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QuickBooks Desktop discontinuation support

by Intuit•52• Updated 1 month ago

This page outlines the reasoning behind the discontinuation of QuickBooks Desktop.

Important update

QuickBooks Desktop isn't a compliant Making Tax Digital (MTD) solution. Starting from the 7th April 2024, HMRC will no longer accept MTD submissions through QuickBooks Desktop 2016 or newer versions. 

If you want to keep submitting VAT following the HMRC guidelines, switch to QuickBooks Online today.

What led to QuickBooks Desktop being discontinued?

Helping you stay compliant is our priority. With previous changes to accounting and tax regulations, and with more on the horizon, we decided to discontinue all QuickBooks Desktop services for our UK customers on 30 June, 2023. This includes all versions of QuickBooks Desktop Pro, Premier and Enterprise. 

What's my next step?

Choose the relevant heading to find the information you need based on what you want to do with your data.

Thinking about moving to QuickBooks Online? Great! We want to make sure your move experience is as seamless as possible. That’s why we’ve partnered with Movemybooks, a self-service data conversion tool that automatically converts and transfers your QuickBooks Desktop data to QuickBooks Online. Make the switch, and sign up for QuickBooks today.

You can access and export your QuickBooks data whenever necessary using the data export tool. Even if you have discontinued using QuickBooks Desktop, your company data file is all that's required. This tool allows you to view standard reports and download them onto your computer for safekeeping. However, you can't use the data export tool to move your data from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online.

Follow these steps to download and save your data.

If you're looking to transfer your data to a new financial management system, you may wish to consider using a data conversion service from an outside company.

You may need access to your desktop software when working with a third party, if you currently don't have access to the correct desktop software you can download, install and use this 30 day version of QuickBooks Desktop 2021.

Follow these steps to export your Desktop data so you have it ready when you use another program to manage your bookkeeping.

  1. Backup your QuickBooks Desktop data. 
  2. Export your lists and create a detailed chart of accounts report, plus open transaction reports to help you set up. 
  3. Download all your sales and purchase invoices, then complete the following:
    1. Go to Preferences and remove the period end date.
    2. Check any spelling and notification of changes made before you start – this will let you print without having to confirm multiple times.
    3. Select the invoices for the year you want to download.
      Note: You can download the entire year. We recommend downloading invoices by month if you have more than 25 invoices per month. You can print or download the invoices as a PDF and save them in a folder
  4. Download and save copies of all your bank statements.
  5. In your new accounting system, enter the opening balances into your chart of accounts and import your customer and supplier lists.
  6. Finally, re-create or import your open transactions and adjust your open balances accordingly.

Frequently asked questions

Unfortunately this isn't possible as UK company data files aren’t compatible with the QuickBooks version for US or Canada.

There will be no future updates, patches, or new versions of QuickBooks Desktop. After June 30, 2023, we will no longer support QuickBooks Desktop 2021 in the UK and Ireland.

Customers in the UK and Ireland using QuickBooks Desktop 2021 outright licences will be supported until June 30, 2023. After this date, support for QuickBooks Desktop will stop. This excludes installation and activation services.

You can backup your QuickBooks Desktop data with the data export tool. This tool lets you download your company data onto your computer for safekeeping.

You can if you have an outright licence for QuickBooks 2016 or earlier versions.

No, we have officially stopped selling outright licenses for all versions of QuickBooks Desktop in the UK since 2016.

If you bought a licence for QuickBooks Desktop through a one-off payment, whether it was directly from Intuit or through a retail outlet like Staples or Curry's, you'll still have access to your account after June 30, 2023.

However, starting from April 7, 2024, you won't be able to submit MTD reports to HMRC.

If you are considering moving to QuickBooks Online, call 08081684270 to chat through your options with a member of our sales team.

Note: Old versions of QuickBooks Desktop haven't had updates or security patches. After June 30, customer support will be limited for UK customers. This makes the risk of no updates even higher.

Unfortunately no, but there is help available. Reach out to your accountant manager or contact us on 0808 239 4522.

We've partnered with Movemybooks to help you each step of the way. Movemybooks has a handy tool that automatically converts and transfers your QuickBooks Desktop data to QuickBooks Online.

Reach out to us today on 0808 168 9533 and we'll connect you with an expert who can help you with your account. We're here to help you find the right solution for your firm, and we're always happy to discuss your needs and expectations.

The decision to discontinue QuickBooks Desktop is localised to the UK market only. This is due to a number of market-related factors, including the new Making Tax Digital for VAT rules, and regular updates to tax requirements. Plus, the rapidly growing demand for cloud-based applications is causing a decline in demand for desktop software.

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