What is cloud accounting and how is it different from desktop accounting software?

Cloud accounting software stores your financial data on secure remote servers rather than on a local computer or server. This means you can access your accounts from any device, your data is automatically backed up, and your accountant can work from the same live data as you — eliminating the need to send files back and forth. Platforms like Sage Business Cloud, Xero and QuickBooks are all cloud-based.