I've been struggling to understand why the massive backwards step. I tried QBO back in 2014 and though it had a long way to go to be a desktop replacement. 8 year laters it's not got any better really.
The stock this has been a major problem when I first tried it. I asked Intuit at the time why the simple task of booking a split delivered purchase order couldn't be done. I was informed it was coming soon and keep sending in feedback, sound familiar. Turns out this was added in 2019!
 
Begards belief that things have not got any better. They seem to be intent on killing off a brilliant product, for what I can see if developed by a load of 16 years olds.

Look @ EXACT online - recently migrated to with 7000 stock items BOM and large Customer base. 
Go with an EXACT Partner for solid assistance 

Can someone in Intuit/QuickBooks please clarify. During a telephone conversation I was informed that Intuit were working on supplying a one off payment read only licence to allow us to keep data access to desktop. The last I heard/saw was that it was to be an extraction file. THAT IS NOT the same thing!! I had a client last week ask me for a report of all of his expenditure on a rental property that HMRC required for Capital Gains TAx computations. The report went back to 1999!! This is the sort of thing that crops up Intuit. Not a couple of years worth of corrupted reports - I am again  harking at the ceased desktop payroll data extraction called UKdatadump - but ACTUAL DATA. 

I can't understand Intuit ditching desktop in favour of inferior software as I have repeated several times before, I can understand even, less the lack of wanting to keep your customers on board at all. 

Hello Ell281, It is all still being looked into and you will hear more information on this soon. I can let you know that a read only tool id definitely coming out soon, this will enable you to view historical data and reports. In regards to the price we have not had any thing about this yet but more information will be passed on to customers soon.

Thanks Ashley, a read only tool is all we ask - with the exception of a change of mind of course! - the report, from one of your colleagues I believe, that it would be an extraction tool was a real concern. Your quick response is appreciated.

Now that MTD for income tax has been delayed for 2 further years until April 2026 and wont now apply to the lower earning taxpayers... Intuit should seriously consider delaying the discontinuation too by 2 further years... at least until QBO is sufficiently improved such that it is a suitable replacement (lots of work to be done there). If they don't make such a delay it will be clear that the reason for the discontinuation really is driven by Intuit's own profit motive (security concerns over a desktop product are not accepted to be a good enough reason... Intuit should be good enough at protecting us from those without undue effort and online poses greater risks). 

I really hope Intuit use this opportunity to delay and give themselves chance to save the demolition of their reputation they are currently planning on with QBO as poor as it currently it. Use the time Intuit, engage with the accountancy profession and give yourself a chance to make this transition a sensible one!

Totally agree. However, Intuit are just making the product worse by removing things, adding unwanted 'features' and not addressing or fixing the bugs and reported missing features.

Also I think it would upset their long term users of Desktop who have either done the move to QBO, and to actually pay for the move, or ditched them all together and moved to an product such as Xero which is even worse.

Still, BRING BACK DESKTOP!

I agree, MTD has been put off twice now, it may even go beyond 2026 if HMRC systems aren't ready. With the absence of Desktop's payroll it is only VAT that is MTD now and it is working so why not let things continue for another 2 years. Online has been in place a good few years, I don't think there was ever any intention of it having Desktop functionality, if there were it would be far more advanced than it is now. Please Intuit, let us keep Desktop until June 2026 at the very least 

Hi All

Has anyone found a viable alternative to QB Online yet?  We have run a trial migration of our data (£2m plus professional services company) and it simply does not meet our needs, without reconfiguring all Customer:Jobs into Products/services.  A huge task.  If we need to do this I feel we should take our business elsewhere given the poor customer service to date. This was the one feature that has kept us thinking this migration is a viable option.

Has anyone any thoughts on this?  Or are we ahead of the game having a trial migration running?

https://www.exact.com/uk/software/exact-online

Hi Mick 

Are you actually using this software as an end user with the integration options or are you an employee/selling agent for exact? 

Thanks 

Ellen 

Hi Rachel

To date I have found nothing. If you find a software that needs to integrate with the basic accounting software then I've found Xero to be more receptive but still not perfect integration. Those of my clients who have given up have gone to Xero - totally refusing to even consider QuickBooks Online after the way they are being treated - albeit kicking and screaming. Those that haven't yet are praying for a u turn from Intuit. There is no alternative that does all that QuickBooks Desktop does in one package.  

Once again Intuit; Please reconsider, those of us who need the system as it is are now well aware we have had a bargain and should be paying more for it, we are prepared to pay if you will only reconsider and keep desktop. 

Thanks ell281.  I have heard Xero recommended elsewhere too. For us the main issue is we have hundreds of Clients and jobs set up on QuickBooks desktop and every other accountancy system seems to require the jobs to be set up as services.  Also the migration from doing this in a customer/job hierarchy to a customer/product and services way has rendered the migration unusable.  The migrated file is clogged up with entries that no longer reconcile and a data in a format we cannot use going forward.  A clean start from opening balances in a new package seems the only viable way forward right now. 

What are the main challenges your clients are facing?  In case we've missed something further in our evaluation.  I am only able to assess the situation in small chunks of time as it makes me so cross!  Surely software houses have a responsibility to their users?  Although I understand from an internet search today that Sage 50 is heading the same way....

@RachelIllsley 

For us the main issue is we have hundreds of Clients and jobs set up on QuickBooks desktop and every other accountancy system seems to require the jobs to be set up as services.

For QBO, you can convert Jobs data to class or project tracking in Plus or Advanced. For Xero, you can use Tracking Categories or Xero Projects as the add-on. You will have to purchase a 3rd party conversion service.

Oh that is interesting! I will look into this further.  Any idea as to what I should google to find some guidelines for QB online?

I have tried Xero projects, it wasn't any good for how my clients use it. I then used it purely for myself, time sheets for billing customers, it wasn't any use for me personally either so I cancelled it.

In Desktop we had sub accounts that took the name of the project under the main customer, sales quotes and orders were used as acknowledgements and the stage payment invoicing meant that the remaining part of the project remained open until it was invoiced in full. It allowed percentage of overall project price or by line. 

On the supplier side the PO allows us to allocate to the particular project, when goods in recorded it recorded the cost to the project. We can then extract reports that show the cost per project. Also profit per project was available. 

Partial deliveries from suppliers allowed partial goods received and partial supplier invoices until such time the PO was complete. None of the online sotware we have tried allows this in fact QuickBooks Online allows a partial delivery but doesn't update the stock then only allows one invoice - when the stock gets updated - so you have to input the remaining PO as a new PO, rediculous! 

Online is for new start ups not existing businesses and I mean businesses with staff not one man and his mobile. 

Actively using the distribution/ warehousing and transitioned from QB desktop 

Hi Ashley, 

Can we have an update on the read only licence please? 31.03.23 is year end for a lot of people and my clients  need to know that the read only is being offered and at what price. Also if you can please ask the powers to be at Intuit to extend the life of desktop for another 2 years (or as long as HMRC keep putting off Making Tax Digital for tax). Desktop already has the VAT MTD capability so there is nothing needed in the way of massive software changes. I will be perfectly honest, my clients would be happy to pay more to keep Desktop Pro and Premier. It is very clear that it is worth a lot more than current alternatives that charge 50x more and still don't have as much functionality. Integration into Online is not as successfull as sales people will lead you to believe. SME's that have been established for years are not into online systems. We recognise the vulnerability of being in the "Cloud", it isn't up there in the ether by the way, it's in warehouses - there is an estate of them in Slough -  housing tens of thousands of servers, every single one vulnerable to outside sources. They have to use God know how much electricity to keep the running and tons of litres of water to keep them cool. Both resources far in excess of the daily use of a complete housing estate. This is an environmental issue we should not be signing up to. Were you wondering why the National Grid are suddenly struggling to keep our houses lit? It is unacceptable to my clients who prefer to control their own security, the ability to keep working if their server fails by having backups off site, security, electric useage, fire prevention. They like to sit quietly, minimising threats from countries we may be at war with in the future who will no doubt aim their weapons on server warehouses that are not in secret locations. I have no doubt that this is why the USA is keeping Desktop and is not buying into Online. They are aware of constant threats from countries with the big red button. There is a lot in favour of Desktop software, whoever thought Online was a better idea didn't look at or wasn't interested in the long term consequences.  

We are still looking. Nothing favourable to report but if you find something please share, I'm tearing my hair out!!

Thanks MlckA4i, are you integrating into QBO or another software platform? I'd be interested to know how successful it is. I have a client using a similar product but they spend hours a day amending the integrated data so are looking to get out of the contract but need an alternative. 

I have a meeting planned with Sage Intacct starting at £12K per annum!  That's how desperate we are not to have to redevelop all our other systems that have been designed to work with QuickBooks.  Surely at even half this price QuickBooks could keep the software running for a couple more years?! I simply cannot understand this business decision.  I am wondering if we need to make more noise in America warning their customers over there how vulnerable they are.

@ell281Completley EXACT online no other integrations yet - although Microsoft Dynamics Sales will be integrated later for CRM

We went for Sage50Cloud Accounting Pro. Costs MUCH less than 12k/year. (About £80/month with 5 users)

Despite what people have said it is NOT primarily cloud based and the main company account is kept local. The cloud is just used for working remotely.

There are no plans (I have asked) to make it totally cloud based.

It was a pain to migrate but it works well, despite a few niggles and the UI being quite old.

STILL no news from QB about a read only licence to satisfy HMRC and to access old records.

We're glad to be shot of QB to be honest, their online version is laughable...

Hi! That's interesting.  We did look at this but then heard it too was becoming unsupported and moving online... I will see if I can find the article.  The article could of course be totally inaccurate! 

Unfortunately the thing we love about QuickBooks Desktop Pro is the structure of Clients being able to have multiple jobs/projects.  Alas this isn't possible on QuickBooks online (only workarounds available) or Sage 50 either...  Sage Intacct seems to suggest it is possible although at a huge cost! 

Going for Sage 50 (if it definitely does has a long life span) may be the best we can hope for now...  I will take another look.