Features

• Information management tool for delivering great customer service
• See customers at a glance and detailed information instantly
• Synchronize information between key applications
• Import contacts from QuickBooks, Microsoft Excel, Outlook, and more
• Create group mailings instantly; familiar look and feel of QuickBooks

Features

• Comprehensive finance solution for small companies
• Categorize income and expenses; handle billing effortlessly
• Get expert advice from current news and useful articles
• Keep up with taxable expenses automatically
• Free financial services, including 1 year online payroll from PayCycle

Features

• Tax preparation software with step-by-step guidance and free electronic filing
• Extra help for mortgages, charitable contributions, and other important deductions
• Assistance from official IRS publications and expert video advice
• Updated life events planner; medical expense expert; complete tax library
• Double-checks return for accuracy; compares last year's deductions to this year's

Features

• Software for corporation, partnership, and fiduciary income taxes
• Step-by-step guidance; easy-to-understand language; simplified navigation
• Prepare and print W-2 and 1099-MISC forms for employees and contractors
• Automatically import and easily edit QuickBooks data for 2003 or higher
• Comprehensive Business Tax Library; checks for accuracy

Features

• Tax preparation software with step-by-step guidance and free electronic filing
• Help and advice for investments, Schedule C businesses, and rental property
• Extra guidance on business asset depreciation and home-office deductions
• Assistance with reporting stocks, bonds, and mutual funds
• Maximize 401(k) contributions without decreasing take-home pay

Amazon.com Product Description

QuickBooks Pro 2003 includes everything found in QuickBooks Basic, plus advanced tools for managing your business finances. QuickBooks Pro 2003 includes estimating, time tracking, and integration with over 100 business applications. It's also multi-user capable so up to five people can work on the same file at the same time.

Choose from over 100 ready-to-use, professionally designed invoice, estimate, statement, and other form templates conveniently available on your QuickBooks CD-ROM. Now you can add color text, shaded boxes, multiple text comments, logos, and images, anywhere and in a variety of sizes. You can automatically create your budget using actual income and expense data, and enjoy greater flexibility and confidence when backing up your data.

With improved customer statements, you can now print the statements you need with the information you want.

Be sure to visit our QuickBooks Software Add-Ons Storefor software products that have been developed by members of the Intuit Developer Network. QuickBooks software add-on s are applications that integrate with this and other packages of QuickBooks financial software to save you time and increaseyour productivity.

Reviews (54)

Time consuming to install and negligible improvement.
The installation is tedious and non-obvious. Moreover there is no succinct description in the documentation as to how to migrate files from version 2001. The default installation script for Windows XP did not function without some modification. And Norton Personal firewall must be turned off, while down loading all the patches and up-dates of which there are many. The only reason to buy this product is because Intuit's 2001 version will not function with contemporary versions of Internet Explorer, therefore if you use a current version of Explorer, and are doing a re-install of the product, you are forced into the up-grade, which for my business, offers no, as not any, value added, features.

QuickBooks Pro 2002
Well, I have just spent 2 hours reading reviews on various Quick Books products,and was very supprised at the number of negative reviews. I have used Intuit products for years. I was using tax software back in the days of Mac-in-tax (before Intuit owned it). I do income tax preparation and keep my business records on Quick Books 2002 for windows. I don't know how I could survive with out their products. I also use Pro Series for income tax preparation, as well as Turbo tax for all the "freebes" I do for family and friends. (All of which are Intuit products). I can not recall ever having any of them crash.

In another life when I was Controller for a large Corporation, we had to buy new software to solve the Y2K problem. The company purchased the Great Plains Dynamics package. The up front cost with trainning and set up was $50,000! That's right, 50 THOUSAND, and I was never able to get a financial report from it. I had to "run" the general ledger, then pick the data out and enter it in Excel to get a financial statement. Then, I discovered Quick Books when I started my own business. I was amazed that for a few hundred dollars I had a very compent accounting program that gave me INSTANT financial reports in almost any configuration I could think of. I will admit there is a learning curve to using the software, but you have that with any new software. I was able to teach myself how to use the software,(no calls to tech support though there were times when I really wanted to). With a little work, I was soon very proficient with it. The information is availible in the documentation. However, that route is not for the faint of heart. I would recommend that new users who can afford it get some tranning before striking out on your own.

All in all I must say that all of Intuit products, or at least the ones I have used are excellent,and very inexpensive when compaired to many alternatives. But that is only my personal opinion, but one that comes from experience, and I don't even own the stock, but that is another story.

Avoid QuickBooks if possible
My experience with the company has been extremely negative. Buy this software only if you are comfortable with the lease concept of paying for software, and if you're willing to work with a company that does not really care about its customers.

This product forces customers to purchase expensive "tax table updates" every year and then, when Intuit needs an extra jolt of income, to purchase an update of the entire product - hence QuickBooks 2003. Once you're in their software, it becomes difficult to change, so Intuit is able to arbitrarily set its price for the "updated tax tables" and product updates, and it does, relentlessly, in its favor. If the company would explain the concept up front, it would be ok - simply say that the software is leased every year for a certain fee. But it isn't sold that way. Beware - their method of automatically charging customers' credit cards every year for the update is aggressive - when you work with Intuit, you definitely need to read the fine print.

QuickBooks - quickly unsupported
Support even for the add-ons that require a monthly fee stops after 3 years. Do not think of this as a purchase, think of it as a 3-year lease.

Quick Rip-Off Books
I'm a tax professional and have recommended QB to over 100 business clients over the years. Last year I upgraded my own QB to 2003 so that I could continue to review clients bookkeeping in my office. BOY WHAT A MISTAKE! The worst part is the payroll interface which is a complete rip-off. I downloaded my "free" tax table which was included in my 299.99 price but now I can't run my year end payroll reports without subscribing to NEXT years tax table! Tax tables are FREE to the public in PUB 15 from the IRS and are only updated ONCE a year. Most states only update once a year if at all so the line about constant change is bogus. The only constant is Intuit's need to collect money. They added insult to injury by telling me that they could bypass the need for tax table update if I would pay $75 and up to speak with a techie! That borders on extortion. I am switching to Peachtree (located in Atlanta with support 'MADE IN THE USA')and am suggesting that my clients do the same as I will no longer review any accounting prepared using Quickbooks! ... Read more

Features

• Optimize investments, monitor worth, and view complete financial picture
• Instantly connect to bank and credit card sites with a push of a button
• Easy-to-use investment area looks just like a broker statement
• Track investment holdings; intelligent and tax-smart investing insights
• View average annual return for entire portfolio and individual accounts

Features

• Powerful, easy-to-use tools for managing personal finances
• Track checking, savings, and credit-card transactions in one place
• Reconcile bank statements and balance checkbook in minutes
• Write and print checks or pay bills online
• Quickly and easily create a personalized budget

Features

• Robust, automated accounting features for small businesses
• Bill paying; check writing; invoicing; payroll solutions; audit trails
• In-depth inventory; over 125 reports; customizable forms
• Peachtree Today for an instant snapshot of business financials
• New-company setup wizard; multiple help options

Features

• Reads data in any customer defined XML schema, without reformatting; you can manipulate XML data sources using charts, tables or graphs
• Spreadsheets can be saved in a native XML file format, searchable by a program using industry standard XML
• New visual XML mapping tool maps user-specified XML schema to fields in an Excel spreadsheet
• Analyzes data better, with enhanced collinearity detection, sum of squared deviation calculation, normal distributions, and continuous probability distribution functions
• Enhanced Smart Tags appear only when you hover the mouse over a defined range of cells

Features

• Step-by-step guidance for completing state taxes
• Asks simple questions and completes state-approved forms
• Transfers data automatically from TurboTax federal return
• Automatically performs all calculations for convenience
• Double-checks for errors and omissions

Features

• Financial management system for manufacturing and wholesale businesses
• Easy menus help set up invoicing, recordkeeping and more
• Easily manage accounts payable and receivable
• Integrate financial systems
• Advanced accounting, inventory and asset tools

Features

• Robust, automated accounting features for small businesses
• Compensation management; over 140 reports; customizable forms
• Serialized inventory and departmentalized reporting
• Multi-user options; new-company setup wizard; multiple help options
• Crystal Reports for Peachtree included

Features

• Financial management system for businesses
• Import data from popular office software
• Tools for invoicing, paying bills and tracking expenses
• Easily create forms and reports
• Simple guides for most common business procedures

Reviews (5)

sad
Poor support. No support, even the free stuff without handing over your credit card first. Updates are just charges for new version numbers. You can't use the payroll system without paying for their monthly service. Irritating pop-ups trying to sell you more stuff while you are trying to do book work. And yes I still own it and have for a few years. It has its good points. Pretty easy to set up and use. Kinda stuck at the moment. Believe it or not I switched to this from a worse program, Peachtree. My only salvation is I only need it for two more years then it goes in the trash.

QuickBooks - 2004 release is just a waste of money
It's amazing that a company can sit for 3 years and add SO little innovation.

Having used quickbooks for over 5 years i am really dissapointed with the the 2004 release. It's basically a re-wrap of a product from over 4 years ago. Definately NOT worth the value. Consider other options unless you are absolutely stuck.

Nothing to look forward to in this version.

A RIP-OFF!
I will be sooooo glad when some other company besides Intuit comes up with a quality accounting program. Intuit's greed is really getting out of hand. I was basically *forced* to buy this new 2004 version due the "sunsetting" (their own stupid term) on Business Services for the 2001 version. Business Services is crucial to my job, because I'm constantly e-mailing invoices, which, of course (!) has to be done through Quickbooks Business Services. I was totally happy with my 2001 version and did not have any other need to upgrade! This should be against the law. I used to just enter paycheck amounts by hand (I did not want to shell out for tax tables, because we only have 2 employees, and let's face it it's not that hard to do yourself for just 2 employees), but not anymore! Now I'm being *forced* to subscribe to a payroll service! And I can only presume that this is the way it's going to be every few years...shell out a few hundred bucks for this garbage even when you don't need it, otherwise they won't provide Business Services to you...like I said, a RIP OFF!!

Overpriced and underperforming.
Buyers beware! QuickBooks will not even allow you to write a simple paycheck! Intuit makes you sign up for their "Do-It-Yourself Payroll" and charges you an additional $169. That's what Intuit calls a "Great Value".
If you run a really small company, look somewhere else for your accounting software. You'll be purchasing a new version of Quick Books every year as well as their "great" overpriced services.

Prospective Purchaser Alert
Prospective purchasers of this product would do well to read the customer reviews of Quickbooks Pro 2004 before making their purchase, as many of the same issues should apply. ... Read more

Features

• Create a forecast of income and expenses for the year ahead, based on your existing QuickBooks data with the click of a button.
• Build a professional, accurate business plan more easily than ever.
• Track inventory assemblies and finished goods.
• More easily apply payments, such as overpayments, underpayments, credits and refunds.
• More easily merge QuickBooks data into Microsoft Word [2000, 2002 or 2003] letters and envelopes for quick, professional mailings to customers, vendors or employees.

Product Description

Peachtree Simply Accounting 2005 Basic.Simply Accounting 2005 Basic was designed for fast moving businesses. It's easy to learn and use, yet powerful enough to keep up with all your accounting needs. Whether you sell products or services, Simply Accounting Basic has all you need to run your business. It automates everything from making purchases to making sales and everything in between. It's even flexible enough to meet the most demanding payroll requirements. ... Read more

Features

• Track projects; over 100 industry-specific starter templates
• Easy-to-use accounting tools for running a business
• Manage customers and suppliers; run business reports
• Handle employee payroll; generate checks and invoices
• Productivity tips and advice for 100+ business types

Reviews (2)

Accounting Idiot
I currently use Ver. 2004 and have not upgraded to v. 2005 but I can say that I love this software.It is inexpensive and does everything you need it to do.

I only took one accounting class (hated it) almost 15 years ago so I knew very little about how to keep my own books.I just started my own business and thought I should have some formal record of my financials even if my accountant would have to clean it up later.Simply accounting had wonderful tutorials on CD (included) and I was able to go directly to what area I needed help with.I have to admit that I had to start over with a new company a couple of times because I messed up some entries, but that was because I am not an accountant and didn't want a bunch of adjustments to correct entries.

I read the other review and yes, you do get a pop-up window that asks if you are sure you want to enter something older than 7 days, but you can change that in the options.I don't have a lot of paperwork yet so I probably enter documents in maybe once or twice a month and I have NO problems with these infrequent entries.

I even created my own personalized invoices, POs, receipts, etcthat match my letterhead.I can email or print these out for clients.It sends emails through Outlook.

The best part is the wizard.When you set up a new company, the wizard will ask you what type of business you are running and then develop an account list based on that.I was able to add and delete my own as I went along.

If you believe you can be taught accounting, give this program a try.

Hard to use and unforgiving of errors
I've used Simply Accounting for my small business for 12 months. It is a decent basic accounting package with all the features you would expect. However, it is hard to work with and extremely unforgiving.

The first problem is that Simply Accounting assumes that you will always enter all transactions in ascending date order, and that you use the program at least every week. The root cause is Simply Accounting's concept of the "current session date". The program complains if you enter any transaction that is more than 7 days before or after this date. It also complains if you then try to move the session date to another date more than 7 days away -- as if this were some major accounting heresy. So if you are going through your paperwork catching up on your accounts at the end of the month, this gets incredibly annoying very quickly.

Secondly, if you ever have the temerity to enter one transaction that precedes any other, you get another warning that the earlier transaction will affect any reports you might have run. Gee, there's a surprise. There is no way to turn this annoying warning off. So you'd better order all your paperwork by date, or else suffer death by a thousand clicks to dismiss this warning message every time.

Thirdly, if you make a mistake entering a transaction, there is no way to go back and correct the transaction. You can reverse transactions, but this means adding a second transaction to back out the old one and a third for the corrected transaction. I understand that this is important for audit trail purposes, but make it possible to collapse the audit trail into a single transaction. If you're just fat fingered like me or forget to change the date from the last transaction (this happens to me a lot), your accounts become littered with incorrect transactions and their reversals -- three transactions for each mistake. If renders any kind of reporting on account transactions almost useless, because the debit and credit columns are swelled by (irrelevant) transaction errors and their corrections. I'm a one-man business -- I don't need an audit trail to show that I messed up the date of a payment or invoice. It obscures the view of how well/badly my business is actually doing.

The user interface compounds these problems. For most transactions, you want to enter the date, the payee or payor, the amount(s), and the account(s) to book the expense/revenue against. However, the forms are not laid out in this order on the screen. You'll need to navigate by mousing and clicking extensively to get to these fields and enter the relevant information. This is why it's so very easy to get the wrong date for a transaction -- not only is the date field not the first on the form, you need to press Tab more than 6 times to get there from the payee/payor field. To enter the account efficiently, you'll need to have memorized its 4 digit code. No, you can't start typing the first few characters of the name of the account and have the software auto-complete. If you click on the pick-list of accounts, they are ordered by account code and not alphabetically, which makes it vastly harder to find the account you want to use.

Finally, the software assumes you are fluent in accounting jargon, terminology and practices. It claims to have a mode where it uses "non accounting terms" but this is more confusing than using the actual terms themselves. There's no help for novice business owners -- you'll need to get a basic grounding in account-keeping because the software and manuals offer little to no help. ... Read more