Updating the Platform<\/strong><\/p>\n Beyond usability improvements, a few of the new innovations lie in QuickBooks’ Online Accountant platform. The recently launched Pro Tax has provided QuickBooks users with a single place to manage work and file forms by plugging in connected data from their associated clients. From there, the updates focus on seamlessly bringing in new clients while easily staying connected to them, free from distraction.<\/p>\n An overhauled client overview tab in QuickBooks Online lets users see exactly how a company is set up\u2014this means no more searching to see if a client has payroll and sales tax turned on, or what kinds of apps they might be using. That information, along with banking activity, uncategorized transactions and more are now all easily visible when they need to be. As another added upgrade to visibility, QuickBooks\u00a0has built out the Workpapers section, so data, notes, and documents will all fit on one screen, allowing for easy comparison and tracking. Workpapers is now able to integrate with Pro Tax, meaning users can switch from accounting to tax in an instant.<\/p>\n Increasing Communication<\/strong><\/p>\n The potential for AI to save a user time by automating everyday tasks, such as email,\u00a0data copying and more is vast.\u00a0If that kind of busywork could be pushed to the side so entrepreneurs or accountants could focus on scaling\u00a0and gaining insight into a business, more breakthroughs and more profit would be easily achievable. Well, QuickBooks users can now forward an email to the software platform and a machine learning engine will pick up actions from inside that email and create tasks, eliminating a lot fo the in-between copy work. In addition, a new\u00a0Statement Auto Import function will import bank statements into QuickBooks whenever a client connects a financial institution to the\u00a0platform to download transactions. Forget about constantly reminding clients to send the right information\u2014it’s all done automatically.<\/p>\n If that’s not enough, the power of natural language processing is coming to QuickBooks Online users as well. Announced last year<\/a>\u00a0and originally only available to self-employed users, the QuickBooks Assistant can reduce busywork and aid users by answering any kind of inquiry they may have into the platform or associated data.<\/p>\n \u201cThe essence of QuickBooks Assistant is that when you follow our customers around in their office, they spend a lot of time making basic decisions,\u201d EVP of\u00a0Intuit’s small business group Sasan Goodarzi told Techvibes last year when the assistant first launched. \u201cWe have the data, and we are applying our technology to that data so you can just ask it questions and we\u2019ll answer it in seconds, versus you searching for it or using your instinct and maybe being wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n It’s apparent that the new updates are focused on efficiencies, and for good reason. One of the most important indicators of entrepreneurial success is the ability budget time wisely, and that means working smarter as opposed to harder. Merchants and business owners need access to their resources as soon as possible so they can flip them back into the company and grow at a faster pace. New\u00a0updates to QuickBooks Online are set to remove any delays\u00a0that may be caused by improper communication and traditional\u00a0workflows, bringing a new precedence for how merchants, business owners, and financial experts work together.<\/p>\n Payment process can be lengthy\u2014it might take two days for a transaction to clear, or it could even take five. In a world\u00a0shaped by real-time data, that kind of delay is unacceptable. QuickBooks will soon introduce next day payments\u2014if there is a payment with a credit card, expect to see it in one business day. On the inward-facing side of things, QuickBooks Payroll is investing in their platform (powered by their\u00a0partnership with Wagepoint<\/a>) to bring year-end workflows, records of employment, and TSheet integrations to simplify sourcing payroll information. Speaking of TSheets, QuickBooks can now harness\u00a0them to further analyze profitability\u2014users will be able to see\u00a0client’s job figures at a glance, including income breakdowns, costs, and of course, profit.<\/p>\n The updates for Intuit and QuickBooks this year are all rooted in\u00a0bringing communication and productivity closer together. The faster a user can find data, seamlessly communicate with clients, and navigate the platform, the more time they have to focus on growing a business and saving money. These updates are powered by AI and show just how powerful the nascent field will be in the coming years.<\/p>\n![\"intuit](\"https:\/\/localhost:8080\/app\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Screen-Shot-2018-12-03-at-3.31.09-PM-1024x759.jpg\")
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