QuickBooks general FAQ

Featured question

Should I choose QuickBooks Online or Desktop?
QuickBooks Desktop is your best option if you:

• Already use QuickBooks software
• Want time tracking or forecasting
• Are looking for a payroll system
• Require stock control

We recommend QuickBooks Online for most other businesses.

If you're not sure whether to go for QuickBooks Online or our desktop products, we can help you choose.

Introducing QuickBooks

What is QuickBooks?
QuickBooks is business management and accounting software. It can help you with all aspects of your finances, including:

• Creating invoices and estimates
• Tracking sales and cash flow
• Managing your customers and suppliers
• Monitoring your VAT and filing VAT returns with HMRC
• Understanding your company's performance
• Running payroll and submitting payroll forms to HMRC
• Planning ahead, forecasting and budgeting

QuickBooks has lots of features to help all kinds of businesses with their accounts. Read about the main benefits.

Who is QuickBooks designed for?
Pretty much any small business in the UK that doesn't already use software to manage its accounts.

It's most useful for businesses that currently do their accounts on paper or with spreadsheet software like Microsoft Excel. Because it's designed specifically to help you with your accounts, it does all calculations for you - that means it's much faster, and there's no chance of mistakes because you entered the wrong formula.

Choosing the right edition of QuickBooks

What's the difference between QuickBooks Online and Desktop?
QuickBooks Online is accessed on the internet, so it will work with almost any Mac or PC that's connected to the internet. You can also access key features from many mobile phones. This gives you extra flexibility, because you can log in from anywhere.

QuickBooks desktop products have to be installed onto your computer. They work with PCs running Windows 7, Vista or XP. QuickBooks desktop products tie you to one computer.

Should I choose QuickBooks Online or Desktop?
QuickBooks Desktop is your best option if you:

• Already use QuickBooks software
• Want time tracking or forecasting
• Are looking for a payroll system
• Require stock control

We recommend QuickBooks Online for most other businesses.

If you're not sure whether to go for QuickBooks Online or our desktop products, we can help you choose.

What sort of computer do I need to use QuickBooks?
It depends which edition of QuickBooks you opt for:

• QuickBooks Online is accessed on the internet, so it will work with almost any Mac or PC that's connected to the internet. You can also access key features using many mobile phones.
• QuickBooks desktop products have to be installed onto your computer. They work with PCs running Windows 7, Vista or XP.

See full system requirements for QuickBooks Online, or for QuickBooks Desktop.

Upgrading QuickBooks

I'm already using QuickBooks. Can I upgrade to the latest version?
It depends what version of QuickBooks you're currently using:

• If you use a previous version of QuickBooks Desktop (QuickBooks 2010 or earlier), it's easy to upgrade to QuickBooks 2012, the latest version. However, you can't easily switch to QuickBooks Online because it's not currently possible to import your QuickBooks data. Read more about upgrading QuickBooks.
• If you're already using QuickBooks Online, we keep you updated to the latest version automatically. So you don't need to worry about upgrading.

I use Quicken. Which QuickBooks package should I buy?
Quicken was designed to help you manage your personal finances. It has been discontinued and has not been replaced by another product.

Please do not buy any version of QuickBooks to replace your existing Quicken software. The features and functions are completely different.