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Intuit has announced changes to the QuickBooks ProAdvisor program as it regards the availability of QuickBooks software provided to members.
Intuit has announced changes to the QuickBooks ProAdvisor program as it regards the availability of QuickBooks software provided to members. Intuit will no longer ship physical CDs of software as part of ProAdvisor membership; if and when new software versions are released, Intuit will make them available only via download at the members' ProAdvisor site.
Intuit advises this will result in faster product access via download rather than having to wait for a CD; availability of complete downloads for all software associated with an individuals' ProAdvisor account; and savings associated with sales tax elimination (in certain states*). The press release also notes that "Although future releases of the software will be via download only through your member website, Intuit will provide you with the option to order physical CDs for a small additional charge."
The following disclosure is also included in their press release, "*Download Only delivery select states as of June 2013 include AR, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, IA, MD, MO, NJ, NV, OK, SC and VA. Residents of CT will pay 1% in sales tax. Residents of CO don’t charge state sales tax, but they do collect local tax depending on the city and this may be more than over 1%. In order to qualify for sales tax statutory exemption, customers may not receive any physical media. No exceptions based on State taxing mandates."
This policy has pretty much been in place for all renewing ProAdvisors as of this year, so I don't think this announcement should come as a shock to anyone who has been a ProAdvisor for more than a year.
My personal recommendation would be that any download of ProAdvisor software be stored on a 'flash drive' for future access. I follow this practice myself, and also update the flash drive with each 'manual version' of product maintenance releases so that I have them available at any time needed in the future. For about $5.00 you can purchase a flash drive of sufficient size to store each years software versions and updates, and that is far cheaper than the normal $15 fee Intuit has charged in the past for CD replacement.
Murph