What accounting software do professional accountants and firms use?
Professional accountants have specific requirements that go beyond what a typical business owner needs. They need full access to the general ledger, the ability to post journal entries, and clean audit trails. The software their clients use directly impacts how efficiently they can do their job.
What accountants look for
Accountants need: Full double-entry ledger access, the ability to post adjusting journal entries, trial balance reports, and a clear audit trail showing who changed what and when. They also want to manage multiple clients from a single login - most firms use an "accountant portal" feature for this.
The trial balance is particularly important. It lists every account with its debit and credit balances, and it must balance to zero. An accountant who cannot quickly pull a trial balance is working blind - they cannot check the integrity of the books or prepare year-end adjustments without it. Make sure any software you choose produces a proper trial balance.
Popular platforms among accountants
Xero has a strong following among accountants, especially in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. QuickBooks Online is dominant in North America. Note.now is growing quickly among accountants who work with small and medium businesses - it gives full ledger access, journal entries, and audit logs without the complexity of enterprise tools.
The best signal is to ask your own accountant. They will tell you what they prefer to work in, which features they rely on most, and whether they have seen problems with specific platforms. An accountant who actively recommends a platform is one who is confident they can support you in it.
Free accountant access matters
Note.now includes free accountant access on every paid plan. This means you can invite your accountant without paying an extra $15–$25/month like you would on some competing platforms. Your accountant gets their own login with the right level of access - view only or full edit depending on what you set.
Beyond cost, the quality of accountant access matters. Can your accountant post journal entries directly? Can they see the full ledger including deleted and modified transactions? Can they leave notes for you inside the software? Note.now supports all of these, making the collaboration between business owner and accountant genuinely productive rather than a series of emailed spreadsheets.
Related questions
Try Note.now free for 7 days
No credit card required. Full access to all features.