To be clear, Intuit is still selling Quickbooks Desktop Pro and Premier and Enterprise. And those versions can still create an “Accountant Copy” (QBX file), but you can no longer get the Quickbooks accountant version that let’s you OPEN a QBX file.
Makes sense? 
johanus everything is going online and up in price these days
Well the explanation I got was the accountant version is still available as long as you were in the pro advisor program and are willing to pay the new price but no new pro advisor subscriptions will be sold.
I think Intuit is failing to realize just how much business was driven to them by the pro advisor program.
It is worth complaining about the increase to Intuit, instead of a 250% increase I had the increase reduced to 200%. Still not that happy but at least a bit better.
Yes, @jimt you are correct. But, if you were not in the ProAdvisor program, you could not have bought/licensed the accountant version. And, if you if you didn’t want/need the accountant version of the program, what point was there to BE in the ProAdvisor program? That’s why I stopped my ProAdvisor subscription years ago.
Now that they have stopped selling ProAdvisor subscriptions, there will be a limited number of accountants out there who can open a QBX file, and that number can only go down (not up).
Oh, well. I just have the one client whose bookkeeper keeps trying to send me a QBX file, so I’ll just keep telling her I can’t open it, and to send me a full backup.
The “subscription model” has made ALL software suppliers fat, and by corollary, lazy. Updates tend to be minimal, critical fixes ignored until they can’t hold the line any more. The problem, for “us” is that we NEED to be current, carry payroll and tax on a year-to-year basis and WE are a captive audience.
I spare my clients somewhat because we have generally done most of the bookkeeping, so that insulates them a bit from software (although not bookkeeping) costs.
Oh, I know. And it’s to our disadvantage. Web programming is still too limited to do everything we really need for excellent, high-level bookkeeping/accounting programs. It can’t even do many of the things that QB Desktop could do 10 years ago.
This month we got hit with another big increase from Intuit. Our September 2025 invoice was 60% higher than our August 2025 invoice.
In exchange for the dramatic monthly increase we received the following value: As of the fall of 2023 NO NEW VERSIONS OF THIS SOFTWARE ARE EVER COMING.
Intuit are trying so desperately to kill off Quickbooks Desktop…….
What the QBO developers need to do is actually spend a straight month using their software as an actual bookkeeping tool in order to realize how much more inefficient QBO is compared to the desktop version.
I don’t particularly find the desktop version to be lightening fast for data entry……… but Quickbooks online is almost unusable with the lag time between postings.
Well, if they do as well with QBO as they did with Profile, we’ll all be using spreadsheets in a couple years. The difference between on-line and desktop is like night and day.
I agree, QBO is horrible to use & allows for soo much room for error with the “automations”. I personally still use QuickBooks 2012 desktop & hard pressed to want to change from it as it is soo clean & simple.
Who needs QBO when you can have MS Excel+ Copilot for fraction of the price.
I understand why Intuit wants to kill QBD. One QBD can open and work on hundreds of files. Each QBO is one data file. By forcing everyone to QBO, Intuit can increase the revenue exponentially.
But QBO is very slow compared to QBD in addition to the issue of data ownership. We accountant wants efficiency of QBD, and our clients want data ownership.
What if Intuit makes QBD total free to use for everybody. But each data file must have a serial number, and each client will have to pay Intuit (a reasonable price) for the serial number. That make our clients more comfortable of data ownership, and we the accountant happier for the efficiency of QBD. At the end, Intuit can still increase the revenue exponentially. I think Sage can also consider this.
I hate online version (QB and Sage) and I prefer to work on desktop version.
I use QBO almost exclusively because of my ability to access the Clients’ data on line. It is so much more efficient than driving a half hour or an hour to access the client’s data and work on a little screen with no room for paper on the desk. So when working with QBD, I have customers on 2009, 2014, 2017 and 2021. I have an old computer with Windows 7 so I can work in 2009 at my desk. I download an accountant’s copy and hope it works when I open in my office. Then when I am done, I drive back to the customer and upload the updated information. But while I am working on it, he can’t file HST or create new accounts.
I got my renewal back in the summer but hadn’t got around to calling them about it until now. I am thinking about not renewing my Pro Advisor Sub, if I do will the current installed version still work? For the foreseeable future? I will need to support clients for some time yet.
I am really not pleased with Intuit and frankly I think I will start pushing clients to Xero for an online option.
Really WTF is Intuit thinking, pissing off people like me that for about 30 years have driven tons of business their way!!
Jim
I can confirm that you will NOT be able to open the desktop file.
I cancelled in October and for a about a week the files would still open. Now they won’t. Its BS, we should still have read only access to the data!
If you happen to use Caseware and to the QuickBooks export from desktop it won’t work either since you have to have the desktop file open.
I have seen standalone versions of Quickbooks Desktop being sold by a retailer with license codes at substantial discounts. No Quickbooks support but for a seasoned user that is not likely needed. An good option to be able to continue using while ending the subscription.
If anyone is thinking of just letting it lapse consider finding someone to assume your license. They can be transferred. Not sure if that is official but it can work.
I am planning to look at NewView.
I was told by my QB advisor that desktop will be available for another couple years but I too am starting to look at other options. I am checking out Account Edge
Has anyone checked out Spire? The programmers there came from Adagio because adagio wasn’t moving ahead.
I have been so upset with Intuit recently - but i don’t want to change. How about Zoho, has anyone tried that?
Zoho is on my radar now that they have Cdn payroll but at this point I’m more concerned with replacing desktop. One step at a time 