Intuit Inc. has announced that more than 50,000 accountants, CPAs, and independent business consultants are now members of its QuickBooks ProAdvisor Program. The program provides crucial training, software, technical support, and other resources to help tax and accounting practitioners grow their practices and support clients using QuickBooks financial software.

According to Intuit, the success of the program results from its ability to continually expand as the needs of its members' businesses evolve. The program also enables access to clients looking for reliable, local QuickBooks support and consulting. Hundreds of thousands of businesses start every year and the majority are choosing QuickBooks to manage their finances.

Since the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Program's inception in 1997, there has been a 48 percent increase in the number of companies that use QuickBooks. Currently, more than 3.7 million small businesses use QuickBooks and as of March 2008, QuickBooks' share of retail units in the business accounting category reached 94.2 percent, according to NPD Group.

"These milestones come at a poignant time as both accountants and the small businesses they serve are looking for ways to thrive and grow amidst the current economic uncertainties," said Jill Ward, vice president and general manager of Intuit's Accounting Professionals Division. "Our success is determined by the success of our community and we continue to offer the highest level of service in order to remain the top resource for accounting professionals as they serve their clients and build their businesses."

The QuickBooks ProAdvisor Program provides accountants with the tools they needs to be successful by providing business-building resources, including accountant-specific editions of QuickBooks accounting and payroll software, tech support, do-it-yourself marketing tools, helpful training resources and certification courses, and QuickBooks-branded merchandise for marketing. Additionally, user forums enable ProAdvisors to share best practices, allowing individuals to set themselves apart and become recognized as creditable experts.

"Working with QuickBooks since 1998, the ProAdvisor Program has allowed us to qualify our experience," said Kendra Salot of Accounting 4 Computers/Pro-Tax Solutions, Inc. "It's one thing to say you know QuickBooks, it's another to show you have complete understanding and confidence when sharing with our clients information that they need to know."

Accountants can get more information or apply to the QuickBooks ProAdvisor Program by visiting the QuickBooks Pro Advisor Web site.