QuickBooks Desktop has been the flagship small business accounting software from Intuit for over 20 years. With every new yearly release, Intuit adds helpful new features and updates to help small businesses improve their financial management.
2023 was no exception, as QuickBooks Desktop 2023 brought some great updates like global search, improved receipt management, and more customizable reports.
As we look ahead to 2024, Intuit is hard at work designing the next evolution of its iconic software. While the official feature list won’t be announced until next year, early reports indicate that QuickBooks Desktop 2024 could be one of the most impactful updates in recent memory.
Improved Visual Design
One of the most noticeable changes coming in QuickBooks Desktop 2024 is an enhanced overall visual design. Icons, menus, and screens are all getting modernized aesthetic tweaks for a cleaner look and feel.
This visual refresh will help improve usability and make QuickBooks Desktop feel like a more modern Windows application. The interface has remained largely unchanged for nearly a decade, so this design update is long overdue.
Enhanced Dark Mode
Complementing the visual design changes will likely be an improved dark mode experience. QuickBooks Desktop 2023 took the first steps in this direction with a basic dark theme, but initial reports show 2024’s dark mode being far more polished.
Offering dark mode makes QuickBooks 2024 easier on the eyes in low-light environments. It can also reduce power usage on laptops for improved battery life.
Expanded AI and Machine Learning
Some of the most impactful changes coming to QuickBooks Desktop 2024 are under-the-hood in the form of expanded AI and machine learning capabilities. Areas like transaction categorization, receipt capture, inventory management, and reporting are all getting smarter.
For example, QuickBooks 2024 will be able to review historical categories and vendor details to automatically categorize new transactions with greater accuracy. The improved receipt capture leverages machine learning to extract more data from document scans than ever before.
These AI and ML advancements will enable the software to handle more time-consuming tasks automatically, helping to save small businesses significant time.
Deeper Inventory Integration
Warehouses, ecommerce merchants, retailers and other inventory-driven businesses will appreciate updates coming to inventory management features.
QuickBooks Desktop 2024 makes it easier than ever to connect the software to sales channels
like Amazon, Shopify, and Ebay. Inventory syncing enables real-time updates across platforms so you always know your precise stock levels.
Barcode scanning integration has also been enhanced in the new version, allowing for rapid physical inventory counting. You can scan item barcodes with the QuickBooks mobile app during stock takes to simplify the process.
Overhauled Report Builder
Generating insightful reports is crucial for small business decision making. The QuickBooks Desktop Report Builder tool is powerful but hasn’t changed much in many years.
The 2024 release brings a completely refreshed Report Builder with a modern interface and expanded reporting options. Creating custom reports will be more intuitive, and integrating reporting data with Excel, Google Sheets, and other platforms gets a boost.
Better Investment Tracking
For small business owners with investments, QuickBooks Desktop 2024 introduces useful investment tracking enhancements. Realized/unrealized gain/loss reporting has improved along with better dividend and interest earnings categorization.
Investment details can also now integrate directly with the new client portal capability offered through QuickBooks Online Advanced. This will enable accountants and bookkeepers to access crucial client investment data easier for improved reporting and advice.
Easier Accountant Collaboration
Speaking of accounting pros, QuickBooks Desktop 2024 reshapes accountant collaboration in some helpful ways. Enhanced review and control capabilities will likely feature in next year’s release, making it simpler for bookkeepers and CPAs to work closely with clients.
A long-requested change to supervisor user access also appears to be coming. Details remain limited, but supervisor users should finally gain more functional access in the desktop software to improve support efficiency.
Smooth Cloud Connectivity
Connectivity between QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online will also see refinement in 2024. Easy data syncing between desktop files and the cloud will ensure crucial information stays up to date across platforms.
For example, sales orders entered in QuickBooks Online can automatically synchronize completed fulfillment details from QuickBooks Desktop. This eliminates potential data gaps between platforms.
Intuit is also improving connectivity infrastructure to enable faster large file syncing. This will minimize downtime when syncing extensive sales and inventory activity between the desktop and cloud.
What’s next for QuickBooks Desktop?
QuickBooks Desktop 2023 marked another solid step forward. But early reports indicate that QuickBooks Desktop 2024 may represent one of the most complete updates in over a decade.
An overhauled visual style, expanded automation through AI, and smoother cloud connectivity seem to highlight next year’s release. Tech-focused changes like improved barcoding also show Intuit’s commitment to keeping the desktop platform modern and innovative.
Of course, speculation remains just that until Intuit formally unveils specifics later next year. But one thing does seem certain: QuickBooks Desktop still has an exciting future ahead. Its flexible hybrid of robust desktop power paired with cloud convenience makes this classic small biz platform still well worth consideration for years to come.
