In an attempt to be productive, how do we follow Intuit’s instructions in TurboTax regarding Quickbooks? As noted above, in TurboTax in the Business Income and Expenses section under Import Business Information is a Learn More link that says:

“You can import your business information from the 2022, 2023, or 2024 versions of Quicken or QuickBooks. To import from older versions of those programs, or from other financial software, you must create a tax exchange format (TXF) file. Refer to your financial software user guide for help with preparing a TXF file.”

Okay. It’s telling us clearly, plainly, and directly to go to QuickBooks and create a TXF. It’s telling us clearly, plainly, and directly to refer to our QuickBooks user guide for help with preparing a TXF file. I referred to my QuickBooks guide for help with preparing a TXF file, searched online, and even called a priest to pray for an answer. I couldn’t find it. Intuit says in TurboTax that I can find this information in QuickBooks, and that Quickbooks has the ability to perform the action needed.  I’m not the most brilliant man on earth, but shouldn’t the average customer be able to follow this simple and direct line of instruction and expect to arrive at the tools and information promised? So, what is the secret? 

How do we create a TXF file in QuickBooks that we can import into TurboTax? Intuit says we can do it, so… let’s have it. 

I was told by Raisha at QuickBooks phone support that she was concerned about using trial versions because she couldn't guarantee that I would be able to revert back to my current version if I installed a newer version; she worried that I might have to pay to upgrade in order to continue using my product. 

Now, I do not know if that is true, and she did not either, but kudos to her for advising caution. 

The question here is, will we be able to continue using QBDT Pro 2021 if we download and install the trial version of a current product? If so, what are the steps and potential pitfalls, and how can we avoid those pitfalls?

Hi there, shmince.

Let me share additional information about your concern.

Currently, the ability to create a text file to upload data to turbo tax is not available. I suggest looking for a 3rd party converter at the QuickBooks App Store to convert Excel to txt file so you're able to upload your data to turbo tax.

Once everything sorted out and you have converted to TXF file and ready to move on to the final step of exporting to TurboTax. Here's a TurboTax Article to guide you with the process: Import QuickBooks data into TurboTax Business.

Additionally, with regards to your second concern about being able to continue to use QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT) Pro 2021 if you download and install the trial version of a current product. I'd like to clarify that, if you will be using the trial version of QBDT, you can still use your  QBDT 2021 Pro since they're different company and licensed key. However, if you meant that you want to upgrade your QBDT Pro 2021 to the current version, and still be using the 2021 version, it is unavailable. Also, when you upgrade to the latest version, the option to downgrade is not possible.
 

I'm just a post a way if you have follow-up questions.

Alaina,

Thank you for your prompt response. The biggest question that I have, and one that has resonated throughout this thread is this: All of your customers using QuickBooks Desktop Pro 2021 are using a product that is currently still in service and, according to Intuit, will remain in service until it is discontinued on May 31, 2024. The entire reason I paid for QuickBooks and TurboTax is because they work together to make doing taxes much less painful.

If our QuickBooks version is still in service, why can't we use it to do the job for which we bought it?

I realize that I just asked you for a reason, but what I really want is a result. In business there are two R's... Reasons and Results. Only one of those puts food on the table. We cannot use reasons why the software isn't working as we expect. Because, frankly, there is no credible reason that TurboTax suddenly cannot understand the data coming from QuickBooks. No reason for it to not be backward compatible. No reason that we couldn't have received an update to our still in service 2021 versions.

We can only use the results that we expect...the results that we paid for. We need to be able to import our QuickBooks data into TurboTax. 

Please come forward with a result. Not a reason.

Thank you.

@shmince 

The question here is, will we be able to continue using QBDT Pro 2021 if we download and install the trial version of a current product? If so, what are the steps and potential pitfalls, and how can we avoid those pitfalls?

You can find the testimony in the previous post. Install any trial version of QB Desktop (i.e. 2022-2024) on your machine. You don't need to reboot your machine or run the new QB Desktop program. Something will trigger TT to recognize your QB Desktop 2021 file. Let me know if you still need someone to share the screen with you to avoid any problems.

I see the same problem importing information from Turbotax 2021. They want us to upgrade to the newer version, looks like. I am also surprised that we cannot choose the file and import it.  May have to manually put in the data; what a waste of time. 

I have the same problem. I believe they are forcing all of us to shift to the online Quickbooks or find an alternate company/ tax software. 

I am also surprised that they will not let us upload the file. 

I am having the same problem , this should no be like this . I think the answer is simple Intuit wants you to upgrade to newest version of quickbooks , they sell you turbotax but if you want to import any file you need to buy expensive quickbooks 

on my end I am returning turbotax and go with an other tax software 

I just have to report what proved to be an easy solution, not easy enough to persuade anyone from firing Intuit going forward (unless hey ACTUALLY fix the problem), but enough to get through the current tax season. I took the following steps:

1. Backup up my QB2020 data file. (Probably unnecessary, according to subsequent experience).

2. Install QB Enterprise trial edition. This is done by downloading and executing a file named QuickBooksEnterprise24Trial.exe. I was not required to enter any identifying information. A promotional video tried to entertain me but did not delay me. Mute it if it annoys you.

3. Reboot as instructed. I tried skipping that step, but TTB23 failed to import without rebooting first, so don't even try that (although it did no harm other than wasting my time).

4. Do not start QB (not Enterprise, not QB2020). Do start TTB23. That will cause you to open your data file in QB2020. Now the TTB23 import procedure works as it should with no tears.

5. You may well be home free now, but I continued as follows out of an abundance of caution and mistrust of Intuit. Uninstall QB Enterprise. Windows churned for a couple of minutes in the process of doing that.

6. Open QB2020. Restore my QB2020 data file, just in case that temporary QB Enterprise presence corrupted it somehow. But probably unnecessary. All appears to be well.

7. Open TTB23. All appears to be well after proceeding with the imported data.

8. Reboot (probably unnecessary).

I just have to report what proved to be an easy solution, not easy enough to persuade anyone not to fire Intuit going forward (unless they ACTUALLY and quickly fix the problem), but enough to get through the current tax season. I took the following steps (Windows 10):

1. Backup up my QB2020 data file. (Probably unnecessary, according to subsequent experience.)

2. Install QB Enterprise trial edition. This is done by downloading and executing a file named QuickBooksEnterprise24Trial.exe. I was not required to enter any identifying information. A promotional video tried to entertain me but did not delay me. Mute it if it annoys you.

3. Reboot as instructed. I tried skipping that step, but TTB23 failed to import without rebooting first, so don't even try that (although it did no harm other than wasting my time).

4. Do not start QB (not Enterprise, not QB2020). Do start TTB23. Try again to import the AB data into TTB23. That will cause you to open your data file in QB2020, and it’s OK to do that now. The TTB23 import procedure now works as it should with no tears.

5. You may well be home free now, but I continued as follows out of an abundance of caution and mistrust of Intuit. Uninstall QB Enterprise. Windows churned for a couple of minutes in the process of doing that.

6. Open QB2020. Restore my QB2020 data file, just in case that temporary QB Enterprise presence corrupted it somehow. But probably unnecessary. All appears to be well.

7. Open TTB23. All appears to be well after proceeding with the imported data.

8. Reboot (probably unnecessary).

Excellent suggestion. It worked for me and I was able to import the data. What a round-about way. You are brilliant to suggest this. Thanks for taking the time to help.  

I manage 5 busineses: 4 in QBDT 2021 (since forever) and one in QBOnline (since 2020, because that's what the owners want). I prefer 100% DT version as it is a much more robust version. I heard during a conference that QB is trying to move everyone to online version. I refuse to! If I can't get Results, I'll move to someone else that will give me what I paid for. I 100% agree with you.

The TRIAL VERSION WORKAROUND DID WORK for me. I followed the steps outlined above, downloaded, installed, but DID NOT OPEN QuickBooks Enterprise Desktop 2024. Then, suddenly, miraculously, TurboTax recognized the same QuickBooks file it had been ignoring up until that point. That simply confirms that this was designed and not an accident. The QuickBooks file didn’t change; the only change was that a new version of the QB software happened to be installed. 

After that, everything went smoothly. The only complaint I have now is that TurboTax wanted to charge $20 to E-File my state return. I mean, they’ve gotten so nickel-dimey on all fronts that I might as well have paid to have my taxes done for me. Honestly, the SAS they’re pushing us toward is so expensive, then add in another $100 for the TurboTax, we’re better off just hiring bookkeepers, sending the reports to accountants, and paying the accountants to file our taxes. But whatever. I’m done for the year, and I’ll be spending the next year searching for a reasonable alternative. (And maybe searching for a class action attorney.)

Thank you everyone for your help.

I agree with you. Intuit wants us to pay a lot more for doing the same tasks that we had been doing for years. Wonderful that another user suggested a way to run around the system.  Thanks a lot.

I found the answer to this, at least for myself, and it is actually very simple. Intuit no longer supports import of data from "expired" QB Desktop versions (mine was 2020) into Turbotax Desktop, although the Support pages would seem to indicate this is a permissible operation. Also, TT technical support is totally unaware that this has happened, and so provides numerous links to irrelevant information related to TT online.

I understand this decision from a technical and business point of view, but lost a lot of time because it was not documented, or even shared with the TurboTax support team. Seems siloing between TT and QBO has not improved one bit since I left the company 5 years ago.

As some posters indicate, you need to download QB desktop 2024, either as evaluation or subscribe to it. Warning here though: QB desktop is being sunset as of July, so if you are successful using evaluation version this year, you don't have any clear path for next year.

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/email/final-desktop-plus-sale/?cid=ipd_stopsell

So I paid out the $650 annual subscription, more than triple my previous annual cost of ownership for QB (I'd buy once every three years, and I thought this was a really good deal, especially considering the cost of QB online).   That will at least get me QB->TT connection for the next three years until QB 2024 desktop finally goes out of support. It's expensive considering I really only use it to assign expenses to tax lines, and I have to justify not switching to Excel spreadsheets and just doing it manually.

As far as where this leaves the QB Online community, I don't know. I tried out QBO, figured after five years away they must have fixed the major issues. I was slack-jawed to find out there is no mechanism for assigning tax-lines to expenses in QBO at all, nor any direct integration with TTax Desktop. Really? So got that refunded.

This is hard to understand. Maybe the community of people who use TT AND QB is relatively small, compared to the QB community who use tax preparers, and expendable.

I see Excel spreadsheets in my future. Then clay tablets.

You noted there is no mechanisam for assigning tax lines to expenses in QBO.  So how does the importing to TT work with QBO?  How does QBO know how to treat/classify various expense categories?

On a different note, I spoke with a QB rep, and was informed that if our company wishes to continue to invoice clients by project (and not just by the client overall) and if we as a firm want to continue to track various client projects, we'll need to subscribe to the Plus version, which is almost $1,100 per year.  Really????

Does anyone know:

- a less costly corporate accounting software option (ideally a "pay once" option, and not an annual fee), and

- a less costly corporate accounting sottware option that integrates with TurboTax or other business tax software?

Thanks to all of you for finding the workaround to this troubling problem.  I too manage small businesses and find that the desktop product perfectly suits my needs.  I have no desire for the online subscription version.  I can see my future with another product or excel.  It's a shame that Intuit does not appear to care about losing long time (+20 year) customers. 

Thanks so much for this work around but I think they've disabled it in the last week - or at least I cannot get it to work. 

I have downloaded the trial version - but have not opened it - and TT still says my Desktop2020 file does not exist. I've tried saving QB in a TXF file - but no dice either.

I ran into this last year when wanting to update 2020 to the latest Desktop or Online and was told that they would not work with Turbo Tax so I put everything off for a year HOPING Intuit would figure this out. 

That all said - if all of us small fish are looking for a new accounting software for desktop that ALSO has some kind of tax compatibility, what are you all moving to?  I have yet to find anything. 

I am facing the same situation.  Intuit rep said online solution would cost $1,100 per year.  Unreal.

Does anyone know:

- a less costly corporate accounting software option (ideally a "pay once" option, and not an annual fee), and

- a less costly corporate accounting sottware option that integrates with TurboTax or other business tax software?

I'm afraid it is not looking good. I've been looking for one since last tax season. The problem is almost all of them want to go to subscription online versions and I frankly don't want our business operations on a cloud based system. 

But the bigger issue is none of the other software systems are compatible with ANY tax software. 

Freshbooks and Xero looked promising but they have no tax link and dropped their desktop versions. 

Sage has a desktop but does not work with any tax software. 

Quicken is almost too basic for our small business. 

It is a problem. 

Thanks for the reply.  Sadly, I am finding the same thing.  Most/All accounting solutions are online with annual fees, and I have not found any that have a supporting business tax solution.

@DRH204 

Most/All accounting solutions are online with annual fees, and I have not found any that have a supporting business tax solution.

You have the answer. You can buy QB Desktop 2024 Pro/Premier before August and reconsider your options at the end of 2026. Otherwise, contact Fiat Lux if you don't need the payroll module to run QB Desktop with a non subscription license to lower your costs and use TurboTax for tax requirements.

Thanks so much for this. I will definitely look into it later. 

But if anyone can tell me what I'm doing wrong on the trial download I'd appreciate it.  I've downloaded the QB24 trial and it is not in exe format.  I doubleclicked on it and got the tutorial - so I thought I was ok - but I still can't import my data and it says no desktop is found.  At this point, I know it has to be me doing something wrong, and I just don't know what.   

Just a bit more info in case anyone can help here.  I doubleclicked on the trial and it goes through the extracting process, then gives me the tutorial which tells me to 'choose' what I want to use but gives me nothing to choose. 

I've backed out of TT and rebooted to see if it can find desktop but it is still not in an exe format after extracting although the info says it is in my C: drive as an exe file - in downloads - but it isn't.