@Bud91 RE: Being able to buy it retail (now in the past), the version was supported by intuit for 3 years, therefore paying for it once every three years. Now, getting it through QuickBooks, you have to pay for it every year, at an increased price of course, thus more than tripling the price.
The pay-every-year model not new or unique to QuickBooks 2024. It's been that way for three version-years, if I remember correctly.
The location you purchase doesn't matter. QuickBooks 2022 and 2023 were sold at retail (I think) only as "Plus" versions, which required an annual fee as well, and before that QuickBooks could be purchased either at retail or online as a the one-time purchase you mention, good for three years. The only difference with 2024 is that Intuit isn't selling it at retail anymore - but that doesn't change the subscription model, now three years old.
I'm not saying I like it either, as the plan to discontinue QuickBooks Desktop (except for Enterprise) is idiotic. Intuit is shooting themselves in the foot, and it appears to be unable to build a version of QuickBooks Online that is even close in functionality to Pro, the most basic version of QuickBooks Desktop. I've no idea how their upper management is unaware of this basic fact, but it's going to really surprise them when the majority of Desktop users refuse to convert to Online, or do so only to cancel their subscriptions shortly after.
