Intuit has just announced the release of QuickBooks for Mac 2020. Initially this product will be rolled out to QuickBooks ProAdvisors with an Enterprise Software Bundle (that includes a license for QuickBooks for Mac). Not long after, current QuickBooks for Mac users will begin being notified about the availability of the initial release of the software (should they wish to purchase an upgrade for download). Soon thereafter, QuickBooks for Mac 2020 versions will begin appearing on retailers' shelves.
Insightful Accountant has had communications with Intuit personnel, including product managers and developers, concerning the new features so we can give you a glimpse into the new version. This article provides a synopsis of those features. This year I decided to post this QuickBooks for Mac summary separate from my 2020 QuickBooks (for Windows) Summary because I realize that most of our readers who ‘do Mac’ don’t have any interest regarding the Windows versions, or vice versa.
Insightful Accountant will however be including QuickBooks for Mac in our September QB Talks webinar scheduled for 2 PM Eastern on September 18, 2019 when we discuss all of the QuickBooks 2020 versions, so you may want to tune in for that webinar even though it does contain ‘Windows’ versions (sorry), there will be more information about that webinar in a future article. You can register HERE.
The New Look
Probably the biggest and brightest, or perhaps ‘darkest’ (depending on your perspective) change in my way of thinking is QuickBooks for Mac has ‘gone dark’ with compatibility to use the Dark Mode user interface found in the Mojave Operating System. It certainly gives QuickBooks for Mac an entirely different look that many QB-Mac users have been asking for.
For 2020 QuickBooks for Mac has 'gone dark' (optional) with Mojave OS Dark Mode compatibility.
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More Snap in the Snapshot
Who doesn’t love a dashboard? For 2020 QuickBooks for Mac has put even more visibility into the users business by providing clearer snapshots of the company in a centralized dashboard. Users can easily customize the layout by selecting or moving the various displayed widgets, changing the date ranges, and configure the types of graphics being displayed.
Centralized Dashboard in QuickBooks for Mac 2020 gives you an enhanced company snapshot with more widgets, and customizable layout from which to choose.
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iPhone Scanner Integration
Upload text searchable images from your iPhone/iPad to QuickBooks for Mac
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Most Apple lovers are indeed ‘Apple lovers’ that means they not only love their Macs they love their iPhones as well, and so they want they two of them to work together and that’s true even when it comes to QuickBooks. Well for 2020 these Apple lovers can now upload text searchable images from their iPhone cameras to QuickBooks for Mac. You can also add these images to your QuickBooks transactions via the ‘Attachments Center’ as long as you have everything set-up properly.
In order to use this feature the following configuration and settings must be operational: (1) you must be using the Mojave MacOS, (2) your iPhone must be using iOS 12 (or higher), (3) your Mac and iPhone must be on the same WIFI network or must be connected via Bluetooth, (4) you must be signed into iCloud on both your Mac and iPhone, (5) and you must have enabled two-factor identification.
When you take a Phone, say of a receipt, and press photo the phone will be saved in the QuickBooks Attachment Center. From there you can attach it to any document.
User your iPhone camera to quickly scan in photographed bills, receipts, invoices, or other forms, then search them easily with new QB for Mac search features
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As an alternative you can add attachments directly from a transaction by clicking on attachments, then clicking on the plus icon and selecting either your iPhone or iPad, then click on either scan docs or take photo for the appropriate device to open the camera on the device, when you press photo it will be saved as an attachment directly to that transaction.
By the way, this process uses OCR when attaching documents so as to make them searchable which is the next new feature.
Improved Search of Attached Images
Significant improvements have been made in the ability to search scanned PDF attachments for text. Because the new process is reliant upon the OCR being when attaching documents, they should be as high a resolution with a high a contrast as possible to make searching easier to insure that you find the information you are seeking.
QuickBooks for Mac 2020 has enhanced text searchable image scanning, search scanned PDF images for specific text using integrated OCR functionality.
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Note, if you are using either scanned images of, or searching for scanned images of Intuit Online Payroll documents, you must have Adobe Acrobat available, and Adobe Acrobat license is not included with your QuickBooks for Mac license.
Reporting Modernization
I remember several years back QuickBooks for Mac supposedly enhanced their reporting capabilities and the general consensus was that “they made it more like QuickBooks for Windows” when Mac users had hoped they would make it more like typical Mac reporting tools Numbers, or even 3rd party tools likes today’s Domo or Looker. Now we have another revision they are calling a ‘Modernization’ that promises improved customization, usability, presentation and navigation. Since I am not a regular QuickBooks for Mac user, I am not a good judge of these changes, you will need to decide for yourself.
So, let’s start by taking a look at the interface… one of the first things you will notice is that there are 3 tabs: options, filters and format. In detail reports you can search by the available columns.
Modernized reporting with improved customization and real-time updates that show changes automatically
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By the way, reports are self-refreshing now which means that they show changes to your data in real-time automatically.
The filters tab provides another location by which you can easily search for information you are needing, then build your report to express your report results.
QuickBooks for Mac Modernized Reports mean refreshed reporting structure affording greater usability, easier navigation and better appearing presentation(s).
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With the ‘format’ tab you can easily create customize reports by selecting and modifying the format style you want, and then saving your customizations to fonts or other design elements as a new custom format setup.
The modernized reporting found in QuickBooks for Mac 2020 affords greater customization and formatting than ever before. Save your designs and use them over and over with your own customer format style.
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So, you tell me, is this the kind of reporting modernization you have been looking for, or are you still expecting more from QuickBooks for Mac when it comes to reporting? Let us know by posting a reply in the comments below, we will pass them along to Intuit's QuickBooks for Mac Development Team.
Invoice e-Payments
This new feature allows QuickBooks for Mac users to send customers electronic invoices with online ACH, credit card or e-check payment options; however, it requires QuickBooks Payments service which is sole separately. Users can sign-up for the Payment Service via the in-product link.
Send customers electronic invoices with online ACH, credit card or e-check payments using the new Invoice ePayments feature. (Requires QuickBooks Payments subscription, sold separately.)
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Bounced Check Processing
This new feature allows you to easily deal with insufficient funds checks you have received from one of your customers as a payment for an invoice, while at the same time handling the bank fee(s) your were charged for the bounced check. You also have the option of charging your customer a fee for having to deal with their NSF check.
You begin this process by locating the Customer Payment for which the NSF check was received and click the new 'Bounced Check'.
For 2020 QuickBooks for Mac has a new Bounced Check feature that provides an efficient way to deal with NSF checks you have received as payments from a Customer.
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You can then record the bank fee you were charged for the bounced check, along with the appropriate expense account you wish to use to record that fee (and any Class, optional), as well as any NSF handling fee you wish to charge your Customer for the inconvenience of having to deal with their bounced check.
QB-Mac for 2020 does the work for you of properly posting all fees and reversing Customer payments when you experience a bounced check.
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When you click Next, QuickBooks for Mac displays a summary window (as shown top of next page) of the actions it will take in response to the bounced check. In this example you wills see that QuickBooks will mark 2 previously paid invoices now as 'unpaid', post a previously deposited check in your checking account as 'returned', post a new 'bank service' fee for the NSF, and create a new Invoice to the customer for your NSF Charge for handling the bounced check.
QB for Mac displays a summary of the various actions it will take in response to the bounced check feature prior to recording them, you can either choose to record or cancel the actions as appropriate.
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Once you Record the actions QuickBooks for Mac displays the modified Customer record reflecting the entries that have been adjusted including the unpaid invoices, the journal entries recording reversing entries related to the transactions (as shown above), and the new fee invoice.
Remember, our companion article on QuickBooks Desktop 2020 can be found also in the headlines of today’s Insightful Accountant here and we will also be continuing our series on QuickBooks 2020 tomorrow with individual articles on the various QuickBooks Desktop features.
Editor's Acknowledgements
That about wraps up my article on QuickBooks for Mac 2020 but again I have to thank my friend Laura Madeira who has helped me remain consistent and accurate with my content this year by cross-checking it against her own resource. So, for the official Intuit version of “QuickBooks Desktop 2020 – What’s New and Improved” (which includes QuickBooks for Mac) written by Laura Madeira be certain to check out this Firm of the Future blog website.
A special thanks to Brooks Bell with Intuit's QuickBooks for Mac team who provided content related information and resources used in the development of this article. Of course, there countless numbers of people on the Intuit Product Development teams that work on each of the various features to make the magic happen and too often we forget to say, thank you, so to all of them I say,"THANK YOU"!