needing 60 days or more to fill a role fell from 49% in 2025 to 42% in 2026, so firms are finding ways to close the gap.

The traditional route to becoming a US Certified Public Accountant requires 150 credit hours of study. As of mid-2026, at least 24 US jurisdictions also offer a second route: a bachelor's degree plus two years of work experience. More people can now enter the profession sooner.

In the UK, since April 2026 sole traders and landlords earning more than £50,000 send HMRC a quarterly summary of income and expenses through Making Tax Digital, using approved software. More than 864,000 people are in this first group, and the next update is due on 7 November. Azets expects MTD to cover 2.9 million people by 2028. Regular digital reporting suits firms that use software well.

Intuit's 2026 survey of 725 US accounting and bookkeeping professionals found 85% believe the firms that win the next decade will combine AI with human expertise.

The same survey found the average firm already uses about ten different apps. AI speeds up sorting and drafting, while trained accountants review the numbers, match them across systems and sign off the final accounts. Firms need more of those accountants, and many are now finding them abroad.

Accountancy Today reports that outsourcing and offshoring are becoming a mainstream way for firms to manage capacity. A team in another country can handle bookkeeping, payroll and month-end work while the firm's own staff focus on clients.

Pakistan's IT exports reached a record US$4.6 billion in the year to June 2026, up 21%. July 2026 came in 18% higher than July 2025, and the government is aiming for US$10 billion by 2029. The skills and connections that deliver software to clients abroad can deliver accounting work the same way.

Accounting firms in the UK and the US have strong demand, a widening pipeline of new accountants and better technology. Teams across borders complete the picture, and Pakistan's record year in IT exports shows that clients abroad already buy skilled services from Pakistan.