QuickBooks

Pros

Initially, I really loved the fact that you could receive very in-depth free training from home and in a classroom environment. Also, the fact that Accountants receive a licence for free for their own practice. I like the entire 'look' of the software, it doesn't feel overly complicated and is very user friendly. The help files and online helpdesk are extremely useful. I like that I can restrict the permissions that my clients have in order to avoid any unwanted mistakes being made but do feel that the permissions need to be more tailorable. I really like having the ability to set up recurring invoices which minimises the amount of time I have to spend on monthly repeating invoices.

Cons

I feel the permissions that you can set for individual clients is not restrictive enough - I would like to be able to enable clients to create their own sales invoices and purchase invoices but maybe restrict them from being able to delete them as this has caused many issues with some of my clients. Also, the system can be a bit 'glitchy' on occasion and the figures it sometimes produces on the trial balance report is not always accurate - usually the Sales figure is inaccurate for previous financial years which can be most frustrating. I also don't like that fact that, as a Quickbooks ProAdvisor, you cannot purchase any discounted bundles of licences. I also don't like the way you have to allocate a purchase credit note to the original purchase order - it is far too confusing and causes many errors by my clients.

Pros

Online accessibility - can work anywhere with an internet connection. Linking to bank and credit card accounts is handy. Linking to Bill.com and Expensify are also easy.

Cons

As a controller and an accountant consultant on the side, I would recommend the online version to small businesses with fewer than 5-10 employees and revenues under $1 million that have very few transactions. For companies that have multiple approval layers and AP invoices, you would need an add on app like Bill.com to handle. We use Expensify and Bill.com to handle expense reporting and AP. QuickBooks Enterprise edition would be a better fit for companies with more than a million in sales and more than 10 employees, but costs can add up on that platform.
-Approval levels are very broad. If I want to allow someone to add classes, I have to give them access to banking and reports that are only for partners to see. Further a la carte customization for permissions would certainly be handy.
-Speed - even with high speed internet, processing multiple AP invoices is very slow compared to the desktop counterpart.
-Accounting integration - when allowing accountants access to the company file, downloading the GL needs to go to excel. If the GL is large, it may exceed the line limit for Excel.
-Some reports are unable to use the custom fields. This creates problems when the custom fields are critical. in our case, we can't run a report of payments received that includes project numbers. In order to get that report, I need to use Zapier to extract payments as they come in and send them to a google sheet. So the only listing I have for payments listed with our custom fields is in Google sheets!

Pros

The ability to be able to serve your clients without the headache of worrying what package or QB year they are currently working with. Without QBA package, in order for you to open a company file you and your client had to be working in the same QBDT year. For example, QB 2015 file had to be opened by QB 2015. QB Accountant solves that problem. Also, QB Accountant provide accounting professionals with an Accountants Toolbox that isn't available for your typical users. This unlocks and allows accountants and bookkeeper to perform duties, tasks, and shortcuts to a clients books in a cleaner or efficient manner.

Cons

The only aspect I don't care for is not having the option for Quickbooks Accountants for Mac. Inuit doesn't offer a package for accounting professionals that are Mac users. Though not currently a Mac user, I am in the market for a new laptop with a Apple possibility being in the picture. So when I reached out to Inuit, they informed me that QBDTA is not compatible with Mac machines.

Pros

* So easy to maneuver from one company to another
* Straight forward and easy to train bookkeepers on its use
* The help functions are great because it contains solutions so many different scenarios and questions from similar users
* QuickBooks Onlin Account is accessible from anywhere so staff can work remotely when necessary

Cons

* Program hangs up from time to time so it requires logging out and back in.
* From time to time a function seems confusing, however if the online help doesn't provide a solution that works for us, we can use the Contact Us function for assistance.

Pros

Cost is much less expensive than any payroll services company. Direct deposit payments, employee portals, Form W-2 and Form 1099-MISC filing, quarterly tax filing, electronic tax payments, direct deposit payments for independent contractors, powerful and customizable financial reporting, easy collection of Form W-9 information, reliable mobile app for process payroll from anywhere, support for multiple pay rates, benefits and withholding support, and more.

Cons

QuickBooks Payroll is available for both QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online accounts. With QuickBooks Online, you are dependent on the availability of an Internet connection at the time you wish to process payroll.