Office Tools
OfficeTools provides cloud-based accounting practice management software to CPA firms and tax preparation practices across North America and the United Kingdom, consolidating time tracking, billing, document management, workflow automation, and integrated payment processing into a single platform.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersPalmdale, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Office Tools does
OfficeTools, founded in 2000 and operated as a product line within CARET (part of the AbacusNext family), provides cloud-based accounting practice management software targeted primarily at CPA firms and tax preparation practices across North America and the United Kingdom. Its core product, OfficeTools WorkSpace, is a centralized desktop application that consolidates time tracking, billing, client and contact management, document management, workflow automation, and e-signature capabilities into a single interface, supported by a mobile companion app on iOS and Android that syncs every ten minutes. The platform is differentiated by deep bi-directional integrations with Intuit Lacerte Tax and QuickBooks (in place since at least 2007), Microsoft Office 365, Canon scanners, Lucion FileCenter, and the parent-company APX PayNow payment processor, which together reduce redundant data entry across the modern accounting stack.
The business model combines annual subscription licensing for WorkSpace (pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, with firm-size tiers from 1-4 to 201+ employees) with transaction-fee revenue from APX PayNow at a 3.0% fixed rate on credit card and ACH payments. Distribution is primarily consultative enterprise field sales (800-726-3339) supplemented by inside sales handling inbound inquiries and support escalations, supported by content marketing, webinars, case studies, and an interactive product finder. OfficeTools holds PCI DSS, HIPAA, SOC 2 Type II, FINRA, and SAS 70 compliance certifications via its Rackspace-hosted Abacus Private Cloud environment, and has been recognized through the K2 Enterprises 18th Annual Quality Awards. The company's strategic posture reflects a mature vertical SaaS incumbent focused on deepening product surface (mobile, eSignature, client portal) and geographic reach rather than transformational expansion.
Office Tools firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Office Tools
- Legal name
- CARET
- Website
- https://officetools.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- OfficeTools provides cloud-based accounting practice management software to CPA firms and tax preparation practices across North America and the United Kingdom, consolidating time tracking, billing, document management, workflow automation, and integrated payment processing into a single platform.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Office Tools industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Accounting Practice Management Software
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (513210)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Enterprise Work Management & Collaborative Workflow Platforms (HDAEAHAI)
Keywords
Where Office Tools is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Palmdale
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Office Tools business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Subscription Licensing: Annual subscription model for OfficeTools WorkSpace software licensing. Pricing not publicly disclosed and requires direct consultation with sales team to determine firm-specific pricing based on features and user count.
- Integrated Payment Processing (APX): Transaction-based revenue from integrated payment processing through APX PayNow. Provides credit card and ACH processing with 3.0% fixed rate and 1-2 business day processing. PCI Compliant payment solution.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | OfficeTools WorkSpace - Single pricing tier with all-in-one functionality |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
Office Tools product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Office Tools (OfficeTools) develops and sells OfficeTools WorkSpace, a cloud-based accounting practice management platform that lets CPA firms track time, billing, invoicing, contacts, projects, documents, and tax workflows from a single application. The platform includes integrated payment processing via APX PayNow, a brandable client portal, electronic signatures, and a mobile companion app, and is offered as an annual subscription to accounting firms in North America and the United Kingdom.
Product overview
OfficeTools is an accounting practice management software platform designed for CPA firms and accounting practices. The core product is OfficeTools WorkSpace, which provides a unified single-screen application for tracking time and billing, managing projects and workflows, handling client relationships, and managing documents. This core platform integrates with tax preparation software like Intuit Lacerte. The product ecosystem includes APX PayNow as an integrated payment processing module, a Client Portal for client-facing interactions including document sharing and eSignatures, a Mobile App for remote access, and an eSignature Tool for electronic document signing. The platform is offered through CARET and is designed to eliminate redundant data entry by syncing with accounting tools like QuickBooks, productivity tools like Microsoft Office 365, and document management systems.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- WorkSpace: Time and billing software for accountants that tracks projects and workflows, providing everything needed to run a tax and accounting practice from a single place.
Products and services
- OfficeTools WorkSpace Main accounting practice management platform that tracks time, billing, projects, documents, contacts, and tax workflows in a single application, with native integration to Intuit Lacerte tax software. Targeted at CPA and accounting firms of all sizes.
- APX PayNow Integrated payment processing module built into OfficeTools that enables credit card and ACH transactions, recurring payments, and automatic invoice posting for accounting firms and their clients. PCI compliant with a 3.0% fixed rate and 1-2 business day processing.
- OfficeTools Client Portal Brandable client-facing portal integrated with WorkSpace for secure document sharing, online scheduling, electronic signatures, invoicing, and payment processing between accounting firms and their clients.
- OfficeTools Mobile App Mobile companion application for iOS and Android that enables time tracking, project status viewing, call logging, and activity management from any location, syncing with the office system.
- OfficeTools eSignature Tool Fully integrated electronic signature solution built on IRS requirements that combines workflow and document processing, providing audit trails and compliance with UETA, ESIGN Act, and IRS Knowledge Based Authentication standards for CPA firms.
Quantifiable outcome
- Reduces payment collection time from 45+ days to same-day/next-day through automated payment processing
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use Office Tools
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Office Tools technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration14 records
Feature9 records
Office Tools partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.
- Intuit QuickBookscoreBi-directional sync with QuickBooks Pro, Premier, and Premier Accountant dating back to 2007. Shares critical data including customers, employees, vendors and item codes. Reduces risk of data entry errors and eliminates duplicate entries between programs. Enables export of invoices and payments to QuickBooks.
- Intuit Lacerte TaxcoreDeep integration with Lacerte tax software enabling client contact sync, automatic return status tracking, program linking, and auto-import of Lacerte invoices and PDF tax returns. Changes in OfficeTools sync back to Lacerte keeping both systems current.
- Microsoft Office 365coreIntegration with Microsoft Office 365 including Outlook calendar and contacts sync, Word and Excel export capabilities, and Microsoft Office Add-On toolbar for saving files directly into WorkSpace.
- Microsoft ExchangecoreIntegration with Microsoft Exchange for calendar and contact synchronization between WorkSpace and mobile devices.
- CanonsecondaryCanon scanner integrations including P-215II, DR-C225, and DR-M160II scanners enabling automated document capture and scanning directly into OfficeTools practice management system.
- Lucion FileCentersecondaryIntegration with Lucion FileCenter for document scanning, printing, and PDF editing capabilities within OfficeTools workflow.
- APX PayNow (CARET)coreBuilt-in payment processing through APX (Abacus Payment Exchange) from CARET. Enables credit card and ACH transactions directly within OfficeTools with 3.0% fixed rate and 1-2 business day processing. PCI Compliant.
- Abacus Private CloudcoreOfficeTools available within Abacus Private Cloud environment providing secure cloud infrastructure, automated backups, multifactor authentication, and advanced encryption for firms seeking fully managed cloud deployment.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Office Tools competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Dext (formerly Receipt Bank): Dext provides data capture, document automation, and bookkeeping workflow tools used heavily by accountants and bookkeepers. Partial overlap with OfficeTools' document management and workflow automation modules, but more focused on the bookkeeping intake layer.
- Jetpack Workflow: Jetpack Workflow is a workflow and recurring process management tool built specifically for accountants. Directly comparable on the workflow automation axis of OfficeTools, but narrower in scope (no billing, payments, or document management).
Direct peers
- Canopy: Canopy is a cloud practice management suite for accounting and tax firms covering workflow, document management, client CRM, and billing. Directly overlaps with OfficeTools' WorkSpace feature set and targets the same CPA firm vertical with modern SaaS UX.
- Karbon: Karbon is a cloud-native work management and practice management platform built specifically for accounting firms. Closely comparable feature set (workflow, client communication, team collaboration) and directly competes for the same mid-market CPA buyer, with strong AI roadmap investment.
- Financial Cents: Financial Cents is a practice management tool focused on workflow, client requests, and team capacity for accounting firms. Directly comparable in core workflow and client-collaboration functionality, targeting small and mid-market CPA practices.
- TaxDome: TaxDome offers an all-in-one practice management platform for accounting and tax firms with CRM, workflow, document management, client portal, invoicing, and payments. Closely comparable product surface to OfficeTools WorkSpace + APX PayNow, with transparent self-serve pricing.
Broad incumbents
- Thomson Reuters (Practice CS): Thomson Reuters offers Practice CS as part of its broader tax and accounting professional suite (UltraTax, GoSystem, etc.). Directly comparable to OfficeTools as a practice management platform for CPA firms, but bundled into a much larger enterprise portfolio.
- Xero (Xero Practice Manager / Xero HQ): Xero offers Xero Practice Manager and Xero HQ as practice management layers for accounting partners and bookkeepers. Comparable in workflow and client management, but bundled with Xero's small-business cloud accounting platform rather than as a standalone practice management product.
- Intuit (ProConnect Tax / QuickBooks Online Accountant): Intuit ships ProConnect Tax Practice Management and QuickBooks Online Accountant workflows targeting the same CPA buyer. Highly comparable customer base and a key integration partner (Lacerte) for OfficeTools, but bundled with Intuit's own AI-driven tax stack rather than a standalone product.
- Wolters Kluwer (CCH Practice Management / CCH iFirm): Wolters Kluwer provides CCH Practice Management and CCH iFirm as part of its professional tax and accounting platform. Directly comparable in functionality (time/billing, workflow, document management) but part of a much larger regulatory and tax publishing portfolio.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Office Tools social profiles
Digital presenceOffice Tools compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Office Tools financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Office Tools leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Office Tools funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Office Tools M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Office Tools
What does Office Tools do?
Office Tools (OfficeTools) develops and sells OfficeTools WorkSpace, a cloud-based accounting practice management platform that lets CPA firms track time, billing, invoicing, contacts, projects, documents, and tax workflows from a single application. The platform includes integrated payment processing via APX PayNow, a brandable client portal, electronic signatures, and a mobile companion app, and is offered as an annual subscription to accounting firms in North America and the United Kingdom.
Is Office Tools a public or private company?
Office Tools is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Office Tools founded?
Office Tools was founded in 2000. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Office Tools based?
Office Tools is headquartered in Palmdale, United States, in the North America region.
How does Office Tools make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Subscription Licensing is the primary driver. The others are integrated Payment Processing (APX).
Who are Office Tools's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Dext (formerly Receipt Bank) and Jetpack Workflow. Direct peers are Canopy, Karbon, Financial Cents and TaxDome. Broad incumbents are Thomson Reuters (Practice CS), Xero (Xero Practice Manager / Xero HQ), Intuit (ProConnect Tax / QuickBooks Online Accountant) and Wolters Kluwer (CCH Practice Management / CCH iFirm).
Does Office Tools have an API?
No public API is recorded for Office Tools.
What industry is Office Tools in?
Office Tools's product category is Accounting Practice Management Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAEAHAI, Enterprise Work Management & Collaborative Workflow Platforms. Its NAICS code is 513210 and its SIC code is 7372.