Whether or not you’re ready for the latest version of QuickBooks, you should know about some important changes.
Sometimes, making the decision to upgrade a software is simple. Either the newest release has features you’ve been waiting for, or there’s a step in your workflow that’s redundant or inconvenient that needs to be ironed out. But other times, upgrading your software can feel like it’s more of a hassle than it’s worth, especially if the upgrade comes with a new user interface or command structure.
Fortunately, QuickBooks hasn’t made significantly drastic changes in its user experience for a long time. And even if it had, Account Ability Consulting is always here to help you understand and take advantage of new changes that arise. If you’re upgrading to the 2022 version from one that’s two or three years behind, you should still find that what you see looks fairly familiar, with the exception of any new features that have been added since your last upgrade.
We’ve discussed QuickBooks 2022 extensively in a previous blog post, but to recap, QuickBooks Desktop 2022 looks a lot like QuickBooks 2021, but there have been a few significant changes to the flagship software this time around, most importantly, the transition from a one-time payment structure to a subscription payment model. You may also not be able to install and run it if your PC is a few years old. However, the process of importing bills into your company file has gotten easier with QuickBooks Desktop 2022.
A New Annual Obligation
As you probably know, QuickBooks Online is a subscription product, meaning you can continue using the most updated version of the software for as long as you pay your monthly subscription fees. Historically, the Desktop versions of QuickBooks have always required one upfront payment that allows you to keep using the software for as long as you want (though Intuit discontinues support for older products after a few years).
Beginning with the 2022 versions of QuickBooks Desktop, you’ll be required to pay an annual subscription fee, renewing every 12 months. Without the annual renewal, you won’t be able to continue to use the software.
Note: If you have an older version of QuickBooks, you may not realize that all Desktop products now have “Plus” versions. These include unlimited support, data backups, and annual upgrades! Contact Account Ability Consulting for more info.
As of May 2022, QuickBooks Pro Plus 2022 costs $349.99 annually for one user. You’ll need to pay $200 for each additional user (up to three). QuickBooks Premier Plus 2022 is $549.99 per year. Additional users can be added at a rate of $300 each for up to five users. And if you find you’re outgrowing Premier and want to stay in the QuickBooks ecosystem for its many accounting automations and functionalities, ask us about upgrading to QuickBooks Enterprise. Many mid-market companies find that they can sustain their operations quite comfortably with this more robust version of the software. QuickBooks Enterprise 22.0 costs $804 per year ($1,340 after the first year) and supports up to 40 users. As always, contact us before upgrading your software—we may be able to offer more competitive pricing. As of the writing of this article, we can currently extend a discount for your first year!
Accounts Payable Improvements
Up until now, bills had to be entered into QuickBooks Desktop manually. QuickBooks 2022 now allows you to upload them from its mobile app, among other new options!
You’re probably already familiar with bill management through QuickBooks. You open the Vendors menu and select Enter Bills, provide the basic details, and save it. You go to Vendors | Pay Bills when you’re ready. That bill template will be available for paying subsequent bills (using a different date and—usually—amount).
If you choose to upgrade to QuickBooks Desktop 2022, you’ll be able to complete this step in a few different ways that help automate your bill entry. You can:
Download the QuickBooks Desktop mobile app (be sure to download this one – there’s another mobile app for QuickBooks Online). Click Snap Bill, then Upload photo. It will be available in QuickBooks on a bill entry form with some of its details (like date, amount, and vendor) already transferred from the photo and filled in. You can edit it and treat it like any other bill. QuickBooks 2022 Premier Plus and Enterprise and above only
Email PDFs of your bills, using a custom email address ending in @qbdesktopdocs.com.
Take a photo using your mobile device’s camera (not the QuickBooks app) and email it to your custom email address.
Upload photos of bills from Google Drive.
Using the QuickBooks Desktop mobile app, you can snap photos of bills and upload them to QuickBooks (QuickBooks Premier Plus 2022 and Enterprise).
Keep in mind that this technology is not perfect. You may have to practice with it some, and all of the expected data may not transfer every time.
Improved Performance
If you have a large QuickBooks company file and/or an older computer, you may notice that your current software runs slowly. QuickBooks 2022 has enhanced the product’s performance by taking advantage of the 64-bit processor that most newer computers have – according to Intuit, by as much as 38% in some cases.
Note: Not sure whether your PC has a 32-bit or 64-bit processor? Navigate to the the Windows Start menu and select Control Panel, then System and Security| System.
We hope our insight has helped you consider what the best software strategy could look like for your business. Whether that’s upgrading to the 2022 version of QuickBooks now, or waiting until support sunsets for your current version.
And whenever you have questions about upgrading, we’ll be ready to answer, with special consideration for how it will uniquely impact your business. In the meantime, we hope that the software is helping you do your accounting work as productively and efficiently as possible—if it’s not, we’ll more than likely be able to help you find a simple solution.
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