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Im in
trying to
a) set up new clients on it
b) convert desktoppers to online for selected clients
Excited too!
Hi,
Great to see that you're excited about the new QuickBooks Online – so are we.
A) The new QuickBooks has only just launched and we'll make it available to more users over the next couple of months.
In the interim feel free to sign up your new clients to the current version (www.quickbooks.co.uk). We'll then notify you and your clients as soon as the new version is available.
B) More good news: We've partnered with Ledgerscope (MovemyBooks) to help you get your clients' data converted from desktop products (Sage or QuickBooks) to QuickBooks Online. Here's the link – it's currently free: http://bit.ly/DT2Cloud1
Makera K, QuickBooks - Senior Product Manager UK
QuickBooks VAT
Have they sorted out the VAT yet? And the UK/US date format? And can it easily import journals and other data?
Intuit
Maybe at last a replacement for Quicken - nothing beats that for small businesses and Club Acs !!!
Different to desktop version?
We are considering moving the accounts for our business over to QuickBooks from Sage, but if we do switch to QuickBooks it will probably be to the desktop version.
That is because it has a feature called Lead Centre which we would really be able to make great use of - it's a shame the same features are not available on the online version (and that it's difficult to compare them).
Going global
For some years now I have acted for a small group of companies some of whom are USA companies. QuickBooks is used by them all but my issue is that in order to run QuickBooks USA and QuickBooks UK I have to have two computers. If run on the same computer the two programs keep overwriting each other. Have things changed with the online software. Will I be able to look at the books of the USA company and the UK companies on the same computer? Particularly important facility as it makes it possible to do the entries for inter-company transactions on both companies. Hope there is a good answer to this matter.
Dating transaction
[comment moderated where it relates to material that has been removed]
For me being in practise and dealing with clients who write up their own books I [am concerned about the] ability of QB to allow postings to closed years (mostly unintentially by mistake) [that] result in us the accountant or the clerk spending many hours now trying to find this imbalance. keep in mind a financial year is closed for a reason; the annual financial statements have been drawn up and approved by the directors, the tax return as been filed, the VAT has been reconciled - why would any normal thinking accountant want to post back into that period? Just does not make sense to me. So I don't think Sage, or Oracle or SAP or Syspro think we are dumb. And its not about trusting ourselves or our clients, its about having completed, reconciled & filed, done and dusted!
Multi Country Support
@Bolebrook1 - To the question of whether accountants can support clients in multiple countries: the answer is yes. Absolutely.
Using our free Accountant version, all your clients will show in a single client list regardless of where their business is based or the country version of QuickBooks Online they are using.
You can simply click on them in the list to launch instant access to their file. (They need to invite you to join their company as their accountant to appear in the list - at no cost to them)
Supported online countries right now: Australia, US, UK and Canada. You can sign-up at QBOA.intuit.com
Regards,
Makera K, QuickBooks - Senior Product Manager UK
RE YOUR MESSAGE ABOVE
Thanks for that, but since none of my clients use QB Online and nor do I, my question was based on earlier years experience which still applies to me namely that QB USA could not be run on the same computer as QB UK because in part the registry was the same so they kept cancelling each other out. I was enquiring if this has changed so that I could load the software for each country on my PC thus running a UK company simultaneously with a USA company. Your message indicates that nothing has changed. No surprise to me although at the time I had these problems QB was suggesting in its marketing that the software catered for everything. The issue I struggled with involved and continues to involve a small group of companies with a parent in the UK and 2 subsidiaries in USA. The only way to do that - I was told - was to load QB USA onto a separate computer which I did but at some inconvenience as you can imagine. Thamnks for taking the trouble to reply though. I appreciate it.
Close Period password in QuickBooks
Hi everyone,
Alison from Intuit here - I head up the Accountant Programmes at Intuit UK.
I just read the string here, and want to clarify a couple of things about both QuickBooks Online, and QuickBooks desktop versions.
Both allow the ability to change transactions, provided that BOTH of the following conditions are true:
1) that the user has permissions to do so
2) that the period in question is not Closed, with a Password set.
Both conditions can operate independently, but both have to be true in order for a user to change a transaction, or, to post one to a Closed period.
I was an accountant before I joined Intuit 9 years ago, in the US. I came to Intuit, loving QuickBooks, but also dragging alot of pain with me too. Pain when my clients posted things to older periods and I had to find them. Pain when they didn't post the JE's I had sent them. Pain when I couldn't see what had changed, etc etc.
Intuit engineers (male and female) have taken the feedback from accountants like me on board, and have created a pretty amazing environment in which to run accounts. Clients have an easy to use interface, and Accountants have tools to speed up interrogation of the client file, to create JE's and send them to their client for Import, and even to close the periods after they adjust the books and set a password to prevent anyone changing the data after the period was closed (either accidently or intentionally.)
But these things only work if accountants and bookkeepers set QuickBooks up properly.
therefore, I encourage everyone to do two things:
1) check that each user at your client side has their own User Name and Password. Do NOT ALLOW EVERYONE TO GO IN AS ADMIN. (yes, this is me shouting.) If you do, the fantastic always-on Audit Trail will show what was done, and when, but not who did it.
2) Close the periods and set a password whenever you have finished a month or quarter or year end close. Do not tell your client the password. If you MUST tell them the password, make it "£500.00" because "that is the amount you will charge them to amend their final accounts if they actually do post a transaction to that closed period, and use the password". (They will stop and think before posting that transaction.... I promise!)
I hope this helps -
Sincerely,
Alison Ball
Intuit UK
I'm getting confused
A whole load of comments seem to have disappeared from here. I had some questions to ask, but I can't remember all of them.
I was chatting with a friend about Alison Ball's comment, and she said that some people like the ability to change transactions, and other's don't, definitely.
Does anybody know if any other accounting packages allow people to change transactions at all, or is it just a QuickBooks Special Feature.
changing transactions
The great thing about almost all modern bookkeeping systems is that they offer the ability to change transactions if you wish, but also have password protection systems, so that you can completely shut that function off from everyone but the master user. Furthermore, the audit trail/activity log in QuickBooks will show you if anyone made any changes and exactly what change was made and when. This provides total flexibility. Anyone who dislikes the ability to alter transactions can prevent it with a password and not reveal the password to anyone else. I cannot see how even the most conservative of accountants can have a problem with this.
@Alison
Alison @ Intuit - Your comment about the audit trail has been removed I think. Is there anywhere I can see an example of the new audit trail?
Chatman - and Audit Trail
Hi @Chatman,
What version of QuickBooks desktop are you running? I believe the audit trail enhancements (bunching the original transaction with all the successive changes) have been in place for several versions now. So assuming you are using a recent version of QuickBooks (ie: 2012, 2013, 2014), you should be able to look at it yourself. Go to the Reports Menu > Accountant and Taxes > Audit Trail.
If you are on a truly old version of QuickBooks, you should consider upgrading. Unfortunately we do not offer 30-day trials anymore of QuickBooks Accountant Edition, but you can buy QuickBooks confidently, knowing we have a 60-day money-back-guarantee.
Failing that, I could download a few audit trail reports from some of my sample files, and send them over in Excel?
Please advise?
Alison
Message to Charlie from George G
George wants to point out, from a safe distance, that his greatest 20th Century Heroes are Ludwig Wittgenstein and Ted Codd.
Charlie and others can decide for themselves if those two were "conservative" in their thinking and talking.
QuickBooks - Changes
I teach QB and use it for the Company Accounts - Book-keeping and year end accounts. Its (QB) biggest asset (its niche) is the flexibility it allows. It now gives you the facility to control the flexibility at your finger tips. If any client abuses it, as suggested by Alison, let them pay for it.
Even the IASs / FRSs, for example, IAS 8 - Changes in accounting estimates / Fundamental errors and accounting policy, allows the opportunity to make changes - adjusting and non-adjusting events (see also FRS 18).
Easy and free desktop to online data conversion
Hi everyone
The new version of QuickBooks Online has a great, modern user interface and is really quick in use.
My company, Movemybooks, has partnered with Intuit to provide a quick, easy and accurate data migration service which converts data in QuickBooks desktop over to QuickBooks Online. And the good news is that, for a limited time, Intuit will make this service free for you. Simply complete the online order form, upload the backup, and we'll do the rest.
For details see http://www.ledgerscope.com/movemybooks/moving-to-quickbooks
Regards
Adrian
So how does QB online compare?
Has anyone drawn up a list of features and functions that will help differentiate QBs from the likes of FreeAgent, Clear Books & Xero?
Their website seems to give out more info than it did a couple of months back but, looking at the list of features on the "Plus" version for example, it's all pretty much same old, same old with what the others have been doing from the start.
Is it true for example that they still don't support FRS VAT? It can be done with a calculator and a finger, what's so scary?
I visited the Accountants & Bookkeepers bit but can't see any info on client dashboards/management, I'm assuming they have them? And finally, how about the generous discounts for the "Essentials" & "Plus" how do they work?
There is training, but is it necessary? It's only bookkeeping after all and I never had it with the PC version.
I used to love QBs on land in the early days and so, unlike the other monopoly on land, would have no problem having a look but am not prepared to sit through trials or webinar training before deciding.
Xero v QBO
Hi Paul,
This one is a little bit Australia specific, but might provide some of the comparison information you were looking for: http://boxfreeit.com.au/2013/10/14/xero-vs-quickbooks-online-comparison-round-two/
Regards
Adrian
Many thanks Adrian
That's a great help.
I'm still interested to hear from Intuit (or anyone) about the "generous discounts" as hitting the link on the site seems to just take me to the Sign Up box and I'm just not prepared to do that.
One issue mentioned in the comparison is that QBO only enables the use of multiple tabs in the Accountant's version. Firstly, I can't seem to find out if there is an Accountant's version in the UK and, if there is, how it differs from the business versions, and secondly, whether multi-tabbing is not, in fact, available in the business versions, eg simple, essentials & plus.
As some feedback, one of the key benefits of online accounting is the ability to multi-tab/window and a system that doesn't have this would be a non-starter for me & my clients.
Also still interested in the FRS abilities, or not, of QBO and now, since reading the comparison, whether QBO in the UK doesn't have it's own Payroll. This, in particular, was one of the facilities in QBs that my clients used to (and still do) appreciate.
Multiple tabs and payroll
Hi Paul - yes, you can open multiple tabs in QBO. Whilst the Accountant version has a menu button that does that for you, you can do this yourself in the ordinary version of QBO. I use Firefox and you can duplicate a tab with its history by pressing CTRL and dragging the tab to a new position on the tab bar. In Chrome, you simply right-click the tab and press "Duplicate". Most browsers offer something similar - see http://www.tothepc.com/archives/duplicate-tabs-in-ie-chrome-firefox
For payroll, I use The Payroll Site (www.thepayrollsite.co.uk), which works seamlessly with QBO. You first set up a link between the two products (this takes less than a minute) and, thereafter, you only need to click "Export to QuickBooks" in The Payroll Site for it to send the full journal (even detailing each staff member's net pay individually if you choose) to QBO. "Simples", as the meerkat would say!
There is an accountant version in the UK and it offers a number of useful features, the best of which (IMO) is the ability to reclassify transactions in bulk from one nominal code to another very quickly. This is a huge time saver for me and my staff when correcting multiple transactions at once.
Thanks Charlie
Any idea about the FRS VAT?
Also waiting to hear about the generous discounts, pretty pointless looking at something if you have no idea what it's going to cost.