Tax Guru – Ker$tetter Letter

Q:

Subject: Quickbooks

 

I am using Quickbooks Basic.  It is my understanding that this program is no longer available.  My question to you is, do I need to upgrade to Quickbooks Pro or can I continue to use this program for now?

Thanks

A:

It is true that, starting with the 2006 QB programs, they have dropped the least expensive Basic version.  It’s an obvious scheme to squeeze more money out of people.

It doesn’t matter to me which year’s version of the program you use.  I have a dozen different ones installed on my computer to enable me to work with everyone’s data files.

You should upgrade to newer versions whenever you feel that you want the newer features or the official Intuit support, which they drop after three years.  If you are using QB to process a company payroll, you will need to upgrade more frequently in order to keep the withholding tables accurate.  However, for basic bookkeeping tasks, which is really all that most people need, you can stay with your current program for as long as you want.

Kerry