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Alternative to QuickBooks

| Posted in Business on January 22, 2004 02:22am

I just got an email notification that if I want to keep using Quickbooks to do my payroll then I will have to upgrade to the newest version. It sems like they have forced me to upgrade every few years now.

Is anyone using any other software for accounting and payroll?

 

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  1. User avater
    BillHartmann | Jan 22, 2004 09:03pm | #1

    Is your question about payroll or accounting.

    There are many other options for doing payroll. There are standalone software to do payroll.

    And there are a number of payroll servives and from what I have heard the price is perty good.

    1. ccal | Jan 23, 2004 07:45am | #2

      Lately i have been hearing about a lot of these payroll places going bankrupt without paying the taxes that you have already paid them to take care of. This leaves you on the hook to essentially pay the IRS again. Any real way to protect from this other than finding a reputable company?

      1. User avater
        BillHartmann | Jan 23, 2004 05:00pm | #3

        I don't know about recently, but about 2-3 years ago there was one in KC that had not paid the IRS for over a year. I know a lot of companies got hit HARD on that one. And all of the notices where going to the payroll company so they did not know about it.

        But I believe that there are different ways of handling it.

        In that case the client was just senting the payroll company a "buck of cash" each month and then they where depositing in the payroll companies account and making the payments from there.

        There are several alternatives. One is that they just print copies of your checks and they never see your cash, except for their service fee. In that case you would get back copies of your checks to hand out to the employees along with the check to the IRS and the IRS transmittal forms.

        Now I really don't have any personal experience with them so I don't know if that is a mode of operation or not. But I am sure that there are ways to keep your self in the loop.

    2. rasconc | Jan 23, 2004 07:14pm | #4

      I believe that he is talking about using the Quickbooks program to do his own payroll.  My BIL uses it, actually he has an accountant but they use the program.  They keep upgrading it (probably with tax law changes) and if you want support you must get the latest version. 

      I have seen Peachtree accounting free after rebate from Office Max.  I would think that Peachtree would do payroll.  I wonder if that is another bait and switch from a software seller.  Get all your stuff set up and have to buy new to keep up. 

      1. User avater
        BillHartmann | Jan 23, 2004 08:20pm | #5

        I know that is what is talking about.

        But what I am saying that you have a don't have to get rid of QB because of one part of it.

        He will have a LARGE expense in term of learning time and transfer in this data just because he does not like the cost of updating the payroll function.

        It is like some one with a saw and the company stops making blades for it. So it wants to throw it away and buy a different saw without see if there are any other people that make blades that fit that saw.

        1. rasconc | Jan 23, 2004 08:57pm | #6

          I just said that because the thread was heading off about crooked/failed payroll service providers.  You are right.

  2. MikeDeJ | Jan 23, 2004 10:10pm | #7

    Doug,

         Same happened thing happended to me but for $180 upgrade it is worth not changing everything over to a new program.  The 2004 program is alot better than the 2000 version I was using.

    MikeD

    1. dgarrison409 | Jan 25, 2004 10:07pm | #8

      I think you're right. It is probably well worth paying them for the upgrades rather than try to learn something new. The program probably saves me much more time than I know since I've been using it for at least 10 years. It just irritates me when they keep hitting me with additional charges.

      1. Piffin | Jan 25, 2004 10:40pm | #9

        Everybody loves Quickbooks, the program, but hates Intuit, the company..

        Excellence is its own reward!

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