QuickBooks Desktop moves to subscription model

(USA small business accounting centric post)

Just got this email from QuickBooks – this notice is for QuickBooks Pro Advisors but you can already see that they are selling QuickBooks 2021 and 2022 in subscription model in stores and online.

If you want to have a ‘fixed price’ for a few years grab the QuickBooks Desktop 2021. It will support payroll for several years and then you’ll have to decide your transition strategy then.

Bottom line QuickBooks Desktop is not dead… but it’s definitely a subscription model these days.  You have until December 10th to grab on to a one time purchase version of QuickBooks before we’re all on a subscription model.

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A message from Ted Callahan

You are our valued partner, and we are reaching out to provide advance notice of QuickBooks Desktop 2022 product subscriptions and availability, ProAdvisor pricing and support changes.

For our 2022 Desktop products, we are making 4 changes that we describe in detail below:

Transitioning to subscription model for our Desktop lineup with the 2022 release.
Introducing QuickBooks Desktop Mac Plus subscription.
Extending availability of 2021 Desktop one-time purchase products until December 10, 2021 for accountants.
Improving support for ProAdvisors.
Product release expected September 28, 2021

QuickBooks ProAdvisors will have access to the new QuickBooks Accountant Desktop Plus, Desktop Enterprise Accountant, and Desktop Mac Plus subscriptions around September 28, 2021. These subscriptions will be available through the ProAdvisor Membership portal within QuickBooks Online Accountant.

The new QuickBooks Desktop Plus and Enterprise subscriptions are scheduled to be released to businesses on October 12, 2021. QuickBooks Desktop subscriptions provide customers with the same locally-installed user interface, with added features and functionality that provides the best value and best-in-class product experience.

Pro Plus and Premier Plus subscriptions

QuickBooks Desktop for Windows is updating its product lineup. With our 2022 launch, we will now only be selling our Pro and Premier products as Pro Plus and Premier Plus subscriptions in place of one-time purchase licenses. In making this transition to subscription only, we commit to focusing our investment to deliver greater value and more impactful features for you and your clients. This transition will also encourage your clients to be on the most recent versions for easier collaboration with you. To facilitate this transition, sales of QuickBooks Desktop 2021, one-time purchase versions, will be extended until December 10, 2021.

The 2022 subscription versions will offer you and your clients additional benefits, including:

Access to the latest version, with the most up-to-date features, security patches, and support for 3rd party operating system changes.
Up to 38% faster, more reliable QuickBooks computing power (64-bit).
Unlimited customer support and data recovery at no additional charge.
Premium time saving and money management features. Increased productivity with the QuickBooks Desktop mobile app.
Please note that clients on older 32-bit computers will not be able to use the 2022 version, which requires a 64-bit compatible Windows operating system. Check here for more information on how to check for compatibility for your Plus and Enterprise customers.

New: Mac Plus subscription
For 2022, we are introducing QuickBooks Desktop Mac Plus, an annual subscription-based license for small businesses. We will now be selling our Mac product subscription in place of one-time purchase licenses.1 QuickBooks Desktop Mac Plus will be available to accounting professionals as part of the ProAdvisor Enterprise Software Bundle.

The 2022 subscription version will offer you and your clients additional benefits, including:

Access to the latest version, with the most up-to-date features, security patches, and support for 3rd party operating system changes
Unlimited customer support and data recovery at no additional charge
Premium subscription features, like automatically creating and categorizing receipt expense transactions.
Distribution for QuickBooks Desktop
Our transition to a subscription-forward lineup will occur at the time of our 2022 product release – scheduled for October 12, 2021.

We will offer a limited time exception for the purchase of our Desktop Pro, Premier and Mac 2021 one-time purchase licenses (supported through May 2024) to avoid disruption to you and your clients. These products will be available via QuickBooks Solutions Providers (QSPs) and Intuit sales agents until December 10, 2021.