Empowering Accountants with AI: My Experience with Intuit's New Accounting Agent

Introduction: A Shift Toward Intelligent Accounting

As accountants, we’re constantly asked to do more with less time. The days of manual entry and clunky interfaces are being replaced by intuitive tools that support our workflows and elevate how we advise our clients. With the release of the new Intuit Platform this July, along with the introduction of its powerful AI agents, I’ve seen firsthand how these tools can redefine our connection to both our software and the people we serve. Intuit recently published an overview of these innovations here.

In this post, I’ll share my experience testing the new AI Accounting Agent and client collaboration tools, as well as explore how the updated QuickBooks interface is helping users interact with their financial data in more strategic and effective ways. These aren’t just surface-level improvements. They’re thoughtful changes that shift how we work and how we add value.

A New QuickBooks Experience on the Intuit Platform

One of the most exciting changes in this new release is the completely refreshed Intuit platform.

What immediately stands out is how it reimagines the initial login experience. Rather than dropping users into a static overview, QuickBooks now provides a dynamic dashboard that allows you to:

• Surface critical financial metrics tailored to your business,
• Visualize real-time data to assess what needs attention,
• Take immediate action on tasks like categorizing transactions or initiating follow-ups.

The design feels like an interactive workspace rather than a traditional ledger. Each major section of QuickBooks is treated as its own app-like module. Whether you're managing payroll, banking, HR, or reporting, each function is purpose-driven and consistent in layout. This modular design helps reduce the cognitive load of switching between tasks, making it easier to stay focused and efficient.

For small businesses and their accountants, this means a smoother, more intuitive experience. No more clicking through endless tabs or menus, the essentials are right where you need them. Access to expanded AI functionality and HR tools is also built right into the platform, offering a clearer, more complete view of business operations.

Ultimately, this redesign isn’t just about appearances. It’s about creating an experience that fosters smarter decisions, faster responses, and a better connection to what matters most.

What’s most exciting, though, is how this modular structure sets the stage for the future. By designing the platform with app-like flexibility, Intuit is building the foundation for deeper integrations with third-party tools. This means accountants and clients could eventually work from a single centralized hub, reducing friction and simplifying workflows. It also opens the door to even more personalized AI-powered experiences within each module.

The Accounting Agent: Automating Intelligence Into Our Daily Work

What stood out to me right away was the depth of context the Accounting Agent brings to routine financial review. Rather than just flagging items, it looks at transaction behavior, identifies patterns, and offers intelligent suggestions.

For example, the agent recently identified a recurring misclassification in a set of client transactions. It clearly outlined the issue, provided a recommended fix, and refreshed the report with updated insights, without me needing to dig through old data manually. It felt like having a sharp-eyed colleague looking over my shoulder, offering insights and nudging me in the right direction.

The time saved in not needing to research and validate every small issue was noticeable. And the trust that builds with the tool over time, knowing it's flagging things accurately and offering useful suggestions, makes it more than a helper. It’s a reliable partner.

Client Collaboration Made Seamless (and Smart)

A big part of our job is following up on missing context. That usually means lots of emails and back-and-forth: “Was this charge business-related?” “Can you send the receipt?” With the new collaboration tool, that friction is finally addressed.

Now, I can select one or more transactions, click “Request Info,” and send a secure magic link to the client—no login needed. They can respond with a simple explanation or attach documentation. Even better, the AI reviews that documentation. If the receipt doesn’t match the transaction, it alerts the client before it ever lands back in our workflow.

This keeps data cleaner from the start. It also helps maintain accountability, with everything linked and traceable. The result? Fewer loose ends, faster reviews, and better records—all while keeping client interactions smooth and professional.

AI-Enhanced Statement Uploads: Streamlined Accuracy and Integration

We’ve used tools like Dext, AutoEntry, and Hubdoc for years. But this new statement upload tool built into QuickBooks is different. It’s faster, more accurate, and requires fewer steps.

Just upload a statement—photo or PDF—and the AI extracts, categorizes, and matches the data to QuickBooks. If something’s off, it flags it. If the balances don’t reconcile, it routes the issue for human review without additional cost. Even poorly scanned or low-quality files are handled smoothly.

And because this functionality lives inside QuickBooks, it simplifies the reconciliation process. No more uploading to one tool, exporting to another, then re-importing. It just works—and it works where you already are.

Reducing Review Time with Books Review Intelligence

Soon after July, the Books Review tab will roll out new AI-powered checks across 12+ transaction types. Think missing categories, duplicates, outliers, and unpaid vendors—all detected and surfaced automatically.

What I appreciate most is the transparency. You can see who made what changes, track what’s been resolved, and build a complete audit trail. That’s valuable for firms of any size and especially useful for growing teams managing multiple clients.

Intuit AI Agent = More Time for Strategic Thinking

Every accountant I know wants to do more strategic work. That’s the value we bring—not matching transactions, but interpreting the story behind them.

Here’s what that shift looks like: Instead of spending time matching Amazon charges, we’re helping clients manage inventory more effectively. Rather than reviewing bank statements line by line, we’re forecasting cash flow using clean, trusted data. And instead of backtracking through months of cleanup, we’re building out forward-looking budgets.

AI isn’t taking over our jobs. It’s giving us more room to do the work that matters.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Intuit AI Agents in Accounting

This is just the beginning. For more on Intuit’s official roadmap and Agentic AI vision, you can read their update here. As this agent continues to learn, I believe it will proactively surface resolutions and recommendations for common accounting challenges, addressing concerns before they escalate, and offering guidance on areas that deserve a deeper look.

We’ll likely see suggestions for categorization rules based on trends across multiple clients, helping us improve standardization. It may also identify inefficiencies in internal data—those persistent process hiccups that quietly add up. And over time, I can see the platform supporting the creation of customized workflows tailored to specific industries, giving firms more flexibility and control.

The move toward real-time, context-aware financial management isn’t theoretical. It’s already happening.

Final Thoughts: Excited and Empowered

If you’ve been hesitant about AI in accounting, I get it. But I can confidently say these tools aren’t here to replace us. They’re here to remove the things that slow us down.

From smoother collaboration to smarter workflows, the new Intuit Platform and its new AI agents are helping us do more of what we’re good at.

For me and my team, the impact is clear: we spend less time fixing and more time guiding. And that’s exactly the kind of future I’m excited to be part of.

Dan Luthi is the COO of Ignite Spot, a fractional CFO and accounting firm. He serves on various accounting advisory councils and works directly with software companies to improve tools and education for accountants across the country.

This is a paid partnership with Intuit.