AccountKit vs APS (formerly Reckon APS)
Move from APS to Xero and keep your Microsoft way of working
Your SharePoint library and Outlook don’t change. What changes is that your jobs, compliance tools and Xero data sit with them, in one view of each client.
- Checked against the vendors’ own pages on 2 October 2026
- Works alongside Xero and XPM, so you keep both
- Onboarding, training and support from our team
WorkflowInteractive preview · sample dataPractice-wide work
Illustrative AccountKit-style view · sample data
Interactive demonstration with sample data, based on the AccountKit interface.
Why firms move
Firms leave APS for how they want to work, not because they have to.
If your firm already runs on SharePoint and Outlook, the move to Xero is smaller than it looks. Your files stay where they are, and AccountKit adds the jobs and tools around each client.
01Keep SharePoint
Your SharePoint files and Outlook stay exactly where they are.
AccountKit connects to the same library with its permissions intact and files Outlook email to the client.
See the SharePoint integration02One screen
You still start every job from one screen.
AccountKit sits over Xero and XPM, so the client’s jobs, tools, emails and files open from the same place.
See how it fits together03Workflow
Your workflow fits your firm, and new staff can still follow it.
Statuses, work types, roles and practice authorities are set up to match how you run, so anyone can see where a job is up to.
See workflow04One ledger
Year-end happens in the ledger your client already uses.
Work over Xero and you stop moving client data into a separate statements ledger, while XPM and AccountKit keep the client record in step.
See what syncs with XPM
How it fits together
Each product does one part of the job, and you work from one
You work in AccountKit. Xero keeps the books, XPM keeps time and billing, and Xero Tax lodges. Everything else connects in.
Xero
- XeroYour clients’ booksAccountKit tools post journals to Xero
- XPM in Partner HubTime, billing and WIPClient details sync both ways, time goes to XPM
- Xero TaxPrepares and lodges returnsNo data link: the job for the return runs in AccountKit
Where your team works each day
AccountKit
- Workflow and each person’s daily plan
- Compliance tools: Division 7A, inter-entity loans and more
- Correspondence register for every client
- Client Map of the family group
- Links to every client’s folder
Microsoft 365 and compliance apps
- OutlookClient emailEmails captured against the client
- SharePoint or OneDriveYour files, where they areEach client links to its folder, permissions kept
- Microsoft TeamsWhere the team talksClient notes and tool updates sent to Teams
- CAS 360 or NowInfinityCompany complianceAnnual reviews and ASIC payments shown with the client
A firm that brought the whole team into one view
Wheelhouse Advisory turned firm-wide visibility into more hires and higher fees.
“It has just done a whole 360 on our whole entire firm. Everyone loved the overview of not just their own workflow, but everyone in the firm.”
- more staff hired, using the workflow overview to see where
- 3–4
- months since workflow moved into AccountKit
- 18
- people working from one overview across two teams
- ~25
Where everything goes
Each part of APS has a clear home after the move
Xero’s conversion tools and partners move the data. This is where each job is done afterwards.
- APS TaxReturns lodged through SBRmoves to Xero TaxReturns are prepared and lodged here
- Workflow+Jobs and deadlinesmoves to AccountKitWorkflow templates, statuses and each person’s daily plan
- APS Timesheets and ContractsTime and billingmoves to XPMTime, billing and WIP, with time sent from AccountKit
- XPA and SyncDirectFinancial statements and trial balancesmoves to XeroClients’ books, with AccountKit’s journals posted in
- SharePoint documentsThrough Access APS Onlinemoves to SharePoint or OneDriveThe same library, connected to each client in AccountKit
- OutlookEmail alongside APSmoves to OutlookClient email captured in AccountKit’s correspondence register
Side by side
APS next to Xero, XPM and AccountKit, line by line
The right-hand column is three products working together. We’ve said where AccountKit stops and Xero takes over.
| What you’re weighing | APS | Xero, XPM and AccountKit |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 | A real strength. Access APS Online works with SharePoint for documents, Outlook, Power BI and Word, Excel and PowerPoint, with single sign-on. | AccountKit connects SharePoint and OneDrive for documents, captures Outlook email against the client, sends from your own account and posts updates to Microsoft Teams.    Works with Outlook, SharePoint, OneDrive, Microsoft Teams |
| Workflow | Workflow+ manages jobs, and APS Workspaces covers practice management. | AccountKit workflow: status flows, work types, roles that fill in when a job is created, practice authorities, recurring templates, and a daily plan for each person in Task Planner.Works with AccountKit |
| Tax and the ATO | APS lodges through the ATO’s Standard Business Reporting. Access now positions Access APS Tax for practices with New Zealand tax clients, and Access Tax for Australian ones. | Returns are prepared and lodged in Xero Tax, part of Xero Partner Hub. AccountKit doesn’t lodge; it runs the job around the return. Works with Xero, AccountKit |
| Financial statements | XPA prepares financial statements, and SyncDirect collects clients’ trial balances. | Clients’ books stay in Xero. AccountKit’s compliance tools (Division 7A, inter-entity loans, equipment finance and more) post their journals straight to Xero.Works with Xero, AccountKit |
| Time and billing | APS Timesheets and APS Contracts. | XPM keeps time, billing and WIP. AccountKit sends time to XPM and syncs client details both ways. Works with Xero Practice Manager |
| The route to Xero | Xero’s conversion toolbox imports Reckon APS clients’ ledger data into Xero. | Xero’s Partner Consultants and certified Practice Studio Partners can run the whole move, and Xero runs a course on moving from APS.Works with Xero |
Checked 2 October 2026 against APS’s own published pages and the sources below. Products change: if something here is out of date, tell us and we’ll fix it.
Sources (14)
- The Access Group: APS (modules)
- The Access Group: Access APS Online (SharePoint, Outlook, Power BI, Office)
- The Access Group: Access acquires Reckon Accountants Group (19 May 2022)
- Financial Newswire: Reckon completes sale of its accountants group (August 2022)
- The Access Group: tax software (Access APS Tax and Access Tax)
- Xero AU: Switch practice software (conversion toolbox, Partner Consultants, Practice Studio Partners)
- Xero AU: Partner Hub plus Practice Management, features and pricing
- Xero Learning Central: Migrate your practice to Xero
- AccountKit: Xero Practice Manager integration (what syncs)
- AccountKit: Microsoft 365 (Outlook) integration
- AccountKit: SharePoint integration
- AccountKit: Document management, including PDF editing
- AccountKit: Workflow
- AccountKit: Pricing and onboarding fees
Help with the switch
We set your team up, train them and stay on hand after go-live.
You won’t be left to work it out on your own. Here’s what you get from our team.
Setup
Onboarding sessions with the AccountKit team
Every new subscription starts with onboarding sessions with our team, so you’re set up properly from day one. It’s a one-off fee by plan, shown on the pricing page.
Talk to us about your setupTraining
Training built around your team
Book an AccountKit expert for a session built around your partners and staff, at $330 an hour. Use it before go-live, and again whenever someone new joins.
Book a training sessionSupport
Help that doesn’t end at go-live
Recorded deep dives and the support centre cover every tool, and our team answers when they don’t.
See the training library
From the Xero App Store
What firms say about moving to AccountKit
★★★★★
…Every time we’ve had a question or special request, they’ve gone above and beyond to assist us. Their responsiveness, professionalism, and genuine eagerness to help has made the entire implementation process smooth and stress-free.…
★★★★★
…It integrates with all of our software pieces and ensures that there is no duplication of data.…
5.0 out of 5 from 83 reviews. Read them all on the Xero App Store
Questions
What firms ask before leaving APS
What happened to Reckon APS?
The Access Group agreed to buy the Reckon Accountants Group, including APS, in May 2022, and the sale completed that August. APS is now sold by Access as APS and Access APS Online, alongside its tax, XPA, Workflow+ and Workspaces modules.
Is APS being discontinued?
Not that we can find. As at 2 October 2026, The Access Group still sells APS and Access APS Online and hasn’t published an end date. Firms that move to Xero and AccountKit usually do it because of how they want to work, not because of a deadline.
Do our SharePoint files have to move?
No. If your documents are already in SharePoint, AccountKit connects to the same library, keeps its permissions and links each client to its folder. Nothing is copied into AccountKit.
Does AccountKit prepare or lodge tax returns?
No. Returns are prepared and lodged in Xero Tax, which comes with Xero Partner Hub. AccountKit runs the work around them: the job, its steps, the client’s documents and correspondence, and compliance tools like Division 7A and inter-entity loans that post their journals to Xero.
Who moves our data out of APS?
Xero and its partners. Xero’s conversion toolbox moves Reckon APS clients’ ledger data into Xero, and its Partner Consulting team or a certified Practice Studio Partner can run the whole conversion. AccountKit doesn’t convert APS data. We set up AccountKit once your clients are in XPM. Xero doesn’t publish exactly which practice history moves, so ask them early about jobs, time, WIP and past returns.
Does AccountKit replace Xero Practice Manager?
No. XPM keeps your time, billing and WIP. AccountKit syncs client details both ways with XPM and sends time to it. AccountKit’s workflow jobs stay in AccountKit, which is where your team plans and runs the work.
What does AccountKit cost?
In Australia, plans start at AUD $55 a user a month (ex GST) with a five-user minimum, plus a one-off onboarding fee by plan. Team training is $330 an hour. Xero’s own products are priced separately: in Australia, Partner Hub plus Practice Management is free for Silver partners and above. Check the pricing page for your region.
The heart of your firm
Plan your move from APS with the people who’ll set you up
Show us how your firm runs on APS today. We’ll show you the same work in Xero, XPM and AccountKit, with your SharePoint library connected, and plan onboarding and training around Xero’s migration timeline.
Tell us what you run today
A short call about your suite, your clients and how your team works, so we can plan the move around it.
Line up Xero’s migration help
Xero’s conversion toolbox and partners move client ledgers and practice data. We plan AccountKit around their timeline.
Onboard and train your team
Onboarding sessions and training get every person working in AccountKit from the first week.