Integrate Acquired Accounting Firms with Intuit Accountant Suite

I Integrated a Newly Acquired Accounting Firm on the Way to a Swim Meet—with Intuit Accountant Suite

The world doesn’t stop—or even slow down—for accounting firm acquisitions. Having the right tools makes integration not only possible but seamless. Using Intuit Accountant Suite (IAS), I transferred all active clients and team members from a recently acquired firm’s QuickBooks Online (QBO) realm into Dillon Business Advisors’ (DBA) system in just a few clicks. All clients and team members are now accessible under a single login, providing complete visibility, consolidated client management, and powerful AI insights.

On September 30, 2025, Dillon Business Advisors acquired a $1.5 million accounting firm—our second investment in the St. Louis and Midwest market. With the October 15 tax extension deadline approaching, our integration team had to bring new staff, clients, and technology together while also hosting a 100-person accounting conference, presenting at Intuit Connect, and managing our everyday workload.

Despite the chaos, IAS made it simple.

The First 30 Days: A Fast-Track Integration Plan

• October 1 – Invited new team members into Microsoft Teams for communication. The legacy Slack account remained accessible only for historical reference. Announced the acquisition to clients through Liscio and added a banner to our website.
• October 7 – The newly combined team joined our regular weekly virtual meeting.
• October 16 – Integrated new team members into DBA’s secure Microsoft Azure environment, redirected all old contact pages to DBA’s website, and began training on our core software stack.
• October 30 – Completed the transition to Outlook from Gmail so everyone monitored only one account. Most importantly, we migrated all QBO clients from the acquired firm’s realm into DBA’s.

Life Doesn’t Slow Down When You Acquire a Firm

On October 30, I found myself traveling to my daughter’s collegiate swim meet—the same day as our QBO migration. From the passenger seat, I connected my laptop to a hotspot, joined a Teams call with Intuit Support, our Director of Operations, and the previous firm owner. Within minutes, we transitioned nearly all clients from one realm to another. By the time we hit the interstate, every team member had full access to all client files in one unified dashboard, with AI analysis visible across our consolidated book of business.

That’s the power of Intuit Accountant Suite—an all-in-one, AI-powered solution that consolidates firm, client, and team operations into a single platform. Designed with feedback from accountants like us, IAS combines human intelligence with automation to simplify processes and free up time for higher-value work.

Migrating from One QBO Realm to Another

Even under ideal circumstances, merging QBO realms requires preparation. IAS and QuickBooks Online Accountant streamline the process into three efficient stages:

1. Pre-Transfer Preparation

• Choose the target realm—the consolidated “master” firm where all clients will live.
• Confirm both source and target accounts are active, with proper admin access and billing setup.
• Verify client eligibility (active files, open accountant seat, matching region).
• Document connected apps and back up key reports like P&L and balance sheets.
• Notify clients about the change and expected timelines.

2. Execute the Transfer

• Sign in as the Primary Admin of the target firm.
• Go to Settings → Tools → Transfer Clients.
• Select the source realm and the clients to move.
• Click Move Clients to initiate the transfer.
• Monitor progress until all selected clients appear in the new realm.

3. Post-Transfer Validation

• Confirm clients appear correctly in the new client list with accurate billing and access.
• Assess team permissions and reconnect any third-party apps.
• Remove duplicate client listings or users from the old realm.
• If retiring the old realm, create an archival admin and deactivate unnecessary accounts.

By leveraging IAS, what once required days of coordination can now be done securely and efficiently in minutes.

Pain Points Resolved

Integrating IAS into our workflow solved some of the most persistent challenges firms face after acquisitions:

• No more juggling multiple logins or toggling between QBO client files—everything is unified under one platform.
• Eliminated inefficiencies caused by managing separate, disconnected apps. IAS enables accountants to work smarter and faster within a seamlessly integrated ecosystem.
• Streamlined operations by consolidating all firm activities—clients, staff, billing, and reporting—into one unified system.
• Improved data confidence through real-time updates and proactive alerts. IAS automatically flags disconnected bank feeds, sync issues, and anomalies so we can act quickly.
• AI agents prioritize what needs attention by surfacing anomalies across financial KPIs, allowing our team to focus on strategic work instead of manual monitoring.
  

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The Next 60 Days: Beyond Migration

Months two and three after an acquisition are about communication, consistency, and confidence. As we phased out old tools and aligned roles, IAS provided visibility across both legacy and new client bases, giving our leadership real-time insights into operations, productivity, and profitability.
Because both firms were already using QuickBooks Online Accountant and IAS, our ledger consolidation was seamless. The integration empowered us to maintain daily service levels for clients—even in the midst of an acquisition, tax deadlines, and conferences.

Confident Growth Through Connected Systems

Firm acquisitions are complex, but IAS turns them into opportunities for accelerated efficiency and insight.

With Intuit Accountant Suite, accountants can:

• Manage all client and firm operations from one login.
• Reduce technology fragmentation and eliminate redundant apps.
• Make faster, data-driven business decisions backed by always-current information.
• Empower teams with integrated AI and automation that surface the next most important action.

By unifying our technology stack, Dillon Business Advisors can continue expanding confidently—knowing every client, every file, and every team member operates within a single, intelligent ecosystem.

Life doesn’t slow down for acquisitions—but with IAS, it doesn’t have to.