Stackable Credentials with QuickBooks Certification
TL/DR: Intuit’s QuickBooks (let’s call it “Intuit/QB”) is the dominant bookkeeping software in the small to medium sized business space. For this reason, aspiring CPAs have an interest in learning about this software. One exception: if you are big-4 focused then this may not be a priority for reasons I’ll detail in a separate post (leave questions below if you have them).
If you are an aspiring CPA and want to explore the small to mid-sized market then I’d encourage you to take advantage of the QuickBooks Pro Advisor Academy as a way to break into the bookkeeping market, earn money, and build towards the CPA license.
For the very basics, here is a suggested pathway.
Create a free “Online Accountant” account with Intuit (owner of QuickBooks)
Take the “Bookkeeping Foundations” course if you are new to accounting or need a refresher on the basics of debits and credits, adjusting entries, financial statements, etc.
Explore the certifications including QuickBooks Level 1 and Level 2
Let’s walk through each in a bit more detail. Let your curiosity guide you - links are provided to encourage further exploration and learning.
1. Create an Intuit/QB “Online Accountant” Account (it’s free)
Nothing in life (connected to money, at least), is ever truly “free”. So what’s the catch here? Why is Intuit/QB allowing you to create a free account?
It’s good to scrutinize and have eyes wide open out of the gate.
Intuit is a publicly traded company registered with the SEC (find their 10K annual report online here). My former accounting students know how much I love the 10Ks … they are chock full of information including Intuit’s business profile (Overview, Part 1 Business & Mission, bold is mine for emphasis):
“Intuit is a global financial technology platform with a mission to power prosperity around the world. Serving approximately 100 million consumers, small and mid-market businesses, and accountants worldwide, Intuit’s platform brings the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and human intelligence together to fuel customers’ success. With TurboTax, Credit Karma, QuickBooks, Mailchimp, and Intuit Enterprise Suite, we help put more money in customers’ pockets, save them time by eliminating work, and help ensure that they have complete confidence in every financial decision they make.
Intuit is software firm and it is in their interest to keep as many small and medium-sized businesses and accountants using their software as possible. To support this, they have a sales funnel including training platforms and “stackable” CPE-based credentials.
Transparently speaking, I’m participating in that sales funnel simply by writing up this post. I use Intuit/QB for practical reasons, including:
I need a software common across all of my clients for reasons related to scale and systems-based efficiencies essential for my margin.
I have used other platforms (e.g. Xero) and think Intuit/QB is more robust.
I like the integration of Intuit/QB to other products including TurboTax which I use for my personal taxes.
Full disclaimer, I do not like certain things about Intuit/QB, including
I dislike how much cross-selling appears within the software.
I automation is over-hyped and oversold; in this way it lulls business owners into thinking bookkeeping is easier and more straightforward than it really is.
I find the dashboards confusing.
So, end of day, there are trade-offs and for me the pros outweighs the cons given the context of my business model at this point in time.
2. Bookkeeping Foundations Course
Intuit/QB offers a foundations bookkeeping course akin to a “Principles of Accounting 101” review course. Highlights:
There are no prerequisites, so this is the basic foundations you are presumed to understand. If you are an undergrad accounting major or recent graduate, this is a helpful review. If you’ve never been exposed to a debit or credit then this may be too advanced.
Intuit/QuickBooks offers details about bookkeeping credentialing here. If you are an accounting grad going for the CPA license, then a bookkeeping credential may be unnecessary. But I’ll point out, shared by Intuit, while Intuit does not certify you as a bookkeeper, you can obtain certification from the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers (AIPB) and the National Association of Certified Public Bookkeepers (NACPB). Intuit notes that these organizations provide the Certified Bookkeeper (CB) and the Certified Public Bookkeeper (CPB) programs, respectively. Explore on your own. It’s not my focus so I’ll not dwell on it.
Intuit’s bookkeeping course provides zero CPE. This is important for reasons that will be clearer below.
Here is one way to interpret Intuit/QB What Intuit is doing here is presuming that its core users have a baseline level of knowledge about debits and credits. Its own course is a refresher only. It is deferring to other sites if you lack the background and need to learn.
If you are a recent accounting graduate, take the bookkeeping course as a baseline to support sharing what you’ve been able to accomplish within the Intuit/QB ecosystem.
3. QuickBooks Level 1 and Level 2 Certifications - These CPEs Do Matter
What is “CPE Credit”?
“CPE” stands for “Continuing Professional Education” credits and they are required for maintaining your CPA. For example, in NJ, every three years I must take 120 credits of CPE; within that “triennial period” I must take a minimum of 20 credits per year. Nuance abounds and licensure is state-based; as an example, learn more about NJ’s CPE standards for CPAs at this link.
Intuit/QB offers free certification that doubles as CPE credit; this means the courses have been verified and validated by the National Association of the State Boards of Accountancy (“NASBA”). Intuit explains it in this article “Get CPA Credits for Pro Advisor Training Courses“; a callout from that article includes:
From Intuit/QB Get CPA Credits for Pro Advisor Training Courses
Level 1 and Level 2 Certifications
As far as content, Intuit/QB explains the “curriculum” at this link. I also found this helpful article from Insightful Accountant.
The basic gyst is:
Level 1 Certification (7.5 CPE credits) “builds on the training available in the new Introduction to QuickBooks and take users up to period end working in QuickBooks.”
Level 2 Certification is “the next step up from Level 1. This takes users to Year-end working in QuickBooks”
You can also attempt to test out of the courses by taking the exam directly.
A frame for accounting graduates
If you are an accounting student or graduate aiming for the CPA license, I’d encourage you to think about Intuit/QB as “stackable credentials” you can earn along the way. They will help you integrate real-world accounting knowledge, give you marketable credentials, and build your confidence.
Once you complete each, you will receive a CPE certificate and also get a “badge” … or an icon you can display on your website.
In closing, a note for the aspiring CPAs: the CPA license is the pinnacle credential. Go for it. Commit to it. Prioritize it. Do not let Intuit/QB crowd it out or compete with that long-term horizon. Rather: let Intuit/QB support the goal and expand your optionality for the years ahead.