AI tax tools cut prep time by a third at accounting firms, Current data shows

The evidence comes from accounting firms that used AI tax-preparation tools through Current, a platform that provides technology and shared services to partner accounting firms, during the 2025–26 tax season. Current shared the data, which showed average time savings of a third on tax preparation and a throughput increase of about 50%. These individual-level gains do not necessarily translate into equivalent organizational gains, because delegating work to AI introduces costs beyond execution. The accounting-firm example therefore illustrates a gap between task acceleration and organizational performance, rather than a simple productivity win.