Xero and Karbon Partner to Boost Accounting Firm Productivity

Xero, the global small business platform, has announced an integration with Karbon, a leading accounting practice management platform, designed to help accounting professionals save time, simplify workflows, and boost productivity. 

In today’s rapidly evolving accounting landscape, firms rely on an assortment of software solutions to manage their complex and oftentimes evolving needs; this partnership directly addresses the critical shifts facing modern accounting firms, including increased complexity, a growing demand for higher-value Client Advisory Services (CAS), and the imperative to leverage automation for efficiency. To address these challenges, the new integration combines Xero’s cloud-based financial tools and Karbon’s collaborative, workstream-driven platform to provide a connected solution that streamlines operations and allows firms to focus on higher-value client work.

Key benefits of the Xero and Karbon integration include:

• Simplifies workflows: Streamlining client relationship management, financial data handling, and practice operations leads to simplified processes and increased efficiency, particularly when used with AI.

• Time back for strategic work: Automating time-consuming tasks through integrated workflow and financial management allows accountants to dedicate more time to strategic planning and CAS, enhancing the value they provide.

• Delivers a modern, cohesive solution: A tailored solution that meets the demands of contemporary accounting firms, providing powerful tools for managing tasks, financial data, and fostering sustainable growth.

• Enables seamless data synchronization: By allowing a real-time data exchange—such as client, billing, and payment data—between Karbon and Xero, the partnership encourages automated data categorization as well as simplified client onboarding and engagement processes.

"This new integration between Karbon and Xero will be a significant benefit to our customers," said Ben Richmond, Managing Director of Americas, Xero. “It will help them work faster and much more efficiently, freeing them up to spend more time working directly with their clients – which is what modern accounting is all about. We're partnering with Karbon because they care about customers as much as we do, and together, we're empowering accountants and bookkeepers to digitize their practices, and deliver great advisory services to help their small business clients even more."

Practice management solutions have become essential as accounting firms look to scale and manage complex workflows. According to Karbon’s 2024 Firm Usage Survey, Karbon users report an average time saving of 18.5 hours per employee per week and an 18% increase in employee productivity.

“At Karbon, we’ve always admired Xero for the impact they’ve made on the accounting profession around the world,” said Mary Delaney, CEO of Karbon. “Our joint customers consistently tell us that Karbon and Xero are two of the most essential tools in their tech stack, so this deep integration is an exciting leap forward. We’re giving firms an efficient, more powerful foundation to run and grow their firms, and ultimately the clarity and time they need to focus on their clients.”

Existing joint customers of Xero and Karbon are already anticipating the benefits. As Jason Ackerman, CPA at BNA CPAs & Advisors, explains: "We're very excited about the Xero and Karbon integration. Both Xero and Karbon have been at the forefront of accounting technology for over a decade now, and as long time users of both software, the ability for our firm to have two-way syncing between both platforms will allow us to spend more time with our customers and less time on manual tasks. It will give us much needed visibility in Karbon that we didn't have before."

A powerful synergy is created by combining Xero's financial software with Karbon's practice management tools. Combined with Karbon's robust practice management capabilities, Xero's rich financial data provides accounting firms with an efficient, integrated solution. This enhanced ecosystem equips accounting firms to excel in an increasingly competitive market. Looking ahead, this partnership is committed to continuous innovation, simplifying and improving accounting firm operations, and providing best-in-class solutions for modern accounting professionals.

The integration is now available in the US and all major Xero markets, with additional features launching in the coming months. 

About Xero

Xero is a global small business platform that helps customers supercharge their business by combining the most essential small business tools, including accounting, payroll, and payments, on one platform. Xero’s powerful platform helps customers automate routine tasks, get timely insights, and connect them with their data, apps, and accountant or bookkeeper so they can focus on what matters. Trusted by millions of small businesses, accountants, and bookkeepers globally, Xero makes life better for people in small businesses, their advisors, and communities worldwide. 

About Karbon

Karbon, a global leader in practice management software for accounting firms, provides an award-winning, collaborative cloud platform focused on streamlining work and communications within a firm and its clients. Karbon drives unprecedented customer value, evidenced by its #1 ranking on G2 and customer-reported savings of 18.5 hours per week per employee (findings obtained through Karbon’s 2024 Firm Usage Survey). Founded in 2014, Karbon has customers in 33 countries with employees across the US, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Karbon is well-funded and backed by Tidemark, Five Elms, and Blackbird. 

Disclosure:

Feature content (including graphics) developed from media source information provided by Karbon on behalf of Karbon and Xero. Content within this Insightful Accountant feature is provided for informational and educational purposes only.