Quickbooks For Mac
Note: Graphic adapted from Intuit source documents.
qb_mac_2019_(4x4)
Yes, Mac lovers, that is what I said. Intuit has re-released ‘QuickBooks for Mac’ for 2019 with enhancements to boot.
Even though the last updates to QuickBooks for Mac were back in 2016, and we didn’t even see a ‘2017 or 2018 version’ of the Mac product, you now have a new and improved version for 2019.
Apr 07, 2016 So you have an Apple computer, y ou are running a business, and you are interested in getting Intuit’s QuickBooks for Mac.System-wise, you have the right computer, but is the product good enough for your business needs? QuickBooks for Mac, also referred to as Quickbooks Pro for Mac, is the desktop version for Apple's Mac operating system.
- At the top left, select QuickBooks, then Quit QuickBooks. If you see the QuickBooks icon (for QuickView) at the top right of your menu bar: Select the icon to open QuickView. At the bottom of QuickView, select the gear icon, then Quit QuickView. Step 2: Download and install the new QuickBooks app for Mac. Now, download the new App for Mac.
- QuickBooks Desktop for Mac 2020 The most customizable QuickBooks Desktop for Mac, ever QuickBooks Desktop for Mac helps you organize your business finances all in one place so you can be more productive. Simple to set up and use.
- QuickBooks for Mac will create a central storage point for all your data, containing all customer contact and transactional data. This allows you to easily track and follow up on past-due accounts and answer all customer requests more efficiently. QuickBooks for Mac allows you to easily create invoices and track receivables.
- QuickBooks can only convert Quicken for Windows files. If you are a Quicken for Mac user, you will need to convert to a Quicken for Windows file before converting to QuickBooks. Because of some of the challenges that can come with converting Quicken data to QuickBooks, it may be easier to start from a new file when switching to QuickBooks.
This isn’t a ‘fool you with a box’ and only give you the Mac App for QuickBooks Online… this is the real thing to run locally on your Mac computer under the Apple-Mac-OS.
Speaking of the OS, the requirements for this version are at least Mac OS X v10.12 (Sierra), but also supported are Mac OS X v10.13 (High Sierra), and Mac OS X v10.14 (Mojave). You will need a Mac with an Intel Core 2 Duo (or higher) Processor, a minimum of 2GB of RAM available to the application (4GB is recommended), at least 250 MB of available disk space for the application, and a CD/DVD drive or Internet connection for installation. You must use a 100% Macintosh-compatible printer if you plan to print invoices, check, deposit slips, lists, purchase orders, mailing labels, reports or graphs. You will need Intuit (QuickBooks-for-Mac-formatted) checks if you plan to print checks.
As you can see in the image below, when the QuickBooksMac2019.dmg file is downloaded it opens to allow you to simply copy the QuickBooks for Mac program into you Mac 'Applications' folder. It takes only moments to then activate the software, register your license and be set and ready to go with the QuickBooks for Mac you always loved, plus more.
×Note: Graphic created using an early-release version of QuickBooks for Mac 2019.
Now not being a QuickBooks for Mac (regular) user and not having anything but a 'sample file' provided with QuickBooks for Mac to play around with, there wasn't really any data supporting the new features.. but I did my best to capture some meaningful images that will show you the variety of new and/or enhanced features in this 2019 version including:
- Bank/Credit-card Reconcile Discrepancy Report which identifies changes made to reconciled transactions since the last reconciliation. But note, this will only impact transactions created in this version, it won’t track transactions entered into older versions of the software. (Might be a reason to think about starting a new file when you transition to this newest version of QuickBooks for Mac.)
Note: Graphic produced from an early-release copy of QuickBooks for Mac 2019.
- Email Tracking from the new Email tab in both the Customer and Vendor Centers allows you to track the dates when emails (including emailed transactions) are sent to either your vendors or customers.
Note: Graphic produced from an early-release version of QuickBooks for Mac 2019.
As you can see, this new tab gives you the ability to not only see who (your customers) you send the emails to, but also any CC and Bcc recipients. It also provides details of the Date, Subject, type of transmittal (Invoice, Sales Receipt, etc.), the number of each item along with the amount and the QuickBooks User who sent the Email.
Similar information is available within the Vendor Email tab, as shown below.
×Note: Graphic produced using an early-release version of QuickBooks for Mac 2019.
- iCloud Document Sharing provides a way for sharing your QuickBooks for Mac file using the iCloud sync feature. You can work on your file while at home, sync via iCloud, and then continue working on your Mac computer at work.
Note: Graphic adapted from an Intuit QuickBooks for Mac 2019 source document .
Please note that this feature is not intended for multiple users to be working on the same file by syncing copies simultaneously while other users are still in the file.
For more details about ‘file-sharing’ using iCloud, consult the official Apple website regarding iCloud Drive and file-sharing functionality.
- Passwords will now be required if your file contains any sensitive information. All such information including social security, tax identification, bank account, and other identifying information is now encrypted by QuickBooks. Complex passwords with a 90-day reset requirement will be required for access to such files for each user account. (Note: I was required to create a complex password (even in this sample file) the moment I started to open it initially.)
Note: Graphic created from an early-release version of QuickBooks for Mac 2019.
- Report Windows have been re-sized for improved readability and enhanced spacing. I could be mistaken, but in spending a short time with this feature, it seems closer to the way that sizing works in ‘QuickBooks for Windows’ versions than in prior ‘QuickBooks for Mac’ versions. I wonder if QuickBooks for Mac users will really like that?
Note: Graphic created from an early-release version of QuickBooks for Mac 2019.
[By the way, I do realize that this isn't the entire Balance Sheet (or even the entire first page).. but you get the idea.]
- Square Import feature allows users to incorporate their sales data from Square by means of a .csv file import. Since I don't have a Square account I didn't have a way to test this feature, but it seems pretty straight forward. When you click on the little 'Square' icon at the top of an import transaction window (like the one for Sales Receipts as shown below), you are presented with a dialog box from which to select the .csv file for import. Pretty straight forward stuff.
Note: Graphic created from an early-release version of QuickBooks for Mac 2019.
To me this seems like the 'good old Mac' product that most QuickBooks for Mac users liked so well. It offers these, and perhaps a few more enhancements and improvements we were not made aware of. Without spending a lot more time with the product it would be hard for me to say what else users of the Mac version may find to their liking.
Undoubtedly, the thing the Mac users will find most appealing is that what they thought was an 'abandoned product' back in 2016, with notice that it would not be supported as of 2019, is now 'back' with a new version.
So, from all of us here at Insightful Accountant, 'welcome back, Mac!'
Syncios Manager for Mac is an alternative iOS management application to iTunes. Syncios for mac.
Notes & Disclosures:
Graphics or other illustrations used in this article have either been prepared using an early-release version of QuickBooks for Mac 2019 software, or were furnished and/or adapted from Intuit source content. Be aware that certain aspects of features described or illustrated herein may have changed between the pre-release software version we used and the release of QuickBooks for Mac 2019 desktop products scheduled for September 11, 2018.
This article is intended to serve as a summary of QuickBooks for Mac 2019 product feature reported to us by Intuit as being new to the software. This article is not an in-depth review of QuickBooks for Mac 2019, nor has it been written to provide instruction in the proper use of the software, or any of the specific 'new' features within the software.
While the writer or editor may express a personal opinion within this article regarding this feature and/or the software as a whole, such personal opinion does not constitute a formal endorsement by Insightful Accountant or the publisher regardless of any phrasing used by the author.
So you have an Apple computer, you are running a business, and you are interested in getting Intuit’s QuickBooks for Mac. System-wise, you have the right computer, but is the product good enough for your business needs?
QuickBooks for Mac, also referred to as Quickbooks Pro for Mac, is the desktop version for Apple's Mac operating system. Unlike the three versions its QuickBooks Desktop for Windows (QBDT) counterpart has—Pro, Premier, and Enterprise Solutions—and the three subscription types for QuickBooks Online (QBO)—Simple Start, Essential, and Plus—QB for Mac is a simple one-version software. So, if you decide to go with QB for Mac, you don’t have to choose.
But, in selecting any application to use, there are things that you need to evaluate. You shouldn't decide to use a piece of software merely because it's the one that's compatible with your computer. Most of us want to use the product that will benefit us the most in the long run, instead of a product that can help us for now but will need to be replaced tomorrow. There are instances where switching from one software or software version to another can be considered practical and justifiable.
If you are currently using QuickBooks Online, then QuickBooks for Mac may work for you. Like QBO, QB for Mac has the ability to create professional invoices and easily manage the accounts payable. It's also simple to run reports. One major difference though, is in terms of access. If you are using a Mac computer and you have a need to work in the field on a smartphone or tablet, or to have access to QuickBooks from multiple locations, then QBO would suit you best. However, if you are more comfortable working offline and there is no need for you to sync third party applications to QuickBooks, then QB for Mac is the product for you.
One advantage of QuickBooks for Mac over QBO is the price. Like other QuickBooks Desktop products, QB for Mac is supported for three years. For example, if you purchased QB for Mac 2016 in December of 2015, this product will be supported by Intuit until around May 2019. Provided that your system still meets the requirements, then you should not be forced to upgrade to a newer version of QB for Mac. Patches are released to fix issues until a given year's version of the software becomes one of the unsupported versions. Thus, you will only pay for the software once and then use it for three years or more with no additional payments (unless you require additional paid technical support).
Quickbooks For Mac
If you have the Premier or the Pro version of QBDT, then you can still switch to QuickBooks for Mac. But if you are using QuickBooks Enterprise, then forget about QuickBooks for Mac, it is a total downgrade. Besides, there is no way to downgrade the company's file, unless you start with brand new file or you contact some third party support group who may be able to handle it for you. Reason for this? It may not be all about profit for Intuit, but getting an Enterprise version in the first place could mean that there are more business needs, or that the more basic versions are not enough to do the job. One example is inventory. Inventories can be managed easily in QB Enterprise with the Advanced Inventory functionality. The Enterprise level software has the ability to scan barcodes, which a lot of QuickBooks users require. In contrast, managing inventories with QB for Mac can be tedious and requires more tricks to come up with the desired result.
When can you switch from QuickBooks Pro or Premier to QuickBooks for Mac? As mentioned, QB for Mac is equivalent to the Pro version for the PC. It has most of the functionalities that QB Pro for Windows offers, but there are a few exceptions. The Mac version does not have the Multi-currency feature; thus, even international sales and expenses need to be tracked in the home country’s currency. If you opt to use the Manual Payroll on the Windows version and do not want to change to a payroll subscription, then you'd be better off continuing to use your current version, as QB for Mac does not have the Manual Payroll option. Also, if you feel more secure with the automatic online backup that you currently have on the PC, then think twice about switching to the Mac version. Accidental data loss is a serious issue, but automatic backups are not an option with the Mac version. So unless you are sure that you can exert a little extra effort to do manual backups of your QB for Mac company file to save it somewhere other than your hard drive, don't switch.
If you are coming from Premier, aside from the things already mentioned with regard to the Pro version, there are several more things to consider if you want to switch to QB for Mac. Premier, being a more advanced version, offers more capabilities. One of which is more advanced reports. Classes, for example, are very helpful to some businesses that need further categorization in some areas of the business. Not everyone uses it, but for those who do, then the Balance Sheet by Class report can be helpful. But it's only available in the Premier and Enterprise versions. Thus, if you use this report in your current version, switching to QB for Mac will lead you to trial and error report filtering that may not give you what you need.
Are you sending an Accountant’s Copy to your CPA? If you need to work on your file while a copy of it is with your accountant for review and changes, then this option is only available in QB for Windows. Alternatively, you can create a backup that can be sent to your accountant in QuickBooks for Mac. You can then continue to work on your copy, but only if no expected changes will be made by the accountant. However, in the event that the accountant needs to review and make changes on your book, you will need to wait for this new version to be sent back to you before you make your changes.
Performance-wise, both QB for Windows and QB for Mac depend on the performance of the computer. However, as a general observation, QB for Mac performs faster than QB for PC. The application can open on a Mac almost instantly while it generally takes longer on a PC. The same goes when creating backups and doing some troubleshooting in the event of technical difficulties. That is, of course, provided that your Mac or your PC is in good shape.
Perhaps the biggest challenge for Mac users is that both Intuit and Apple create an upgrade each year. Apple releases a new operating system version, while Intuit makes some improvements to their current product version and launches it as an upgrade. Oftentimes, the timing is bad and they each launch their new versions almost simultaneously.
Intuit usually releases the next year’s version of QuickBooks during the last quarter of each year. Currently, their latest version is QuickBooks Desktop 2016, so perhaps in September, QBDT 2017 will be available. On the other hand, Apple has El Capitan or 10.11 as its latest operating system version, so before this year ends, then they will move to 10.12.
Some of us want to have the newest thing that technology can offer. We agree that it is pretty easy to upgrade the Mac OS as it's free so long as the computer is still upgradable and the upgrade doesn't break the system. However, for QuickBooks, a new version year means new payment.
To avoid being forced to upgrade your QuickBooks, especially if you still have a pretty new version, it would not hurt to give Intuit a call before upgrading your operating system. There are instances where they can make an older QuickBooks version compatible with the newest OS X; but mostly, that is not the case. Running an older QB for Mac version on a newer OS X usually causes technical issues. When El Capitan was released, the majority of QB for Mac users who went through the OS X upgrade encountered issues that kicked them out of QuickBooks and made them unable to work on the file. It usually takes some time for a resolution to be provided for these issues; thus, some were switched to QBO while others were advised to revert back the OS X.
Quickbooks For Mac 2019 Download
So, should you use QuickBooks for Mac? Depending on what you need to do for your business and your bookkeeping, this QuickBooks version is still something worth considering. If you don’t need the extra functions that QBO and QBDT for Windows offer, then this version is worth it. However, if you think QBDT for Windows suits your business needs better, but you have an Apple computer, then you can install the Windows OS on your Mac instead.
Quickbooks For Mac Desktop 2019
What made you choose your version of QuickBooks? Have you had any problems since making that choice?