Accountants are built for due process and order. They crave systems, strategies, and — most importantly — a reliable workflow. Everything in the world of numbers is highly structured; it makes sense that your projects should be managed accordingly.
So it’s time to say goodbye to however you’re currently managing project tasks: sticky notes, random email threads, chaotic Slack channels, and reinstate some order in that area too — enter task management software for accountants to the rescue.
Finding the right type of task management software can be a challenge, though. Not only do you have to find one that has exactly the features you need (not a bunch you’ll never use), but also one that can be integrated team-wide. If someone isn’t comfortable with the software, everyone else will be impacted.
What’s the need of task management software for accountants?
The larger the organization, the more confusing processes can become. Projects can languish without being assigned, and deadlines could be missed, which inevitably means a loss of client satisfaction and retention. Other businesses are trusting you with their money, so your duty is to use it responsibly.
Smaller agencies and solo accountants rely on project management software to keep them on track as well. Tax season can be an extremely busy and stressful time. Financial assets such as custodial accounts, qualified retirement plans, personal brokerage accounts, and more all follow different tax rules, and organizing this information properly is essential.
A task management system for personal accountants can ensure that no stone is left unturned and that the clients’ taxes are done properly every time.
15 Best Task Management Software Tools for Accountants
Need task management software for your accounting team? Here are 15 best options for you to choose from:
1. Nifty
Not to toot our own horn, but Nifty is the perfect task management solution for accountants. Why?
It’s a complete digital OS that gives you everything in one place — including Goal Tracking, Multi-Function Tasks, Time tracking for CPAs, Built-in Docs, Recurring work, and more.
By integrating all of these different tools into a single platform, you can ensure that no information gets lost, that your staff doesn’t waste hours every week on task switching, and that you’re always prompt in answering client requests.
Plus, with built-in time tracking, custom fields, formulas, and detailed reporting, you can easily create in-depth reporting that backs up your invoices and help show exactly where most of your team’s working hours go. This can also help you optimize your processes and reduce the time spent on non-billable hours. The best part? You can get started with our free forever plan.
Price: Free forever for unlimited users and tasks; paid plans with premium features start at just $5 per user per month.
👉 Ready to try Nifty? Get started with Nifty for free.
2. ClickUp
Offering a free 30-day trial, Clickup is one of the easy choices for task management software for accountants. It provides a number of features that virtually every accounting team needs, such as workload charts, documents, templates, and recurring checklists.
Clickup also allows for in-team communication. Not only can you message each member individually, but you can also “mention” them on a document to get their attention and assign different “watchers” to monitor the progress.
The only drawback of Clickup for accounting professionals is that it’s not a very intuitive interface. It can be challenging to understand exactly what screen you’re supposed to be looking at or how to manage an individual project. With a little practice (far less than some of the others on this list), most of the team should have the basics down quickly.
If you’re looking for something that also acts as a client management system for accountants, or something that has client communication, then, Clickup is not the choice for you. The interface is designed for in-house project management and lives directly in the cloud.
Cost: $5 per month per user.
3. Onboardible
Onboardible presents a personalized solution for every tax and accounting practitioner. Professionals can effortlessly onboard clients through this innovative accounting practice management software with just one link.
By combining the whole workflow for all services into one easily accessible interface, this platform guarantees a smooth experience.
Clients and team members are seamlessly brought together, nurturing efficient communication and document exchange. Onboardible’s user-friendly interface makes gathering and sharing vital information a breeze.
The platform’s unified nature empowers professionals to manage virtual teams and clients efficiently within a comprehensive platform. In an industry where simplicity and solidarity are prioritized, Onboardible is the ultimate tool to streamline operations, enhance client relationships, and optimize overall productivity.
Cost: 14-Day Free Trial, paid plans start from $35 per month.
4. Financial Cents
Financial Cents is a simple task management software solution designed for small to medium-sized accounting firms. It features things that most accounting firms seek in accounting software, like a task tracker who works on what, accounting CRM, document management, and automated workflow.
When it comes to team communication. Financial Cents allows your team to easily ask questions and provide updates on client work to keep everyone informed. It also allows anyone taking overwork to easily catch up while getting all the information they need to continue the work going forward.
With Financial Cents, you can keep all communications, records, notes, emails, and client information in one space so that your accountant can access it and complete their tasks. Even though it has a lot of capabilities, the software is simple to use and it has 14 days trial.
Cost: $49/team member/month
5. Quaderno
Quaderno is not a task management software but a tax complience software that offers a seamless solution for accountants to manage consumption tax liability tasks with efficiency and precision.
The platform simplifies tax compliance by automating essential processes, including registration, tax calculation, reporting, and invoicing. For sales tax, VAT, and GST obligations, Quaderno uniquely maps out liabilities in hundreds of jurisdictions worldwide.
Their automated tax calculation ensures accurate tax application to each transaction, streamlining accounting and enhancing accuracy. The platform’s reporting and filing capabilities transform tax filing into an efficient process, presenting tax data in clear reports for quick tax return completion or collaboration with tax advisors. This makes accountants’ jobs easier, more manageable, and more error-free.
Cost: The tool has a 7-day free trial, after which, the paid plan starts at €49 / month.
6. Zoho
If your tax and accounting firms need more than just standard task management software, then Zoho might be the right fit for you. Rather than just managing projects, Zoho boasts a whole suite of features for every part of your company, including customer support and financial systems.
All of Zoho’s systems are robust, but their task management software is especially powerful. It has the standard project planning and reporting tools but also integrations for several third-party applications, such as Google, Dropbox, and iPhone and Android operating systems.
There’s also a native bug tracker and reporting tool to help you iron out your processes and deliver a seamless update to your clients.
Client reporting is lacking, however, since you can’t build an individual client profile for every user. Zoho also only offers a 10-day trial for you to test out the software, which will often not be enough time for busy accounting professionals to become comfortable with all the features they offer.
Cost: Free up to three users; $5 per month per user (up to 50); $10 per user for unlimited users
7. Jetpack
Another accounting practice management software and a robust task management software tool aimed at accounting firms just getting started with project management, Jetpack offers a very basic — and affordable — platform. Their pricing is very transparent, but the number of features is likewise limited.
With Jetpack Workflows, you have the ability to search through different projects, monitor deadlines, reassign work as needed, and send daily summary emails to appropriate parties. You can even set recurring events across different clients as needed to save on time.
Jetpack also emphasizes the interactions between your business and the client. You can import client information via a .csv file and attach pertinent documents from the clients to each project. You can also enable clients to communicate directly with your team members if you prefer.
Although Jetpack has several features accounting firms will want, the price is a little bit higher than the others on this list. For large teams that prefer not to pay for each user, it may provide the right balance between price and functionality.
Price: $35 per month
8. Trello: Free Task Management Software for Accountants
A project management software system that claims to have a “visual board” can mean different things to different companies. Whereas most opt for a calendar view with due dates and important metrics earmarked, Trello opts for a “Kanban” style view, where everything is grouped according to columns. This allows operators to focus on the project itself rather than on when it’s supposedly due.
It’s perfect for those who already use a Kanban or Scrumban approach to project management. (For those who prefer a different view, Trello allows you to switch to a calendar or map view).
Users can create different boards for different projects and customize the backgrounds to help with separation. You can also create individual collections and create duplicate templates for recurring projects, with cards that have notes and watchers for each subtask.
And with over 100 different app integrations, you’ll also ensure it’s synced up with any other software you have running as well. Trello also boasts a “no-code automation,” which makes recurring tasks super simple.
Trello doesn’t offer a free trial, and its monthly charge is based per user, but it’s still a great option for accountants who prefer to think in terms of projects rather than timelines.
Price: $5 per user per month
9. Bitrix24
One of the major complaints about accounting practice management solution, Bitrix24 is also one of its strengths: too many features. For an accounting firm that is just looking for simple project management, Bitrix24 may be a little bit of an overkill, but for enterprises that want a robust platform to grow with, it’s hard to beat.
Bitrix24 excels when it takes mundane processes and makes them automatic. From task management to accounts payable automation software, there are many manual processes that have become easier to manage thanks to the use of various software tools. Lead generation is a key component of Bitrix24, but it can also be automated to make the process seamless.
Because of its almost overwhelming number of features, Bitrix24 can be challenging for first-time users. Luckily, it uses a Kanban interface (although you can switch to other task views like a Gantt chart), which makes the platform very visually appealing, and there are notifications that will constantly alert your team as to incoming deadlines. Still, novice users may struggle to get going.
Fortunately, a free account gives users several features to try out, plus up to 5GB of storage, audio calls, tasks, and a learning center. Paid users also have the option of running their projects on a local server instead of the cloud.
Price: Free or $40 a month
10. Basecamp
This cloud-based platform is a great scaling option for tax and accounting firms that want to get organized but don’t need all the bells and whistles associated with some project management software. A “freemium” plan allows for up to 20 users and three projects, with 1GB of storage space to work with. Not too shabby if you have a smaller firm with a few clients.
Bump it up to a paid plan (after a 30-day free trial), and you’ll have unlimited users, unlimited clients, priority support, and full client access so you can restrict what you want your customers to see. Communication is a big deal with Basecamp as well; messages, real-time chat, and “check-ins” all come with a paid plan.
Basecamp claims to be an all-in-one replacement for several other apps, like GSuite and Dropbox. They handle file management and storage, so you can always access your documents from the cloud.
Price: $99 per month for unlimited users
11. Ignition
Not just a client management software, Ignition claims to be a client retention software as well. Whereas most programs are only concerned with tracking projects and managing due dates, Ignition’s client-first mentality focuses on managing relationships and keeping track of payment schedules.
Not that their project management processes aren’t robust. Ignition has the standard suite of features — document storage, templates, branding, and tracking — but pairs it with a strong financial system. They also have automatic quoting, billing, and invoicing systems, as well as messaging that keeps track of fees.
Ignition is a cloud-based project management software system that integrates with other platforms such as Xero and Quickbooks and offers a free 14-day trial.
Price: $65 per month for a starter package, to $375 for the “scale” package
12. Wrike
One of the original task management software platforms on the block, Wrike was also one of the first platforms to offer service directly from the cloud. Because of that first-to-market mentality, Wrike has positioned itself as the go-to project management service for many large enterprise clients. Even though smaller agencies may be overwhelmed by the vast number of features and complex interface, it’s certainly worth looking into as a platform for the future.
Not only does Wrike integrate with many of the other major tools your agency already uses — Salesforce and Excel, to name a few — but it also has a mobile app that allows your team to manage projects on the go. Wrike also has the basic features you need to manage client progress, such as automated notifications and reports generated in real time.
As far as actual project management goes, Wrike is widely used as Gantt chart software as it allows to customize and visualize tasks in a time-frame manner. Tasks, subtasks, collaborators, permission levels — it’s all there. That means it’s suitable for your company no matter what PM methodology you subscribe to.
Price: $9.80 per user per month
13. Firm360
Unlike the more general workflow management solutions on this list, Firm360 is a cloud-based date-tracking and client management portal that claims to save you and your clients both time and money. It does everything that the others do, plus billing, real-time reporting, time tracking, and document management. Firm360 even includes a comprehensive training academy for customers, as well as a robust support team.
What’s the difference? The client-first focus means that you can more easily tie tasks (and spreadsheets) directly to clients, get efficient with your tracking of hours worked, and partially automate billing. Spend more time on auditing your clients’ books and filing their taxes and less time communicating with and billing them.
Plus, it does all of this in one package that’s both affordable and convenient for accounting firms of all sizes, including solo accountants (though it might seem a little overwhelming at first).
What Firm360 strives to do more than anything else is save your team time. What it lacks in aesthetics and sales support, it makes up for in efficiency. It’s an all-in-one stop for everything you’ll need — deadlines, communication, storage, and billing — without piling in a lot of features that you’ll never use.
Price: $79 per user per year
14. Asana
If your team is just starting to grow and you’re in need of a project management software solution but are unsure of where to start, Asana is a great jumping-off point. The interface is extremely clean and user-friendly, which means most of your crew will be up and going in no time. Once they get more familiar with working inside of a task management software platform, it’ll be much easier to transition them to a more robust system (if that’s what you decide).
You might not ever need to transition, though, since Asana boasts a wide array of features right off the bat. All of the basics are in place — task cards, forms, attachments, milestones, and task assignments, to name a few — along with several others, you might find handy. Both accounting professionals and experienced project coordinators will be able to sync tasks across projects, create templates to copy projects, and set dependencies on each project.
To top it all off, all of this horsepower is packaged into a very easy-to-read calendar setting that helps you stay on track from a visual standpoint.
Asana has a 30-day free trial attached to every paid plan and runs in the cloud, so you can manage your tasks anywhere.
Cost: $10.99 per user per month
15. monday.com
Customization is the key strength of monday.com’s task management software. Tax professionals who like to see how a project is laid out in a visual style will gravitate towards Monday’s platform since it uses bold and contrasting colors along with a layered interface to help you see various priorities at a glance.
Ironically, what you also won’t get with Monday is a lot of client customization. Individual client profiles and tailored project management tools are virtually nonexistent, so monday.com is the best accounting practice management software that’s reserved for accountants that work with similar clients.
If that defines you, then you’ll love what Monday can do. The feature list is very impressive: Unlimited boards, advanced search options, custom tags, private boards, embedded forms, and time tracking. There’s even native file storage with integration for both IOS and Android apps.
And did we mention the automation sequences? Those are guaranteed to save you time on recurring tasks.
Monday does have a free trial, but it’s shorter than the rest — only 14 days. Like the others, Monday is also based on the cloud, so it’s easy to work on the go.
Cost: “Freemium” (with two seats). Paid plans start at $24 a month.
Conclusion
Does your accounting firm need a project management software solution to keep your workflows intact? Not really. You could always rely on a thousand sticky notes on the wall, email correspondence that gets lost in people’s inboxes, or a “heads up” conversation around the water cooler. Many firms rely on that type of internal communication, and it works…until it doesn’t.
Task management software isn’t just about making sure your projects get taken care of, it’s about making everyone’s lives easier — but especially managers and business owners. Instead of tracking down everyone that’s attached to each project, they simply log in to a single interface and manage it from there. It may take a while to bring everyone up to speed, but it’ll save you loads of time from then on.
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