Can a CPA with QB2008 open a QB2009 file?

You are correct. He needs QB2009 in order to open up your file. 2010 is not out yet.

Is there a particular reason why the cpa needs to see your actual file? Would dumping the General ledger for the year to excel be enough for him to see your transactions? Or does he want to make changes or adjustments to your file that require access to the file?

Would remote access into your computer be possible? That would elimate the need to get a copy of 2009.

It's too bad you did not post this yesterday. Staples or Office Depot had a

1-day special for 2009 Pro for $70. Your CPA could have picked up a copy real cheap.

The software won't prevent him from installing the program. It is a violation of the EULA but that does not stop most people.

If he has no intentions of keeping up with his clients he could download a trial copy or install your copy without registering it. It will give him a limited number of uses and/or days to use the program.

From the 2009 help file:

If your client sends you an Accountant's Copy from an earlier version of QuickBooks, you may not be able to use it.

You can open Accountant's Copy files created from QuickBooks 2008. If you work in a QuickBooks 2008 Accountant's Copy, the file is upgraded to QuickBooks 2009 when you open it, but your client can still import your changes into his or her QuickBooks 2008 company file. Be aware that what you can and cannot do in an Accountant's Copy from QuickBooks 2008 is restricted to the way the features worked in that version of QuickBooks. The detailed information about what you can do in an Accountant's Copy explains the restrictions and the highlighting conventions.

You cannot open an Accountant's Copy created from QuickBooks 2007 or earlier in QuickBooks 2009. Use the version of QuickBooks your client is using. Also, consider asking your client for a copy of the company file (.qbw), backup (.qbb), or portable file (.QBM).

You can convert an Accountant's Copy (.qba) created in QuickBooks 2008 or later to a company file. However, the company file will be a QuickBooks 2009 file and your client will not be able to open it in QuickBooks 2008 or earlier.

Note: You cannot convert an Accountant's Copy transfer file (.qbx) created in QuickBooks 2008 or later to a company file. You can convert the transfer file to a QuickBooks 2009 Accountant's Copy file (.qba) and then convert that file to a company file (.qbw).

One would think that. But if his primary business is doing taxes he may just have most of his clients print out their financials without actually looking at their file. That's what my accountant does. I never give him my QB file. But he should still be keeping up with the software versions that his clients are using. 2009 has been out for almost a year. He'll run into more clients this tax season that are using 2009 so he should just bite the bullet and get a copy.

Thanks so much for such a thoughtful and thorough response.

As I suspected, you confirmed that he cannot open our QB2009 file without a

2009 version of QuickBooks.

The accountant needs the actual file because he is doing a required annual independent financial audit of our compnay. So, he's not really "our" accountant as I originally wrote -- he is an independent financial auditor.

I could probably figure out a way that he could access our computer remotely, but I really don't want to do that for a variety of reasons -- i.e. security, 2 people accessing and/or making changes to the same file creating an internal controls problem, and I assume the inability of 2 people to use the same file at the same time with only one user license. But, it was an interesting idea.

I'll pass on the idea that maybe he could install our copy of the software, never register it, and use it for free for a limited number of uses before it is registered. I'll also pass on the idea that he could do the same thing by downloading a trial verion of the software.

Having him install our registered software on a second computer (his) wouldn't work because: 1) he is an independent financial auditor of our company so his using our software in violation of the EULA would be a bad idea; and, 2) I think if he and we were using the same registered software on two different computers at the same time, Intuit would probably figure that out when the software "phones home" every time it is used.

I just checked and QB2009 is now on sale for $99.99 at Office Depot, OfficeMax, and Best Buy. That seems like the oh-so-obvious way to go. He would still only have a single-user version of the software, but that would have to do for now. Maybe he is stalling and only updates his QB software every 2 years instead of every year.

Thanks aga>> I think I already know the answer to this, but I have to ask.

Glad to help.

His being an indep auditor changes my answer only slightly: It is understandable that he might not have up-to-date software. Many audits don't take place untl after the taxes are filed. You may be the first audit using

2009 software but he still needs to upgrade in any case. My one condo association client does their audit in May but the accountant does not take a copy of the file. She asks for the financials and a copy of the general ledger report. Your cpa may find it easier to just drill down account by account while checking things instead of dealing with paper reports. Every cpa has a different style.

There is absolutely no reason the auditor can not perform in a professional manner an audit of the OP's books and records even though he/she does not have software to open the files. The OP should be able to supply any and all reports deemed necessary by the auditor.It is very possible that the auditor performs audits of clients having many different brands of accounting software. It is unreasonable to assume or expect the auditor to have a licensed copy of the each and every software title or the ability to run each one out there in the market place.

" He'll run into more clients this tax season that are using 2009 so he should just bite the bullet and get a copy.

Most of my clients are on 2008 or 2009. They had been using 2006 until they upgraded last fall. I also have one client who used to use Enterprise until she dumped Microsoft in January. She's now using GnuCash on a Linux machine. I also have several versions of Peachtree installed.

Yes, you keep old copies around in case you encounter a client using an older version. I have copies of QB 2002 through 2009 plus several versions of enterprise floating around here just to be able to open their file. Not all are installed.