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Several months ago Intuit, the manufacture of QuickBooks, released a new version of QuickBooks Online that runs with the Safari web browser. This new version of QuickBooks presents a multiuser alternative for existing users of QuickBooks in a Mac environment, as well as future users of QuickBooks for Mac. It is now possible for Mac QuickBooks users to run multiuser versions of QuickBooks for a reasonable monthly price, and have unattended backups and software updates included in the monthly price.

In addition to the Safari interface, QuickBooks Online has been optimized to work with the iPhone. The iPhone app is a read only application, however some added options exist for customer, vendor and employee information as well as the ability to create and send invoices. Also, there is another benefit for Mac users of QuickBooks, namely,there is no longer a wait for updates to the Mac version of QuickBooks.

It is relatively straightforward and easy to install QuickBooks Online (without the need to convert QuickBooks Mac files to QBO files) . However, it becomes fairly complicated when you need to convert an existing QuickBooks Mac file to a QuickBooks Online file. Intuit does a satisfactory job of making the online installation easy.

To manually convert your QuickBooks Mac file to QuickBooks Online is not that difficult, as long as you adhere to the instructions and takes about an 1/2 hour. You cannot directly convert your QuickBooks for Mac file to QuickBooks Online. There is an intermediate step that requires you to convert your QB Mac file to a QB Windows files and begins with the drop down menu in QuickBooks Mac. You can begin this process by selecting the File menu and then selecting Back up to QuickBooks for Windows within the QuickBooks Mac software. When you complete this process, the file is uploaded to QuickBooks and you receive a notification when the process for converting the QuickBooks Mac to QuickBooks Online is completed. Initially, I was surprised to see that this process is carried out at the Intuit level rather than at the local level. A suggestion to facilitate this process, is that in the event you do not receive timely e-mail of completion from Intuit,it is suggested that you contact Intuit tech support and ask them to look into the status of your conversion and request that they facilitate it for you. Generally, when I have called tech support, and they are very helpful. They will expedite the process, although they do not give any guarantee and blame the potential delay to their busy servers.

Generally speaking,the manual conversion process takes about a half hour (exclusive of the subsequent Intuit conversion) and my Mac clients have been pleased with QBO. One client was disappointed that the vendor type classifications are not currently available in QuickBooks Online. I confirmed this shortcoming with Intuit support and they suggested the following workaround.The workaround, is to use one of the fields in the vendor profile as the vendor type. So far, my clients are happy to have multi-user access, the ability to work from anywhere and unattended and automatic backups, notwithstanding sluggish performance due to the web connection.

A couple of words of caution, the first is that QuickBooks Online, does not offer extensive inventory applications with comprehensive features ordinarily included with the desktop versions and the second, that the conversion may require the services of your accountant or CPA or a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor to affect a smooth and orderly transition to the QuickBooks Online platform.

Providing you were willing to understand up front the limitations of QBO, then, generally speaking, you should find the QBO platform acceptable and a helpfully financial tool to operate and monitor your business.

Sandor Lenner,CPA/MBA has been providing accounting services for 35 years. He is also a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor and offers discounted QuickBooks software. QuickBooks Online Edition ” Starting as low as $9.95 a month. Subscribe to my free monthly newsletter. I will not share your email address with anyone.

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