QuickBooks Accountant Desktop – Explained
As of 2020, there are more than 10 million QuickBooks users in the United States. Intuit has originally written the software for the desktop version, and the web-based version QuickBooks Online became popular only after the rise of cloud technology. However, the majority of legacy users still prefer their good old QuickBooks Desktop. Now, QuickBooks Desktop has specific editions for different purposes including QuickBooks Pro, Premier, and Enterprise editions. Amidst these popular editions, there is a low-key custom-built edition specifically made for accountants simply named as QuickBooks Accountant.
Let us delve into the features of QuickBooks Desktop Accountant version and how is it different from other QuickBooks editions.
QuickBooks Desktop Accountant – Who Uses It?
As the name suggests, Intuit has categorically designed the QuickBooks Accountant edition for accountants, CPAs, bookkeepers, and QuickBooks consultants. Though it cannot be assigned to a certain demographic, it is typically mainly used by freelance accountants who work as independent contractors. Therefore, it can be said that it is more suitable for users who operate QuickBooks independently i.e. who are not affiliated with any entity or organization.
Niche features in QuickBooks Accountant
QuickBooks Accountant has many nuanced features not available in any other edition. We know that QuickBooks Accountant allows a maximum of 100 users which is way more than any other edition. But the standout feature of QuickBooks Accountant is its ability to switch to other editions – toggle between Pro or Premier (including industry-specific versions). Also, you can delete your transactions and all related information in this edition.
Here are the nuanced features of QuickBooks Desktop Accountant:
- Open multiple QuickBooks files simultaneously.
- Batch Enter Transactions
- Batch Reclassify Transactions
- Batch Delete Transactions
- Batch Merge Vendors
- Send Journal Entries
- Comments to reports
- Intuit Statement Writer
- Fixed Asset Manager
- Create Period Copy
- Client Data Review Tools
- Work with accountant’s copy of QuickBooks
Is QuickBooks Accountant Desktop the best edition of QuickBooks?
Many veteran CPAs strongly opine that QuickBooks Accountant Desktop is the best edition out of the entire QuickBooks ecosystem. QuickBooks Pro, Premier, and Enterprise are one-time purchase licenses while QuickBooks Accountant Desktop licenses are permanent and are supported for up to 3 years of purchase.
QuickBooks Accountant Desktop version is backward compatible with QuickBooks Pro or Premier of the same year version. It contains ALL the features which are available in QuickBooks Pro – the basic edition of QuickBooks. If you are considering a choice between QuickBooks Pro vs Accountant, select an edition that fulfills our accounting requirements. As mentioned already, an independent CPA without many users prefers QuickBooks Accountant Desktop version for its robustness and ease of use.
What about QuickBooks Online vs Accountant?
This is a primary difference between QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop Accountant version. With QuickBooks Online, you can access QuickBooks remotely from anywhere irrespective of edition. But it does not offer the look-and-feel of a desktop version and does not support the full QuickBooks functionality. QuickBooks Desktop versions are far more feature-rich than the online version and allows unlimited number of QuickBooks files. Though QuickBooks Online is a good platform, it serves a different purpose and might not be suitable for working comprehensively. The features of QuickBooks Desktop outweigh QuickBooks Online. If you want to do heavy work on QuickBooks, seasoned CPAs still prefer desktop versions until the online version is fully developed like the desktop version.
Host QuickBooks Accountant Desktop in Cloud
QuickBooks Accountant Desktop edition is suitable for dense accounting functions such as managing inventories. Though QuickBooks Online is the future, but for the time being, many contractors prefer the desktop edition.
If you do not want to use QuickBooks Online and still want to access QuickBooks Desktop edition (including QuickBooks Accountant) from anywhere anytime, you can opt for QuickBooks cloud hosting. Apps4Rent is a leading QuickBooks Solution Provider and an Intuit Authorized Standard Host, which means that we are certified by Intuit to host QuickBooks in the Cloud. We can host all editions of QuickBooks including Pro, Premier, Enterprise, and Accountant on a cloud desktop at the best pricing in the industry. Contact our sales team to get more information. Call us now!
