Intuit had announced its decision to discontinue its older versions of QuickBooks Desktop after May 31, 2021. The following deadlines and discontinuation dates currently apply to QuickBooks products. As of May 31, 2023, QuickBooks Desktop for Windows 2020 is being phased out and support is discontinued. Discontinuation affects all versions of QuickBooks Desktop Pro, Premier, and Enterprise Solutions v20. This means that add-on services, support and updates will no longer be available. According to Intuit, users will no longer have access to live technical support or any of the other Intuit services that integrate with QuickBooks Desktop versions. Critical security updates will also no longer be provided when Intuit QuickBooks is discontinued. For these reasons, Intuit recommends migrating to QuickBooks Online, however users who do not require updates or add-on services can continue to use QuickBooks Desktop past the service discontinuation date.
After Intuit Quickbooks is discontinued, we have many solutions for QuickBooks merchant services to ensure your business can operate without disruptions. For information on the discontinuation of QuickBooks Point of Sale, please follow this link.
QuickBooks is an accounting software solution designed mainly for small- and medium-sized businesses. The software package is designed, developed, and marketed by Intuit Inc. It is known for providing on-premises as well as cloud-based accounting applications. The platform efficiently manages bills and transactions, accepts business payments, and handles payroll functions.
Starting June 1st, 2021, Intuit QuickBooks is discontinued, including all access to add-on services on its desktop version for Windows 2018. This includes all of the older versions of the accounting platform, like the Pro, Premier, and Enterprise Solutions of QuickBooks Desktop 2018. Intuit QuickBooks provides a three year support window for all desktop products, so that means QuickBooks Desktop 2020 for Windows is being phased out as of May 31st, 2023. After Intuit QuickBooks is discontinued, the company strongly recommends transitioning to their online subscription-based service, however they do provide a yearly subscription option on their website for QuickBooks Desktop Premier Plus, currently priced at $799/year. With QuickBooks online plans starting at $15/mo, and the most popular plan priced at $42.50/mo, Intuit is clearly using pricing to entice users to switch to the online option.
If these options aren’t ideal for your business, we will explore the market competitors available after Intuit Quickbooks is discontinued.
Intuit Quickbooks is Discontinued – What is Meant by Service Discontinuation?
Service discontinuation means that after May 31, 2021, you won’t be able to use or have access to services or products like QuickBooks Desktop Payroll Services, Online Backup, Live Support, Online Banking, etc., through the 2018 version of QuickBooks Desktop. This applies to both the Mac and PC versions of the software. These same restrictions apply for QuickBooks Desktop 2020 after May 31, 2023.
Once Intuit Quickbooks is discontinued it will also mean that you will not receive any new, critical security updates. If you are currently using QuickBooks 2020, it is highly recommended to install the latest updates prior to discontinuation on May 31, 2023. If you are using the 2018 or 2019 versions, the deadline for installing the latest updates has already passed. Without proper updates, your QuickBooks software will be vulnerable to data breaches and cybersecurity threats.
If you don’t use any add-on services, QuickBooks Desktop applications will continue operating for past their discontinuation dates. However, you won’t be able to subscribe to any live technical support solutions. Further, you won’t be able to integrate any other Intuit services with QuickBooks Desktop software.
Earlier in 2018, Intuit also made the official announcement of discontinuing its QuickBooks Desktop 2016 application. Intuit Quickbooks is discontinued – This was the announcement made again in 2021. This policy of discontinuing previous versions has been a longstanding practice at Intuit, and it is unlikely they will deviate from this course or change the policy in the future as they push more users to switch to the online option. While some are reluctant to make the switch, the online version has made great strides in terms of feature parity with the desktop version in recent years.
Once your version of Intuit QuickBooks is discontinued, it is highly recommended to switch to a newer version of the software to gain complete access to more advanced features and to continue receiving the latest security updates.
List of All QuickBooks Services to be Discontinued
As Intuit Quickbooks is discontinued in 2024 and beyond, it will have an impact on the entire ecosystem of Intuit QuickBooks products and services.
Apart from the QuickBooks Desktop version for Windows 2018, a few other Intuit services and products will also be discontinued. Below is the list of all of the QuickBooks services that will be affected by service discontinuation this year.
Products to be discontinued after May 31, 2021
- QuickBooks Desktop Pro 2018
- QuickBooks Desktop Premier 2018 (Contractor, General Business, Manufacturing & Wholesale, Professional Services, Nonprofit, and Retail)
- QuickBooks Premier Accountant Edition 2018
- QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions 18
Products to be discontinued after February 2, 2021
- QuickBooks Desktop Point of Sale 12.0 payments services
In short, if you wish to continue using QuickBooks’ add-on services, you must upgrade to the latest QuickBooks Desktop version.
Products to be discontinued after May 31, 2022
- QuickBooks Desktop Pro 2019
- QuickBooks Desktop Premier 2019 (Contractor, General Business, Manufacturing & Wholesale, Professional Services, Nonprofit, and Retail)
- QuickBooks Premier Accountant Edition 2019
- QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions 19
Products to be discontinued after May 31, 2023
- QuickBooks Desktop Pro 2020
- QuickBooks Desktop Premier 2020 (Contractor, General Business, Manufacturing & Wholesale, Professional Services, Nonprofit, and Retail)
- QuickBooks Premier Accountant Edition 2020
- QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions 20
Products to be discontinued after May 31, 2024
- QuickBooks Desktop Pro 2021
- QuickBooks Desktop Premier 2021 (Contractor, General Business, Manufacturing & Wholesale, Professional Services, Nonprofit, and Retail)
- QuickBooks Premier Accountant Edition 2021
- QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions 21
Products that will remain in service
- QuickBooks Desktop Pro and Premier 2022, 2023, 2024
- QuickBooks Desktop Accountant 2022, 2023, 2024
- QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions 22, 23, 24
- QuickBooks Desktop Point of Sales 22.0, 21.0 and 20.0
FAQs on QuickBooks Desktop 2018 Service Discontinuation
The following questions are asked by many users. We will offer a solutions to users impacted by the fact the Intuit QuickBooks is discontinued.
Q. 1. Do I need to buy any new software to avoid discontinuation of my business processes?
A: The best way to avoid QuickBooks discontinuation affecting your core business operations, like accounting, is to switch to a later version of QuickBooks; for example, QuickBooks Online. Due to the discontinuation, you won’t be able to troubleshoot any issues that may arise in your QuickBooks Desktop 2018, 2019, or 2020 applications. If you upgrade to a newer QuickBooks version, all data from the old version is easily transferred.
Q. 2. QuickBooks Desktop vs. QuickBooks Online. Which is better?
A: QuickBooks Online is packed with a host of smart and advanced features that certainly achieve feature parity, and in some cases exceed the functionality of QuickBooks Desktop. Some of these include –
- Anytime Anywhere Access: Using QuickBooks Online, you can gain on-the-go access to your business from any platform or device. For example, you can manage your customers, expenses, invoices, bookkeeping, etc., right from your mobile device. This feature is excellent for business owners operating multiple stores or business locations.
- Faster Reconciliation: The credit card processing feature of QuickBooks is designed to integrate with QuickBooks Online efficiently, thus eliminating cumbersome manual data entry tasks.
- Upload Receipts from Your Smartphone: The best thing about QuickBooks Online is that users can take photos of their receipts on their mobile devices and upload them instantly to their QuickBooks account. It means you no longer need to scan your receipts every time using bulky scanners.
- No Installation Required: You don’t need to install any applications to use QuickBooks Online on your desktop or laptop computer. It is completely web-based, and you can access it from any browser of your choice.
- Easy Integration: You can integrate your QuickBooks Online platform with other vital business software or tools. It will help you gain full control over your business and give you powerful functionality for your core processes.
Q. 3. What’s the difference between QuickBooks 2018 and 2021 (and later) services and products?
A: QuickBooks Desktop 2021, 2022, and 2023 come with a range of new features designed to boost your productivity. These features help you to stay more organized and focused while saving you time and effort.
Q. 4. What are the system requirements for upgrading to a newer version of QuickBooks Desktop?
A: To upgrade to a newer version of QuickBooks Desktop, you will need –
- Hardware and OS Requirements (both client and server)
- Processor: At least 2.4 GHz
- RAM: Minimum 4GB; 8GB Recommended
- For 1-5 Users: 8GB
- For 10 Users: 12GB
- For 15 Users: 16GB
- For 20 Users: 20GB or more
- Disk Space: 2.5GB (additional disk space required for data files)
- Windows: US version, Natively Installed
- Screen Resolution: Optimized for 1280 x 1024 or higher, and the Default DPI setting
- Optical Drive: For physical CD installations, a 4X DVD-ROM drive is required (unless you download the software from the Intuit server).
- Browser Requirements: Internet Explorer 11 (32-bit) and Internet access.
Q. 5. What will happen to my company data when Intuit QuickBooks is discontinued?
A: When you upgrade to a newer version of QuickBooks, you will be prompted to convert your company file. During the conversion process, all of your data will be protected using precautionary measures. QuickBooks will check the integrity of your data files, and even make a backup of your vital data before the upgrade process is initiated.
Q. 6. How long will it take to upgrade?
A: Typically, it takes less than an hour to upgrade your QuickBooks Desktop version and your company file. The time taken depends on how large your company file is. After the installation process ends, you will be prompted to activate it, and then you are good to go!