Accounting professionals must keep up with the latest business trends. Regulations change, new tools pop up, and business processes rapidly evolve, so you have to stay alert.
Luckily enough, there’s no shortage of resources to help accountants stay ahead of the curve.
It’s all online — accounting blogs, forums and communities, experts, free and paid tools, guides, and influencers. The only problem is researching and finding the best accounting resources.
But don’t worry, we’re here to help you out. This blog post will highlight some of the most valuable resources that will prevent you from becoming a depreciated accountant (pun intended).
Table of Contents:
Read blogs for accounting professionals
Use the right tools
Learn about accounting standards
- The International Financial Reporting Standards
- The Generally Accepted Accounting Principles by FASB
- International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board
Follow accounting experts
Follow accounting influencers
Join forums and communities
Check accounting resources for students
Follow bookkeeping blogs
Read blogs for accounting professionals
Accounting students and professionals looking for credible learning sources should start with popular accounting blogs. These websites cover all aspects of the accounting profession, including generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and financial planning.
There are quite a few great options, but we’ll point out the three must-read blogs for accountants:
1. Journal of Accountancy
The Journal of Accountancy talks about all things accounting. That includes financial reports, tax, auditing, and technology. It’s a reputable source of information for accounting professionals and the primary source of information for finance professionals.
2. Accounting Today
Accounting Today is a respected publication that shares the latest news and analysis on accounting and finance. It provides a platform for industry experts to share their knowledge and insights, so you can keep up with accounting trends.
3. Accounting Fun
Who says accountants don’t have a sense of humor? Mark Lee’s blog Accounting Fun offers a fresh and light-hearted take on the world of accounting. The goal of this blog is to inject some fun and personality into a traditionally dry and serious field.
Use the right tools
Gone are the days when accountants could do everything with a calculator. Today, there are countless auditing software and CRM tools that can assist accounting firms with tax preparation, financial statements, and many other tasks. Here are just a few:
1. AuditBoard
AuditBoard is a cloud-based platform for internal auditors and accountants. This tool is extremely popular among financial professionals because it streamlines risk management, compliance, and audit automation.
2. Zoho CRM
Zoho CRM has a range of features that help accounting practices and businesses manage finances. These include automated billing, invoicing, expense tracking, and inventory management. Overall, Zoho CRM is a reliable tool for accounting firms hoping to streamline internal processes.
3. Content Snare
Content Snare simplifies data collection for accounting professionals. With its customizable forms, automated reminders, and centralized storage, it is widely regarded as one of the best information gathering tools in the accounting profession.
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Learn about accounting standards
Resources related to accounting standards are probably the most important, but they are also the most complicated. That’s because accounting standards vary from country to country, making it practically impossible to define universal rules.
However, general principles apply to almost all markets. You’ll find them here:
1. The International Financial Reporting Standards
Nearly 150 countries use the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), making it the most widely used set of accounting principles. IFRS provides a common global language for business affairs. It ensures that financial statements are transparent and comparable across different jurisdictions.
2. The Generally Accepted Accounting Principles by FASB
The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) set GAAP for US-based accounting practices. It’s a set of guidelines for preparing and presenting financial statements. The goal of GAAP is to give a framework for consistency and comparability in financial reporting.
3. International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board
The International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board (IPSASB) is an independent standard-setting body. It develops accounting standards for the public sector worldwide. The IPSASB regulations are widely used by governments, international organizations, and other public sector entities.
Follow accounting experts
Some people have spent decades in the accounting business to become genuine experts. The list of accounting experts is long and distinguished, but we’ll point out just a few names here:
1. Michael Cohn
Kicking off our list of accounting experts is Michael Cohn, a well-respected editor-in-chief at Accounting Today. If you want to find out about the latest news in the field, make sure to follow his posts.
2. J. Richard Dietrich
Accounting students and industry pros who want theoretical insights into accounting fundamentals should follow J. Richard Dietrich. He is Professor Emeritus of Accounting at the Ohio State University. Dietrich has taken part in numerous standard-setting projects in the field of accounting.
Business pros eager to learn about accounting from the perspective of data analysis should pay attention to Jeanne G. Harris. Jeanne teaches Business Analytics Management at Columbia University, but she used to be a strategic consultant to many firms, including some Fortune 500 companies.
3. Jeanne G. Harris
Business pros eager to learn about accounting from the perspective of data analysis should pay attention to Jeanne G. Harris. Jeanne teaches Business Analytics Management at Columbia University, but she used to be a strategic consultant to many firms, including some Fortune 500 companies.
Follow accounting influencers
Accounting influencers can also be considered experts in their respective fields, but they mostly use social media to share their knowledge. Let’s see some of our favorite names:
1. James Hearle
If you like video content about accounting, James Hearle’s Accounting Stuff is the go-to channel for you. James provides viewers with both basic accounting insights and more advanced tips, and he does it all using clear and straightforward language.
2. Jason Blumer
Another notable figure on our list is Jason Blumer, CEO of Blumer CPAs. Jason is not just a successful accountant but also an influential Twitter and LinkedIn user who happens to be the author of The Thrivecast podcast.
3. Kelly Phillips Erb
Accounting pros know Kelly Phillips Erb as Tax Girl, which means she can teach you a thing or two about tax law and regulations. Kelly used to be a Senior Editor at Forbes, but now she runs her own blog and podcast.
Join online forums and communities
Online communities are one of the finest resources for accountants. They give you everything in one place — networking opportunities, peer collaboration, legislation insights, and free promotions. Here are some of the best accounting forums and communities:
1. Proformative
Proformative is a massive online community that gathers millions of finance professionals. The purpose of this platform is to answer all business and accounting-related questions. It’s great for financial analysts, small business owners, tax experts, and even accounting students.
2. Realize
Realize is an all-encompassing online forum for accounting pros. It’s not just the average opinion exchange platform. On the contrary, Realize is the place where you can find mastermind groups, seasonal workshops, libraries, accounting courses, and tools. You’ll also learn about interactive live events that bring you closer to accounting leaders.
3. AFAANZ
AFAANZ stands for the Accounting & Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand. It’s an education forum that covers both segments of the accounting world — academics and industry professionals. As such, AFAANZ lets you learn about accounting from different points of view.
Check accounting resources for students
Accounting students who want to dig deeper into the industry’s best practices can also find a range of valuable resources. We’ll highlight our top picks:
1. CPA Exam Guide
If you’re preparing for the CPA exam, you’ll love this YouTube channel. The CPA Exam Guide is a series of videos that guide accounting students through the process from start to finish. Despite clickbait headlines, the CPA Exam Guide videos are very informative and packed with practical tips.
2. Accounting calculator
Accountants need a tool they can count on, especially those who are new to the business. Accountant Calc Pro isn’t a typical calculator, but rather a pro tool with advanced features like tax calculations, VAT, invoicing, data export, and so on.
3. New Accountant
The New Accountant magazine has been around since 1985. It’s a must-read journal for accounting students who want to learn about cash flow statements, managerial accounting, financial transactions, and all other aspects of the accounting profession.
Follow bookkeeping websites
Bookkeeping is a big part of accounting, so you might want to learn about it, too. There are many bookkeeping websites to follow, but we’ll once again narrow down the options:
1. 5 Minute Bookkeeping
As the name suggests, 5 Minute Bookkeeping can teach you a lot about the business within minutes. This website explains practical bookkeeping tips and best practices, but you can also find over 70 free training videos.
2. QuickBooks
QuickBooks is a popular bookkeeping and accounting software. The company has a great website with blog posts about client management, business scaling, invoicing, payroll systems, and many other topics.
3. Xero
Xero is a cloud-based accounting software, and its website provides an abundance of learning resources. That includes webinars, videos, tutorials, and blog posts that discuss everything from basic accounting principles to advanced reporting and analysis.
Maximizing accounting efficiency: The best online resources
Practice makes perfect, but finance professionals need to augment it with theory and practical business tips. You’ll find both of these among the best resources for accountants. Pick your favorites from our list and get ready for your daily dose of accounting insights.
