Nearly half of all accountants would prefer to be doing something else within the next five years, a new survey shows. With concerns about inflation, increasingly onerous regulation and discord with HM Revenue & Customs, the mood among respondents was glum, according to the poll by online accountancy software provider E-conomic. When asked what they are most looking forward to in the next five years, the most common answer was retirement. Some 88% of accountants believe that over time it will become tougher to keep up with tax and financial reporting regulations, while 57% see HMRC playing a more direct role in regulating their work and processes. When asked about the future, accountants said they foresee 'dramatic change' occurring over the next five years. Three-quarters saw themselves moving away from their traditional role to become more of a 'profitability consultant' and business adviser than a reporting accountant, and over a quarter believe they will be sending all their compliance work offshore for processing. When it come to technology, 84% said their ability to advise clients on the best use of IT to optimise profit and efficiency will be an important part of their professional expertise. E-conomic operational director Anders Bjornsbo said: 'It's alarming that half the accountants we spoke to were thinking of leaving the profession. While that's unlikely to happen, it is perhaps illustrative of the dissatisfaction and disillusionment felt by accountants today.'