The features and capabilities of QuickBooks Desktop have evolved over time and through a great deal of usage, making the market-leading accounting software for small businesses something that not even its online counterpart can compete with. While QuickBooks Online edition adoption continues to grow, businesses with more mature and complex requirements continue to rely on the tried-and-true capabilities of the QuickBooks Desktop editions. Yet, as technology and business models evolve, so do certain aspects of the beloved QuickBooks Desktop products. With identity and license management now being handled, at least in part, via web services, QuickBooks is ever-more reliant upon the Intuit.com account and the ability to validate users, roles, license, and services. It is in these areas that service discontinuations tend to focus as older versions of the product no longer support the new methods.
Here is the information Intuit provides regarding service discontinuation for older versions of QuickBooks Desktop (sans the “migrate to QuickBooks Online” messaging).
When does service discontinuation happen and what does it mean?
Access to QuickBooks Desktop add-on services, live technical support, software updates and security patches are all discontinued after 31 May 2023 for QuickBooks Desktop for Windows 2020. This includes all 2020 versions of QuickBooks Desktop Pro, Premier, and Enterprise Solutions (v20). Versions of QuickBooks Desktop earlier than 2020 were discontinued previously,as this is an annual occurrence.
Here is Intuit’s statement regarding service discontinuation:
“Your access to QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Services, Live Support, Online Backup, Online Banking, and other services through QuickBooks Desktop 2020 software will be discontinued after May 31, 2023. This also means you won’t receive critical security updates starting June 1, 2023. If you receive any security updates before this date, install them.
Products affected by service discontinuation after May 31, 2023.
- QuickBooks Desktop Pro 2020
- QuickBooks Desktop Premier 2020 (General Business, Contractor, Manufacturing & Wholesale, Nonprofit, Professional Services, and Retail)
- QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions 20
- QuickBooks Premier Accountant Edition 2020
- QuickBooks Enterprise Accountant 20
- QuickBooks Desktop for Mac 2020”
Securely connecting to bank feeds, email systems, identity management services and other aspects of software functionality and integration are among the reasons for making sure your accounting software is being updated. For businesses that do not use or rely on any of the above services for QuickBooks, the software will continue to work. But, even if the software works after the May 31 date, it might not be a great idea to stay on an older un-updated un-patched (and semi-functional version) of financial software to run your business and manage your finances.
Consider having Mendelson Consulting help you with your QuickBooks updates and upgrades. Keeping your software up to date and your file healthy allows QuickBooks to keep working for your business — like you do!
