I have used QB w/Enhanced Payroll for at least 10-15 years, and the way Intuit handles payroll renewal infuriates me. It makes no sense whatsoever. The logic provided on this page -- that the retail stores buy in bulk, so they can offer the new software cheaper, and that payroll renewal is more expensive because it's based on older technology and costs more to maintain" could be very easily resolved. First, Intuit IS the software company -- they're not BUYING the software. They can sell it at whatever price they want. They're obviously making money off of purchases from Sam's Club or Costco, or they wouldn't be doing it. If they offered the same products online for the same price, do you really think they'd be losing money? If they don't want people using the "old" (sometimes only one year old) QuickBooks software, then offer that as part of the online payroll renewal. They are charging for convenience, plain and simple, which would be acceptable if the renewal price wasn't so insanely high. They provide no additional services for the huge renewal fee -- all you get is the privilege to have your software continue working the way it has been. What's the reason, Intuit, that you don't offer the option to upgrade to the newest QuickBooks version along with the payroll renewal? People would pay a little extra to get that from you rather than the big box stores.
