Like in Part 1 - you won't hear anything about 'what features, functions or enhancements' are changing in the QuickBooks Desktop 2022 Product Line within this article... that stuff is still under 'hush hush'. But even though we still can't talk about that stuff, we have been cleared to tell those of you who are QuickBooks ProAdvisors, especially 'Desktop ProAdvisors' about changes impacting you...
"I know what you are thinking, 'another ProAdvisor price increase...crap'!" Let's face it, 'nobody likes a price increase', just like 'nobody likes a tax increase'... but I'm telling you that you are still getting a lot more value out of this little $50 price increase than any 'tax increase' we are likely to see anytime soon.
Yes, Intuit is raising the price of the 2022 Memberships for those ProAdvisors that support Desktop by $50/year. The 'Premier' Bundle that includes the QuickBooks Accountant Desktop Plus software (in addition to ProAdvisor Desktop training and certification) is going from $449 to $499 per year for 2022, and the 'Enterprise' Bundle that includes the 'Premier' goodies along with QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise Accountant, QuickBooks Desktop for Mac (the new 'Plus' Subscription), and QuickBooks Point-of-Sale Desktop is being increased from $799 to $849 per year for 2022.
But you know what? "These prices, increases included, are still the 'Best Deal Around.' We have always gotten 'more bang for our bucks' with a QuickBooks ProAdvisor Membership than trying to purchase the software just by itself. Take for example, the ProAdvisor Enterprise Software Bundle is only $50 more than the price of a 'single-user' Accountant Edition license for 2022, and at the current price you would pay more than $4,500 for the software that's included in the ProAdvisor Enterprise Software Bundle. You of course realize that's cheaper than a single 'QuickBooks Enterprise license'. (I hate to say that too loud, or Intuit might hear me and decide to really raise the price next year.)
Let's face it... a lot of ProAdvisors are 'ProAdvisors in name only', they purchase the ProAdvisor desktop memberships to have access to the software so they can support their clients in their accounting, bookkeeping and financial advising firms. They never really seek out clients in a ProAdvisor capacity, that's why a lot of them remove themselves from the ProAdvisor Directory. Now I am not saying that there is anything wrong with that... I am just saying that it is a clear indication of what a 'great deal' these bundles are for everyone who does support Desktop QuickBooks clients.
So folks, if I were going to complain about the $50 price increases... I wouldn't complain very loudly! (Like maybe the way you are supposed to sneeze or cough into your bent elbow...)
Of course, more and more ProAdvisors are only supporting QuickBooks Online clients, so they no longer need either of the 'Desktop Bundles' and that's OK too... they just really don't know what they are missing by not supporting QuickBooks Desktop Clients. As for those ProAdvisors who do support QuickBooks Desktop Clients you will find that part of the increased revenues from this product pricing change will go to enhanced ProAdvisor support as I told you in our Q&A feature with Ted Callahan including:
- U.S.-based Accountant (ProAdvisor) Support (with balanced resources designed to meet all U.S. time zones
- Evolving care team means an increased number of support agents available to ProAdvisors (Accountants)
- Better 'caller recognition and routing' to get ProAdvisors (Accountants) to the right support agents faster
- Enhanced knowledge and expertise for support agents (via a robust training plan) with starting emphasis on Payroll & Payments since both areas are undergoing significant changes and call volume is showing (and projected for) increased activity
[I can personally attest to the fact that this later improvement is already working. About 3 weeks ago I had a payroll-related issue I had never seen before, I called in got a US-based ProAdvisor Support Agent almost immediately, told him the problem, after about a 1-minute wait he said he had a 'fix' but needed to work on it from the back-end, about 1-minute later he said, "close QuickBooks, reopen it, and it should be fixed"... sure enough it was resolved! The entire call took less than 10 minutes and 'Old Murph was happy and so was my client.']
I typically don't need to call Support, but when I do, if I can get someone who 'knows their stuff' or a 'real answer to a problem'... that's wonderful. It's what we, as ProAdvisors have been needing and I am certainly willing to pay $50 more a year to help pay for it. (You can consider that last sentence 'an Editorial' on my part!)
Other Changes Announced
One-time Purchase of 2021 Accountant Edition
Accountants may purchase a one-time license of the 2021 version of QuickBooks Accountant Edition (which will be supported until May 2024) via a QuickBooks Solution Provider (QSP) or Intuit Sales Agent any time until December 10, 2021.
One-time Purchase of 2022 Accountant Edition
Accountants will be able to continue to purchase one-time licenses of QuickBooks Accountant Edition (for the 2022 product year supported until May 2025) from a QuickBooks Solution Provider (QSP) or Intuit Sales Agent at the cost of $799.99 for a Single-user license.
More Information Can Be Found at Intuit's Firm of the Future Blog
For more information about product features, price and discount changes, or distribution changes, please take a look at our Firm of the Future article here.
Thanks again to Miranda Henely, Head of the QuickBooks ProAdvisor® Program, for briefing me regarding these changes surrounding the ProAdvisor Program and related product changes.
And thanks to Intuit's Kim Amsbaugh for coordinating both my briefings with Miranda, as well as keeping me aware of the changes and embargo timeline for this news, "Thanks Kim."