Thinking that once all of my clients still on Desktop Year End 31.03.23 transfer was completed in record time I could get some sort of personal life back only to discover that there was a very silent launch of QuickBooks Online Advanced.
For any needing stock control, time sheets without payroll and projects. Customer sub accounts and most of the desktop functions it is there and appears to work. Unlike Sage you can adapt it, delete errors and get used to it relatively quickly.
I've just spent 3 months moving a client from QBD to Sage and then to QBO Advanced. Most of my clients would have willingly gone to this had they been informed by Intuit that it was coming. Instead they moved in April 2022 as the original cessation was to be half way through their financial year end. The extension shattered them, they could have had another year, the arrival of Advanced has left them all frankly Gob Smacked. That's the most polite way I can put it. None that moved in 2022 will even consider ever returning to QuickBooks.
I've noticed the USA threads. They shouldn't be too concerned, the UK's issue is a direct result of HMRC (our government) and Making Tax Digital for quarterly tax submissions.
Software providers are finding it easier to comply with HMRC's requirements with software that is connected to the internet with your data on their servers. The ultimate aim is for HMRC to access bank accounts and your bank feeds will facilitate that.
That is why Desktop has been ditched. I suspect the deadlines for cessation were a result of HMRC's deadlines. Intuit were simply not prepared to comply. The sad fact is that many of us would have accepted a price increase to keep it. We were paying less with monthly subscriptions than when we were purchasing an annual disc years ago, add inflation and we could have been paying Β£50-60 per month without noticing. Add an explanation about HMRC requirements and Β£75 would have still be very competitive. Sage for the like for like product is Β£165 so Intuit take that for what it is, you've lost credibility for your lack of foresight.
Sometimes decisions made by others don't make sense, when it comes to technology no decision makes sense. Know why? They are made by the young who are looking purely at the tech not the experienced who understand that they need to be looking at what use it is to the user. QBD was developed and launched in 1998, have a look at Wikipedia, the developer retires and look what happens to his product.
RIP QuickBooks Desktop, you were the best on the market for 25 years, don't think Online will be able to claim that in 25 years time.
