The sudden shutdown of Bench Accounting in December 2024 left 11,000 business owners without access to their financial data, highlighting the risks of venture-backed automated bookkeeping services. Hosts Alicia Katz Pollock and Veronica Wasek discuss how this pivotal moment presents an opportunity for professional bookkeepers to showcase their value through personalized service, deep expertise, and genuine commitment to client success. They explore how independent bookkeepers can differentiate themselves from automated services while maintaining sustainable pricing models and building lasting client relationships.

Send your Questions/Comments (we could read/answer them on air) [email protected]

Links/Apps Mentioned in this episode:

• Year-end Cleanup and Tax Prep: http://royl.ws/yearend 
• Converting from QBDT to QBO: http://royl.ws/QBDT2QBO
• Intro to Bookkeeping and Accounting class on Feb 18: https://royl.ws/intro-to-accounting-for-small-business
• QBO’s Banking Center on March 4: http://royl.ws/QuickBooks-Online-Banking
• https://5mbAcademy.com
• https://5MinuteBookkeeping.com
• https://5MBvideo.com
• https://mavency.com/

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Alicia explores important improvements to the QuickBooks Desktop-to-Online migration process, including expanded line item capacity and a new pre-migration checklist. Alicia also introduces new offerings like QuickBooks Live Expert Cleanup and the Mailchimp-powered Customer Hub, while previewing an innovative interface redesign that promises to streamline the user experience.

• (00:00) - Welcome to the Unofficial QuickBooks Accountants podcast

Links Mentioned in this episode:

• January’s Firm of the Future article: https://www.firmofthefuture.com/product-update/january-2025-mpu/
• Trump’s Inauguration’s Business funding: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/01/16/trump-inauguration-corporate-donors-004242

Alicia’s classes:

• Year-end Cleanup and Tax Prep: http://royl.ws/yearend 
• Converting from QBDT to QBO: http://royl.ws/QBDT2QBO
• Intro to Bookkeeping and Accounting class on Feb 18: https://royl.ws/intro-to-accounting-for-small-business

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Alicia is joined by guest co-host Margie Remmers-Davis to explore the latest QuickBooks Online updates, from major developments like the new Amazon seller integration to small but impactful changes like the ability to print bills. They discuss exciting improvements to payroll features, including inline PTO balances and class assignments, as well as developments in e-commerce integrations and Credit Karma financing options.

Send your Questions/Comments (we could read/answer them on air) [email protected]

Links/Apps Mentioned in this episode:

• http://royl.ws/yearend
• http://royl.ws/QBO1099
• https://learn.royalwise.com/visitor_catalog_class/show/1673087/Converting-QuickBooks-Desktop-to-QuickBooks-Online
• https://royalwise.com/
• https://akadian.com/

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• (00:00) - Welcome to the Unofficial QuickBooks Accountants Podcast

Dan DeLong joins Alicia to explore QuickBooks Online's enhanced 1099 preparation tools, including the new automated "Let QuickBooks Prep for Me" wizard launching in 2025. They break down the critical components of 1099 compliance, discuss pricing changes, and share valuable tips for both manual and automated filing methods.

• (00:00) - Welcome to The Unofficial QuickBooks Accountants Podcast

Links/Apps Mentioned in this episode:

• Alicia’s 1099s in QBO Class, Jan 7 webinar + recording: http://royl.ws/QBO1099
• Alicia’s QBO Cleanup for Taxes Class, Jan 22 webinar + recording: http://royl.ws/yearend
• Alicia's QB Desktop to QBO Class  https://learn.royalwise.com/visitor_catalog_class/show/1673087/Converting-QuickBooks-Desktop-to-QuickBooks-Online
• Dan's schoolofbookkeeping.com
• Dan's YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@schoolofbookkeeping/?sub_confirmation=1
• https://www.qbpowerhour.com/ 

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Alicia announces exciting changes to the podcast format, introducing four new regular co-hosts who will each lead specialized segments covering QuickBooks news, product deep dives, feature discoveries, and industry discussions. While beloved co-host Hector transitions to focus on his growing ventures with Reframe and RightTool, he'll continue to contribute quarterly updates on the Intuit Enterprise Suite. The new segmented format brings together industry veterans Matthew "Spot" Fulton, Dan DeLong, Margie Remmers-Davis, and Veronica Wasek, each bringing their unique expertise and perspectives to create more focused, in-depth content for listeners.

Connect with Matthew "Spot" Fulton
https://www.linkedin.com/in/parkwayinc
https://www.parkway.business

Connect with Margie Remmers-Davis
https://www.linkedin.com/in/margie-remmers
http://www.akadian.com/

Connect with Dan DeLong
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-delong-9010b417
https://www.schoolofbookkeeping.com/

Connect with Veronica Wasek
https://www.linkedin.com/in/veronicawasek
https://5minutebookkeeping.com/

Connect with Alicia Katz Pollock
https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliciakatzpollock
https://royalwise.com/training-for-quickbooks/

Send your Questions/Comments (we could read/answer them on air) [email protected]

Hector and Alicia explore Intuit's strategic positioning of Enterprise Suite as a mid-market solution distinct from QuickBooks Online Advanced. They break down the key features released in December 2024, including enhanced multi-entity reporting, construction-focused tools, and dimensional reporting capabilities. They discuss pricing considerations, feature limitations, and share their insights on Intuit's development roadmap for this new platform aimed at bridging the gap between small business accounting and full ERP systems.

• (00:00) - Welcome to the Unofficial QuickBooks Accountants Podcast

Links/Apps Mentioned in this episode:

• Alicia’s 1099s in QBO Class, Jan 7 webinar + recording: http://royl.ws/QBO1099
• Alicia’s QBO Cleanup for Taxes Class, Jan 22 webinar + recording: http://royl.ws/yearend
• Reframe 2025 Conference https://reframe2025.com/
• Hector’s RightTool: http://righttool.app
• In the Know replay: https://intuit.ondemand.goldcast.io/on-demand/d43891cb-8c38-495f-b8f1-ab1c78de7ac6 

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Hector and Alicia dive into the latest QuickBooks updates from December 2024, including new ProAdvisor discounts for Bill Pay Manager and the rollout of Intuit Assist's AI-powered billing features. They explore the practical implications of these changes, with Hector raising important security considerations about the new email-to-bill functionality.

• (00:00) - Welcome to The Unofficial QuickBooks Accountants Podcast

Links/Apps Mentioned in this episode:

• Alicia’s 1099s in QBO Class, Jan 7 webinar + recording: http://royl.ws/QBO1099
• Alicia’s QBO Cleanup for Taxes Class, Jan 22 webinar + recording: http://royl.ws/yearend
• Reframe 2025 Conference https://reframe2025.com/
• Hector’s RightTool: http://righttool.app
• In the Know replay: https://intuit.ondemand.goldcast.io/on-demand/d43891cb-8c38-495f-b8f1-ab1c78de7ac6 

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A major change is coming to QuickBooks Online as Intuit announces the deprecation of Tags, effective March 8th, 2025. Hector and Alicia  dive deep into what this means for QBO users, exploring the limitations of custom fields as a replacement and identifying potential challenges during the transition. They discuss critical concerns including reporting capabilities, API access, bank feed integration, and the timing of this change during tax season, while also sharing insights into possible workarounds and opportunities for improvement.

• (00:00) - Welcome to the Unofficial QuickBooks Accountants Podcast

Links/Apps Mentioned in this episode:

• Alicia’s 1099s in QBO Class, Jan 7 webinar + recording: http://royl.ws/QBO1099
• Alicia’s QBO Cleanup for Taxes Class, Jan 22 webinar + recording: http://royl.ws/yearend
• Reframe 2025 Conference https://reframe2025.com/
• Hector’s RightTool: http://righttool.app

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Hector and Alicia explore the three dimensions of artificial intelligence in accounting: retail AI (like chatbots), API-based AI (integrated into software), and behind-the-scenes AI (machine learning and data insights). They discuss how AI is already transforming accounting workflows and make bold predictions for 2025, including the emergence of AI agents and potential disruption to QuickBooks' market dominance. The conversation delves into practical applications of AI for accountants, from generating custom sample files to automating complex tasks through always-on AI agents.

Sponsors
Coefficient - https://uqb.promo/coefficient
RoboDebit - https://uqb.promo/robodebit
Redmond Academy - https://uqb.promo/redmond

• (00:00) - Welcome to the Unofficial QuickBooks Accountants Podcast

Links/Apps Mentioned in this episode:

• Lean more about Alicia's QuickBooks Training http://learn.royalwise.com
• Hector's App - RightTool www.righttool.app
• Reframe 2025 Conference https://reframe2025.com/

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Alicia and Hector share their top feature requests and improvements they'd love to see in QuickBooks during 2025. From rethinking pop-up notifications to bringing back QuickBooks Labs, they discuss practical changes that would make a significant impact for accounting professionals. The conversation covers both technical requests like improved AI functionality and revenue recognition tools, as well as broader organizational changes like transparent product roadmaps and feature testing. Along the way, they share insights about the evolving relationship between accountants and automation tools.

Sponsors
Coefficient - https://uqb.promo/coefficient
RoboDebit - https://uqb.promo/robodebit
MediaBooks - https://uqb.promo/mediabooks

• (00:00) - Welcome to The Unofficial QuickBooks Accountants Podcast

Links/Apps Mentioned in this episode:

• Lean more about Alicia's QuickBooks Training http://learn.royalwise.com
• Hector's App - RightTool www.righttool.app
• Reframe 2025 Conference https://reframe2025.com/

Sign up to Earmark to earn free CPE for listening to this podcast
https://www.earmark.app/onboarding