A lot of contractors I talk to have run their whole office on QuickBooks Desktop for fifteen or twenty years. Payroll, job costing, union reports, certified payroll, all of it lives in one company file that somebody in the office knows inside and out.

Intuit has been pulling back from Desktop for a while now. Some of the changes already happened, and they hit union and prevailing wage shops harder than most. This guide covers what actually changed, what it means for your payroll, and how to pick a new setup without a mess at year end.

What's Changing and When

Here is what Intuit has published on its own support pages.

  • No new Desktop subscriptions after September 30, 2024. Intuit stopped selling new U.S. subscriptions of Desktop Pro Plus, Premier Plus, Mac Plus, and Desktop Enhanced Payroll. Existing subscribers can keep renewing. (Intuit stop sell notice)
  • No more lifetime licenses. Intuit no longer offers perpetual versions of Desktop Pro, Premier, or Mac. (Intuit Desktop FAQ)
  • Desktop 2023 was discontinued after May 31, 2026. That covers Pro Plus, Premier Plus (including the Contractor edition), Mac Plus, and Enterprise Solutions 23.0. If you are still on 2023, you lost live support, security updates, bank feeds, and Desktop Payroll. (Intuit 2023 discontinuation policy)
  • Payroll on 2023 stopped working right. Basic, Standard, and Enhanced Payroll no longer calculate taxes or supply tax forms on 2023. Assisted Payroll can't send payroll or direct deposits, and Intuit is not filing 2026 returns or W-2s for those users. Intuit says you can still write paychecks, but the tax math will be wrong. (Intuit Desktop Payroll discontinuation)
  • Desktop 2024 has no sunset date for now. Intuit says version 2024 (and Enterprise 24.0) won't be retired in May 2027 as the old three year cycle would suggest, and it will keep getting updates. (What's new in Desktop 2024)
  • Enterprise is still for sale. New and existing customers can still buy and renew Desktop Enterprise. (Intuit stop sell notice)

So Desktop isn't dead today. But if you're on Pro or Premier with Enhanced Payroll, you can't add it fresh, the product line isn't growing, and every renewal is a bet on how long Intuit keeps it going. Most contractors I know would rather move on their own schedule than on Intuit's.

Why This Hits Union and Prevailing Wage Contractors Harder

A landscaper with five employees on one rate can move to almost anything. Union and prevailing wage payroll is a different animal.

Multiple rates per employee. One carpenter might work a private job at shop rate Monday, a city job at prevailing wage Tuesday, and a federal job Wednesday. Each needs its own rate, and sometimes its own overtime and shift rules. A lot of Desktop shops built this with dozens of payroll items over the years.

Fringe credits. On prevailing wage work you can meet part of the rate with bona fide fringe benefits, and pay the rest as cash in lieu. Getting that split right for every hour on every job is where the money and the audit risk sit.

Union remittance reports. Each local wants hours and contributions by member, by fund, in its own format, usually by a set day of the month. Many offices pull this from custom Desktop reports or spreadsheets that took years to get right.

Certified payroll. WH-347 for federal work, state forms, and uploads to systems like LCPtracker or the New York DOL portal. If your current setup feeds those through an add-on or an export, that connection has to be rebuilt.

Job costing tied to payroll. Labor burden, fringes, and taxes flowing to the right job and cost code is how you know if a job made money. Break that link and your WIP reports go sideways.

Your Options

Stay on Desktop 2024 or move to Enterprise. If you're already on 2024 with payroll, you're supported for now. Enterprise is the only Desktop product still sold new, and it handles more payroll items and users. It's also the priciest version, and you're still on a product Intuit is clearly not betting on.

QuickBooks Online. Fine for general bookkeeping, but contractors with real union and prevailing wage payroll usually hit its limits. In my experience the common pain points are multiple pay rates per worker by job, fringe credit and cash in lieu handling, union remittance reports, and certified payroll output. Check carefully before you commit.

A construction payroll service. Providers built for construction handle certified payroll, union reporting, and prevailing wage rates as the main job, not an add-on. You can often keep your accounting where it is and send job costed payroll back into it.

Migration Checklist

Before you switch, line up these items.

  • Year to date data. Gross, taxes, deductions, and fringes per employee, so W-2s come out right. A good payroll company will load these balances for you.
  • Historical certified payrolls. Keep copies of every submitted report. Agencies can ask years later, and you don't want them stuck in a file you can't open.
  • Fringe history. Contributions by employee, fund, and job. You'll need it for union audits and prevailing wage reviews.
  • Rate tables. Every classification, local, and wage determination you're currently paying.
  • Union setups. Funds, rates per hour, and report formats for each local.
  • Job and cost code list. So payroll keeps landing on the right jobs.
  • Timing. January is a nice time to start fresh, but you don't have to wait for it. Since a good payroll company uploads your year to date balances for you, you can really switch any time of year nowadays.
  • Keep read access. Intuit says canceled Desktop subscriptions keep view only access for 12 months, so export what you need well before that ends. (Intuit Desktop FAQ)

Questions to Ask a New Provider

  • Can one employee have different rates by job, classification, and wage determination on the same check?
  • How do you handle fringe credits and cash in lieu on prevailing wage jobs?
  • Do you produce union remittance reports for my locals, and can you pay the funds?
  • Do you produce WH-347 and state certified payroll, and upload to LCPtracker or the state portal?
  • How does job costed payroll get back into my accounting system?
  • Who loads my YTD numbers and rate tables, and who checks them?
  • Will I have one person who knows union and prevailing wage, or a general call center?
  • What does it cost per payroll, per employee, and for certified payroll and union reports?

Bottom Line

If you're on Desktop with Enhanced or Assisted Payroll and do union or prevailing wage work, now is a good time to plan your move, before it's forced on you. Gather your history, pick a provider who knows this work, and switch when it suits you.

If you want a second set of eyes on your options, reach out here.