The mentorship gap in tax work
AI can help new tax practitioners search, summarise, draft and reason. But can it teach?
The Tolley tax AI report explores how AI is reshaping the way junior tax practitioners learn, develop judgement and build professional confidence.
Drawing on a February 2026 survey of 400+ UK-based tax professionals, and featuring voices from across the profession, the report explores how tax teams can close the mentorship gap in the AI era.
Key findings include:
- 84% of tax practitioners use AI for tax research
- 66% said the biggest skills gap among junior practitioners is verification and source-checking
- 54% said AI is having a significant or severe impact on the development of core reasoning and judgement skills
- only 5% say AI has no impact on the development of core reasoning and judgement skills
- 63% believe treating AI as a “thinking partner” will improve judgement
- 71% say they feel more confident using AI that is grounded in tax sources
Download the report to explore how tax teams can use AI to strengthen, rather than bypass, professional development.
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