Intuit to Discontinue QuickBooks Desktop: Here’s What You Need to Know

QuickBooks Desktop has been a faithful ally for many small businesses by managing their finances and keeping things tidy. However, there is an important update if you rely on QuickBooks Desktop: Intuit, the creator of QuickBooks, is discontinuing the sale of new subscriptions for certain U.S. versions of QuickBooks Desktop after July 31, 2024. This might sound worrisome because you may not know what this means for your business. This guide will cover everything about the discontinuation of QuickBooks Desktop, including which versions are affected, what happens after July 31, and the best alternatives to choose from.

Understanding QuickBooks Desktop Discontinuation

Here is a closer look at what is changing with QuickBooks Desktop:

Intuit will not be selling new subscriptions for some U.S.-specific versions of QuickBooks Desktop after July 31, 2024.
Users with these versions can still use their software, but they will lose access to some features after certain dates described below.
QuickBooks Desktop is not completely discontinued, as Intuit still develops and sells newer editions along with enterprise solutions like QuickBooks Enterprise.

Note that this sunset only impacts new subscriptions within the United States. If you’re located outside the U.S., it would be good to get in touch with the Intuit support center or any other official channel nearest to your location for more details about how this affects you locally.

Versions of QuickBooks Desktop Being Phased Out in 2024

The discontinuation applies specifically to new subscriptions to the following QuickBooks Desktop editions:

QuickBooks Pro Plus (Desktop)
QuickBooks Premier Plus (Desktop)
QuickBooks Mac Plus (Desktop)
Enhanced Payroll (Desktop)

Current users with these versions can still use their software, but it’s important that they understand that certain functionalities will become inaccessible on specific dates, which puts their data and functionality at risk.

Is Your Business Affected?

If you are not sure whether or not QuickBooks Desktop will affect your business, please check out the following:

Do you use QuickBooks Pro Plus, Premier Plus, Mac Plus, or Enhanced Payroll? If yes, then these are among the discontinued versions for new users.
Are you a new customer who is considering buying and using this product? If so, make sure that after July 31, 2024, Intuit’s newer releases are available only.

What Services Are Affected By the Discontinuation?

The discontinuation mostly affects access to certain features and services for the users of the affected versions (Pro Plus, Premier Plus, Mac Plus, and Enhanced Payroll). Here are some details about key affected services, along with timelines:

Loss of Critical Security Updates: This is a big deal! After May 31, 2024, security updates from Intuit will stop coming into those versions, which leaves them vulnerable to cyber-attacks aimed at financial data thefts or any other breaches in system security.
Limited Functionality: From May 31, 2024, there may be features that you can’t use anymore, like:
- Online Banking: This might interfere with managing bank accounts within QuickBooks Desktop, where transactional operations between various banks take place seamlessly.
- Online Backup: Regular backups should always be done because they help in data recovery during system crashes, but once it becomes impossible to access them due to malfunctions in the software itself or hardware failure, things may get complicated.
- Live Technical Support: Technical support is necessary for troubleshooting issues and getting help with the software, but losing access to such support can leave you stranded when you encounter technical difficulties.

Basically, the discontinuation means that QuickBooks Desktop will no longer be supported in these versions. The software can still be used, but without security updates and with a risk of losing some functionalities, which may have a significant impact on data safety as well as workflow efficiency.

It should be understood that the discontinuation does not affect current users right away; it applies only to new subscriptions. Nevertheless, from May 31, 2024, onwards, there will be no more vital security patches and feature updates, thus leaving many customers no choice but to look for another solution.

The Way Forward: Move to QuickBooks Online

The discontinuation of certain QuickBooks Desktop versions provides an opportunity to reassess your accounting software. Using outdated versions exposes you to security risks and limits features after May 31, 2024, but switching over to QuickBooks Online has several benefits:

Accessibility: With an internet connection, you can access your financial data from anywhere and do away with software installation or updates on individual computers.
Better Collaboration: Many users can simultaneously reach and work with your accounting information, thus enhancing teamwork.
Automated Backups: Through cloud-based storage, automatic backups of your data are made, which do away with manual backups.
Stronger Security: You will always be provided with the latest protection against cyber threats because it is updated automatically.
Flexible Plans at Affordable Prices: Apps4Rent has plans that fit every budget starting from $30 per month only; moreover, we offer more discounts on all our QuickBooks Online plans!

Apps4Rent Can Help You Switch to QuickBooks Online

Being a Microsoft Gold Partner that deals in cloud solutions for businesses, Apps4Rent can help you navigate through the discontinuation process by:

Identifying what exactly you need based on your budget considerations.
Advising accordingly about transitioning into using QuickBooks Online.
Providing guidance when migrating data as well as implementing software while ensuring minimal interference with workflow patterns experienced during such periods within organizations like yours.