So you’re switching from QuickBooks for Windows to QuickBooks for Mac. We’re glad you’re here. So you’re probably wondering if you can convert your QuickBooks for Windows company file into QuickBooks for Mac. The answer is: Yes!

This version will install alongside your existing version of QuickBooks for Mac. Launch QuickBooks for Mac 2015, go to File > Open Company, then locate and open the QuickBooks company file on your local drive. Click the Upgrade button when prompted. Wait for the Backup and Converting File steps to complete.

You can convert any company file to a Mac version from a U.S. Versions of QuickBooks Simple Start, Pro, Premier, and Premier Accountant Edition for the same year as your version of QuickBooks for Mac or the two previous years. So if you have QuickBooks for Mac 2015, you can convert your file from QuickBooks for Windows 2013, 2014, and 2015. If you are using a QuickBooks for Windows version that is earlier than 2009, you can still open your file in QuickBooks for Mac. It’ll just be a couple of steps more. Explains exactly how to do this. QuickBooks for Windows files from 2010 to 2012 should convert as well, but are not officially supported.

QuickBooks Enterprise files will not convert. Before you start, be sure that you’re familiar with what data is convert from QuickBooks for Windows to QuickBooks for Mac. On your Windows computer • In QuickBooks for Windows, open the you want to convert.

• Choose File > Utilities > Copy Company File for QuickBooks Mac. Follow the onscreen instructions. QuickBooks creates a Mac.qbb (backup) file. • Copy the.qbb file to a CD or USB drive or some other media. (Most Macs read and write data to and from PC-formatted media.) You can also use a network or file sharing service, such as Dropbox, to transfer the file. On your Mac • Copy the.qbb file to your Documents folder. • In QuickBooks for Mac, choose File > Open Company, select the.qbb file, and then click Open.

• Click OK on when asked if you want to restore a QuickBooks for Windows file. • Enter a name for the restored file, and then click Save.

Depending on the size of your data file, the conversion process can take up to ten minutes. When conversion is complete, QuickBooks opens the file. Data that is and isn’t converted from QuickBooks for Windows to QuickBooks for Mac Although Intuit has used reasonable efforts to include all features affected, Intuit disclaims that all features are included in these lists. Windows support for mac.

Be sure to compare the newly-converted data with the original data to learn what data was not converted.

Remote bookkeeping is going to become more and more prevalent for small businesses for a few basic reasons. First, it is efficient for the bookkeepers.

This means we can charge less because we can go from one client to the next with no travel increasing our billable hours. This is good. Second, it is convenient for the client because you don’t have to make space for a physical human being. Depending on the setup option you choose, you might have to reserve a computer while we are logged in, however if the computer that hosts the QuickBooks file is is used during the day, we can have a bookkeeper log in during the evening hours when no one is there. This means less interruption during normal business hours.

Because of the portability of QuickBooks we can also log in and upload a copy of QuickBooks to ourselves. This will mean 5 minutes that someone has to stop working on that computer while we do this.

Then when we are finished we can log in after hours and download the updated copy of QuickBooks to your computer. Of course during this time no changes can be made by anyone at your office to QuickBooks. I have one client that I work this way with (actually through a VPN, no computer needed) and it works beautifully. I can even pay his bills by setting the checks “To Be Printed”. When the QuickBooks Company File is back on his server I e-mail him to let him know, and he just opens up his QuickBooks as if it never left his server.

Then he prints the batch of checks and signs them. This is convenient for him and I, and it is really efficient while still allowing for him to review all checks before they are sent. I mentioned “portability of QuickBooks files”. The reality is that with services like yousendit and other FTP site options it is easily to seamlessly transfer your file without interruption on your part. If the file is particularly large, then we simply save a QuickBooks Portable Company file before we upload.

None of this really matters to you as the business owner, all you care about is that we will get your file, work on it and put it back without you even feeling it! So how do we get your information in order to work on your books remotely?

There are a few ways to do this. The BEST way is when the client is comfortable and trusts us with the login info for their bank & credit card accounts. It is possible to give us read only access with most banks so that all we could ever do is download the information into QuickBooks and categorize the transactions. The other way is you send us the PDF’s and we enter them manually. It really doesn’t matter to us. In some cases we will set up a private blog site – you can easily upload documents as well as post notes for us as far as things you need us to follow up on.