I completely agree with you.  I found this post while searching for options.  I used to play the upgrade game; and it used to be cost efficient; but now; I haven't upgraded since 2016 and I do the payroll calculations myself using circular E and excel.  Sure it takes longer; but it has worked great the past 4 years without any mistakes.  When I last checked, it was somewhere around $400.00 per year for payroll service PLUS $2.00 per employee per billing cycle; which is like buying the cow and being charged for every squirt of milk.  

I agree with you and everyone else's sentiments; we paid full price for the software (I only use Desktop), let us use it how we want, without interruptions.  I have gotten rid of almost all ads EXCEPT for the one in the bottom left corner box; which screams URGENT at all times because it wants me to upgrade. 

I have been spending my free time looking for QB alternatives; Wave, FreshBooks, Xero are all either too insufficient, or crazy expensive for what you actually get.  CheckMark software is looking really nice; their modules are separate (multiledger, payroll) but once you pay for them at the start of the year, they are yours; no ads, no up-sales; just getting work done.  Each year afterwards, you just have to pay for the payroll upgrade which is considerably less expensive than QB's yearly program.  Anyway, that's my vent.  Hope someday, someone can figure out how to bypass all this crap

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