FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions

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What happened to QuickBooks Desktop ?

QuickBooks Desktop has been discontinued. You cannot buy it any longer. Users in UK, Ireland and EMEA need to move to something else.
It isnt going to be brought back - sorry. This is Intuits decision - not ours.

QuickBooks Online - Quick Crash Course - What does it look like?

Note Axonware will only assist customers who have purchased QuickBooks Online from AxonWare.

When is the Switch Off Date for v2018-2021 Editions ?

The final switch off date for QuickBooks Desktop users (on v2018,2019,2020 and 2021) was June 30th 2023. It is now gone and will stop working at the next license refresh.

But surely I can just keep on using QuickBooks Desktop afterwards?

No! The application stops working completely. You cannot run reports or enter new transactions at all. (Just like what happens when you stop a subscription). This is latest information we have from Intuit. We dont expect this to change. The policy for UK & Ireland editions is a complete switch off. (USA editions of desktop may have a different policy - so be careful which regional Intuit pages you are reading from)

What happens to my QuickBooks Desktop data?

In QuickBooks Desktop - your data (customer, suppliers , accounts and transactions) are stored in a data file for each company you set up (ending with .QBW).
If you use QuickBooks Desktop for multiple businesses you will have a .QBW data file for each one.
The data files dont get deleted when the QuickBooks application stops working.
When you open QuickBooks Desktop and hit F2 (or FN F2 for some laptops) it shows the location of your data file. It also shows other information such as file size, targets, no of items, customers, suppliers.

The typical default location for your .QBW data files is usually
C:\\Users\\Public\\Documents\\Intuit\\QuickBooks\\Company Files\\

QuickBooks Desktop - REPORTING Tool- Where to get it?

Click HERE to get to the QuickBooks Desktop Reporting Tool!

This new reporting tool has been released by Intuit. It allows users to open a legacy data desktop file (from v2006-v2021).
This reporting tool has restricted functionality compared to the full desktop product. Users need to upload their .QBW (or .QBB backup) data file to the portal every time they want to run this reporting too. Access to customer, supplier and chart of account menus are greyed out. This reporting tool is for a once off export to excel and probably not for ongoing eveyday use. You cannot post any transactions. If you're trying to open a v2020 (or earlier) data file - the application will have to go through a routine to convert to v2021.

What Desktop Reports could I run now to help make life easier ?

The great thing about QuickBooks Online and Desktop is that you can reports and export to Excel.
Our advice is run the Desktop reports you need now. Dont wait for the reporting tool - which has less functionality.

Here are a few suggested reports :

- P&L Total by YEAR (Go back 7 years)
- P&L Total by Month (Go back 7 years)
- P&L Total YTD / Prior Year
- Balance Sheet Report YTD
- Balance Sheet Report (Last Year)
- Balance Sheet Report (Previous Years)
- Balance Sheet Report - Total by Year (go back 7 years)
- Total Sales per customer (Total by Year)
- Trial Balance Report

Run QuickBooks Desktop Reports - on critial accounts in the Charge of accounts

BANK ACCOUNTS
Hit CTRL A (to bring up the chart of accounts.
Example:
Go to the first Bank account
Right Click then QUICKREPORT
Change the date range to ALL DATEs (hit the letter A)
Hit the EXPORt button.
Export each account to its own sheet in Excel.

SALES LEDGER
CTRL A
Go to the ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLEaccount
Right Click then QUICKREPORT
Change the date range to ALL DATEs (hit the letter A)
Modify the Columns your want displayed
Hit the EXPORt button.
Export each account to its own sheet in Excel.

Repeat the process for all accounts.

What about older QuickBooks Desktop Versions like v2016 and Earlier ?

If you are on v2016 or earlier your QuickBooks may continue to work. However these products are gone end of life and are no longer supported by Intuit. Installation will be a challenge as Registration and Activation severs will most likely no longer be active. Reinstalling an old QuickBooks may not be an option. Users who are still on v2008 - 2016 need to seriously be thinking about moving off QuickBooks Desktop very soon.

You cannot add extra desktop seats. You can run into technical problems without a fix. Windows 10 and Windows 11 are problematic for older versions. Internet Explorer has been withdrawn by Microsoft in June 2023. QuickBooks Desktop had used many Internet Explorer components as part of of its install.

Will Axonware support on QuickBooks Desktop ?

No. Axonware do not provide support on QuickBooks Desktop. We may offer consulting on a paid basis for select customers for a limited time. It just isnt feasible to support a legacy application.

Can I export automatically from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online ?

No. There isnt an automated script or application to move transactional data to QBO. However Movemybooks have a semi-automated application that could be worth trying.

STEPS INVOLVED TO TRY MOVE MY BOOKS

1. Buy a QuickBook Online subscription for each company file you wish to upload.
See pricing

Buy QuickBooks Online

2. Visit movemybooks to set up an account.
Login and download their app.

3. You need to open QuickBooks Desktop and the data file you need to migrate to QBO.
However if you were using (v2018,2019,2020 or v2021) it has now expired or will expire shortly.
If you buy QuickBooks Online from AxonWare we can forward a link to an emergency trial that might allow you to open a QuickBooks Desktop (UK / Ireland) data file. This trial is available for a short duration

Warning: The trial of QuickBooks Desktop 2021 can be problematic to install where you have a commercial version previously installed.
Intuit support might for a short time be willing to assist you in temporarily being able to open a desktop file. However this is a short time frame and while you are tying to migrate to QBO using Movemybooks.

4. Follow the MovemyBooks Wizard and provide the CompanyID of the QBO company you purchased.

5. After the MMB conversion runs - you will need to compare the results in Quickbooks Desktop against what got imported.
Test thoroughly and do an analytical review.

MMB are an independent company. Axonware take no responsibility for the quality of data imports. If this process fails you can purge the QBO company and consider your options (e.g opening balances).

IMPORTANT: You need to have an active running Quickbooks Desktop application to be able to run Movemybooks migration application.
Remember that after June 30th, Desktop will stop working. Migration will become an even bigger challenge.

If you are not happy with the results then you might purge the QBO company of its data and start again with an alternative.


Intuit are subsidising some of the cost.
If you want to mirror multi-currency transactions, inventory or transactions or beyond 1 years data you will most likely incur additional fees.

Click to learn more detail about the Movemybooks process

Opening Balances - Could be the Safest Way Forward?

If you are moving to QuickBooks Online - you might want to consider starting off with opening balances is a safer option. Ask yourself - is this a good time to do a reset on our accounts. A nice clean QBO company - without legacy garbage that might have crept in over time.
Are there customers, supplier , items that are no longer needed?
Were mistakes made in the past that you are having drag forward ? Are there accounts in the chat of accounts that are not necessary. Could you reconfigure the chart of accounts to be tied to items - giving more valuable insight into how you run the business.
As an example have to you lumped all items to be connected to a generic Sales (Income) and COGs (costs) accounts instead of splitting into different business streams.
Usually this is best done before key dates like the year end and/or the VAT year end. See some tips in the screen shots below (scroll down) about what can be exported and pushed into QuickBooks Online (from Excel)

What is QuickBooks Online ?

QuickBooks Online (UK or Irish Edition) is a financial accounts solution for small or medium sized businesses. It is a simple easy to use Cloud Accounting solution. It is very suitable for users on a MAC or Android device or Windows users who want a simple accounting solution with no fuss.

QuickBooks Online - How much does it cost

Axonware have discounted offers on new QBO companies.
You pay per company.

QuickBooks Online Plus

QuickBooks Online Essentials

QuickBooks Online Advanced (UK Version only!)

QuickBooks Online - Key Features

• 5 Users as standard for QuickBooks Online Plus. QuickBooks Online Essentials allows 3 user No there isnt a single user option.
• Easily create and send sales invoices, enter supplier invoices, record expenses.
• Easily generate financial reports such as P&L, Balance sheet, Trial Balance.
• Track VAT
• Manage account receivable and accounts payable. Send statements and payment advices.
• Download UK or Irish bank statements (check to see if your bank is supported) to assist in recording bank transactions.

• QBO is a subscription service that runs on your browser. You dont need to download or install any special software e.g. Safari, Chrome, Firefox or Internet Explorer. Latest versions recommended.
• Platform independent: It runs on MAC, Windows or Android.
We've tested it on PC, iPAD, Samsung Galaxay Tab.
• All your data is held on Intuits servers with Banking level security.
• QBO should be of interest if you've switched from Windows platform or mobility is important.

Great P&L Reports

One of the biggest selling points of QuickBooks - is its reporting. Buckets of reports. Easy to generate, modify and export to excel.

How to Create an Invoice in QuickBooks Online

Creating an Invoice in Quickbooks is easy peasy! You want to be able to generate an invoice in a jiffy. You can just as easily create a quote, record a payment or book at credit!


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Why Use AxonWare?

Axonware have been supplying QuickBooks as far back as 2005. We have thousands of QuickBooks Desktop and Online.

Comparison QuickBooks Essentials v QuickBooks Plus

QuickBooks Comparison	Essentials	Plus
Create & send invoices on the go	Yes	Yes
Snap & sort receipts	Yes	Yes
Download bank transactions automatically - Irish Banks, UK Banks and thousands more	Yes	Yes
Free mobile app	Yes	Yes
No. of users	3	5
Improved VAT handling. VAT3 and RTD type reports for Irish editions. MTD compliane for UK QBO editions.	Yes	Yes
Manage bills & payments	Yes	Yes
Run UK payroll	Yes	Yes
Handle multiple currencies	NO	Yes
Create Budgets & Purchase Orders	No	Yes
Track employee time	No	Yes
Manage stock	No	Yes

Exporting your customers from QuickBooks Desktop

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Uploading your customers to QuickBooks Online from Excel

Repeat this process for SUPPLIERs and STOCK/ITEMs

QuickBooks Online Trial - Demo Company - Try it out!

Why was QuickBooks Desktop Discontinued?

QuickBooks desktop was based on an old architecture - thats has been around for 20 years. While it was a smashing product with a great price, it just wasnt feasible to keep it going.
There are lots of valid reasons. Some might include: old database wasnt scalable, newer operating systems requirements, no MAC or Android support, corruption risks, security and ransomware a growing problem, move to a product that offered mobile working, limitations on connecting to other applications, MTD requirements, support challenges (eg training personnnel on legacy software) and lots more.
Sometimes a complete rewrite from scratch is just the right thing to do.