We’re often asked about the differences between QuickBooks, Xero, and Sage. These three are the main contenders our clients consider.

• Sage has a very strong Irish presence.
• Xero is also well-established in Ireland, and hugely supported by their UK HQ.
• QuickBooks dominates in the UK and is a firm favourite among business owners, but in Ireland, its presence is still developing.

That said, QuickBooks has some gaps in the Irish market:

• No construction subcontractor tax functionality yet.
• No “Postponed Vat Code”
• No ProAdvisor listing, that the UK has.
• The Platinum Advisor exam is woefully outdated (currently unpassable).

The good news: QuickBooks has assured us these are “being worked on”, with a target to have them in place by Christmas. We’ve also flagged at least six more improvements we’d like to see added for credibility.

The team at QuickBooks are genuinely great to deal with — we just need to keep reminding them that Irish accountants and business owners are great to deal with and are worth listening to as well.