Basic Accounting Software

Why should accountants still be employed even if there are accounting softwares in the market?

Sources are very welcomed in your answers. Opinions are well-accepted. I want to prove: although accounting softwares are made to help in the accounting system, businesses should still employ accountants to ensure the quality and assurance of their financial statements. Thank you very much!

Public Comments

1. I think it's best left with the simple remark that the human brain is the most powerful computer in the world. It is more flexible and able to reason based on a combination of factors. Software simplifies things, but simplicity is no substitute for efficaciousness.
2. The accounting software is only as good as the information entered into it. You need a qualified accountant to enter the information and to properly review financial statements. Otherwise, if there was an error an unqualified person will not catch it. Any accountant at a month end close will tell you the hardest part of their jobs is figuring out why the numbers are off and to find the system/human errors. You also need an accountant that can write the reports, so they are customized and have the proper information since not all companies want to see the same information the same way. Plus, a programmer that doesn’t understand accounting doesn’t know if the report they wrote is really pulling the correct information. As an accountant I was so frustrated with the programmers getting the information wrong, or pulling a number from a field that looked the same but really wasn’t and thinking it was good enough that I learned SQL so I could write my own reports. It saved me a ton of time, and the company a ton of money.
3. Because accountants still provide a valuable service. What if you are a person, an actor, artist, musician perhaps, who would rather spend your time doing what you do best than getting knee deep in "business-y" things? To maximine your timie, you hire people who do what THEY do best...and that's when using a good accountant, lawyer, housekeeper, receptionist, etc can be your best choice. Yes, I agree with your statement about ensuring quality and assurance.
4. If this is a legitimate question, it's born of very limited vision. Accounting software is an accounting tool-- how can it replace an accountant? There's a lot more to accounting than adding numbers. Why didn't calculators replace them? Why doesn't Photoshop replace artists? Most tools change and become more advanced they don't replace the mind that has the skill to make them useful.
5. Accounting software is a misnomer. it is actually 'bookkeeping software'. as noted by another responder above, the results are only as good as the input, good ol' GIGO. you can enter the basic data, say in peachtree, quicken, a simple spreadsheet, or a host of freeware out there. once the data is there, in a logical and readable format, then the accountant can extract from it the report, tax form or other information needed- P&L, Balance sheet, whatever. if you need more info, feel free to contact me privately. i can help you decide what type of software you need for your business.