Manual bookkeeping burns valuable hours each week.
QuickBooks auto-imports and categorizes bank transactions, learns your rules, and lets you scan receipts from your phone.
Unclear and complex cash flow reports make planning difficult.
QuickBooks syncs with your bank accounts in real time and offers a cash flow planner to forecast your finances 90 days out.
Late or missed invoices slow down payments.
Create and send invoices in minutes, set reminders, and let customers pay instantly via credit card, bank transfer or Apple Pay.
Tax deadlines create stress and confusion.
QuickBooks tracks sales tax and VAT, helps you submit UK VAT returns, and handles 1099s and W-2s for U.S. users.
Payroll is time-consuming and error-prone.
Built-in payroll automates paycheck calculations, tax filings, direct deposits, and it generates and files W-2 and 1099 forms.
Tracking job costs and profitability is unclear.
Tag income and expenses to specific jobs, assign labor costs, and track profitability in real time.
Disjointed tools slow down financial workflows.
QuickBooks centralizes all your financial operations: bookkeeping, invoicing, payroll, taxes, and reporting.
QuickBooks' powerful systems allow modern SME teams to move faster, stay compliant, and keep cash flow front and center without the extra overhead.
Payroll (US integrated)
Automated payroll with federal, state, and local tax filings.
Supports W-2 employees and 1099 contractors.
Auto-syncs direct deposit, tax payments, and payroll expenses.
Tax compliance
Auto-calculates sales tax on invoices by location.
Provides tax-ready reports and dedicated Accountant Center.
Easy e-file 1099s, integrates with TurboTax and others.
Invoicing & accounts receivable
Create branded invoices and send via email or link.
Recurring invoices and overdue reminders run on autopilot.
Accept payments online (card, ACH, PayPal, Apple Pay).
App integrations & ecosystem
650+ pre-integrated apps (Shopify, Amazon, Stripe, etc.).
Sync with e-commerce, CRM, inventory, and time tracking.
Use Zapier/API for custom integrations and workflow automation.
Mileage tracking
Mobile app logs trips via GPS - no manual entry.
Swipe to categorize trips and view totals for deductions.
Mileage reports maximize deductions and simplify client billing.
Cash-flow & reporting dashboards
Cash-flow planner: 30-/90-day inflow vs. outflow forecast.
Dashboards: auto-updated charts for profit, A/R, expense spikes.
Custom management packs: bundle P&L, balance sheet, cash forecast into one export for investors or boards.
Job & project costing
Track income and expenses by project for exact profitability.
Assign and report costs (time, materials, subcontractors) per job.
Ideal for project-based businesses to stay on budget.
When QuickBooks may not be ideal
Where QuickBooks is better than Xero:
Integrated, full‑service payroll with automated tax payments and filings.
Robust inventory and job/project costing out of the box; Xero’s inventory is more basic without add‑ons.
Detailed job tracking preferred by trades, construction, and project‑heavy service businesses.
Built‑in tools for 1099s, W‑2s, and sales‑tax automation give QuickBooks an edge for US compliance.
Native mileage tracking via mobile app and project time tracking simplify cost capture.
Desktop or hybrid software options in addition to cloud versions - important for teams that aren’t yet 100% cloud-based and need offline access or legacy system integration.
Where Xero is better than QuickBooks:
Xero’s auto‑matching and reconciliation process is faster, cleaner, and more intuitive - especially for non‑accountants.
Xero allows unlimited users on all plans, while QuickBooks charges per additional seat.
Built cloud‑native, Xero has a cleaner, more modern UI that many startups and agencies prefer.
Xero’s open API and large marketplace (1,000+ apps) make it ideal for building automated finance stacks.
Xero’s role‑based, cloud‑first approach makes live collaboration seamless.
International businesses prefer Xero for flexible multi‑currency support and cleaner international transactions.
Choose QuickBooks if you:
Operate in the UK or US and need tightly integrated payroll, tax, and compliance features.
Are a consultant, or smaller service firm looking for fast invoicing and easy expense tracking.
Need strong project/job costing tools, advanced inventory, and built‑in mileage tracking.
Prefer extensive local support resources and a large community of ProAdvisors.
QuickBooks is best for U.S.-based businesses, sole traders, freelancers, and small to mid-sized limited companies that want robust tax handling and a broad feature set in one platform.
Choose Xero if you:
Run a modern, cloud‑based business (startup, agency, e‑commerce, SaaS, services).
Want to automate bookkeeping with extremely reliable bank feeds and transaction rules.
Work with external accountants or a remote finance team who need live access to your books.
Need strong multi‑currency support or operate internationally across multiple tax jurisdictions.
Xero is ideal for digital-first SMEs, tech-savvy founders, and businesses scaling across borders.
QuickBooks transforms your back-office, but a smooth rollout takes some planning:
Connecting bank feeds & managing reconciliation
Setting up VAT correctly (UK compliance)
Configuring inventory & job-costing
Aligning payroll with your accounts
Migrating clean data from spreadsheets or old software
What to do:
Add your relevant team members with advisor-level access so everyone works from the same, up-to-date figures.
Build a joint, step-by-step implementation checklist.
Test, review, and lock each stage with your team.
Before going live, reconcile a week’s worth of bank transactions, validate VAT codes, run a dummy payroll and compare balances.