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Moving from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online

Intuit stopped selling new QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus, Premier Plus, and Mac Plus subscriptions in the US after September 30, 2024. If you're still on Desktop, the move to Online is coming. It's also the best time to clean up the books, because a conversion copies every old mistake into the new file.

What's changing with QuickBooks Desktop

  • New US subscriptions to Pro Plus, Premier Plus, and Mac Plus stopped selling after September 30, 2024.
  • Existing subscribers can keep renewing for now.
  • QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise is still sold.
  • Each Desktop year version has its own support end date, after which services like bank feeds and payroll stop working. Check the version you're on in Intuit's discontinuation policy.

How the move works

  1. Clean up the Desktop file first. Reconcile accounts and clear old open items, so the conversion carries over balances that are actually right.
  2. Pick a conversion date. Usually the start of a month or a year. Everything before it comes over from Desktop; everything after is entered in Online.
  3. Run the conversion. Intuit's migration tool moves lists, balances, and transactions. Some items don't move cleanly and have to be rebuilt.
  4. Check the result. Compare the trial balance and the balance sheet in both files as of the conversion date. They should match.
  5. Reconnect and rebuild. Connect bank feeds, recreate bank rules, memorized transactions, and reports, and invite the people who need access.
  6. Run monthly in Online. Close each month on a schedule so the new file stays as clean as the day it was converted.

Clean up before you convert

A conversion doesn't fix anything. Unreconciled accounts, duplicate entries, and stale open invoices all come across exactly as they are. Cleaning up first means the Online file starts from balances you can trust. See what a QuickBooks cleanup involves.

Where Staxiom fits

We keep books in QuickBooks Online every month. Staxiom is an accounting team built by founders, investors, CPAs, and startup people, and the team includes former Big 4 accountants. We get your books current first, then keep them that way with monthly bookkeeping. Monthly plans start at $200/month; see every plan.

Already have a CPA? Keep them. We hand them reconciled books at tax time. See how we work alongside your CPA.

QuickBooks Desktop to Online: FAQ

Is QuickBooks Desktop being discontinued?

Intuit stopped selling new US subscriptions to QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus, Premier Plus, and Mac Plus after September 30, 2024. Existing subscribers can keep renewing for now, and QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise is still sold. Each Desktop year version also has its own support end date.

How do I convert QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online?

Clean up and reconcile the Desktop file, pick a conversion date, run Intuit's migration tool, then compare the trial balance and balance sheet in both files as of that date. After that, reconnect bank feeds and rebuild rules and reports in Online.

Does everything move over from Desktop?

Lists, balances, and transactions usually move. Some items don't convert cleanly and have to be rebuilt in Online, such as bank rules, memorized transactions, and custom reports. Checking the result against the Desktop file is part of the job.

Should I clean up my books before migrating?

Yes. A conversion copies the file as it is, including unreconciled accounts, duplicates, and stale open items. Cleaning up first means the new file starts from balances you can trust.

Move to QuickBooks Online with clean books

Answer three quick questions, then book a free intro call with the bookkeeping team.

See if we're a fit