In this customer story
When Jacob Borellini took over accounting firm Ponti Partners, he wanted to do two things: rename the practice to reflect the change of ownership, and shift compliance and operations online. The name above the door is now Borellini and Co – and the firm is well on its way to the second goal, thanks to MYOB Practice Compliance.
The Borellini and Co team now manages its compliance workflow and client accounts almost entirely on the Practice Compliance platform. This means less time-consuming manual work for the team, improved accuracy through live data syncing, and the ability to work remotely. For Jacob and his team, it’s a game-changer.
Old systems, slow processes
Borellini and Co has been operating in North Queensland for three decades. In that time, the practice has built a diverse client base, including small to medium businesses, individuals, SMSFs and family groups. Jacob Borellini joined the practice in 2016, and was admitted as a Partner in 2019. Jacob took full ownership in July 2026 with the impending retirement of founder Anthony Ponti.
The practice has a team of 17 staff who deliver a full range of accounting services, from tax returns and financial statements to bookkeeping. The business has been using some form of MYOB for decades, starting with early desktop software and most recently using MYOB Accountants Enterprise (AE).
While the platform had served it well over the years, Jacob was eager to move the business into the cloud. He was keen to take advantage of benefits like live data syncing and flexible access, and wanted to eliminate expensive, on-premise servers, which needed maintaining and replacing regularly. Another factor: Jacob wanted to make his mark as a new director.
“You look to give everything a bit of a fresh outlook. So we reached out to MYOB and started the process from there.”
Moving operations to the cloud with MYOB Practice Compliance
Borellini and Co started the transition to Practice Compliance early in 2025. As Jacob explains, the transition from desktop to cloud software was relatively straightforward. Practice Compliance is similar enough to MYOB AE that staff members found it easy to use, so they were able to shift much of the compliance workflow into the new system very quickly.
“If you’re an accountant, you can figure it out,” he says. “It’s just normal software.”
As the Practice Compliance platform rolled out more workpapers and functions, Jacob and his team moved more and more work onto the cloud platform. The team now uses Practice Compliance to manage workpapers, financial statements and BAS workflows, using templates to accelerate and standardise client document preparation. The platform pulls clients’ data directly from their accounting software and feeds it into ledgers or workpapers, regardless of which provider the client is using.
Essentially, the bulk of the compliance work that used to happen in MYOB AE now runs in Practice Compliance. For Jacob, it’s a major win.
“The online financial statements,” Jacob says, “are just a smooth process now. Everything’s synced, everything’s good.”
Streamlined work, real-time data and remote capability
For Borellini and Co, the benefits of Practice Compliance come down to time savings, accurate data and integration. While the practice still has some workpapers and tasks to move to the cloud platform, it’s already helping the team work more efficiently – and serve the existing client base at the same time.
Smooth, connected workflows
Before Practice Compliance, Borellini and Co was using desktop software, with some Excel spreadsheets in the mix. The change to a fully online, fully connected platform means major time savings and accurate outcomes for Jacob and his team.
For example, team members had to manually code client details into the AE system, then copy back into the client’s own software. Now, Practice Compliance syncs that data in real-time. Instead of Excel workpapers, the team uses standardised templates in Practice Compliance, again, with relevant data flowing in automatically. This leaves little room for human error, which means staff and clients can trust the numbers every time.
“What the new system does is it just dumps the journals into the system,” explains Jacob.
I’m not spending half an hour coding files anymore, or maintaining a workpaper index and workbooks and things like that, that I had to do every year.”
Because this is the practice’s first full year of using Practice Compliance, it has had to set up workpapers and new client files. However, next year will see those details rolling over automatically, which will mean significant time savings.
“You save at least half an hour to an hour coding the file, and then on the way out doing the end-of-year journal again,” says Jacob.
Consistent systems and accurate data
Live-syncing data instead of typing or copying isn’t just faster – it’s also far less error-prone. Now that all staff members at Borellini and Co are using Practice Compliance, everyone is working with the same templates and the same live data. This means anyone can jump in to help with a job or take over if someone is away.
It also gives the team a reliable, real-time source of information to share with customers.
“You can actually sit down with a client with relevant data and have a meaningful conversation,” says Jacob, “instead of going, ‘Oh, let me just fix it up and come back in two hours.’ So it speeds up the advisory process and tax planning process.”
Flexibility for clients and staff
One of the major reasons for shifting online was working from home. Borellini and Co staff wanted more flexibility in terms of WFH days and remote access. With the old systems, this was difficult, with staff using a VPN to port into the on-premise servers, and often running into errors or delays.
Now, staff just need their Practice Compliance log-in, and they can work from anywhere.
“The online functionality makes working from home so much more seamless,” says Jacob. “So that’s an infinitely easier and smoother experience.”
This sentiment is shared by other Australian accountants, with 43% of respondents in the 2026 MYOB Accounting Industry Monitor survey viewing flexible working conditions as a way to help address talent shortages in the industry.
Practice Compliance has also made it easier for the practice to connect with all clients through a single workflow. Jacob chose the platform in part because it integrates with outside systems like Xero and QuickBooks. The team can pull in client data from these platforms without manual data entry or clunky workarounds.
Many of his existing clients were already using these platforms, and he wasn’t prepared to ask them to move.
“You have an existing client base,” he says, “Some like a particular product, or have been with it for many years. Some have recently changed. I wasn’t interested in forcing a change for our client base. The product works with all the programs. That’s the benefit.”
Trying something new at an established accounting practice
MYOB Practice Compliance is where all MYOB’s compliance tools come together. The platform brings client management, tax, workpapers, financial statements, BAS and more into a single connected workspace, accessible in the cloud.
For Borellini and Co, the move to Practice Compliance wasn’t dramatic, but it has had some tangible impacts. The practice now manages compliance through one workflow, with consistent workpapers and automatic updates. That means less manual work for staff, fewer mistakes and fixes, and more time to spend one-on-one with clients. For a small, busy practice with equally busy clients, those benefits add up to real value.
Learn more about MYOB Practice Compliance here.
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