QuickBooks has been around longer than a lot of business owners we know…notice I didn’t say “longer than a lot of businesses”…I meant to say “longer than a lot of business owners.” The first version of the software appeared in 1983…40 years ago! Over the years Intuit improved the software, added important features, and, eventually, converted a lot of its functionality to work with an online version. That online version has become the default for a lot of businesses now, so for those who are used to using the desktop version, it’s fair to ask…”What does the future look like for the version I’m familiar with?”
The Bottom Line
There’s really no way to sugarcoat this, so I won’t try…the future of QuickBooks Desktop is not a bright one. As with seemingly every other service, Intuit is pushing more and more for their customers to start using their online version.
The reason this is coming up at this point is because Intuit announced they would be ceasing support for QuickBooks Desktop 2020 as of May 31, 2023. While some users will not actually be affected, they are discontinuing access for some important add-on services for users of QBD 2020. Things like…
- Payroll Services
- Live Support
- Online Backup
- Online Banking
It also means that critical security updates will no longer be issued for QBD 2020 starting on June 1, 2023. Online security is a big deal, so that in and of itself is a dealbreaker in our eyes.
The service discontinuation will not just be one or two items, either. The official list on the Intuit website looks like this:
- QuickBooks Desktop Pro 2020
- QuickBooks Desktop Premier 2020 (General Business, Contractor, Manufacturing & Wholesale, Nonprofit, Professional Services, and Retail)
- QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions 20
- QuickBooks Premier Accountant Edition 2020
- QuickBooks Enterprise Accountant 20
- QuickBooks Desktop for Mac 2020
What Can You Do?
If you are truly “old school” and feel the need to keep working with QuickBooks Desktop, you can upgrade to the latest version: QuickBooks Desktop 2023. You need to be sure you really need the desktop version, though, because it’s not exactly easy to find the Desktop version that might be best suited to you…and it isn’t exactly cheap.
The other option is to migrate your business to QuickBooks Online. Intuit actually highly favors this option and touts it as the best and most convenient option:
We want to make sure your move experience is as seamless as possible. Here’s what you need to know to switch to QuickBooks Online.
QuickBooks Online offers features such as automatic bank account updates, the ability to access your books anywhere you have internet access, and more.
QuickBooks Online is a product we fully support, as well, so we are ready to help you through the transition and keep you up-to-date on how to properly use it in your business.
The bottom line is that while QB Desktop isn’t going away right away, some older versions are going to become very inconvenient to continue to use by the time this month is over. To us, that sends a message that Intuit does not plan to keep making desktop versions of the software for the broad spectrum of businesses that it currently does…so if you haven’t decided to go with QuickBooks Online yet, you likely will have to sometime soon.
If you need help getting started, give us a call at 423-207-2497 today!