Intuit ProPartner Marks a New Era for QuickBooks Professionals

For me, Intuit’s decision to replace the ProAdvisor Program with Intuit ProPartner Accountants is personal.

When Intuit reached out last month and invited me to chat with Jaclyn Anku, Intuit’s ProAdvisor Program Leader, about why the company is making the change and what it will mean for accounting professionals, I welcomed the opportunity.

I became a ProAdvisor more than 25 years ago. I was also part of the Intuit Trainer Writer Network and the Intuit National Training team for almost 10 years, and I was one of the original authors and trainers for the QuickBooks Online certification program. I have seen the ProAdvisor community at its best, and I have also watched the designation lose some of the weight it once carried.

When I first joined the ProAdvisor Program in 1997, it represented opportunity. Intuit had created a practical general ledger product that small business owners could use, especially those who were already familiar with Quicken. Through the ProAdvisor Program, the company also invested in the accounting professionals who helped those businesses use QuickBooks effectively. The education, support and community gave us the knowledge and confidence to serve our clients while building stronger practices of our own.

Why the program needed to change

Intuit says ProPartner is designed to reflect a profession shaped by artificial intelligence, staffing challenges and the shift toward advisory services. It will be built within Intuit Accountant Suite and organized around firm benefits, education and community. The current ProAdvisor Program will remain in place until the new program launches in early 2027.

Personally, I welcome changes to the program. I believe the ProAdvisor designation had become diluted over the past decade, since the QuickBooks Online Certification was introduced. Intuit pursued an aggressive certification strategy where accounting professionals could attend a one-day course, pass an exam, and become certified. The goal was understandable; cloud accounting was poised to fundamentally change how accountants worked with their business clients, and Intuit needed trained professionals who could support users.

The problem was that passing a test did not always mean someone had deep product knowledge or strong troubleshooting skills. Some newly certified ProAdvisors were listed alongside people who had spent years working through complex client issues and building practical experience.

Over time, the designation became less meaningful for those who had invested heavily in earning and maintaining that expertise.

A new program creates an opportunity to restore some of that value, but the structure will determine whether it succeeds.

What ProPartner changes

ProPartner will use five firm tiers:

• Member
• Partner
• Preferred Partner
• Premier Partner
• Elite Partner

To move beyond Member, a firm must maintain at least one active eligible certification and have at least one qualifying client on QuickBooks Online or Intuit Enterprise Suite. Firms will then earn points through certifications, spending by the firm and connected clients, and other activity within the Intuit platform.

The program will preserve familiar benefits, including free training and certification, preferred pricing, and the Find a Pro directory.

New benefits include a three-year revenue share for eligible new clients, expanded education, tiered support, community programs, and access to Intuit Accountant Suite features based on tier.

During our meeting, Jaclyn Anku of Intuit also described plans for a client matching experience that would proactively connect QuickBooks users who need accounting help with qualified ProPartner firms. The details are still being developed, but the concept goes beyond the current Find a Pro directory by bringing suggested firms into the product experience.

Many of these ideas are valuable, but most are also familiar. Education, community, support, and client connections have long been part of the ProAdvisor promise.

The expanded revenue share is a clearer financial change, while the larger shift is that the new program measures and rewards the firm rather than focusing mainly on the individual professional.

Individual certifications will still belong to the person who earns them, but the tier and many of the related benefits will sit at the firm level.

The question for solo practitioners and small firms

Intuit describes ProPartner as a program for firms of all sizes. The program is free to join, and education will remain available broadly. Still, the tier structure feels more closely aligned with larger firms that manage more clients, influence more Intuit revenue, and have more team members earning certifications.

Solo practitioners and very small firms may have access to the program but could find it harder to reach the tiers that offer stronger support, complimentary Intuit Accountant Suite Accelerate and other premium benefits. Solo practitioners and small firms have been central to the QuickBooks ecosystem for decades. They are entrepreneurs who want to remain independent, serve local businesses and help Main Street thrive.

Many are now trying to navigate AI, changing client expectations, and increasing pressure on their time without the resources available to a larger organization. Intuit has an opportunity to support these professionals in a meaningful way, not only by allowing them into the program, but by ensuring they can gain real value from it.

Trust will depend on how Intuit shows up

For me, that means ProPartner is more than a name change.

It reflects Intuit’s broader direction toward larger firms, larger businesses, and the midmarket. That direction may create valuable opportunities, but it also raises an important question about the professionals who helped build the QuickBooks community by supporting small businesses for the past 30 years.

The familiar benefits are expected to remain, and the new education, community programs, and client matching could be useful. Yet the success of ProPartner will depend on whether Intuit continues to listen to solo practitioners and small firms during the transition.

How firms can prepare

Firms can begin preparing now by moving to Intuit Accountant Suite, confirming that at least one team member has an active certification, and consolidating multiple consoles so their complete client base is reflected when projected tiers are released.

For longtime ProAdvisors, this change may carry both hope and a sense of loss. The name represents decades of work, relationships, and shared history. ProPartner can build on that foundation, but only if partnership remains meaningful for the smallest firms as well as the largest.