Top 10 Accounting Forums You Should Join Today
Are you stumped regarding an accounting question? Need some guidance or a question answered?
If you are having trouble with taxes, accounting, or any other financial issue, checking out online discussion forums can be a great way to interact with others. These fellow users can provide insight, advice, and their own experiences to enrich you now in 2023 and always.
Online discussion forums have bloomed in popularity for nearly 30 years, and accounting has benefited from their widespread popularity. You have places like LinkedIn (which I’ll cover later), and other sites that can assist with your needs, but some discussion forums are the way to go.
If you aren’t sure where to start, check out the 10 best accounting forums online.
Contents
1. Accountant Forums
Keeping it simple, we have Accountant Forums. This forum provides multiple subforums for more specific fields.
Included is the classic general accountancy discussion your average user can go to for accounting advice or simple conversation. Topics you will find here run the gamut from dealing with nonprofits, adapting to newer accounting software, and fundraising fees. Some other subforums are technical queries, accounting software, and an off-topic board.
The career/jobs board is a precious discussion forum, as it allows people to network more efficiently and casually than a place like LinkedIn. This is an excellent resource for casual questions and more professional accountants and users.
2. Reddit Accounting — r/Accounting
Believe it or not, the iconic Reddit site is a valuable accounting information resource. No matter what you are looking for, then the chances are that there is a subreddit (or specific forum), dedicated to that one topic.
Reddit Accounting allows users to connect casually with one another over accounting help and discussions. This is a massive, active community with nearly 150,000 users, with more than 2,000 online at all times.
Following the Reddit model of an AMA (Ask Me Anything) in which the topic creator allows other users to ask them questions, r/Accounting’s most popular topic right now is an AMA by Dennis Whitney, the vice president of the Certified Management Accountant program at the Institute of Management Accountants.
This inside information is an excellent resource for anyone looking for accounting tips. There are also amusing pictures shared back and forth as well, so the environment is entirely casual and welcoming as well.
3. Proformative
Proformative is unique in that it was incorporated in 2009 to serve as a discussion forum where financial professionals and casual users could come together for the benefit of one another.
Much like Reddit, Proformative’s board and question and answer sections are incredibly active and provide a wealth of accounting information to those seeking advice and general knowledge. It receives an average of monthly 600,000 users in web traffic and has thousands of archived questions by various users.
Extraordinarily adept and smart users populate this forum, and you can acquire business strategies, or what is an ideal career path for you. Will that Bachelor’s in accounting be enough for you to land a stable job? Or will you need to take the CPA exam? Ask these knowledgeable users to find out more. Signing up is free, and you can start asking questions right away.
4. Intuit ProConnect
Intuit, the famous accounting, and finance software company, has its discussion forum dedicated to its products. Although this forum is primarily for users of Intuit software, the forum itself doesn’t necessarily tether itself to Intuit products. Instead, it is a valuable marketplace of ideas and information.
It is also extremely active, with easily over 30 new topics posted daily. The user interface is excellent, as you can quickly jump back and forth between the home page, as well as questions that have been left unanswered. This makes it easier for you to answer user questions, or at least keep tabs on a similar issue you might have.
This is the perfect jumping-off point for newer, more inexperienced accountants and Intuit software users. However, veteran accountants may also glean information from the questions as well.
It’s an active community with some prevalent users, allowing posters to connect more with those answering and asking questions.
5. AAT Discussion Forums
The AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians), is an excellent option for fellow accountants to seek help from one another. This is a more professional forum, but newer accountants need not fret; the forum is open to everyone and can provide useful information for anyone.
The topics range from the general help with client issues to complicated accounting problems involving math, and a little philosophy as well. Most importantly, there are fantastic resources for studying for various AAT exams. Users will collaborate and help each other answer practice questions and guide each other to accounting success.
6. CPAnet Forum
The CPAnet discussion forum is based primarily on the CPA exam and those who plan on taking it. This is a fantastic tool for CPA candidates and future test takers. It serves as a valuable toolbox for those who want to be fully-fledged accountants.
Like any proper forum, there are multiple boards for a different discussion, not just for the CPA exam. The exam boards have various study groups organized by currency, region, and more.
Topics range from test questions to people expressing anxiety over test results, which anyone can relate to. If you are planning on or are actively studying for the CPA exam, the CPAnet forum is the perfect discussion board.
7. Another71 CPA Exam Forum
As its name implies, it’s another CPA exam forum. This is tailor-made for those preparing for the Certified Public Accountant exam.
For prospective test-takers, you will find valuable test-taking habits and tips on performing better and passing. You will have access to shared podcasts and other accounting media resources along with study habits and information.
You’ll find great topics containing questions and answers, like ‘Will defaulting on student loans stop you from becoming a CPA.’ You must heed this question, as it could, in specific locations, very well impact your progress toward the CPA exam. You’ll have to check out the forum for the complete answers!
8. TaxProTalk Forums
As the name suggests, tax professionals come together on this forum to talk shop. There are thousands of active topics in the tax section of the site. Although the forum is focused mainly on tax talk, there is a highly active accounting forum.
While not sporting as many topics as the tax forum, the accounting forum is not too shabby. Here you will interact with other accountants who ask and answer questions, give personal stories, and more. There’s a handy topic made concerning a possible QuickBooks scam.
This is an excellent resource for those who need help and others looking for other financial experts. A great, cohesive community is a massive plus for those just starting in accounting or lifelong accountants.
9. LinkedIn
The networking site we are all familiar with, LinkedIn does provide a useful outlet for accounting. Although perhaps not as robust as other options on the list, LinkedIn’s universal networking potential smooths it out as a great option.
There are forums for nearly every topic (although not as specific as a more casual site like Reddit), and you can easily connect with people you know in real life, as well as leaders in the field of accounting and finance.
Using LinkedIn as a forum is a reliable option, as it helps put a face to a name, enriching your forum use, as you can interact with people more personally. As a bonus, adding people to your network will help you overall as well.
10. Youth4Work
As you can surmise, youth 4 work serves as a resource for newer, more amateur accounting professionals. While you won’t precisely receive groundbreaking, complicated tax and accounting advice, these topics will help those who are just getting off of the ground in the field.
Questions like ‘What is account and accounting? Explain your answer’, ‘What are the 3 Definitions of accounting? Explain your answer’, and ‘What skills should I put on my resume for accounting?’ are extremely helpful for rookies and newcomers. Resume and CV advice can often make or break your chances for an accounting job interview.
While more simplistic than the other forums, the nuggets of truth and information can help countless people who are either exploring accounting as an option for career or school, or someone who has just graduated.
Conclusion
Hopefully, with this list of the top accounting forums, you can better familiarize yourself with the accounting landscape online. Whether it’s Intuit ProConnect or simply the accounting subreddit, there is no shortage of fantastic options when it comes to finding an accounting-based online forum.
Keep in mind that what the best forum will depend on what you are particularly searching for. Whether it’s knowledge, tips, or answers to tough questions, there are plenty out there.