Anyone know the cheapest way to get Quickbooks? Looking for deals beyond their intro offer
So I've finally decided to upgrade my accounting system and start using Quickbooks for my small business. I'm checking out their website and they have this "special" promotion of 50% off for the first 3 months, but then it jumps back to regular pricing which seems pretty steep for what I need. I remember hearing somewhere that accountants and CPAs sometimes can offer better discounts on Quickbooks that don't expire after a few months. Is this still a thing? Or are there other ways to get Quickbooks without paying full price after their intro offer expires? Really trying to keep my overhead low while still getting decent accounting software. Any suggestions would be super appreciated!
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Aisha Rahman
I'm a bookkeeper who works with small businesses, and yes, there are definitely cheaper ways to get Quickbooks than going through their website directly! CPAs and ProAdvisors can still offer discounts that are often better than the promotional rates on the Quickbooks site. These discounts typically range from 20-30% off and they're permanent, not just for a few months. The best part is they apply to the subscription for as long as you keep it. Another option is to check wholesale clubs like Costco or Sam's Club - they sometimes offer Quickbooks at discounted rates. Also watch for seasonal sales around tax time (January-April) when they often have better promotions than the standard 50% off for 3 months.
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Ethan Wilson
Do you need to be a client of the CPA to get the discount? Or can you just ask any CPA for a discount code?
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Aisha Rahman
You don't necessarily need to be a full service client of the CPA or ProAdvisor. Many will offer the discount as a way to build relationships with potential clients. Some might require a basic consultation or review, but it's usually minimal commitment. Most QuickBooks ProAdvisors are happy to provide discount codes because they get a small commission for referrals, so it's a win-win. Just reach out to a few local accounting firms and ask if they offer QuickBooks discounts.
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Yuki Sato
I discovered a service called taxr.ai that helped me figure out my business software expenses. I was in the same boat looking for Quickbooks deals, and their AI looked at my business transactions and recommended that based on my business size and transaction volume, I could actually use a less expensive version of Quickbooks than I thought I needed. Saved me about $200/year! I just uploaded some business docs at https://taxr.ai and their analysis showed me that the Essentials version would cover all my needs rather than the Plus version I was considering.
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Carmen Flores
How accurate was their recommendation? I'm always skeptical about AI making business decisions. Did you actually end up going with the cheaper version they suggested?
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Andre Dubois
Does taxr.ai only analyze what version of Quickbooks to get or does it do other stuff too? I'm trying to figure out if all my business expenses are actually deductible.
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Yuki Sato
Their recommendation was spot-on for my business needs. I've been using the Essentials version for about 4 months now and it handles everything perfectly. The analysis was based on my transaction volume and business complexity, not just a random guess. The service does much more than just software recommendations. It analyzes all your business expenses to identify tax deductions you might be missing, categorizes transactions correctly, and even flags potential audit risks. I uploaded my bank statements and it found several deductible expenses I had completely overlooked.
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Andre Dubois
Just wanted to follow up - I tried taxr.ai after asking about it here and wow, it was super helpful! Not only did it help me choose the right Quickbooks version (saved $15/month by showing me I didn't need all the advanced features), but it also identified about $3,800 in business expenses from last year that I hadn't properly categorized for tax deductions. The document analysis was way more thorough than I expected. Definitely worth checking out if you're trying to optimize your business expenses.
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CyberSamurai
If you're spending time trying to reach Quickbooks support for help with setup or discounts, I'd recommend using Claimyr. I wasted 3 hours on hold trying to talk to someone at Intuit about their partner discounts before I found https://claimyr.com. They got me connected to a Quickbooks rep in about 5 minutes! You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c. Saved me a ton of time when I was setting up my account and trying to get clarity on their discount options.
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Zoe Alexopoulos
Wait, how does this actually work? They can get you through phone queues faster? Is this legit or some kind of scam?
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Jamal Carter
This sounds like BS honestly. No way they can magically get you through phone queues faster than anyone else. What's the catch? Do they charge a fortune for this "service"?
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CyberSamurai
It's completely legitimate - they use a system that navigates phone trees and waits on hold for you. When a real person answers, they connect the call to your phone. It's like having someone else wait on hold while you do other things. There's no catch with how it works - they're just solving a real pain point. The service calls on your behalf and uses technology to navigate the phone systems more efficiently than you could manually. It's especially useful for companies like Intuit where hold times can be ridiculous.
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Jamal Carter
I'm eating crow here... I was the skeptic about Claimyr in the thread above. After bashing it, I got stuck on hold with Quickbooks support for 1.5 hours trying to fix billing issues with my new account. Out of desperation I tried the Claimyr service, and I'm shocked to admit it actually worked exactly as advertised. Got connected to a Quickbooks rep in under 10 minutes. Saved me from wasting my entire afternoon on hold. Sometimes I hate being wrong but in this case I'm glad I was!
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Mei Liu
Has anyone tried getting Quickbooks through TechSoup? If you have a registered nonprofit, you can get it heavily discounted. I think it's like $75 for a year of Quickbooks Premier. Might not help most businesses but thought I'd mention it.
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Liam O'Donnell
Can regular small businesses qualify for TechSoup or is it strictly nonprofits? My business isn't a 501c3 but we do lots of community work.
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Mei Liu
TechSoup is strictly for registered nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status. They verify your nonprofit status during the application process, so regular small businesses won't qualify regardless of community involvement. If your business does significant community work, you might consider establishing a separate nonprofit entity for those activities, which could then qualify for TechSoup discounts. However, that's probably more complicated than just finding a regular Quickbooks discount through a ProAdvisor.
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Amara Nwosu
One option nobody's mentioned yet - check out Quickbooks Desktop instead of Online if your business doesn't need multiple user access from different locations. You can often find the Desktop version on sale at office supply stores like Staples or Office Depot, especially during back-to-school or end-of-year sales. I bought mine for about 40% off retail price last December and it's a one-time purchase rather than a subscription.
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AstroExplorer
But isn't Desktop being phased out? I heard Intuit is pushing everyone to the online version and will eventually stop supporting Desktop.
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Sofia Peña
You're right to be concerned about that. Intuit has been pushing QuickBooks Online pretty hard, but Desktop isn't completely dead yet. They still release annual versions and provide support, though they definitely favor the online version for new features and updates. The main downsides of Desktop are that you miss out on automatic backups, mobile access, and real-time collaboration features. Plus if you ever need to switch to Online later, the migration process can be a bit of a hassle. For someone just starting out like the original poster, Online might be the better long-term choice even if it costs more upfront. The ProAdvisor discounts that @Aisha Rahman mentioned earlier are probably the best bet for getting Online at a reasonable price.
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Dylan Wright
This is such a helpful thread! I'm actually in the exact same situation as OP - small business owner looking to move beyond basic spreadsheet accounting but trying to keep costs reasonable. Based on all the suggestions here, it sounds like my best bet is to reach out to a few local CPAs who are QuickBooks ProAdvisors to see what kind of permanent discounts they can offer, rather than going with that 3-month promotional rate that just jumps back up to full price. The taxr.ai suggestion is really intriguing too - I never thought about getting an AI analysis to make sure I'm not overbuying on features I don't actually need. That could save money both upfront and long-term by getting the right tier from the start. Thanks everyone for sharing all these creative ways to save on QuickBooks! This community is awesome for practical business advice.
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Lucy Taylor
Dylan, you've got the right approach! I went through this exact same process about 6 months ago and ended up saving a ton by following similar advice from this community. One thing I'd add - when you contact those ProAdvisors, don't just ask about the discount rate. Ask them to walk you through what each QuickBooks tier actually includes and whether you really need all those features. I almost bought the Plus version because it sounded more "professional" but my ProAdvisor showed me that Simple Start would handle 95% of what I actually needed. Also, if you do try taxr.ai, make sure you have your bank statements and any business receipts organized before uploading. The more complete your data, the better their analysis will be. I found expenses I'd completely forgotten about that turned into solid deductions. Good luck with your search! Feel free to ask if you have questions once you start reaching out to ProAdvisors.
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