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Blog » Expert Reviews for Using Accounting and Tax Software!

Expert Reviews for Using Accounting and Tax Software!

Last updated: 01 Mar, 2024 By | 6 Minutes Read

tax and accounting software

As your business grows, you’ll have more decisions to make concerning your accounting. With advancements in technology, businesses are moving towards their embracement to stay afloat. Every business fears taxes, but they forget that taxes are based on their yearly accounting. That’s the reason businesses are adopting tax and accounting software to keep the process simple and hassle-free.

How accounting and tax software is assisting businesses? Know from the Experts

Craig Ven

Craig Ven

Partner with Adelman Katz & Mond, LLP

I don’t think there is an accountant out there who doesn’t use tax software. Today, most of us are mandated to file electronically. I am not sure what you are really asking. The problem today is that most “preparers” are nothing more than inputters. They don’t understand the tax law.

For example, I had a client that went to HR block first. She was in the AMT and asked what that was. The preparer brought up the instructions, she’s like; I could have done that myself. She goes to me, what is it. I explained it to her, and I got the client. We need to be able to discuss the return and explain the different issues. Many cannot. With accounting software, besides the normal reconciliation etc. We as accountants do more analysis now and see where we can help.

Mostly QB desktop and online! Some quicken and others are depending on what the client has, Xero for example.

99% of our clients use a QuickBooks product, whether its desktop or online. On the most part, it does what it’s supposed to. Some clients we do all the work from beginning to end, others, we review their work on a monthly basis and reconcile the accounts, more so for the separation of duties.

We don’t want their internal bookkeeper doing the bank reconciliation. For example, QuickBooks Online is just a faster option, so we don’t have to wait for the clients to send us the file. We can all login and discuss the financial statements together.

Nowadays, it’s going over the figures to see where it’s possible to save money. We also use it to track different profit centers so we can advise a client to maybe focus more on one area and eliminate the other. I am satisfied with the product because it does what it’s supposed to, it saves the accountant time of course, and with a few clicks, you have viable information to discuss with your client.

Tymone Greens

Tymone Greens

Founder of TLG Accounting

Yes. I use QuickBooks for accounting. I don’t do taxes. My purpose primarily is to educate business owners on the importance of how QuickBooks can streamline tax preparation.

Question: Any issues you suffer while using QuickBooks?
Answer: – Non-backwards compatibility when clients have older editions.

Question: – Which feature of QuickBooks you like the most and why?
Answer: – The bank reconciliation because it makes it easier to reconcile and stay on top of reconciling items.

Reviews

My review is there are a lot of features in QuickBooks that go unnoticed and not used to its maximum capacity. I am satisfied with QuickBooks.

I partner with many small business clients as an accountant and bookkeeper, both locally and nationally. Usually, my first order of business is to assist them with deciding on a small business bookkeeping and accounting software package, so I can provide some insight into selecting some of the best software packages:

(1) QuickBooks Online: QuickBooks Online is the standard package that most clients already have or at least recognize. QuickBooks has been a trusted name in small business bookkeeping for many years, and most small business owners seem to turn here first.

There are many subscription tiers, and the monthly cost is low enough to add quite a bit of value to any small business. The robust reporting functions, automatic bank transaction import, and seemingly endless settings and personalization options make this the ultimate choice for small business bookkeeping.

For additional monthly subscription costs, you can “level-up” to higher tiers as your business grows, allowing you to scale with this software. You can also add payroll services and payment processing services at additional costs, really making this a one-stop solution.

Many accountants (like myself) are members of the QuickBooks ProAdvisor network, proving our extensive knowledge of the software, and small business owners can easily find a local, trusted advisor using the free “Find-a-ProAdvisor” service. QuickBooks also makes it incredibly simple for business owners to share access to their companies with their accountants at no extra cost.

(2) Wave Accounting: Wave Accounting is relatively unknown accounting software. In my mind, it is one of the best and does not receive the amount of attention it should. While it is not as robust as QuickBooks Online, it does have similar reporting functions and does still boast an automatic bank transaction import function.

Plus, the price tag for this software is the main selling point: it is absolutely free. The only pieces you can optionally add on are payroll and payment processing, just as in QuickBooks Online.

Wave also has the Wave Pro Network for accountants and bookkeepers to join (which I am a member of as well). Again, it is not as thorough or robust as the QuickBooks ProAdvisor network but may allow small business owners to find a trusted advisor or bookkeeper.

Folasade Ayegbusi

Folasade Ayegbusi

Owner of Suncrest Financial Services

Yes, I do use several accounting and tax software to perform accounting functions for my clients. I primarily use QuickBooks Accountants Online to handle the majority of our clients’ bookkeeping functions and workflow. Due to the information technology boom, most accountants and firms like myself use advanced accounting software to do all or most accounting work.

Here, at Suncrest Financial Services, we primarily use QuickBooks to handle the bookkeeping aspect of our clients’ accounting and Taxslayer for the Tax Software.

On the other hand, we still use good ole Excel or Zoho Sheets to handle a lot of our accounting functions like sales tax calculations, adjusted basis calculations, and many other functions online technology haven’t fully been able to integrate.

We purposely use Taxslayer transparently, because that’s all I know. I’ve been using Taxslayer since I started learning my craft at my father’s accounting firm. In contrast, I’ve demo several other Tax Prep Software and realized that I prefer to use Taxslayer because of its simplicity, easy functionality, and tech-driven.

However, I made a mistake these last past two-years and relied heavily on their online Web version and ran into several problems that could’ve cost me my firm and my clients’ tax penalties.

The Web version crashed on the final day of tax season, just like many other Web version tax software. Besides, because of the Technological advancement in the accounting industries, we all depend on software.

I’m 100% satisfied with Taxslayer Pro desktop version because of its efficiency, stability, and technological advancements. The customer service is absolutely amazing and knowledgeable. Honestly, I haven’t really considered changing my tax software providers. My only downfall with Taxslayer Pro is that they’ve now become Accountants just like QuickBooks with their Tax product Turbo Tax.

I actually use multiple bookkeeping software to connect to the bookkeeping software to increase functionalities. However, I prefer to use QuickBooks Online for the following reasons mainly:

  • Accustomed to the software and strong brand
  • QuickBooks is what our clients already use before we take over their bookkeeping. We just stick to it.
  • User-friendly
  • Technology advancement
  • I love the new receipt feature

I’m about 80% satisfied with QuickBooks software, some of the advance bookkeeping functions aren’t yet incorporated. The cost is steadily rising, and they’re trying to become Accountants biggest competitor with their new offering of bookkeeping services.

Calloway Cook

Calloway Cook

Manages accounting at startup Illuminate Labs

As the Founder of an e-commerce business, I’ve found the sales tax software TaxJar to be tremendously helpful. The South Dakota vs. Wayfair Supreme Court case last year established that e-commerce companies operating in the U.S. must track and pay sales tax in states where they have “economic nexus”; meaning they make sales above a certain threshold to consumers in that state.

TaxJar syncs with the API of my Shopify store and automatically tracks and files state taxes based on buyer location. Doing this all manually would be extremely inefficient — it would take tens of hours each month. And the best part about this service is that it’s surprisingly cheap.

I’m paying less than $20/month as a small company. I’m very satisfied with this company so far (and have no affiliation with them other than as a consumer). I recommend all e-commerce companies use some sort of sales tax software to automate the process.

Rachel Cottam

Rachel Cottam

Content Manager for ZipBooks (Client’s thought)

I’ve been using ZipBooks for a little over two years now and I’m constantly impressed by how smoothly it works and how few problems I encounter with it. When those problems do arise, large or small, the team at ZipBooks is always able to resolve the issue and get me back to work quickly.

All of the features of ZipBooks are incredibly easy to use, and I love the fact that they are constantly working on adding new features to the already robust product. —Mike Woodburn

ZipBooks is a great piece of software. I have a new business and needed clear, robust accountancy and financial management software. I use Xero for another business of mine but wanted software with an unlimited free option to begin with.

ZipBooks is intuitive and easy to use – everything you need for accountancy software. One particular highlight is the customer support – they respond super quick and have helped me every single time I’ve needed it. Very highly recommended. – Ed Jones.

Riley Adams

Riley Adams

Working as a Senior Financial Analyst for a tech company in the San Francisco | Young and the Invested

Each year for preparing my tax return, I use Turbo Tax Premier to complete the necessary details for filing my tax return in a timely manner. The software offers a robust explanation of various tax items that may or may not affect me and easily carries my taxable income tally through each step, lowering it or raising it as I enter new information.

This tracking allows me to match the impacts of certain tax positions taken with what my total amount owed or refunded can expect to be and also provides me with a better understanding of how each position works in my overall tax planning process.

The software doesn’t come cheap compared to its competitors in the space but has been well worth my money each year because my tax position is rather complex as an individual filer: I’m a homeowner who also rents a condo, has a wife with student loans, and owns his own small business.

Additionally, I have a diversified portfolio of investments, some traditional (e.g., stocks and bonds), some alternative and more tedious to track in aggregate (e.g., peer-to-peer lending). TurboTax can handle all of this complexity with ease and has been, and will be, my go-to source for preparing my tax return.

Ben Watson

CPA of DollarSprout.com and founder of Fiscal Fluency

I use QuickBooks Online almost exclusively with my clients. I work with clients 100% virtually all over the country, so it’s essential that I don’t have to worry about updating software or old information. By using QBO, I can log into my clients’ books and have up-to-date information.

Another great feature is its ability to integrate with other apps or automate payroll, sales, taxes, etc. This saves me a ton of time doing mundane and time-consuming tasks and can instead focus on the big picture items and problem-solve.

Conclusion

Above we conclude the views of experts about tax and accounting software for business. In the long run, keeping accurate records of financial data is vital for growth. One can achieve it only after identifying the loopholes of traditional methods and implanting the right software.

Do you have tax and accounting software but are not able to use it fully? Cogneesol is here to assist you in leveraging the benefits of tax and accounting software.

To get assistance from experts, call now at +1 833-313-3143 or email us at [email protected]. Let us make your tax and accounting process hassle-free.

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