A date has finally been announced for the Autumn Budget – 26 November. Richard Hattersley looks at the political kite flying that has happened over the summer and what we can potentially expect from the Budget. With the government’s pledge not to increase national insurance, income tax and VAT, Hattersley shares his conversation with James Quarmby, a partner at Stephenson Haywood, on what he thinks will happen. From Downing Street to Brisbane, Tom Herbert speaks about Xerocon 2025. He details the big announcements and what caught his attention, namely Xero’s new partnership with OpenAI, the parent company of ChatGPT. Herbert explores what this partnership means, its impact, and concerns over data and accuracy. Lastly, Matthew Ord recalls his conversations with Grace Hardy, founder of Hardy Accounting, and James Wright, lecturer for accountancy and finance at the University of Chichester, on the next generation’s desire to start their own firm. With 75% of accounting students wanting to start their own business, Ord questions whether this is a wake-up call for the profession to rethink its approach to talent to tackle the skills gap.