We are closing our business, is there an easy way to download and archive our books?

I'd be happy to assist you with exporting your data to Excel, so that you can download your financial information from QuickBooks Online (QBO) before you can close your books, Lori.
 
Here's how:
 

1. Navigate to the Gear icon and select Export data from the TOOLS column.
   
2. Choose the reason for the export and click Continue.
3. On the Reports tab, use the Pre-selected date ranges dropdown to set your desired date.
4. Adjust the Reports and Lists tabs by toggling the switch on or off to add or remove items.
5. Click Export to Excel.
6. Confirm by selecting OK to complete the process.
    

If you need to export additional reports, please refer to this article for detailed guidance: Export your reports to Excel from QuickBooks Online.
 

After you have completed this process, you can then close your books to prevent any unintended changes before tax filing. We recommend collaborating with your accountant to ensure that your financial records remain accurate and aligned with your preferences.
 
If you need to change the closing date, or forgot the password you used to lock your books, don't worry. You can easily edit both, you can refer to this article for detailed guidance: Edit your closed books.
 

We are here always ready to assist you with any questions or concerns you may have. Please feel free to leave your comment below.

@lori134 

You can convert your data to a QB Desktop file and use old QB Desktop with a non subscription license to access your historical data for good.

Lori134 - If I have QB 2024 (desktop with a current subscription download) - how do I keep the QB historical data usable?  Do I have to reinstall an older version that was from the old CD/DVD downloads?

@D1971 

Which old QB Desktop year version do you have?