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The True Value of Time Tracking for Accounting Professionals

Published on
October 6, 2022
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The True Value of Time Tracking for Accounting Professionals

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Time tracking is one of the most important tools for an accountant. It allows you to see where your time is being spent and how much time you have available to work on other projects. It can also help you find areas where you may be able to save time or where you may need to spend more time in order to complete a task.

Time tracking can be done manually or through the use of accounting workflow software. Either way, it is important to keep accurate records of your time in order to get the most accurate picture of where your time is being spent. 

In this article, we will focus on the importance of time tracking and why accounting professionals should have a systematic and efficient time tracking system.

Understanding the Value of Time

Time tracking is one of the most crucial accounting tools available for business owners and managers. It provides valuable information about where money is being spent and where improvements can be made. It can be used to monitor employee productivity, identify areas of inefficiency, and track project costs. 

When accountants invoice clients, manage payroll, and make budgeting decisions, time tracking plays an important role in them. When used correctly, it can provide valuable insights into where money is being spent and where improvements can be made.

The Benefits of Accurate Time Tracking

Time tracking is an important part of any business, but it's especially important for accountants. That's because accurate time tracking can help you:

1. Make More Accurate Estimates

If you're in the business of billing clients for your time, then it's essential to be as accurate as possible when estimating how long a project will take. Accurate time tracking can help you do this by giving you a better understanding of how long similar projects have taken in the past.

2. Stay on Budget

If you're working on a fixed-price project, then accurate time tracking is essential for staying on budget. By understanding how long a project should take, you can better manage your resources and ensure that you don't go over budget.

3. Improve Your Billing

Accurate time tracking is essential for billing, especially if you're billing clients by the hour. This is the only way to make sure you’re getting paid for all the work you do, and it’s the only way to make sure you’re not billing for more time than you really spent on a project.

Time tracking software can help you with this. There are many different kinds of accounting practice software that provide time tracking capabilities. There are some that are designed to be used in an office, others that can be used from your phone or your computer, and others that are intended to be used by remote teams.

4. Improve Your Productivity

If you want to be more productive, time tracking can help you see where you’re wasting time and where you can make improvements. You'll be able to see how you’re using your time and where you can make changes to be more productive. It can help you to see where you are spending your time and where you could be spending your time more efficiently.

Conclusion

Overall, accurate time tracking is essential for any business, but it's especially important for accountants. If you're not tracking your time, you're not making the most of your billing opportunities. Time tracking may seem like a tedious task, but it's essential for keeping tabs on your productivity and making sure you're being compensated fairly for your work. You'll have a much more productive and efficient accounting firm that can provide reliable service to your clients.

Tracking time is important for any business, especially for an accounting firm. If you want to provide good service to your clients and stay ahead of the competition, you'll need a tool that can do all your work for you and more. Firm360 is an all-in-one platform designed to streamline your firm's processes and make you more efficient than ever. From time and billing to document management, our accounting practice management software has all the features you need to run your firm effectively. Book a demo today for a glimpse of Firm360's features.

Firm360

Canopy

Karbon

TaxDome

Best For Firms That:
Need an expert-driven, robust solution with U.S. support
Focus on tax resolution services, but also need project management
Firms operating globally that consider AI a necessity
Require support for multiple languages & desire a heavily branded client experience
Document Management
Client Portal
Integrated Time & Billing
Basic Reporting Options
Advanced Reporting Options
At some plan levels
Payment Collection via Credit Card & ACH
E-signature
Via integration
Additional fee
Piloting as of November 2024
Project Management
At some plan levels
Additional fee
Automated Workflows
Additional fee
Advanced Integration Options
At some plan levels
Dedicated Customer Success Manager
At some plan levels
Unclear
Additional fee
At some plan levels
Strong Customer Service Reputation
U.S. Based Customer Support
Unclear
Unclear
Built by Accountants, for Accountants
IRS-integrated Transcript Retrieval Tool
Additional fee
AI Integration
Straightforward Pricing
Monthly Pricing
Based on annual billing and listed prices in Nov. 2024. *Denotes "per user"
$49 - $99*

Custom pricing for 20+ users.

3-user minimum for Standard & Premium plans.
$150 - $175 base price for client engagement platform only.

PLUS

$89 - $107 for remainder of modules for first user.

Small-firm pricing available with limited capabilities.
$59 - $89*

Enterprise pricing available.

Add-ons for implementation, training, customer support & more.
$58 - $66* depending on subscription length.

Seasonal users: $85.

Basic

Popular
$96/year
Basic features for up to 10 users with everything you need.
Get started

Business

$192/year
Advanced features and reporting, better workflows and automation.
Get started

Enterprise

$384/year
Personalised service and enterprise security for large teams.
Get started
Overview
Basic features
Users
10
20
Unlimited
Individual data
20GB
40GB
Unlimited
Support
Automated workflows
200+ integrations
Reporting and analytics
Analytics
Basic
Advanced
Advanced
Export reports
Scheduled reports
API access
Advanced reports
Saved reports
Customer properties
Custom fields
User access
SSO/SAML authentication
Advanced permissions
Audit log
Data history

Firm360

Best For Firms That:
Need an expert-driven, robust solution with U.S. support
Document Management
Client Portal
Integrated Time & Billing
Basic Reporting Options
Advanced Reporting Options
Payment Collection via Credit Card & ACH
E-signature
Via integration
Project Management
At some plan levels
Automated Workflows
Advanced Integration Options
At some plan levels
Dedicated Customer Success Manager
At some plan levels
Strong Customer Service Reputation
U.S. Based Customer Support
Built by Accountants, for Accountants
IRS-integrated Transcript Retrieval Tool
AI Integration
Straightforward Pricing
Monthly Pricing
Based on annual billing and listed prices in Nov. 2024. *Denotes "per user"
$49 - $99*

Custom pricing for 20+ users.

3-user minimum for Standard & Premium plans.

Basic

Popular
$96/year
Basic features for up to 10 users with everything you need.
Get started

Business

$192/year
Advanced features and reporting, better workflows and automation.
Get started

Enterprise

$384/year
Personalised service and enterprise security for large teams.
Get started
Overview
Basic features
Users
10
20
Unlimited
Individual data
20GB
40GB
Unlimited
Support
Automated workflows
200+ integrations
Reporting and analytics
Analytics
Basic
Advanced
Advanced
Export reports
Scheduled reports
API access
Advanced reports
Saved reports
Customer properties
Custom fields
User access
SSO/SAML authentication
Advanced permissions
Audit log
Data history

Canopy

Best For Firms That:
Focus on tax resolution services, but also need project management
Document Management
Client Portal
Integrated Time & Billing
Basic Reporting Options
Advanced Reporting Options
At some plan levels
Payment Collection via Credit Card & ACH
E-signature
Additional fee
Project Management
Additional fee
Automated Workflows
Additional fee
Advanced Integration Options
Dedicated Customer Success Manager
Unclear
Strong Customer Service Reputation
U.S. Based Customer Support
Unclear
Built by Accountants, for Accountants
IRS-integrated Transcript Retrieval Tool
Additional fee
AI Integration
Straightforward Pricing
Monthly Pricing
Based on annual billing and listed prices in Nov. 2024. *Denotes "per user"
$150 - $175 base price for client engagement platform only.

PLUS

$89 - $107 for remainder of modules for first user.

Small-firm pricing available with limited capabilities.Custom pricing for 20+ users.

Basic

Popular
$96/year
Basic features for up to 10 users with everything you need.
Get started

Business

$192/year
Advanced features and reporting, better workflows and automation.
Get started

Enterprise

$384/year
Personalised service and enterprise security for large teams.
Get started
Overview
Basic features
Users
10
20
Unlimited
Individual data
20GB
40GB
Unlimited
Support
Automated workflows
200+ integrations
Reporting and analytics
Analytics
Basic
Advanced
Advanced
Export reports
Scheduled reports
API access
Advanced reports
Saved reports
Customer properties
Custom fields
User access
SSO/SAML authentication
Advanced permissions
Audit log
Data history

Karbon

Best For Firms That:
Firms operating globally that consider AI a necessity
Document Management
Client Portal
Integrated Time & Billing
Basic Reporting Options
Advanced Reporting Options
Payment Collection via Credit Card & ACH
E-signature
Piloting as of November 2024
Project Management
Automated Workflows
Advanced Integration Options
Dedicated Customer Success Manager
Additional fee
Strong Customer Service Reputation
U.S. Based Customer Support
Built by Accountants, for Accountants
IRS-integrated Transcript Retrieval Tool
AI Integration
Straightforward Pricing
Monthly Pricing
Based on annual billing and listed prices in Nov. 2024. *Denotes "per user"
$59 - $89*

Enterprise pricing available.

Add-ons for implementation, training, customer support & more.

Basic

Popular
$96/year
Basic features for up to 10 users with everything you need.
Get started

Business

$192/year
Advanced features and reporting, better workflows and automation.
Get started

Enterprise

$384/year
Personalised service and enterprise security for large teams.
Get started
Overview
Basic features
Users
10
20
Unlimited
Individual data
20GB
40GB
Unlimited
Support
Automated workflows
200+ integrations
Reporting and analytics
Analytics
Basic
Advanced
Advanced
Export reports
Scheduled reports
API access
Advanced reports
Saved reports
Customer properties
Custom fields
User access
SSO/SAML authentication
Advanced permissions
Audit log
Data history

TaxDome

Best For Firms That:
Require support for multiple languages & desire a heavily branded client experience
Document Management
Client Portal
Integrated Time & Billing
Basic Reporting Options
Advanced Reporting Options
Payment Collection via Credit Card & ACH
E-signature
Project Management
Automated Workflows
Advanced Integration Options
Dedicated Customer Success Manager
At some plan levels
Strong Customer Service Reputation
U.S. Based Customer Support
Unclear
Built by Accountants, for Accountants
IRS-integrated Transcript Retrieval Tool
AI Integration
Straightforward Pricing
Monthly Pricing
Based on annual billing and listed prices in Nov. 2024. *Denotes "per user"
$58 - $66* depending on subscription length.

Seasonal users: $85.

Basic

Popular
$96/year
Basic features for up to 10 users with everything you need.
Get started

Business

$192/year
Advanced features and reporting, better workflows and automation.
Get started

Enterprise

$384/year
Personalised service and enterprise security for large teams.
Get started
Overview
Basic features
Users
10
20
Unlimited
Individual data
20GB
40GB
Unlimited
Support
Automated workflows
200+ integrations
Reporting and analytics
Analytics
Basic
Advanced
Advanced
Export reports
Scheduled reports
API access
Advanced reports
Saved reports
Customer properties
Custom fields
User access
SSO/SAML authentication
Advanced permissions
Audit log
Data history

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