The month of April begins tomorrow and for businesses and individuals in the United States, that means there’s only two more weeks until the deadline for filing your federal tax returns.
As the deadline approaches, a growing number of businesses are turning to the Web to not only do their filing, but also to find accountants. The demand for online accountants has risen by 90% over last year, according to data released by oDesk, the job outsourcing site.
At the same time, the number of tax preparation and accounting professionals offering their services online has jumped by 76% since last year.
The fact that more startups and small businesses are embracing Web-based tax preparation tools and professionals is not a huge shock considering the rapid proliferation of financial apps and dashboards out there.
For invoicing, we have Freshbooks, Harvest and Billing Boss. For accounting, there’s Outright, QuickBooks Online and Less Accounting. Then there’s Mint.com-style financial dashboards for SMBs like and 60mo. Given the growing popularity of tools like this, it’s not surprising that businesses are becoming more and more accustomed to turning to the Web for financial-related needs like tax preparation.
“By providing their services online, especially during tax time, finance professionals are filling a huge need for individuals and SMBs, while expanding their customer base beyond the local market,” oDesk CEO Gary Swart said in a press release. “Finances are a personal matter, so being able to work 1:1 with an accountant and having transparency throughout the process is key for successful remote work in the financial field.”
Photo courtesy of Flickr user John-Morgan
