Fusion 2025 wasn’t just a conference, it was a statement of intent. A packed room of accountants, bookkeepers, and industry leaders saw first-hand how TaxCalc and Engager are shaping the future of practice management, workflow automation, and cloud-first compliance.
Across the day, three standout sessions defined the momentum behind the platform and the direction of travel for the year ahead.
Jason Reynes & Esther Theobold: Building a Streamlined MTD IT Workflow with Engager and TaxCalc
The afternoon kicked off with a practical, hands-on walkthrough from Jason Raynes and Esther Theobald, who demonstrated how seamlessly Engager and TaxCalc come together to support firms preparing for MTD IT.
Their session focused on something every practice is thinking about right now: how to build a scalable, compliant, repeatable workflow before MTD IT arrives in full force.
Key themes from their session:
1. Modern service management for MTD IT
Jason and Esther showed how Engager helps firms break down MTD IT into clearly structured service lines. From recurring quarterly submissions to bookkeeping add-ons and support tiers, firms can map out exactly what’s included, how often work is delivered, and who owns each step.
2. On-brand, crystal-clear proposals
The pair demonstrated how Engager generates branded, MTD-specific proposals in minutes, outlining scope, deadlines, and responsibilities. Practices can create consistent, compliant engagement letters without copying and pasting or managing endless templates.
3. Automated reminders and task management
Their demo highlighted how Engager’s reminders, scheduling, and task workflows take the pressure off admin teams. Data collection, client approvals, and document chasing become automated steps rather than bottlenecks.
4. A unified workflow with TaxCalc
Once clients are onboarded and work is scheduled in Engager, the workflow continues seamlessly into TaxCalc’s preparation and submission process. The integration removes duplication, reduces rekeying, and ensures teams always work from the latest client information.
The message was clear: MTD IT doesn’t have to be complicated, not when the right systems are connected and designed to work together.
Nick Moss & Ash Hall: The Integration Reveal That Changed Everything
In one of the most talked-about sessions of the day, Nick Moss and Ash Hall unveiled the next phase of the Engager x TaxCalc integration. The audience saw, live on stage, how far the two systems have come, and how closely intertwined they are becoming.
Below, you’ll find individual video highlights for each reveal.
1. Two-Way Sync – Available Immediately
Ash announced that two-way sync is officially live, meaning client details now update in both systems automatically. No more rekeying. No more mismatches. No more checking two places to see which one is right.
This upgrade delivers instant alignment across your workflow, giving practices a level of consistency they’ve never had before.
2. File Sharing Built Into the Workflow
Nick and Ash demonstrated how firms can now share files seamlessly between TaxCalc and Engager. Documents move securely, automatically, and without the need for third-party tools — removing unnecessary steps and speeding up the entire preparation and review journey.
3. Service Safeguards for Risk-Free Operations
One of the biggest wins for compliance: Service Safeguards.
These automated checks stop work progressing until essential conditions are met, helping teams reduce risk, strengthen governance, and improve consistency across the entire practice.
4. Personal Tax Questionnaires
The team unveiled integrated Personal Tax Questionnaires, designed to simplify and automate tax season.
Client data is collected digitally, structured neatly, and passed directly into your workflow — cutting out the back-and-forth that traditionally slows practices down in the busiest period of the year.
Engager and TaxCalc are no longer just connected. They are becoming a unified operational ecosystem.
Pauline Smith: TaxCalc’s Hybrid Future – Cloud and Desktop
The final keynote announcement came from Pauline Smith, who shared one of the most important strategic decisions in TaxCalc’s history: the move to the cloud.
But this wasn’t a simple “we’re going cloud-only” message.
It was something far more thoughtful, and far more aligned with how real practices operate.
TaxCalc’s hybrid approach:
Cloud for flexibility, mobility, and the future of collaboration.
Desktop for speed, power, stability, and firms who rely on local performance.
Pauline outlined a strategy that respects the needs of thousands of practitioners who love TaxCalc’s reliability, while simultaneously paving the way for the next decade of innovation.
This hybrid approach means practices won’t be forced into a corner.
They’ll be able to choose the environment that fits their workflow, without sacrificing performance, features, or security.
It was the perfect close to Fusion 2025: thoughtful, ambitious, and focused entirely on supporting the profession through its next chapter.
Fusion 2025: A Turning Point
This year’s Fusion conference made one thing absolutely clear:
TaxCalc and Engager are building the future of practice software, one that’s integrated, modern, compliant, and genuinely designed around how accountants and bookkeepers work.
With MTD IT approaching, cloud adoption accelerating, and firms demanding better workflows, the momentum behind this partnership has never been stronger.
