Who it's for / Accountants
For accountants and bookkeepers who would rather not run Windows.
Accounting is where Windows desktop software holds on longest. Practice management, tax preparation and client systems often have no Mac edition. If your practice runs on Macs, or you work from home on a tablet, you need a way to use them that does not mean a drawer of old laptops.
A familiar scene
February. A new client arrives with a company file from a program you have never used. It is Windows only. Your computer is a Mac, and so is the rest of your practice.
With the program on a Windows machine elsewhere and a browser tab to reach it, the file opens the same afternoon. The data stays on that machine, backed up in one place, not scattered across devices.
Imagined, but familiar. Not a customer story.
What changes for you.
One copy of the program and the data
Install it once, update it once and keep one master set of files, instead of a copy per laptop.
Access from the office, home or a client site
Open the same program from any device with a browser, without carrying files around.
Client data off personal devices
Files stay on the remote machine, which is easier to explain to a client than a laptop full of returns.
Room for staff and seasonal help
Give a seasonal hire access for the weeks they need it, then take it away, without issuing a computer.
How to try it.
- 1.
Map where the data lives
Find the company files and client folders. They should live next to the program on the far machine.
- 2.
Test one real task
Prepare and print one return end to end in a quiet week, including printing and e-filing.
- 3.
Confirm licences and backups
Check your program allows remote use, and ask exactly how data is backed up and restored.
Things to be honest about
We would rather you hear these from us first.
- Licences that limit how many people can open a company file, or tie it to one computer.
- Large yearly tax updates. Know who installs them and when.
- Printing and PDFs from a remote machine. Test before the busy season.
- E-filing connections, which can be sensitive to where the program runs.
Questions people ask.
Will my accounting software work remotely?
Many programs do, but test your own. Our Compass tool is a quick first check, and a short trial is the real answer.
Is client data safe?
Keeping files on a separate machine helps. So do strong sign-in, separate accounts for each person and tested backups.
Can my staff use it too?
Yes, with their own accounts. Check that your program's licence allows several people to use it.
Worth reading
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