This has certainly made for interesting reading & I guess I should make a comment
So what would I recommend...I know you are probably thinking MYOB.
I would NEVER recommend MYOB...
I would ask you the question - what does your accountant use? What does your accountant want you to use?
If you are planning to grow using a system that your accountant uses, is going to make your accounting bills a lot cheaper.
Now if your accountant comes along and says - he doesn't care - I am a bit concerned.
There are massive cost and time savings for accountants who specialise in a product, and have the back end specific software, to LINK UP with the software the business is using.
I have seen clients go from a $10 000 bill to a $2000 bill, when they move to a MYOB specialist accountant.
You can go to the MYOB or QUICKEN website to find these accountants - this is NOT the sort of accountant I am - I can not do your end of year company taxes - I just train in MYOB & accounting concepts.
(NOTE : There are also QUICKBOOKS and other accounting product specialist accountants out there)
On another note it continues to flabberghast me that there are many accountants operating today who don't have a basic or elementary grasp of small business accounting software. This is like a heart surgeon not knowing how to give a injection - yes we realise they don't do it every day - but we expect that they can don't we?
Ask your accountant if he knows how to use the package he has recommened to you...
Another factor to consider is - are there staff available in your location who know the product - when you grow and want to employ a bookkeeper are you going to have to train them in the product?
e.g. Brisbane hade a 90%MYOB saturation in small business market when I started...not sure what it is now.