Big Changes Coming to QuickBooks Desktop Licensing

Effective July 31, 2024, QuickBooks will no longer sell new subscriptions to the following products: QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus, QuickBooks Desktop Premier Plus, QuickBooks Desktop Mac Plus and QuickBooks Desktop Enhanced Payroll.

What does this mean for current users of these desktop products?

If you are already a subscriber to one of these versions or Enhanced Payroll, you can continue to renew your subscription with no disruptions. Intuit will continue to offer security patches, product updates and support for the foreseeable future. No action is needed. They do note that this could change at some point in the future.

If you are considering moving to one of these products or are already using an older version without a subscription, you will need to purchase a subscription before July 31, 2024.  After that date, the only desktop product that will be available for new subscribers is Desktop Enterprise.

If your company is using an older version, it may seem appealing to stay on the older version rather than switch to the subscription model. However, that can be risky.  Eventually, Windows could release an update that causes older software to stop working. If you experience data corruption or your hardware crashes, it can be difficult to find support for obsolete versions or easily re-install if needed.

The only Intuit offerings for new subscribers after July 31 will be QuickBooks Enterprise and QuickBooks Online.  Those products are quite different from one another and it’s important to note that Quickbooks Online does not have the same interface as Desktop. We recommend reviewing your needs, in particular reporting needs, along with considering transaction volume, complexity of your financials and number of users that will need access when deciding between the two options.

There are other non-Intuit accounting packages available as well. Consider taking a look at Sage 50 (formerly Peachtree), Sage 100 (formerly MAS90, for larger companies), as well as industry specific options.  Most software companies have moved to the subscription model, not just Intuit.

We are available to discuss your options and encourage everyone to review their options and make a decision well before the July 31 deadline.

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