Canopy
Cloud practice management for accounting firms with client management, document management, workflow, time and billing modules.
OfficeTools by CARET
Website: officetools.com
OfficeTools by CARET at a glance
- Best for
- US accounting firms
- Regions
- US
OfficeTools is a practice management platform that centralises contact management, time and billing, document management, workflow tracking, and due date monitoring for accounting firms. It integrates with common US tax preparation software including Lacerte, UltraTax, Drake, and ProSeries.
Firms use OfficeTools to manage the full lifecycle of client engagements — from initial contact and onboarding through to project completion and billing. The due date monitoring system tracks filing deadlines across the client base and generates alerts as dates approach. Workflow features include customizable templates for recurring engagements and task assignment with progress tracking.
The client portal handles document delivery, online scheduling for tax appointments, questionnaires, e-signatures built to IRS digital signature requirements, and invoice payment through Abacus Payment Exchange.
OfficeTools is available as both a cloud-hosted and locally installed product. It is best suited for US accounting firms, particularly those with a tax-heavy practice that need tight integration with their tax preparation software. Its parent company AbacusNext rebranded to CARET in February 2023, so the product is now sold as OfficeTools by CARET; the product name and website were retained.
Pricing
Contact OfficeTools for current pricing.
Reviews
Review data being updated.
Features
Workflow Management
| Feature | Supported |
|---|---|
| List view | Yes |
| Kanban view | No |
| Job/work templates | Yes |
| Recurring jobs | Yes |
| Subtasks | — |
| Task dependencies | — |
| Automations | Yes |
| Custom statuses | — |
| @Mentions | — |
| Statutory due dates | Yes |
Client Management
| Feature | Supported |
|---|---|
| Client directory | Yes |
| Contacts | Yes |
| Client groups | Yes |
| Custom fields | Yes |
| Tags | — |
| Notes | Yes |
| Leads | — |
| CRM sync (QBO) | — |
| CRM sync (Xero) | — |
Client Portal
| Feature | Supported |
|---|---|
| Client portal | Yes |
| Client tasks/requests | Yes |
| File uploads | Yes |
| Secure messaging | Yes |
| Scheduling | Yes |
| E-signatures | Yes |
| White label/custom branding | — |
| Feature | Supported |
|---|---|
| Outlook integration | Yes |
| Gmail integration | — |
| Shared inboxes | — |
| Email-to-task | — |
| Email templates | — |
| AI email drafting | No |
| AI email summarization | No |
| View all client comms | — |
Time Tracking & Billing
| Feature | Supported |
|---|---|
| Time tracking | Yes |
| Timers | Yes |
| Invoicing | Yes |
| Fixed fee & hourly billing | Yes |
| Recurring billing | — |
| Online payments | Yes |
| WIP tracking | Yes |
| Write up/down | — |
| Realization reporting | — |
| QBO invoice sync | — |
| Xero invoice sync | — |
Document Management
| Feature | Supported |
|---|---|
| Document storage | Yes |
| Folders | Yes |
| Folder templates | — |
| File sharing with clients | Yes |
| SharePoint integration | — |
| Google Drive | — |
| Dropbox | — |
Reporting
| Feature | Supported |
|---|---|
| Time reports | Yes |
| Billing reports | Yes |
| Capacity/workload | — |
| Revenue insights | — |
Proposals & Engagement
| Feature | Supported |
|---|---|
| Proposals | — |
| Engagement letters | — |
| E-signatures on engagements | Yes |
Integrations
| Feature | Supported |
|---|---|
| QuickBooks Online | Yes |
| Xero | — |
| Outlook | Yes |
| Gmail | — |
| Zapier | — |
| Make | — |
| API | — |
| Webhooks | — |
Security & Admin
| Feature | Supported |
|---|---|
| User roles | Yes |
| Custom permissions | — |
| 2FA/MFA | — |
| SSO | — |
| SOC 2 | — |
| Client access controls | — |
AI Features
| Feature | Supported |
|---|---|
| AI email drafting | No |
| AI email summarization | No |
| AI task suggestions | No |
| AI document classification | No |
| AI search | No |
Mobile
| Feature | Supported |
|---|---|
| Mobile-friendly (internal) | Yes |
| Native mobile app (internal) | — |
| Native mobile app (client portal) | — |
Compliance & Regulatory
| Feature | Supported |
|---|---|
| HMRC integration | No |
| Companies House integration | No |
| ATO integration | No |
| IRS transcript pulls | No |
| MTD support | No |
| Statutory deadline tracking | Yes |
Support & Onboarding
| Feature | Supported |
|---|---|
| Chat support | — |
| Email support | Yes |
| Phone support | Yes |
| Dedicated rep | — |
| Onshore support | Yes |
| Free onboarding | — |
| Paid onboarding packages | — |
| Knowledge base/docs | Yes |
Feature data is incomplete
We have confirmed answers for 54% of the feature checklist used across our practice management entries. A dash (—) means we have not verified it yet, not that OfficeTools by CARET lacks it. Treat the gaps as unknown rather than unsupported, and confirm with the vendor.
Unverified areas: Proposals & Engagement Letters, CRM, Reporting & Analytics.
OfficeTools by CARET Alternatives
Other practice management tools for accounting firms, ordered by how much of OfficeTools by CARET's functionality they cover. Our feature data is still incomplete for BrightManager (formerly Accountancy Manager), so it ranks lower here than a full assessment might place it.
Copilot
Copilot is a white-label client portal for accounting firms with customizable branding, messaging, e-signatures, and an API for building custom apps.
Qount
Qount is a unified practice management platform for multi-service accounting firms covering workflow automation, billing, and client management.
Tidyflow
Practice management platform for accounting firms combining workflows, client requests, documents, email, proposals, time tracking, and billing.
BrightManager (formerly Accountancy Manager)
UK practice management software for accountants with automated deadline tracking, client onboarding, and HMRC/Companies House integration.
TaxDome
All-in-one practice management for accounting firms combining CRM, workflows, client portal, document management, and billing.