You must be running Mac OS X v10.6.7 (Snow Leopard) or v10.7 (Lion) to use QuickBooks for Mac 2012.

In most cases, you can upgrade QuickBooks and your company file in under an hour. Upgrading via CD can take only a few minutes. Upgrading via download depends on download speed and time.

Upgrading from an earlier version of QuickBooks for Mac is easy. You can automatically transfer data from QuickBooks for Mac 4.0 (M12), 5.0, 6.0, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011 (U.S. versions). You can also easily convert your data from QuickBooks for Windows 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 (Pro and Premier versions). If converting from QuickBooks for Windows, you'll need to save a copy of your QuickBooks backup file (.QBB file) to a CD, USB drive or other storage device to transfer the file to the Mac. Then simply open the file on QuickBooks for Mac 2012. For details about upgrading from Quicken for Mac 2007, visit QuickBooks Support.

You can upgrade your QuickBooks anytime! However, in addition to gaining the benefits from the newest QuickBooks features to help your business succeed, there are other important reasons to upgrade now: starting May 31, 2012, we will no longer be offering access to live technical support or add-on business services for QuickBooks for Mac 2009 (see www.aboutqb.com/discontinuationplan for details).

Yes. QuickBooks for Mac can upgrade QuickBooks for Windows 2010, 2011, and 2012 (Enterprise edition excluded) company files. Just save a Mac-compatible backup file (.MAC.qbb) from QuickBooks for Windows and open it in QuickBooks for Mac.

Click here see a comparison chart of all QuickBooks products. In addition, click here to see a comparison chart of QuickBooks for Mac 2012 and QuickBooks Pro 2012 for Windows. Or to see for yourself how QuickBooks for Mac compares with your version of QuickBooks for Windows, download the QuickBooks for Mac free trial.

QuickBooks for Windows and Mac offer the same basic set of financial management tools, but have some differences too. Depending on which version of QuickBooks you compare to, the differences can be significant.

The list below includes some of the key differences. If any of these situations apply, you should continue to use QuickBooks for Windows.

• Do you need to create an accountant's copy?
• Do you currently use QuickBooks Payroll (such as Basic, Enhanced, or Assisted)?
• Do you use other applications that integrate with QuickBooks?
• Do you use QuickBooks for online bill pay or funds transfer?
• Do you use advanced inventory functionality such as inventory assemblies or units of measure?
• Do you need to set different prices for the same item?
• Do you need to support multiple currencies at the same time?
• Do you use QuickBooks Premier or Enterprise Solutions?

QuickBooks for Mac 2012 is built from the ground up for the Mac platform. It is not a "port" from Windows and it is designed to work how Mac users work (not Windows users). The underlying technology of the two products is significantly different. For instance, new features in QuickBooks for Mac are built in Cocoa, which is specific to the Mac. Each year, the QuickBooks for Mac team listens to customers and builds the top requested features. Many times, those features are the same as those in the Windows product. Other times, they are new and unique to the Mac product. Thus, while the two products have the same set of core features, their complete feature set, as well as look and feel, are different.

The vast majority of transaction information converts successfully. However, some data does not convert. This includes:

• Custom templates created in QuickBooks for Windows are not visible in QuickBooks for Mac. However they still exist and continue to be visible if the file is returned to QuickBooks for Windows.
• Transactions reconciled in QuickBooks for Windows will appear unreconciled in QuickBooks for Mac. Although they will appear unreconciled in QuickBooks for Mac, the actual transactions are preserved.
• Memorized reports do not convert because QuickBooks for Mac does not offer all of the same columns and customization options as QuickBooks for Windows.
• Also, any data associated with features which aren't available in QuickBooks for Mac (such as sales orders and inventory assemblies) will not be converted.

For a complete list of what is and is not converted, see: http://support.quickbooks.intuit.com/support/pages/inproducthelp/Mac/QB2K9/12b-file/task_update_qbwin.htm

QuickBooks Premier for Windows supports inventory assemblies while the QuickBooks for Mac version does not. In the case where a QuickBooks Premier for Windows user switches to QuickBooks for Mac, their item list information will transfer - however, any inventory assemblies will not retain the cost and bill of material information. Also, QuickBooks for Mac does not support Units of Measure functionality, which allow you to receive and sell items in different units (e.g. ft vs. inches, dozen vs. individual).

Both QuickBooks for Mac and QuickBooks for Windows offer built-in time sheets and single activities as methods of tracking time. In QuickBooks for Mac, one user can enter time directly into QuickBooks and other users can use the included My Time application to send time to QuickBooks. To send time to QuickBooks, simply send My Time files to an employee with QuickBooks for Mac access, open them in My Time, and click "Send to QuickBooks." In QuickBooks for Windows, each employee can install and use the Timer application (Each employee does not need a copy of QuickBooks). QuickBooks for Windows will then import the time-tracking data from each individual Timer application.

QuickBooks for Windows, when used in conjunction with QuickBooks Payroll Services, can generate pay checks based on time tracked by employees without any additional data entry. In QuickBooks for Mac, this information must be re-entered into the payroll solution.

QuickBooks for Mac doesn't use the same payroll service as QuickBooks for Windows. However, any paycheck or payment transactions created in QuickBooks for Windows will appear as transactions in QuickBooks for Mac, including job costing information. But if add-on services such as direct deposit or EFT are used in QuickBooks for Windows, the use of those services is not retained when converting to QuickBooks for Mac.

We don't offer a Premier edition of QuickBooks for Mac currently. This means industry-specific reports and terminology (e.g. "clients," "donors") and advanced functionality (e.g. sales orders, inventory assemblies) are not available.

We strongly encourage any QuickBooks Premier user to evaluate the QuickBooks for Mac free 30-day trial prior to purchasing to ensure the product meets their needs. The trial is available here.

Yes, QuickBooks Online will work on a Mac running the Safari browser. All the same QuickBooks Online functionality is available on Safari as on Internet Explorer.

For information about differences between QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks for Mac, review this comparison chart.

Overall, QuickBooks Online better serves businesses with multiple locations while QuickBooks for Mac offers integration with Mac technologies, more advanced forms customization, and the familiar look and feel of other Mac applications.

QuickBooks Online also makes it easy for your accountant to log in to your account without disrupting your bookkeeping, while QuickBooks for Mac requires you to send a copy of your financial data to your accountant.

Note that users of QuickBooks Online cannot switch to QuickBooks for Mac and take their data with them.

With QuickBooks, you can purchase multi-user versions (for example 2-User and 3-User) which help you save time by allowing multiple people to work on the same QuickBooks company file at the same time.

The key benefits of working in a multi-user QuickBooks environment include:

• Increased productivity. Get work done more quickly, and with fewer interruptions-- one user can run reports, while another enters sales receipts, while a third runs payroll and prints checks.
• Increased accuracy. Everyone works off the same up-to-date company file so you can reference the same data when making decisions.
• Safeguarding critical or sensitive data. Set user permission levels to allow or restrict users from gaining access to certain reports, bank accounts and lists.

Call us at (877) 683-3280 to learn more about our multi-user offerings. Or, simply add QuickBooks Pro, QuickBooks Premier, or QuickBooks for Mac to the cart, and select a multi-user version in the cart. Whether you've got two users or thirty, we have something to meet your needs.

If you need support, QuickBooks offers a variety of excellent, cost-effective Support Plans. Learn more about all support options at www.quickbooks.com/support.

Little Square is a free, online resource¹ created for both new and more seasoned QuickBooks for Mac users. It offers advice-driven content written by accountants, advanced users, and product experts to help you get more out of QuickBooks for Mac.

In addition, QuickBooks for Mac comes with improved in-product help. You can also find answers to frequently asked questions at our free support Web site at www.quickbooks.com/support.

Guide Me provides basic step-by-step instructions for key tasks so you can "learn by doing" and get started quickly.

And QuickBooks for Mac offers various included help resources. In-product help articles explain how to perform tasks or solve common problems. The User Guide(eBook) is a complete, detailed manual for all of QuickBooks. The Intuit Community makes it easy to get help from expert users in an online forum.

Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisors are independent CPAs, accountants, bookkeepers, computer consultants and trainers who work with small businesses. They are considered QuickBooks experts because they have successfully completed comprehensive and rigorous QuickBooks training developed by Intuit.

ProAdvisors help businesses like yours get started, and can customize QuickBooks for your unique needs to help you get the most out of the software. They understand the challenges you face and can offer guidance on everything from complex accounting questions to mastering advanced QuickBooks features.

Click here to find a QuickBooks ProAdvisor in your local area.

Visit the Intuit Community to connect with other QuickBooks users and experts to ask questions and share advice. Search or browse through a variety of discussion topics or post your own question.

QuickBooks for Mac can save you time, keep you organized and put more information at your fingertips than you could possibly get from a paper-based system or spreadsheet. Enter information once and it is automatically sent wherever it's needed - like sending vendor names and addresses to checks and purchase orders so you don't have to type them, and customer information and job-related expenses to invoices. It even reminds you when you've overlooked billable expenses. It also lets you instantly generate reports that tell you where you stand on everything from receivables to cash flow.

QuickBooks for Mac 2012 can import data from Quicken 2007 for Mac. Importing Quicken Essentials for Mac is not supported at this time.

Yes, you can download a 30-day Free Trial of QuickBooks for Mac 2012. And if you decide to purchase QuickBooks for Mac, note that you must download the Full version to replace your free trial. (The QuickBooks for Mac Trial cannot be "unlocked.")

Each year the QuickBooks team listens to our customers and builds the most requested features. Unfortunately, we are unable to disclose those new features until the software is released. You can send feedback to the QuickBooks team from within the application by going to the QuickBooks menu and choosing "Send Feedback."

QuickBooks for Mac 2012 comes with 115+ reports. To see a complete list of reports, download the following PDF .

You can backup your QuickBooks for Mac file in a Windows format to send to a Windows user. The Windows user, such as your accountant, can open your QuickBooks for Mac file, edit it in QuickBooks for Windows, and send it back to you to open again on your Mac. You can see detailed instructions with screen shots in this PDF.

Two QuickBooks files cannot be merged, so if the Windows user will return your file with changes, you should refrain from entering data until you received the modified file.

Yes. You can't print on plain paper since banks require you to print on special checks and deposit slips. You can purchase a wide variety of these bank-accepted checks and deposit slips from a local check supply company or directly from Intuit.

No. However, Contact Sync allows you to sync your contacts with Mac OS X Address Book. Many customers sync their contacts with Address Book and print their envelopes using Address Book.

QuickBooks for Mac 2012 lets you control access to sensitive data by setting user permissions for up to eight activity areas including: Sales & Accounts Receivable; Purchases & Accounts Payable; Checking & Credit Card expenses; Inventory; Time tracking; Payroll & Employees;

Sensitive accounting activities; and Sensitive financial reporting.

Yes. Create users in Company > Users and Passwords, assigning passwords to each user. You can give users access to everything (Administrator), using passwords to block unauthorized users and track changes using the Audit Trail. Or you can limit these users' activities by choosing "Selective access" and customizing their access. You can even set an optional security question to recover your password in case you forget it.

Yes. Intuit QuickBooks Payroll for Mac² allows you to easily manage your payroll. This Internet-based solution includes current tax withholding rates and forms, free direct deposit, and free support from payroll experts. Since it's an Internet-based solution, you can manage your payroll anytime from anywhere. It even integrates with your QuickBooks data so you can see paychecks and up-to-date payroll liabilities in QuickBooks for Mac.

Yes, you can process a credit card as you receive a payment within QuickBooks. QuickBooks Merchant Services account required.³ QuickBooks for Mac also offers integration with Intuit GoPayment, a mobile application for accepting credit card payments.

QuickBooks for Mac can only accept data from services supporting the IIF format. However, you can track your data from services like these by entering a daily transaction (daily aggregate) into QuickBooks. This does not provide you the detailed transaction information, but still helps you track your sales for large volume services.

We officially support running QuickBooks for Windows in Bootcamp, the technology Apple provides with Mac OS X for running Windows on a Mac. Bootcamp requires your Mac to be restarted each time you switch between Mac and Windows environments. Customers have reported using virtualization software such as VMware Fusion or Parallels Desktop to run QuickBooks for Windows on their Macs. This may decrease application performance in terms of speed and not all features may work as they were intended. Please be aware that Intuit has not tested, nor do we support, the use of a QuickBooks for Windows product on the above mentioned PC emulators. We encourage you to research this approach to see whether it will work for you. Note that any solution for running Windows on your Mac requires a copy of the Windows operating system, typically sold separately by Microsoft.

When creating a "Back Up to QuickBooks for Windows", the file is only readable by 2012 editions of QuickBooks for Windows. If a Windows user is switching to Mac (one-time, one-way data conversion,) QuickBooks for Mac 2012 can read in 2010, 2011 or 2012 editions for QuickBooks for Windows only (Pro, Premier, and Premier Accountant editions.) If a Windows user is switching from an earlier version, the conversion can still be done, but the user must contact QuickBooks support for help.

As long as your QuickBooks file doesn't have data damage prior to the transfer process, there are no data issues. Click here to learn how to convert data back and forth.

No, not directly. However, QuickBooks Support may be able to assist in the conversion of your data depending on the application. Or visit the Intuit Community site to get help from other QuickBooks for Mac users.

QuickBooks provides a safe and easy method to back up your QuickBooks company file to MobileMe. Just choose the menu option (File > Back Up > To MobileMe), and QuickBooks encrypts your company file and transfers it to the specified MobileMe account. This protects your company file during the transfer process.

When creating a new transaction in QuickBooks (like creating invoices, generating purchase orders, and writing checks), a user can check the "Show in iCal" checkbox that is located on the form. Once checked, QuickBooks automatically adds a reminder in iCal that prompts the user to complete the transaction on the appropriate date.

You can sync your Microsoft Entourage contacts with QuickBooks for Mac 2012 if you're running on Snow Leopard (Mac v.10.6.7 or later). QuickBooks and Entourage both use Sync Services to sync with Address Book and other applications. As a result, you can enter new contacts in Address Book or QuickBooks and have them automatically appear in Entourage.

No, not directly. However QuickBooks for Mac does feature several tax summary reports. These reports provide the necessary information, categorization, and account summary to complete your business taxes fast with TurboTax. Please note: you cannot import your data directly from QuickBooks for Mac to TurboTax. Though a Mac version of TurboTax Home & Business is available, TurboTax Business is not offered for the Mac platform at this time.

Yes, QuickBooks for Mac can automatically import sales data from Xsilva LightSpeed POS.

No, not at this time.

QuickBooks for Mac 2012 can import QuickBooks Web Connect and Direct Connect file formats. There are over 3000 financial institutions that support this file format. Click here to see the list of banks and credit unions that offer this format.

Please provide your bank's name by going to http://www.useqb.com/qbmacfi and clicking the Provide Intuit Feedback link at the bottom of the web page. Also it helps if you contact your bank directly and tell them that you'd like them to support QuickBooks Web Connect and Direct Connect.

QuickBooks can import data in three ways:

• Via IIF (Intuit Interchange Format)
• Via Quicken Mac (2007 edition)
• Via Web Connect (.QBO format for financial institutions)

NOTE: Importing data must be initiated manually.

Yes. QuickBooks can directly import Quicken Mac files for 2007 editions only. To import earlier versions of Quicken, customers must contact QuickBooks Support for assistance.

QuickBooks can export the following data:

• Lists to an IIF file
• Addresses to a text file
• Any report to XLSX format

IIF stands for Intuit Interchange Format (IIF). It is one of the ways by which Intuit works with other developers to bring data in to Intuit's various applications (QuickBooks, Quicken and TurboTax).

You must either purchase a 2 or 3 user edition of QuickBooks for Mac 2012 or purchase additional user licenses for QuickBooks for Mac 2012 (1 user edition). The multi-user mode5 in QuickBooks for Mac allows multiple users to collaborate on the same company file at the same time. All users must be networked and must each have their own QuickBooks license. Multi-user mode enables more than one person to work on a company file at the same time increasing collaboration and productivity. It improves accuracy because all users are working on the most up-to-date data. Additionally, it ensures data stays protected because individual user access levels can be set.

Our standard license agreement requires separate QuickBooks licenses for each person who uses QuickBooks software. However, if you have both a laptop and desktop Mac, and you're the only person using QuickBooks, you only need one license. You need to get additional licenses when additional people need to use QuickBooks on their computers. The End User License Agreement (EULA) in your copy of QuickBooks for Mac will have more details or contact our Telesales team for help at 1-877-683-3280.

Under the single-user license, you may install QuickBooks software on one computer for access and use by only one specific person; and, install the software on one additional portable computer so long as only the same specific person accesses and uses the software.

However, you will need to set up your home computer to access your office network, where your QuickBooks file is stored.

If you have more than 3 users of QuickBooks for Mac, we recommend that you call 1-888-859-4093 and order from one of our sales consultants. They will ensure that you are set up with the proper number of licenses.

If you already have a copy of QuickBooks for Mac, you can also add additional licenses from within the product. Simply go to QuickBooks (menu)> Manage License>Buy Additional Licenses

If you choose to purchase additional licenses by phone, you will be given a phone number to call and a representative can assist you in purchasing an additional license. If you choose to purchase additional licenses over the Internet, you will be directed to the in-product e-Store to make your additional purchases.

QuickBooks for Mac can accommodate up to 5 simultaneous users.

QuickBooks has two methods of tracking time. You can use the built-in time sheets or single time entry features if QuickBooks is installed on your computer. Or employees can track time using My Time, which does not need to have QuickBooks installed on the same computer. These employees can periodically send their time data to QuickBooks for billing.

Currently, QuickBooks for Mac only supports English.

QuickBooks for Mac does not support Canadian Image Ready Cheques and will thus encounter a problem with Canadian banks when those printed checks are required. If you're using QuickBooks for Mac 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010 or 2011 (U.S. versions), you can convert your data to QuickBooks for Mac 2012. If you're using QuickBooks Pro 4.5 or QuickBooks Accounts, you'll need to create a new data file for use with the new version. Please note that QuickBooks for Mac 2012 data files are not compatible with the Canadian version of QuickBooks for Windows. Also, only a single currency is supported in QuickBooks for Mac 2012.

QuickBooks for Mac does not support multiple currencies at the same time. However, QuickBooks for Mac can support a different single currency indirectly. Just be aware that the currency symbol set in System Preferences may not always be shown, but since all your transactions are in a different currency, the information is still correct.

• Mac OS X v10.6.7 (Snow Leopard) or v10.7 (Lion)
• At least an Intel processor, Core 2 Duo or higher recommended
• Multiuser: Intel Core 2 Duo or higher processor to run server
• At least 1 Gb RAM, 2 Gb RAM recommended
• CD/DVD drive for installation.
• 210mb of available disk space.
• Use Intuit Checks if you plan to print checks. Canadian Image Ready Cheques are not supported.

• Export report data requires Apple Numbers '09; Microsoft Excel 2008 or 2011 for Mac.
• E-mail requires Apple Mail, Microsoft Entourage 2008 or Outlook 2011 for Mac.
• Backup to MobileMe requires paid MobileMe account available separately from Apple, Inc.
• iCal, iChat, and Address Book are included in Mac OS X installs from Apple, Inc.

• A high-speed Internet connection (DSL, cable modem, or higher)
• Safari 2.0 or higher

After installing QuickBooks, you can delete the disk image from your computer to free up disk space. Important: Customers with dial-up connections cannot download QuickBooks, due to the large file size.