You should stop trying to sell the idea that logging into a Quickbooks account to access information stored on a local computer is a security feature. That's nonsense and you know it.
Any connection beyond the local computer creates increased security risk. It allows information to be observed beyond the local PC, opens up a connection that can be exploited, and allows unknown others to observe local data. And by unknown others I primarily mean Intuit and Quickbooks.
It's no secret that Intuit and Quickbooks have been trying to force users to move online only to find desktop users aren't keen on this idea. Quickbooks online is vastly more expensive than desktop, Quickbooks has the ability to mine user data without their consent, and users don't have data portability. Online Quickbooks is, in almost every case, a bad deal for users.
By requiring users to log into a Quickbooks account to use desktop software, Quickbooks gains the same sort of access to desktop data as it has to online data. What Quickbooks does with this is not disclosed; neither are Quickbook's plans for future use of this backdoor connection.
Excepting add on services such as payroll, there should never, ever, be a need for a desktop user to log into a internet connected account to use their software.
Quickbooks is treading a dangerous path. A huge portion of your users are desktop users for a reason - attempting to backdoor these users into a psuedo-online experience only ensures they begin looking for replacements to your product.
