Intuit has officially announced the discontinuation of QuickBooks Desktop 2021. All versions of QuickBooks 2021, including Pro, Premier, Enterprise V21, and QuickBooks Desktop 2021 for Mac will be discontinued after May 31, 2024. However, there is no surprise about it, as Intuit retires an older version of the product every year.
If you are using also using QuickBooks 2021, then you will find this post on QuickBooks Desktop 2021 service discontinuation policy useful. It elaborates on how will this discontinuation affect the usage of the program, including add on and support options. Let’s begin!
Table of Contents
Let’s Understand QuickBooks 2021 Discontinuation
QuickBooks Desktop 2021 will be discontinued after May 31, 2024. Does it mean that you won’t be able to use the 2021 version of the QuickBooks accounting software? Well! The answer is no. You will still be able to utilize it to manage your day-to-day business accounting. Then what change will this discontinuation bring?
Once, the QuickBooks Desktop 2021 discontinued, you won’t be able to use add-on services. Also, the support services from the QuickBooks Help Desk will also be discontinued for the same version. Furthermore, the support services for the Intuit products with the program will also become unavailable. These services are Payroll, Online Bank Feeds, QuickBooks Desktop Payments, and several others. Also, you won’t be able to download the latest maintenance releases.
All in all, you can use QuickBooks Desktop 2021 even after the discontinuation of the product. However, you can’t integrate add-ons, update QuickBooks, or avail of the technical support for an issue. It can make the program prone to the technical errors and you will have to handle them on your own.
How Does QuickBooks Desktop Service Discontinuation Policy Work?
QuickBooks Desktop discontinuation doesn’t mean the program has been completely shut down. It means that the program will be available for the current users, but Intuit will stop selling the product subscription to the new users. Besides, the current won’t be able to download the latest security patches or get support.
Intuit typically discontinues a product after three years. For instance, QuickBooks Desktop 2021 is going to discontinue in May 31, 2024. Intuit continues to provide support and security patches for three years. Thereafter, users are expected to upgrade to a more advanced version to continue receiving the updates and customer services.
Every year, an older version discontinues. For instance, QuickBooks Desktop 2020 was discontinued on May 31, 2023. Thus, every year, an older version of the program becomes unsupported after completing a tenure of three years.
Products That Will Be Affected Due To QuickBooks 2021 Discontinuation
The list of the products that will become unsupported after May 31, 2024, are:
- QuickBooks Desktop Pro 2021.
- Premier version of QuickBooks Desktop 2021.
- QuickBooks Enterprise Solution 21.
- QuickBooks Premier 2021 – Accountant Edition.
- QuickBooks Enterprise Accountant 21.
- QuickBooks Desktop Mac 2021.
Important Considerations Related To QuickBooks Desktop 2021 Discontinuation
Intuit officially announced the discontinuation of the QuickBooks Desktop 2021 on May 31, 2024. Besides, you will be notified about the same via email or in-product notifications that services are to be discontinued. Now that you have required knowledge about the discontinuation, you need to keep a few important considerations in your mind.
If you want to continue using QuickBooks Desktop 2021, install all the updates rolling out prior to the date of discontinuation. On failing to do so, the program becomes more susceptible to the technical issues, security breaches and online threats.
On the contrary, if you want to continue receiving new security updates and utilize the advanced program feature, it is wise to upgrade to a newer version of the software. You can choose any of the following options here:
- Upgrade to QuickBooks Desktop Plus before July 31, 2024.
- Switch to the Online version of the QuickBooks accounting software.
Option 1: Upgrading To QuickBooks Desktop Plus
Upgrading to QuickBooks Desktop Plus will enable you to continue using the product without needing to worry about discontinuation or product upgrades. QuickBooks Desktop Plus is an annual subscription-based service. Once you switch to the Plus, you don’t need to upgrade the product every year, as the subscription cost already include it.
Your current subscription to QuickBooks Plus will support the three most recent versions of the program. For instance, you can upgrade your QuickBooks Desktop 2021 to 2022, 2023, or 2024 versions of the program. You also need to keep in mind that you can’t upgrade your unsupported QuickBooks product After July 31, 2024. In failure to do so, you can only purchase QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise, or QuickBooks Online.
When upgrading to QuickBooks Desktop Plus, you can choose a suitable version from Pro, Premier, or Enterprise as your business requires. Pro and Premier are suitable for small to mid-sized firms. Businesses with complex accounting needs can go with the QuickBooks Enterprise option. The subscription-based versions of QuickBooks cost more as compared to the non-subscription versions.
Once, you switch to the QuickBooks Plus, you need to subscribe it every year, otherwise you won’t be able to use the program at all, unlike a non-subscription product.
Option 2: Moving To QuickBooks Online
QuickBooks Online comes with a wide spectrum of advantages, and Intuit also encourages its users to use QuickBooks Online. It gives users the freedom and flexibility to handle their accounting processes remotely and collaborate seamlessly with the employees. You don’t need to worry about the data backups as they are regulated automatically in QuickBooks Online. Furthermore, you can manage online banking, reconcile accounts, and confirm that there is no discrepancy in the records.
You can easily move to QuickBooks Online after QuickBooks Desktop 2021 discontinuation. The migration of the QuickBooks Desktop files to Online takes up to 72 hours, which may vary based on the amount of data transferred. QuickBooks Conversion Tool can help you with this process.
How To Move QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online?
It is super easy to move your QuickBooks Desktop file to QuickBooks Online. Just stick the below-listed steps to get the task accomplished:
- First of all, you need to log into your company file as an admin.
- Now, check and confirm that your company file is up to date before exporting it.
- Move your QuickBooks Desktop file to QuickBooks Online.
- Connect your bank and credit card accounts to your QuickBooks Online account.
- Set up QuickBooks Online according to the specific requirements of your business processes.
- You can now start using QuickBooks Online and manage your daily accounting tasks with it.
Important Things To Keep In Mind:
- Make sure that the QuickBooks Desktop file is up to date before transferring it.
- Make sure that the company file is not too long to be exported. The total targets shouldn’t exceed 750,000.
- After moving data to QuickBooks Online, you should review the integrity of your financial data.
- You can now add your financial account, set up QuickBooks Payroll service and manage your invoices from within the QuickBooks Online application.
Considering Everything
In this post, we have discussed about the QuickBooks Desktop 2021 service discontinuation policy in detail. Along side covering the important aspects, it also elaborates on how one can deal with the product discontinuation. If you still have any query in your mind, or need assistance with the described procedures, feel free to reach out to an expert using QuickBooks customer desk number.