From a client who recently moved and is having some difficulty locating a new bookkeeper:

Hi Kerry,  I contacted…who can do the Quick Books software, but likes to use "Creative Solutions Write Up for Windows". Please let me know what you think…I thought we might change over  with the next year’s taxes.  Thanks,

My Reply:

If you want me to continue to work on your taxes, you will need to keep your data on QuickBooks.  Years ago, I did try to work with a variety of different accounting programs that clients and their bookkeepers were using, including some from PeachTree and Creative Solutions. It became a total mess tying to keep up with all of those different programs.  It was also a mess when they would send me printouts of their general ledger and then I had to manually write up adjusting journal entries to make their books match the tax returns.

It has been going much more smoothly since we migrated everyone over to QuickBooks, where I can check out and adjust their data details at the same time I am working on the tax returns.  I do have all of the QB programs, from 1999 through the most recent 2006, installed on my computer; so clients don't have to upgrade every year if they don't want to.

As I constantly have to remind people, using QuickBooks isn't for my benefit. It is the most widely used accounting program in the country, and has become the standard for small businesses.  This means that it is much easier to share data with more people and to find bookkeepers who can work on it.  There are several million QB users around the country. I don't know the size of Creative Solutions' user base; but I'm sure it is a small fraction of QB's.  This means that if you convert your stuff to that program, you will have a harder time finding people to work with it. 

It's your call. If you find it more convenient to work with local tax and bookkeeping people, I understand and will have no hard feelings if you want to switch.  However, if you want me to continue to work on your tax returns, your data must be on QuickBooks.

I don't mean to be difficult with this; but it is based on too many hassles trying to coordinate other accounting programs that I don't want to have to repeat.

Let me know if you have any questions. 

Kerry

Follow-Up:

Hi Kerry,  No problem...Quick Books it is.  They said they could use Quick Books if you required it.  I will probably interview them shortly for bookkeeping only as I am happy with our relationship.  I will wait until we have filed the current return and then talk to you again before making  any changes with …  Many thanks for your help on this.  

 

- posted by Kerry M. Kerstetter, MBA~CPA~ATP~ATA @ 3/07/2006 05:47:00 PM Send this post: