8 Best CRMs for Accountants, Bookkeepers and Tax Professionals

In the last few years – and especially during Covid – many accounting firms have gone paperless. The transition has been natural, especially with CRM systems that help CPAs and accountants manage the tremendous amount of client information. The demand for an effective CRM solution allows accountants to scale their business, increasing the number of client accounts they handle, centralize data for easy access to information anywhere at any time, and grow their business by keeping up with lead flows. Accounting CRM software makes everything convenient, and this is why so many of them exist.

Understanding CRM for accountants

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software refers to programs designed to help businesses (in this case, accounting firms, bookkeepers and tax professionals) handle client information and relationships better. 

They are tools that bring order to the many elements of customer relationships in your organization, such as contact list-building, information updates, task tracking, automation, communication and email marketing, and many more. 

The goal of CRM software is to make it easier for your business to better attend to your customers’ needs. To make it easier to choose the optimal CRM for accountants and tax preparers, here is our selection of eight platforms that we believe make strong contenders for the best CRM for tax professionals on the market.

TOP 8 accounting CRM platforms

1. HubSpot CRM
2. TaxDome
3. Liscio
4. PipeDrive
5. Insightly CRM
6. Zoho CRM
7. Nimble
8. Method CRM

Let’s delve into the benefits, key features and pricing options of each of the eight CRM tools.

HubSpot CRM

HubSpot CRM describes itself as a platform dedicated to supporting the growth of organizations. It helps your firm achieve this with an easy-to-use CRM system that allows you to monitor both your team and clients on a clear, simple dashboard. 

Key features

• Pipeline management, which lets you create and oversee the client journey
• Task and lead automation, which saves time and frees up the staff to focus on client work instead of admin tasks
• Customization tools and objects, which let you create a platform that is just the right fit for your business
• Tracking and progress reporting, which let you stay on top of firm performance
• Easy appointment and meeting scheduling capabilities for both clients and staff
• Unlimited users, data and up to 1 million contacts

Pricing

HubSpot CRM offers free use of limited but effective tools, along with monthly plans ranging from $50 to $1,781 for individuals and small teams, depending on whether yours is the starter or the professional package.

TaxDome

TaxDome CRM software is tailor-made to meet the unique demands of accounting firms, providing accountants and bookkeepers with an all-encompassing solution for managing clients, teams and projects. The software integrates various features that allow for more automated client interactions and productive  team management practices. 

Key features

• A centralized hub with an intuitive interface that allows you to see where your attention is needed 
• A custom-branded client portal for accountants for secure client communications, document management,  e-signatures, invoicing and more
• A streamlined interface from which you can manage staff workload
• Bulk email sending, allowing accountants to reach out to many clients at a time. Other bulk actions are also available.
• Tax Organizers that allow firms to set up digital questionnaires for collecting customer data
• Data import for easy migration of data from prior CRM systems and documents such as spreadsheets and integrations with other software like QuickBooks, Zapier, Calendly, Outlook and more
• Custom fields and templates for centralization and management of client and staff data
• Unlimited e-signatures and automatic reminders
• Unlimited secure storage for both customer and staff data
• A dashboard that is shared across the entire team and provides real-time updates
• Email syncing, which automatically links all client emails to their account for your firm, saving you the hassle of manually finding them all
• Unlimited contacts, allowing your firm to grow without more spending on CRM

You can enjoy a live demo to see how TaxDome CRM software for accounting firms works. Alternatively, TaxDome has a 14-day free trial, which lets you experience the platform personally, and configure your processes, be they tax prep, bookkeeping, payroll or accounting.

Pricing

Customers can opt for the $50 per month plan for all features and extra services: free support and training sessions, website hosting, unlimited contacts and document storage and more. 

See how Cassandra Centeno from Total Tax Services has used TaxDome and its built-in CRM system to grow her client base:

Liscio

Liscio is a CRM for accountants; its main goal is to facilitate file sharing and communication between firms and their clients. Always waiting for clients to send documents or spending hours searching for documents across various platforms is an ineffective hassle. Liscio aims to avoid this.

Key features

• Document management, allowing for easy access and sharing
• Easy tracking for client-facing tasks with reminders and alerts for overdue actions from clients 
• Secure file sharing to Liscio from most existing platforms
• Real-time communication directly with clients in a simple messaging format
• Integrated e-signature
• A teamwide shared dashboard with real-time activity feeds

Pricing

Liscio offers a free demo for those who are  interested, with $50 a month pricing per user. The company also provides additional services like an Adobe Sign integration with a cost at $1,00 per signature. 

PipeDrive

PipeDrive prides itself on being a CRM platform designed to improve the sales process for salespeople and their clients. 

Key features

• Lead management for easy client tracking of different stages of the sales journey
• Automation of repetitive tasks, so salespeople are free to focus on more demanding work
• Communications tracking of messages and calls with clients for transparency and open information availability
• Privacy and security features such as alerts and tips to keep company and client information secure

Pricing

PipeDrive offers a 14-day free trial, and users can sign up for monthly subscriptions starting at $11.90 for the Essential plan, $24.90 for the Advanced plan and $74.90 for the Enterprise plan.

Insightly CRM

Insightly CRM for bookkeepers and accountants is a platform designed to assist businesses in effectively handling clients at each step of their customer journey. Its interface allows for the effortless collection and viewing of customer data, as well as effective management of workflow.

Key features

• Convenient lead routing, sending the right content to the right client while allowing for timely follow-ups by your staff
• Time and resource-saving through automation of tasks
• Integration with other platforms such as Gmail, Outlook, and more
• Bulk email creation and sending, with stats for  tracking on engagement 
• Relationship tracking – link contacts to organizations 
• Progress tracking for milestones and processes to keep you updated on the effectiveness of your projects

Pricing

You can try Insightly CRM using the 14-day free trial or opt-in for one of three monthly subscription plans: Plus for $29, Professional for $49, and Enterprise for $99.

Zoho CRM

Zoho CRM aims to help businesses increase the effectiveness of their sales and customer relationship. 

Key features

• Automation of marketing, sales journey and workflow
• Lead and deal management that helps identify deals that can close
• Contact management that puts all your client contact information in one, easy-to-access place
• Platform customization to suit your firm’s needs concerning the accounting workflow
• Reporting on various aspects of progress, with viewable analytics that help you gauge firm performance
• Email integration from any platform and management of email content that you send to clients

Pricing

Zoho CRM offers a free edition of its program with tools that you can enjoy without making a payment. More features are available in its four paid monthly plans: $20 for standard, $35 for professional, $50 for enterprise, and $65 for ultimate. You can try Zoho CRM in action and its main features with a 15-day free trial before making a purchase.

Nimble

Nimble markets itself as the CRM platform that is the best suited for teams that prioritize using office 365 and G Suite. However, it is just as effective as a CRM even if your firm doesn’t utilize those platforms. 

Key features

• Contact unification automatically combines contact information from over 160 different apps into an easy-to-access portal for you
• Contact segmentation helps you group your clients according to their needs and interests
• Team and client management on dashboards that provide customer relationship insights and staff progress on given tasks
• Easy access from anywhere, at any time on platforms such as web browsers, email and socials
• Analytics to help you track your progress on both sales and team performance
• Visual sales pipeline to keep track of clients at different points of the sale process

Pricing

You can try Nimble for free for 14 days, or opt into their $29.90 per month plan to enjoy these and other features for longer.

Method CRM

Method CRM is a perfect match for tax professionals already using CPA CRM software QuickBooks. It is a platform that offers integration with QuickBooks, creating an effective accounting practice management software for any accounting firm. 

Key features

• Online portal creation for clients, allowing them to make their payments completely on their own
• Lead management with an automated lead collection system. Sync leads to QuickBooks upon becoming paying clients.
• Customer management with a complete overview of all clients and their information, so you can craft targeted sales campaigns for the right contacts
• Customization tools such as fields, tables and templates that allow you to create a platform that is specific to your firm’s needs

Pricing

You get a 30-day free trial with Method, and either a monthly $28 Contact Management plan or a $49 CRM Pro subscription if you decide to continue. The difference is in the integration of QuickBooks on the CRM Pro plan.

Key factors in selecting an accounting CRM

We’ve just finished reviewing some of the best CRM platforms for accountants, bookkeepers and tax professionals. And now, it’s decision time! But wait, before you get too overwhelmed, we have a solution to simplify the process. Just ask yourself these three questions to narrow down your choices and find the perfect fit.

What is my budget for a CRM platform?

Before diving headfirst into the world of CRM platforms for tax and accounting professionals, it’s necessary to keep your budget in mind. While some free options are out there, they often come with limited functionality. So, consider your needs carefully and ask yourself: are you willing to invest in a more robust platform that offers more features? 

Also, think about whether you want to pay monthly or annually. Choosing the latter can result in some serious cost savings over time.

What is the limit on the number of contacts I can add to CRM?

Not all CRMs are created equal, and some may have limitations that could hinder your ability to boost your business. One crucial factor to consider is the number of contacts you can add. Some CRMs, such as TaxDome or Pipedrive, offer unlimited contact capacity. On the other hand, some popular CRMs like HubSpot may have limitations when it comes to adding users.  

Do I need to integrate CRM with any other software systems?

When choosing a good CRM accounting platform, it’s not just about the features that come with it—it’s also about the integrations. Make sure that the software you choose has connections with your favorite tax programs and payment providers. For example, TaxDome has integrations with QuickBooks, Zapier, and various schedulers like Calendly, to name a few. Method also offers integration with QuickBooks. Nimble is best suited for teams using Office 365 and G Suite.  

Are you currently using another CRM platform? When selecting a new software, be sure to choose one that allows for smooth data transfer. This will save you time and ensure that no client data is lost.

Rev up your accounting processes with the power of CRM integration

When looking for good CRM accounting software, go for a platform that lets you streamline both your staff and client relationships, like TaxDome. The practice management platform can help you build an environment that is easy to navigate for all parties, which makes your accounting work infinitely easier. Therefore, a dedicated tax practice CRM platform like TaxDome is the most optimal selection for firms and professionals in the accounting industry.

Whether you have concerns about CRM software features for accounting and bookkeeping or need assistance with integrations, our team is here to provide the guidance you need. Join us for a demo to discuss your specific working needs!