8-useful-applications-for-accountants-and-bookkeepers

We can all relate to the feeling we get when we open up our favorite apps. It could be Instagram, Facebook or any other app that helps you get things done. And nowadays it feels like there’s an app for everything, from finding a local plumber to discovering the top rated pizza place in New York.

The convenience of using apps to make tasks simpler has also been adopted by the accounting industry. With the development and integration of technology such as cloud accounting the need for apps has become even more pertinent.

To get a better idea of how useful these apps are for accountants and bookkeepers we’ve listed them in the following categories: project management, payroll software, document management and practice management.

Project Management

Basecamp

This project management app assists in centralizing tasks and appointing responsibilities accordingly. It’s got handy features as it encompasses message boards, schedules, to-do lists, group chat, documents and file storage in one program.

The ‘to-do list’ feature is one of Basecamp’s better features as it lets you easily see and communicate what stage a project is up to. This drastically cuts down on the number of emails going back and forth for basic project updates. All in all, Basecamp is well-designed tool to keep track of and control over accounting projects and tasks.

Asana

Asana is another project management tool that focuses on getting large accounting teams to work together more efficiently. It lets users path their tasks and projects to the completion stage, and to produce comprehensive progress reports. Users can also attach various file formats, and share project-related documents within the same platform without having to use emails or third-party communication channels.

Payroll

Xero Payroll

One of the leading accounting software in the market right now Xero has really set themselves apart from the pack. As a purely web-based solution, they offer a range of accounting services for their clients. However, in this blog, we’ll be focusing just on their payroll function.

Their payroll software is easy to use and can be utilized for contractors and employees. It’s also very customizable and lets users keep up to date on benefits, deductions, overtime, bonuses, sick days, paid vacations, time-off requests, and employee earnings all in one place.

As great as Xero is, there are a few drawbacks that accountants should be aware of before investing in the software. Their starting plan for small businesses is quite limiting, offering minimal invoices and transactions. The mid to large sized business plans are much better but will also be costlier. Accountants also need to know that Xero Payroll is only available in 36 states. Nonetheless, Xero is still one of the best accounting payroll software in the market right now.

Gusto

Gusto makes it easy for businesses to stay on top of their staff’s core payroll requirements. The app offers a solid set of payroll features, combined with a remarkably well-designed user interface, and innovation and automation functions that are quite impressive.

In addition to being a well-designed system, it’s also quite affordable as well. Plans start from $39/mo base + $6/mo per person and go up to $149/mo base + $12/mo per person. Most people that end up using Gusto rave about its integration capabilities and their customer service.

Document management

Hubdoc

Hubdoc is a document management system that makes an accountant’s job easier by digitizing receipts, invoices and bills so information can be extracted and effortlessly classified. The clinching feature of this application is that once your client has integrated the software, you no longer need to confirm what a specific transaction was in regards to. The client can just scan the receipt at the time of purchase, or send the digital receipt to their email and it automatically pre-populates an entry to the accounting software.

As long as you are connected to the internet this app is a time-saving miracle. There can be minor glitches such as documents not uploading correctly or text not being recognized accurately, however, these concerns are minor in terms of overall functionality.

Receipt Bank

This is one of the top (if not the best) document management applications in the market right now. These guys pioneered the automation and collection of data extraction from receipts and invoices to create a smart solution for manual bookkeeping. The core concept is to seamlessly integrate data collection with cloud-based accounting software.

The system is designed to be paperless with very minimal data entry required. Accountants and bookkeepers can’t stop talking about how great this software is, so you may as well give it a go and see what all the fuss is about.

Practice management

QuickBooks

It’s such a popular practice management software that most accountants and bookkeepers would have come across or used QuickBooks at some point in their career. And with over 5.6 million global customers it’s no surprise they’re so popular. QuickBooks is now heavily investing in online cloud-based systems to cater to the changing digital accounting landscape.

One of their newer products QuickBooks Online Accountant (QBOA), is a web based solution that assists with bank reconciliation, tracking expenses, drafting invoices and monitoring financial reports. Without a doubt, QuickBooks is one of the most helpful and efficient applications for accountants and bookkeepers.

Karbon

This practice management application is a very organized system for all aspects of your business. The system lets you delegate and allocate work, check on the progress of each job by creating checklists, and filter your email so nothing is ignored.

Karbon is more like a Swiss army knife of practice management. The application is fully customizable and lets you centralize all those random spreadsheets and reports. They also have a handy email and scheduling integration feature called Triage which lets you keep on top of on-going tasks.

Over to you

We hope this list is helpful in your search for new accounting applications and if you have any other recommendations please let us know in the comments below.