I'm here to clear things up for you, CJDog1980.
The client and accountant's QuickBooks Desktop versions must be compatible. Otherwise, the changes made may not reflect. Though using different versions is still possible as long as the gap is just one year and they're using a recent one.
With regard to your subscription, you can still access your file. However, you'll stop receiving security updates and online services, such as the following:
- Live Support
- Online Backup
- Online Banking
- Other QuickBooks Desktop Services
To know more about this, you can browse this article: QuickBooks Desktop Service Discontinuation Policy.
For the file format, you can use the QBB extension. QuickBooks creates this when you back up your data. However, you're unable to access your books outside the program. For more details, please see this article: File Types and Extensions.
Aside from that, I'd suggest exporting your data into an Excel spreadsheet. Or you can move to QuickBooks Online.
Additionally, I've added these resources that'll help you learn more about using and creating Accountant's Copy:
Please know that you can always count on me if you have additional questions about these topics. I want to make sure everything is answered.
