Do I have to upgrade quickbooks desktop every year now?

They only offer QB Desktop program with the annual subscription since QBD 2022. What types of data are not transferred to QB Online? You may need to purchase a 3rd party conversion service to convert data with specific requirements (e.g estimates, purchase orders, attachments). 

Hi there, @M_smyth. I'm here to help you fix your issue about opening your QBDT and provide some information about upgrading it.

To clarify, have you encountered an error message when attempting to open your QuickBooks Desktop 2022 (QBDT) program? If so, you can follow these steps. If none, you can refer to the instructions below:

1. First, download the most recent version of the QuickBooks Tool Hub.
2. Once done, open the file you downloaded (QuickBooksToolHub.exe).
3. From there, follow the on-screen steps to install and agree to the terms and conditions.
4. When finished, double-click the icon on your Windows desktop to open the tool hub.
5. Then, in the QuickBooks Tool Hub, click Program Problems.
6. Next, choose Quick Fix My Program.
7. When done, attempt to start your QBDT program and open your data file.

For reference, check out this article: QuickBooks Desktop won't open. 

Also, upgrading your QBDT depends on the following situations:

• If you see a forced upgrade prompt from the program that happens mostly in three-year windows. For instance, if you have QBDT 2019 version, you’re going to be forced to upgrade to QBDT 2022. Upgrading to the newer version will ensure you'll be supported by Intuit.
• You may also need to upgrade if you're getting a new computer operating system. This will sometimes cause the program to not function smoothly if they don't meet the minimum requirement in running a specific version. 
• If you want to have more licenses for additional users for your company or computers and you’re using an old version then, you may need to upgrade.

Once ready, visit this article for the detailed steps in upgrading your program: Upgrade QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus, Premier Plus, or Enterprise.

Additionally, there are certain features and data that may or may not be transferred from QBDT to QuickBooks Online (QBO). To fix this, you can follow the recommendation of Fiat above. 

When done, your next step is to compare the financial report of both programs to verify if the data were copied successfully. 

If you have other questions about upgrading your QBDT account, please don't hesitate to leave a reply below. Have a good one and stay safe. 

Why would I want to purchase something else in order to transfer my desktop data to online?  I don't want quickbooks online.  If I have to purchase something else, it won't be an intuit product.  I simply want to continue using quickbooks desktop on one computer like I have for almost 20 years.  Is quickbooks desktop discontinued?  I used to buy the new version every three years

Your QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT) version (2022) is still supported, @M_smyth. I'll share more details about this below, and let me redirect you to the best help available to renew your subscription and get back to business in no time.

For the time being, QBDT 2020 is the version that's affected by the software discontinuation policy. QBDT 2022 is a subscription-based (annual) software. When your subscription expires, you'll no longer use or access your account. Your company file remains on your computer, but you will need to reactivate your subscription to view or open your data.

With that being said, I'd recommend contacting our Customer Care team. They can securely pull up your account to renew your subscription accordingly.

Once everything is all set, you may want to manage your QBDT account and services with the Customer Account Maintenance Portal (CAMPs). For the complete guide about this process, please see this article: Manage your QuickBooks Desktop subscriptions and services.

If you have further questions or concerns about managing your data, don't hesitate to drop a comment below. I'm always ready to help. Take care, @M_smyth.

@M_smyth 

You were using QB Desktop 2022 Pro Plus or Premier Plus, correct?

They only offer QB Desktop with the annual subscription since QB Desktop 2022. Login to your CAMPS and try to pay the renewal. Otherwise, you can purchase a new license for QB Desktop 2023. If you decline both options, I can recommend other cloud based apps to explore but you may still have to purchase a third-party service to convert your data to one of them.