Accounting started with paper ledgers and hand-written math.

In the 1990s, software like QuickBooks changed how books were kept, and by the 2010s, cloud accounting became the norm. Today, more than 33 million small businesses in the U.S. rely on accounting systems to track money and stay compliant. That’s more businesses than the entire population of many countries.

Now, automation, AI, and new tax rules are reshaping accounting faster than ever. With that in mind, we’ll cover important accounting and bookkeeping statistics that you need be aware of in 2026.

Accounting Statistics: Key Numbers

• 64% of business owners do their own bookkeeping.
• 30% of small businesses have an accountant
• on average 642,603 businesses get audited each year.
• 29% of the companies have already implemented the automated accounts payable process to eradicate human labor and increase accuracy.
• 1.3 million accountants and auditors are employed in the US.3
• 21% of SMBs owners admit to not knowing enough about bookkeeping.
• 72% of self-employed contractors do their bookkeeping and accounting errands without professional help.
• The accounting services global market value was $544.06 billion in 2020.
• Around 70% of small businesses don’t have an accountant.
• 60% of small business owners feel they aren’t knowledgeable when it comes to accounting.
• 64.4% of small business owners make use of accounting software.
• 70% of small businesses outsource tax preparation.

Sources: (Statista, Mineraltree, Bls, Surgent, Wasp Barcode, Accountancyage, Businesswire, Onpay, Alliance Virtual Offices, Goremotely, Capactix)

Top Complaints SMBs Have About Their Accountants

• 41% of SMBs complain that their accountants are reactive.
• 37% of SMBs are dissatisfied with their accountants’ timelines.
• 32% of SMBs feel their accountants provide a lack of guidance.
• 27% of SMBs state that their accountants don’t provide enough advice.

Source: Wasp Barcode

SMB Accounting Software Usage

• 44% use QuickBooks Online.
• 16% use QuickBooks Self-Employed.
• 15% use QuickBooks Desktop.
• 4% use Xero.
• 4% use Freshbooks.
• 4% use GoDaddy Bookkeeping.
• 3% use Wave.
• 2% use Sage 50.
• 2% use Sage 300.
• 6% use other software.

Source: Codat

QuickBooks Statistics: Key Numbers

• Quickbooks has 66.58% of the market share, a significantly higher number than Sage 50 (10.30%), and Xero (8.90%).
• Quickbooks has about 29 million businesses int he US.
• QuickBooks Online has 5.3 million users worldwide.
• 80% of QuickBooks customers are in United States, and 5% are in Canada.
• The majority (62%) of QuickBooks users are small companies (<50 employees), while 7% are large companies (>1000 employees), and 31% are medium-sized companies .
• Most QuickBooks users (83%) are small companies (<$50M), 0% are large companies  (>$1000M), and 6% are medium-sized companies.

Source: (InfoClutch)

Quickbooks Market Share:

Company Name	Market Share
QuickBooks	62.23%
ADP	14.30%
Sage 50	10.30%
Xero	8.90%
QuickBooks Online	4.35%

Source: (InfoClutch)

Top Industries that use QuickBooks:

• Construction: 17.22%
• Accounting: 13.40%
• Information Technology and Services: 12.50%
• Computer Software: 9.71%
• Hospital & Health Care: 8.97%
• Nonprofit Organization Management: 8.66%
• Financial Services: 7.86%
• Retail: 7.74%
• Real Estate: 7.73%
• Marketing and Advertising: 6.22%

Source: (Enlyft)

"If you're at a firm that uses QuickBooks and you want a financially focused tool, there is no better entity in the legal industry than LeanLaw."

Hear the pitch for @LeanLawCo from their CEO. @QuickBooksSP pic.twitter.com/G07Xai9qNl

— Confido Legal (@ConfidoLegal) July 18, 2023

Why Small Businesses Avoid Accounting Software

• 50% of small businesses use manual methods/spreadsheets for managing accounting/financials.
• 20% of small businesses outsource accounting to a third-party accountant/bookkeeper.
• 17% of small businesses haven’t had the budget for a software solution.
• 13% of small businesses haven’t had time to learn how to use accounting software.

Source: SMB Group’s What’s Ahead For SMBs in Financial Management Survey

Popular Outsourced Accounting Services by Small Businesses

• 71% of companies outsource tax preparation.
• 50% of companies outsource payroll.
• 48% of companies outsource audits.
• 30% of companies outsource tax planning.
• 16% of companies outsource personal finances.
• 14% of companies outsource bookkeeping.

Source: Wasp Barcode

Types of Accountants Employed by Small Businesses

• 45% of small businesses employ neither an accountant nor a bookkeeper.
• 22% of small businesses employ full- or part-time outsourced accountants.
• 15% employ full-time in-house accountants.
• 11% employ consultants.
• 6% employ part-time in-house accountants.

Source: Clutch 2018 Small Business Accounting Survey

Top Accountant Qualities Valued by SMBs

• 78% rank having a trusted advisor as very important.
• 74% value accountants who respond quickly.
• 74% find it very important that accountants understand their business/industry.
• 70% prioritize affordability in their accountants.
• 69% appreciate clear communication with non-accountants.

Source: 2018 Small Business Accounting Insights Survey