What’s new in QuickBooks: Fall 2026 release features

Business done right means getting it all done without doing it yourself. From start-up to scale-up, QuickBooks with Intuit Intelligence is the unified platform to help you run and grow your business. It’s where you and your accountant can work together to see a complete view of your finances all in one place, without reconciling data across several disconnected apps. Intuit Intelligence takes on the busywork, so you can get more done, save time, get better insights, and make more confident decisions, all on the platform you can trust.

Intuit Intelligence¹ isn’t just an AI feature added on top of QuickBooks. It’s the financial system of intelligence that powers the entire unified Intuit platform, drawing on 40 years of Intuit’s accounting data, the patterns of 10 million businesses, and your secure business data. It matches your important financial tasks to the right AI, automation, or human expert, including a network of more than 650,000 accountants on the platform. Businesses and accountants work together in one place, each making the other’s work better.

Intelligence that works for you: Same-day bill pay, mobile payroll, and faster payments, all in one place

In the fall 2026 release, the Intuit Intelligence platform takes on more of the work that keeps money moving through your business. Pay eligible bills the same day at no extra cost, run payroll from your phone, and let AI draft invoices and send payment reminders so you get paid faster.

According to the July 2026 Intuit QuickBooks Quarterly Insights Survey, 3 in 4 small businesses using AI say it’s boosting their productivity.² Now with Intuit Intelligence, you can set up key workflows once and turn your to-do list into work done for you.

Automate bill payments and reduce busywork

Manual processes are one of the top reasons small businesses report paying bills late. It's also where businesses say AI would help most: according to the Intuit QuickBooks Quarterly Insights Survey (July 2026), almost 2 in 5 (38%) want AI reminders for paying bills specifically.²

New Intuit Intelligence Bill Pay features turn vendor emails into bills ready to approve, keep recurring bills on track, and post each payment to your books so reconciliation stays current. (Available in QuickBooks Simple Start through Advanced.)

Pay eligible bills the same day with Vendor Direct

Vendor Direct pays eligible bills the same day the money leaves your bank account, at no extra cost.³ Today, free ACH bill payments take 3 to 5 business days, checks can take up to two weeks, and same-day alternatives cost about $10 per payment.⁴ (Available in QuickBooks Simple Start through Advanced with Bill Pay Basic, Premium, Elite.)

• Nothing changes about how you work: Upload or email the bill as usual. If it qualifies, Vendor Direct is selected automatically.
• Built-in backup: If a Vendor Direct payment can't go through, it automatically falls back to the payment method you last used for that vendor. And you get an email telling you what happened and what action you can take.
• Easier matching: Vendor Direct makes it simpler to match payments to bills in your books.

Run and edit payroll on the go, wherever you are

Now you can run payroll in the QuickBooks mobile app. Ask Intuit Intelligence to prepare a pay run, add hours or reimbursements, and explain what changed in an employee’s pay. Review the draft, submit it, and if something needs fixing after you submit, ask to edit or void the run. (Available in QuickBooks Workforce: Payroll, Premium, Elite.)

You stay in control: Payroll runs only when you review and submit it, whether you're at your desk or on the go.

Resolve payroll tax notices with expert guidance

A payroll tax notice can be a stressful issue for businesses, and it’s an event that requires an expert’s guidance. Upload a payroll tax notice to Intuit Intelligence in QuickBooks Online and get a plain-language explanation of what it's about. Then a Payroll Tax Expert—a person, not a model—researches and resolves it for you.⁵ You can also ask follow-up questions about your payroll tax setup, payments, and filings to understand what caused the notice and how to avoid it next time. (Available in QuickBooks Workforce: Payroll, Premium, Elite.)

Switch your payroll from ADP, Gusto, or Paychex to QuickBooks Workforce without data re-entry

Switching payroll providers usually means rekeying a year of history. Not anymore. You can move to Payroll in QuickBooks Workforce⁶ from ADP or Gusto—and coming soon*, Paychex—without re-entering all your payroll data. Instead, you simply upload reports from your current provider. Intuit Intelligence extracts your employee data, pay items, deductions, taxes, and year-to-date pay history. Then an Intuit Payroll Expert reviews every import before it reaches your account. Most migrations complete within a day.⁷ (Available in QuickBooks Workforce: Payroll, Premium, Elite.)

• Accurate data migration: Because an expert reviews the data first, your year-to-date wage and tax totals are migrated accurately for filings and W-2s.
• Only fix what’s flagged: You focus your attention on the items that need your input, speeding up setup and time to first payroll.
• Using another provider? A guided spreadsheet import is available.

Switch your payroll to QuickBooks Workforce.

AI-powered invoices that manage themselves (beta)

Intuit Intelligence¹ drafts invoices in QuickBooks for your review and, with your approval, sends prioritized payment reminders for anything unpaid. Businesses get paid 4 days sooner on average.⁸ (Available in QuickBooks Essentials through Advanced.)

Intelligence that works where you are: Connect QuickBooks to ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, and Muse

Ask questions about your business in plain language, forecast cash flow, model decisions before you make them, and bring QuickBooks into the AI tools you already use. You get insights based on your business financials and industry trends, so you can make better, more confident decisions as your business grows.

Connect your secure QuickBooks financial data in the top AI platforms

QuickBooks powers financial intelligence in ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini in Google Workspace, Perplexity, and Muse, from Meta⁹, so you can check your business health, see performance and cash flow at a glance, and draft invoices in plain language. You review and approve everything before it sends.

• To help you make better business decisions, you can ask: "How is my business doing this month?"
• Get paid faster by asking your AI of choice to "Create an invoice for our latest jobs from the email threads in my inbox."
• If you’re looking to keep payroll in check, you can ask: "Show me the details of my latest payroll."
• If you’re looking for funding options, you can ask: "What options for loans do I have?"¹⁰

Get answers based on your business data, and turn those answers into action.

(Available connectors (beta; ChatGPT and Claude invoicing are GA): ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, and Muse, from Meta. Available in QuickBooks Simple Start through Advanced.)

Forecast cash flow and plan budgets with live data

Ask questions, forecast your cash position, and plan budgets and goals in QuickBooks. Build the custom reports you need and see a forward-looking view of your cash flow¹¹, combining your ledger history, your bank activity, and predictive intelligence. Unlike general-purpose AI, these forecasts come from AI built for business: they’re grounded in your live data and the patterns of 10 million businesses. (Available in QuickBooks Free through Advanced. Saving a forecast as a budget requires QuickBooks Plus or QuickBooks Advanced.)

Model a business decision with “what-if” scenario planning

One in three owners (34%) see AI as a tool that helps level the playing field against larger competitors, according to the Intuit QuickBooks 2026 Business Owner Report.¹² Scenario planning in QuickBooks can help you compete. It can show what a price change, a new hire, or a big purchase would do to your cash flow, revenue, and net income before you commit.¹¹ Run "what-if" scenarios with your accountant to pressure-test your options. (Available in QuickBooks Plus, Advanced.)

Check your business health with Intuit Intelligence

Ask "How did my business do this month?" and get a clear view across profit and loss, cash flow, and sales. Real-time financials turn into insights about your business health, so you understand where you stand, including your readiness for financing.¹⁰ QuickBooks Capital¹³ can help bridge a gap and fund your future. Know what you can borrow, what it may cost, and what to do next before you ever apply. With QuickBooks Capital, the options are already in view with no impact to your personal credit score. (Available in QuickBooks Free through Advanced.)

Better, more confident decisions: Increased controls, security, and expert support

QuickBooks with Intuit Intelligence is one trusted platform where you’re always in control. You can make better, more confident decisions based on your own secure data.

Collaborate with your accountant in QuickBooks

Businesses and their accountants often work in separate systems, trading documents back and forth and duplicating each other’s work. In QuickBooks, you work in the same system with the same numbers, and the value runs both ways. The more day-to-day work QuickBooks handles, the cleaner the books your accountant receives, so they can spend their time on risk, planning, and advice. A network of more than 650,000 accountants is there when the stakes are high, and their collective expertise helps shape how QuickBooks categorizes, flags, and recommends. (Available in Simple Start and above. QuickBooks Free and Lite do not have accountant access.)

Intuit Intelligence suggests, you decide: Review and undo AI actions in QuickBooks

Intuit Intelligence explains each recommendation before you act, and every action is reviewable, reversible, and yours to approve. Exceptions go to you or your accountant for review. You set the guardrails for what runs on its own and who can access what, based on their role. Any action can be undone, and your original records stay intact, with a history of what changed and when, so you can move forward knowing your books are right. (Available in all plans. QuickBooks Free and Lite do not have accountant access. Preset roles in Essentials and Plus. Custom roles in Advanced.)

Bring in your accountant when you need them

Some things shouldn't just be handled by AI. A payroll tax notice, a year of payroll history that has to be added correctly, weighing a decision with financial consequences. For these big decisions, you can connect with your accountant and share materials directly from QuickBooks. (Available in Simple Start and above. Accountants cannot be attached to Free or Lite.)

Control your data privacy and security

Your financial data lives securely in QuickBooks and is shared only where you decide. AI gets more done while you stay in control.

• Any action taken in your books is reviewable, reversible, and yours.
• QuickBooks uses anonymized data points from 10 million businesses, plus yours, to produce accurate insights while protecting your privacy and security.

A stronger foundation for your business: Cleaner books, estimate e-signatures and improved core workflows

This release strengthens the everyday work your business runs on. Intuit Intelligence sets up your books for your industry and keeps them clean as transactions come in, and a single estimate link turns quotes into signed, funded jobs.

We are also always listening to your feedback about QuickBooks, fixing and improving the everyday workflows you flag to us most. In this release, you will see improved bank connection reliability, AI-powered reconciliation matches transactions for you, reports keep your settings in place, and payroll posts correctly to your books on time.

Cleaner books from day one with Intuit Intelligence

New to QuickBooks? Tell Intuit Intelligence about your business, and it customizes your books for your industry. Included in your plan is one-on-one coaching with a setup expert, through your first 90 days or until onboarding is complete, whichever comes first. Intuit Intelligence categorizes your transactions, marks them ready to post, and learns from your feedback over time. You start with books you can trust and the freedom to get straight to business.

And the work done for you doesn't end after setup. Automated categorization keeps running as transactions come in, so your books stay current between month-ends instead of needing a cleanup before every close. The longer you use Intuit Intelligence categorization, the more it matches how you and your accountant want transactions categorized. Your accountant works from the same up-to-date books you do, so reviews and month-end close start from clean numbers.

(Onboarding available in QuickBooks Simple Start and up. Continuous categorization is available in Plus and Advanced.)

Learn more about onboarding.

Win more jobs with estimate e-signatures, deposits, and Affirm pay-over-time on estimates

Growing a business means winning more of the work you quote. When a client can sign, pay a deposit, and choose to pay over time without leaving the estimate, more of your quotes convert to jobs, and jobs of a larger scale.

QuickBooks now connects your entire quote-to-cash process into one seamless, end-to-end workflow. It starts with a single estimate link that allows your client to sign, pay a deposit, and explore flexible pay-over-time options with Affirm. Once approved, the estimate seamlessly converts to an invoice, automatically applying the collected deposit so you get paid faster without manual re-entry. (Available in QuickBooks Simple Start through Advanced. Collecting deposits requires QuickBooks Payments.)

QuickBooks workflow updates: Reliable bank connections, faster reconciliation, and customizable reports

You’ve been telling us what's getting in your way in product feedback and in the QuickBooks community. Now you can see continuous updates on what we’re improving. The QuickBooks changelog tracks these foundational fixes and improvements. Each entry is dated, permalinked, and written in plain language.

Reliable bank connections

Bank connections now sync more reliably, even when the same connection is used across multiple QuickBooks companies. Connections stay authorized through data refreshes, so your work isn't interrupted. Proactive notifications flag anything that needs attention so you can resolve it before your transactions stop flowing in.

Faster AI-powered reconciliation for bank transactions and books

Intuit Intelligence automatically matches your bank transactions and flags discrepancies between your books and your bank, so you reconcile faster with less manual work. Deposits and bank transactions match to the invoices they belong to, so your books reconcile without manual matching.

Reports built to save you time

QuickBooks reports now keep your customizations, automatically pick the right prior period for comparisons, and show budget reports that match what you expect. You can also turn on debit and credit columns for a clearer view of each transaction, and get a prompt to refresh a report if it hasn’t caught up with a recent change. Exporting a Balance Sheet or P&L to Excel now lets you expand or collapse accounts and subaccounts instead of scanning a flat list.

Refunds now default to the original payment method

Refunds in QuickBooks are easier to complete, and they default to the original payment method automatically.

Payroll that posts accurately

Payroll in QuickBooks Workforce now posts correctly to your books without extra manual fixes, and lets you process a paycheck or tax payment for a prior pay period. Your books reflect what was actually paid, with no manual corrections.

A faster home screen and mobile app

The QuickBooks homepage is quicker to scan, with a more personalized layout, cleaner widgets, enhanced bookmarks that make it easier to access your important reports, and a new global panel, so it's faster to find what you need. The QuickBooks mobile app is faster and more reliable, with fixes for bank connections, trip and mileage tracking, invoicing, and receipt capture.

See the running list of new features, fixes, and improvements in the QuickBooks changelog.

From start-up to enterprise: A QuickBooks plan for all stages of growth

Every QuickBooks plan, from QuickBooks Free¹⁴ to Intuit Enterprise Suite, runs on the same platform. That means upgrading isn't a migration. Your books, your history, and your complete financial picture come with you, so nothing has to be rebuilt or re-entered as your business grows. See plans and pricing.

What's new in QuickBooks Free and QuickBooks Lite

You don't need to be a big business to get help from Intuit Intelligence. QuickBooks Free and QuickBooks Lite now include Intuit Intelligence assistance, a way for sole proprietors to get set up easily, get product questions answered and unlock AI-powered insights on their business.

QuickBooks Online Advanced adds additional industry solutions and the workflows Desktop users have been waiting for

Growing businesses often reach a point where simple tools stop working, but it's not yet time to scale to a full ERP. You shouldn't have to settle for a patchwork solution. QuickBooks Online Advanced is the all-in-one platform built for this stage: your books, payments, bill pay, payroll, and reporting in one system, with automation and AI that handle growing complexity without slowing your team down. You run the business where your books live, from profit to stakeholder updates, without a big finance team and without stitching tools together.

QuickBooks Advanced is built for how your industry actually works. Generic accounting software asks every business to describe itself using the same handful of fields. Advanced adds purpose-built workflows and reporting for specific industries: construction financials (beta) shipped in August 2026¹⁵, inventory management gets a substantial upgrade coming soon*, and more industry-specific depth for manufacturing (beta) and nonprofit is coming soon.*

Coming from QuickBooks Desktop? The most-requested Desktop workflows, including payroll, projects, and, coming soon* inventory, are moving online, and every move to Advanced now comes with a dedicated Implementation Consultant to guide you from first file through first report run and dashboard view.

Frequently asked questions about the QuickBooks fall 2026 release

What makes Intuit Intelligence different from a general AI tool?

The Intuit Intelligence¹ platform works from your own books, not from the open internet. It draws on 40 years of Intuit's financial data and the patterns of 10 million businesses, applies expertise spanning dozens of financial domains, more than 100 workflows, and over 300 industries, and routes each task to whatever handles it best, whether that's AI, rules-based logic, or a human expert. Your financial data stays inside Intuit's systems.

Can I talk to a real person, or is it all AI?

Both, depending on the task. Intuit Intelligence routes work that needs human judgment to Intuit Experts. Or if you work with an accountant, Intuit Intelligence can flag for your accountant to review. You can also add your own accountant to your books on Simple Start and above.

Does QuickBooks work with ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, and Muse?

Yes. With our connectors (beta), you can connect QuickBooks to ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini in Google Workspace, Perplexity, and Muse, from Meta⁹, then ask about your business in plain language. For example: "What was my cash flow last month?" or "Which invoices are overdue?" You can also draft invoices without opening QuickBooks. Nothing sends until you approve it, and your financial data stays inside Intuit’s systems. It isn’t used to train partners’ AI models.

Is it easy to switch from ADP, Gusto, or Paychex to Payroll in QuickBooks Workforce?

Yes. Upload reports from ADP or Gusto—and coming soon*, Paychex—into Payroll in QuickBooks Workforce, and Intuit Intelligence extracts your employee and year-to-date payroll data. An Intuit Payroll Expert reviews every import before it reaches your account. Most migrations complete within a day.⁷

Can I run payroll from my phone in QuickBooks?

Yes. In the QuickBooks mobile app, Intuit Intelligence prepares the pay run, and you review, submit, and edit it from your phone. Payroll runs only when you approve it.

What is Vendor Direct?

Vendor Direct pays eligible bills the same day the money leaves your bank account, at no extra cost³, for QuickBooks Bill Pay customers. If a bill doesn't qualify, it's paid with your usual method. If a Vendor Direct payment fails, it falls back to your previous payment method, and the standard delivery fee for that method applies.

How do I work with my accountant in QuickBooks?

On QuickBooks Simple Start and above, you can invite your accountant to your books for free. Simple Start, Essentials, and Plus include access for two accountants, and Advanced includes three. You both work in the same system with the same real-time numbers, so there’s no trading files back and forth. Your accountant can review exceptions and help with bigger decisions, while Intuit Intelligence handles more of the day-to-day work.

Is Intuit Intelligence included in my QuickBooks plan?

The Intuit Intelligence¹ platform is available to admin users on plans from QuickBooks Free through QuickBooks Online Advanced. Capacity is limited by plan.

Do I need to migrate my data to upgrade my QuickBooks plan?

No. Every QuickBooks plan, from Free through QuickBooks Advanced and Intuit Enterprise Suite, runs on the same platform, so you can move up without migrating your data.

Disclaimers

Money movement services are provided by Intuit Payments Inc., licensed as a Money Transmitter by the New York State Department of Financial Services. For details about our money transmission licenses, or for Texas customers with complaints about our service, visit https://www.intuit.com/legal/licenses/payment-licenses/.

QuickBooks Payments and QuickBooks Bill Pay accounts are subject to eligibility criteria, credit, and approval prior to first payment. Subscription to QuickBooks Online required. Not available in U.S. territories or outside the U.S. Bill Pay Basic is included with QuickBooks Online when purchased directly from QuickBooks.com or QuickBooks Sales. Limits may apply on total number and amount of payments. Transaction-based fees apply based on usage.

*Fall feature release dates and availability will vary by product. Not all features will be available on October 26, 2026.

This information is intended to outline our general product direction, but represents no obligation and should not be relied on when making a purchasing decision. Additional terms, conditions, and fees may apply with certain features and functionality. Eligibility criteria may apply. Product offers, features, and functionality are subject to change without notice. Feature availability varies by product.

QuickBooks Term Loan and QuickBooks Line of Credit loans are issued by WebBank.

Payment options through Affirm are subject to an eligibility check and are provided by these lending partners: affirm.com/lenders. For example, a $1,000 purchase might cost $90.26/mo over 12 months at 15% APR. Options depend on the purchase amount, and a down payment may be required. Checking eligibility does not guarantee approval or lock in a rate, term, or down payment. Affirm availability and eligibility may vary. Restrictions apply. See affirm.com/terms#use. For licenses and disclosures, see affirm.com/licenses.

¹Intuit Intelligence is currently available as a beta release. Features, availability, and capacity are subject to change. Intuit Intelligence chat is only available to admin users at this time. Each account gets limited capacity each month; capacity varies by plan. Intuit Intelligence can make mistakes. Intuit protects privacy and adheres to responsible AI principles. Learn how we use AI.

²Based on the Intuit QuickBooks Quarterly Insights Survey (July 2026).

³Vendor Direct is available to QuickBooks Bill Pay Basic, Premium, and Elite customers for eligible bills. To be eligible, a bill must be a one-time payment under $25,000, the vendor’s invoice must include a payment portal link that accepts credit cards, and you must have made at least one prior successful Bill Pay payment to that vendor with unchanged payment details. Same-day issuance applies to payments scheduled on business days before the cutoff time (3:00 PM PT for vendors paid through QuickBooks Payments; 5:00 PM PT for all others). Deposit timing varies by the vendor’s bank. If a Vendor Direct payment can’t be completed, it is sent using the payment method you last used for that vendor, and the standard delivery fee for that method applies (ACH: free up to your plan’s monthly allotment, then $0.50; check: $1.50). U.S. and USD only. Available on web and mobile browser.

⁴Timing and costs vary by provider.

⁵Payroll tax notice support is available to QuickBooks Workforce customers for payroll taxes paid and filed by Intuit. A Payroll Tax Expert will help research the notice and work with the applicable tax agency to resolve it. Outcomes are determined by the tax agency. You are responsible for paying any additional tax liability you may owe. Does not include legal or tax advice. Additional terms apply.

⁶QuickBooks Workforce subscription sold separately. QuickBooks Workforce features and functionality vary by plan, which are subject to change. Certain features are available only with Workforce Premium or Elite, or may require additional fees. For details, see quickbooks.com/workforce.

⁷Importing employee info and pay history from provider reports is only available to QuickBooks Workforce customers switching from ADP or Gusto who import their team during initial onboarding setup. Paychex support is coming soon. Most migrations complete within a day; complex payroll histories can take longer. Based on internal data as of Sept 2026 of the median time from initial data import to data migration completion, including expert review. Data excludes Paychex. Recommended maximum of 250 employees per migration.

⁸AI-powered invoicing is currently available as a beta release. Each account gets limited capacity each month. Beta features have limited availability and are subject to change. “Get paid 4 days sooner” is based on US Intuit Intelligence customers using outstanding invoice notifications and AI-drafted invoice reminder features, compared to customers sending standard invoice reminders to the same customers, from March 2025 to March 2026.

⁹Connecting QuickBooks to a third-party AI platform requires an account with that platform, which may require a paid subscription. Third-party terms, conditions, and fees apply. Availability and supported features vary by platform.

¹⁰Business health factors are available on the QuickBooks Lending Overview page and in Intuit Intelligence chat. Results are based on your QuickBooks business data and are for informational purposes only. Checking your insights does not affect your personal credit score. Insights are not an eligibility or approval decision. Applying for a loan is a separate step, and all loans are subject to eligibility, credit, and approval. QuickBooks Term Loan and Line of Credit loans are issued by WebBank.

¹¹Cash flow planning is provided as a courtesy for informational purposes only. Actual results may vary. Available in QuickBooks Online only. Saving a forecast as a budget requires QuickBooks Online Plus or Advanced.

¹²Based on the Intuit QuickBooks 2026 Business Owner Report.

¹³QuickBooks Capital is licensed as Intuit Financing Inc. (NMLS #1136148), a subsidiary of Intuit Inc.

¹⁴QuickBooks Free is 100% free and requires no credit card to sign up. QuickBooks Online and Intuit Enterprise Suite require a persistent internet connection (a high-speed connection is recommended) and a computer with a supported internet browser or a mobile phone with a supported operating system (see System Requirements). Network fees may apply.

¹⁵Construction industry and enhanced project financials features not available outside the U.S.

¹⁶Data migration is currently available to existing QuickBooks customers only.