This Once Popular QuickBooks Software is Going Away
QuickBooks Desktop Point of Sale, a popular software solution for retailers, has recently been discontinued by Intuit. There will be no future versions of QuickBooks Desktop Point of Sale software and they will no longer sell QuickBooks Desktop Point of Sale 19.0 to new customers. They are working with Shopify to provide an optional POS solution. While the software will continue to work for existing users, Intuit will no longer offer support, updates, or patches for the software. This means that users who continue to use the software may be at risk of security vulnerabilities, software glitches, and other issues that could negatively impact their business operations.
In addition to the QuickBooks Desktop Point of Sale software being discontinued, the following connected services will also be turned off on October 3, 2023:
•QuickBooks Point of Sale Payments
•QuickBooks Point of Sale Gift Card Service
•Mobile Sync
•Store Exchange
•E-commerce integration with Webgility
•Support Plans including Live Support (phone, email, chat)
•Vendor Lookup Service
If you are a current user of QuickBooks Desktop Point of Sale, it is important to start thinking about transitioning to a new point-of-sale solution. While this may seem like a daunting task, there are many options available that can help streamline your operations and improve your bottom line.
If you are unsure of which point-of-sale solution to switch to, consider consulting with us to determine the best solution that meets your business’ specific requirements.
In conclusion, while the discontinuation of QuickBooks Desktop Point of Sale may seem like a challenge for retailers, it is also an opportunity to reassess your business operations and find a more efficient and effective point-of-sale solution. By taking the time to research and evaluate different options, you can find a solution that works for your business and helps you achieve your goals.
Travelling Internationally: Options for Calls, Texts, Internet, Working Remotely, and Paying in Foreign Currency
Wow, it’s been almost a decade since I wrote these posts and a lot has changed!
Travel International Data: Tep Wireless vs. T-Mobile Unlimited Data vs. Verizon Global vs. Telestial
Should I Use My Credit Card Overseas? Credit Card vs. Amex Prepaid vs. Travelex
Now more than ever has being able to work remotely or stay connected while travelling been so important. It has to be seamless. Needing additional devices for data or having to rely on Wi-Fi sources for Internet access is impractical and unreliable.
Because I use so many Google services for my business and personal use, it seemed logical to switch to a Google device such as the Pixel smartphone. This has made upgrading to newer phones so simple and headache-free. But also paired with Google Fi, a no contract phone plan, it has made travelling and working abroad so much easier. Included in my plan, I am able to use the data in over 200 destinations for only $10/GB. This is capped at 6GB, after which data is free. Texts are already unlimited and not restricted when travelling outside the US. If I need to make any calls, I can easily hotspot my phone and use my laptop’s browser; otherwise, it is only 20¢/min for calls made directly on my phone. 5G is already pretty prevalent in Europe, Mexico, and the Caribbean so Internet bandwidth isn’t a problem. Most Android and iPhone® devices work with Fi, so it is easy to use the phone you already love.
I still use my favorite credit card for purchases abroad since there are no foreign transaction fees and it has chip-and-pin technology, needed when using self-checkout in grocery stores, for example. Even though I hardly use cash in the U.S., when travelling there are instances where I need to have foreign currency available. This could be for small purchases from local street vendors or farmers markets. Or it is just piece of mind knowing that I can go to practically any ATM to withdraw cash in any currency. With the Wise account/card, I can make 2 withdrawals of up to 100 USD each month for free. The only fee would be what the ATM charges, if any, and it would be at the real exchange rate, not some other inflated bank rate.
They even have an international business account. You can effortlessly pay international invoices, vendors, and employees — with the real exchange rate, in 80 countries. And it is 6x cheaper than old-school banks, and 19x cheaper than PayPal. This is a win-win for companies in the US that need to pay workers in foreign countries. The transactions can easily be added to QuickBooks by turning on multi-currency and linking the account in Banking.
Business Meals and Entertainment Deductions
Because of changes over the years, it can be quite confusing determining what is deductible and by what percentage when it comes to meals and entertainment expenses for businesses. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) enacted by Congress in 2018 made several significant changes to the deductions for meals, entertainment, and employee fringe benefits, including making business entertainment expenses entirely nondeductible. The Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) enacted in 2021, in an effort to support the restaurant industry impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, allows businesses to deduct 100% for the costs of some meals provided by restaurants for the 2021 and 2022 calendar years.
After combing through many websites from CPAs, tax attorneys, and the IRS, I have attempted to put together this spreadsheet to make it easier to understand the rules.
In QuickBooks, I recommend creating at least three accounts in the Chart of Accounts: Meals (100%), Meals (50%), and Meals & Entertainment (non-deductible). When adding expenses, I also recommend always having a vendor (Restaurants instead of adding the name of every restaurant to the vendor list) and putting the name of the restaurant in the memo instead along with a description of the type of expense (what it was for). I use my Bookkeeping Client Portal, for capturing restaurant and other receipts and for pushing these expenses with their attachments into QuickBooks.