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Short answer — my practical recommendation in Australia

For most Australians and small businesses, the best setup is usually:

Xero + a responsive local CA/CPA accountant who is a registered tax agent.
Xero is the default cloud accounting product in many Australian accounting/bookkeeping practices; a 2025 survey of 755 Australian accountants and bookkeepers found Xero leading the general ledger/ERP category, with MYOB second and Intuit QuickBooks third. (agilemarketintelligence.com.au)

For bigger or more complex businesses, use the firm tier that matches your size:

Best accounting firm brands in Australia

1. Big Four — best for large, complex work

The Big Four in Australia are:

• Deloitte
• EY
• KPMG
• PwC

Use these if you need large-company audit, complex tax structuring, transfer pricing, M&A, risk, ESG, government work, or multinational support. CPA Australia’s INTHEBLACK notes that Deloitte, EY, KPMG and PwC remain Australia’s largest firms by scale, each recording more than A$2 billion in revenue in the AFR 2025 Top 100 Accounting Firms list. (intheblack.cpaaustralia.com.au)

My take: Great for corporates; usually overkill and expensive for a normal small business.

2. Best mid-tier firms — often the sweet spot for SMEs

These are the firms I’d shortlist for a serious Australian business that wants strong advice but not necessarily Big Four pricing:

• BDO Australia — arguably the strongest “next tier” brand; BDO says it ranked among Australia’s top five accounting firms in the AFR 2025 list, with A$606.5m revenue for FY2025 and about 12% year-on-year growth. (bdo.com.au)
• RSM Australia — strong national/regional coverage, good for tax, audit and business advisory.
• Grant Thornton Australia — good for growth businesses, corporate advisory, audit and private business.
• Pitcher Partners — very strong for privately owned, family and middle-market businesses; INTHEBLACK reported Pitcher Partners ranked ninth in Australia in 2025 with A$355.93m revenue. (intheblack.cpaaustralia.com.au)
• Findex — widely used by regional businesses, SMEs and agribusiness clients.
• William Buck — strong reputation with private clients, SMEs and professional services businesses.
• PKF, HLB Mann Judd, Moore Australia, Nexia, Bentleys — good options where you want partner access and local specialist knowledge.

My take: If you’re a $1m–$50m turnover business, these mid-tier firms are often better value than Big Four. CPA Australia notes mid-tier firms are winning business because clients want more personalised service, better partner access, industry-specific advice and lower fees. (intheblack.cpaaustralia.com.au)

Accounting software/products Australians actually use

Best default: Xero

For most Australian small businesses, Xero is the safest default because many accountants and bookkeepers know it, it has strong bank feeds, payroll, BAS/GST workflows and a large app ecosystem. Agile Market Intelligence’s 2025 research found Xero leading core accounting/general ledger usage among Australian accounting professionals. (agilemarketintelligence.com.au)

Best alternatives

• MYOB — still widely used, especially among older or established businesses, and a strong option for payroll/inventory-heavy setups.
• QuickBooks Online — good value and usable, but generally less dominant in Australia than Xero and MYOB.
• Reckon — still used in parts of the Australian market, though less of a default choice for new cloud setups.
• ATO myTax — best if you’re an employee with a very simple tax return; MoneySmart notes simple returns can be lodged for free online through myTax via myGov/ATO. (moneysmart.gov.au)

A 2025 Institute of Certified Bookkeepers survey showed heavy usage of the big three among respondents: Xero 90%, MYOB 71%, and Intuit QuickBooks Online 39%. (icb.org.au)

For personal tax returns

If your tax is simple, use myTax. If you want help, common consumer brands include:

• H&R Block — strong physical presence; H&R Block says it has over 400 offices around Australia. (hrblock.com.au)
• ITP — a long-running tax agent network; ITP says it has over 230 branches across Australia. (itp.com.au)
• Etax — popular online tax return option; ProductReview listed Etax Accountants as a 2026 award winner in tax preparation services. (productreview.com.au)

My final recommendation

If you’re in Australia:

• Individual with simple salary income: use ATO myTax.
• Individual with deductions, investments, rental property or side income: use a registered tax agent — H&R Block, ITP, Etax, or a local accountant.
• Sole trader / small business: use Xero + a local CA/CPA registered tax agent.
• Growing business: shortlist BDO, RSM, Grant Thornton, Pitcher Partners, Findex or William Buck.
• Large corporate / multinational: go to Deloitte, EY, KPMG or PwC.

Before hiring anyone, check they are a registered tax agent with the Tax Practitioners Board and ideally a member of CPA Australia or CA ANZ; MoneySmart specifically recommends checking both credentials, and notes only registered tax agents can prepare and lodge tax returns. (moneysmart.gov.au)