Actinic Link

[FrazerPart]

There were major database design changes between UK versions of QB 2006 & 2008, but, I have it on good authority, that the format of .iif file required by QB for the import of data is the same for QB(UK) 2006, QB(UK)2008 and the present version, QB(UK) 2010.

It is ActinicLink that creates the .iif file from the Actinic data.

In addition, the same authority has advised that all present QB platforms, i.e. US and UK versions, are the same with just a few region tweaks to handle sales taxes.

So with this in mind, I am curious to learn if the US version of Actinic Link for QB will work with the UK installations

[cbarling]

It may be technically the same, iut there are certainly differences around tax treatment etc. VAT is not the same as US sales tax.

Chris

[Duncan Rounding]

I thought that the format had changed in the later versions of Quickbooks.

You can download the Actinic Quickbooks Translater v1.7 from the US site (http://actinic.com/downloads.asp ) and give a it a try - make sure you have adequate backups first though.

[FrazerPart]

Jyst to clarify. Actinic still supplies a two way interface for the US version of Quickbooks.

Chris

This two-way interface for the US versions of QB.....what is different between the US version of Actinic Link and the UK version of Actinic Link?

The technical team at Intuit/QB are telling me that there are no differences in how import/export files are handled between US and UK versions of QuickBooks, so is there a reason why UK customers of QB couldn't use the US version of Actinic Link?

[musicscotland]

I can't dispute any of that, and wouldn't defend Intuit as far as customer care goes. My earlier post was really for existing QB2006 users, where QB meets their needs, to let them know that all was not lost if they were considering upgrading to Actinic v10. It seems that Sage is the only accounts package supported by Actinic now, so there is no choice anyway for payroll users.

[lizsewell]

Your comments about Quickbooks 2006 are interesting. This is slightly off topic but sitll relevant if you're considering Quickbooks. I'm not impressed by their lack of customer focused attitude.

I've used Quickbooks software for the past 12 something years (originally using Quicken) and have now hit a major problem. Yesterday I found out that if you use Quickbooks 2006 for your payroll as well as for accounting it will be unsupported as of the end of September 2010. Nice.

We realised from looking at the US users for whom this had happened that not only is this half way through a payroll year but also that Intuit have a nasty habit of switching off your ability to be able to see any previous payroll reports once you're not subscribing to payroll. Even nicer.

So we have QB 2006 that can be imported into Actinic but can't be used for payroll.

Then we discovered that our planned upgrade to Actinic v10 means that its unlikely (although the workaround looks possible) that we'll be able to import into QB 2006 or QB 2010 and the choice suddenly becomes very clear that Sage is the only way forward.

I hope this helps for anyone considering which accounting software to go with. QB may be cheaper but it comes at a cost :-)

[musicscotland]

Yes, that's correct - looks like you have the v9 screen there but that's the right place to enter the Link .exe path.

[fix]

Hi Kenny,

Ive gone to business settings and cant find what you have mentioned.

The picture shows the only thing I can find relating to exporting, which is in order processing:




By the way I take it there is no other way to export/import customer orders etc into Quickbooks than using the link, like a CSV file etc?


Thanks

[musicscotland]

OK Aiden, good luck.

Set up your file paths (including ...Actinic Link\QuickbooksExport.exe as executable) in Actinic : Business Settings : Export Options. Select orders and right-click 'ReExport To Files' from Actinic. Your Actinic Link program will output an .IIF file, this is the file you need to import into QB. Get it right with one test transaction and make sure this is completely correct.

[fix]

Thanks very much for the help Ken, sorry for the late reply.

I will give what you've written below a go and see what happens.

I've never actually used Quickbooks before so I'm not sure how exactly the link works, any advice you could give me on this would be appreciated.

[musicscotland]

additional note

This is just a note in reply to an additional query by 'fix':

"I've had a website made in Actinic V9 which was then imported into V10 and would like to use Quickbooks 2006, but have no idea how to do it. On the post you made you said V10 doesn't have the link installed but V9 does, so how do I get it working with V10?"

In summary to my previous post, the way I achieved this was:

1) Install Actinic Link alongside an Actinic v9 installation
2) Get this up and running correctly with Quickbooks 2006
3) Install Actinic v10 (separate installation from v9)
4) Import your v9 snapshot into v10 (DO NOT CHANGE any relevant QB or Actinic settings)
5) Test Actinic Link with v10

If there are any more specific issues I can try to assist with these on this post.

[musicscotland]

Just to confirm, the Actinic Link for Quickbooks is not included with the v10 installation and not designed to work with v10. The Actinic Link for QB may be working for you here as it's recognising your site folder from the previous version. It would be interesting to know if it worked on a new site created in your v10.

I imported a v9.0.5 snapshot into v10.0.1, and kept the v9 installation. Link seems to recognise the Payment Methods of the v9 installation rather than the v10 one. However if the Payment Methods (and other relevant variables?) are KEPT THE SAME in both installations, the output files will be compatible. This is because all that v10 does is export csv files to the same set of folders installed under Program Files / Actinic Link and QB imports them from there.

So this seems to be a workaround - keeping v9 installed alongside v10 (using separate Site1 folders of course).

I think Lee was referring to the principle of using outdated software

Earlier versions of accounting software are NOT 'outdated' if they can still do all that is required to work quite happily with Actinic and serve all other essential purposes. Yes I would most certainly recommend using the latest version of Actinic, but I was discouraged from doing this because of the weakest 'Link' in the chain.

So for existing Quickbooks 2006 users, or even new users on a budget who can install Actinic v9.0.5, QB2006 CAN still be considered as an option. And at £60 (or less) on eBay, this is one tenth the cost of entry-level Sage 50.

[Ben]

Hello Ken,

Just to confirm, the Actinic Link for Quickbooks is not included with the v10 installation and not designed to work with v10.

FACT 1: This information provided by Support is just plain wrong. Actinic Link For QuickBooks (v1.5.0.0.1 which is supplied with the Business v9.0.5 download) works just fine with the latest Actinic Business v10.0.5

I presume you mean 10.0.1. The Actinic Link for QB may be working for you here as it's recognising your site folder from the previous version. It would be interesting to know if it worked on a new site created in your v10.

FACT 2: The Link program also works fine with UK Quickbooks 2006 but definitely not QB2008 and probably not later versions.

Yes, this is correct - QB 2008 and onwards is not supported by the UK Actinic Link.

FACT 3: I've been running a music site generating turnover in excess of £200k annually for six years now - the total cost of accounting software purchased in that period? Around £200 for QB2006 Pro just after it was released. So I would strongly disagree with Actinic/QB not being 'a viable solution', since currently I have no need or desire to upgrade from QB2006 within this dependable system. I actually like Quickbooks, and not just because it's so familiar now.

I think Lee was referring to the principle of using outdated software ... but glad it's working for you.

Maybe Actinic has some exclusive agreement with Sage?

Not so. We simply respond to the number of users and Sage has historically been (and continues to be) the dominant accounts package used among Actinic users.

Hope this helps.

[musicscotland]

Quickbooks v10.0.5 WILL work with Quickbooks Link which WILL also work with QB 2006

For all of you other despairing EXISTING Intuit Quickbooks UK users out there, I have consolation with some plain facts:

"Regarding QuickBooks Link and v10 it won't work..." (Actinic Support)

FACT 1: This information provided by Support is just plain wrong. Actinic Link For QuickBooks (v1.5.0.0.1 which is supplied with the Business v9.0.5 download) works just fine with the latest Actinic Business v10.0.1

FACT 2: The Link program also works fine with UK Quickbooks 2006 but definitely not QB2008 and probably not later versions.

if you want to continue with Quickbooks for the foreseeable future, then drop any idea of using actinic. If you want to use actinic, you are pretty much saying i will also use sage for accounting, IF you want a link between the two. Actinic & Quickbooks went their separate ways a long time ago, any ecommerce solution tying you into using 5-6 year old accounting software isn't really a viable solution IMO.

FACT 3: I've been running a music site generating turnover in excess of £200k annually for six years now - the total cost of accounting software purchased in that period? Around £200 for QB2006 Pro just after it was released. So I would strongly disagree with Actinic/QB not being 'a viable solution', since currently I have no need or desire to upgrade from QB2006 within this dependable system. I actually like Quickbooks, and not just because it's so familiar now.

What's the real benefit from upgrading (or switching to Sage) anyway, other than additional cost, unnecessary features and complication? Accounting software adds up numbers - as long as it's stable, supported to some extent and can export to Excel for graphing, it can work fine for you. Maybe Actinic has some exclusive agreement with Sage?

Lucky that I decided to actually try QB Link out with Actinic v10, otherwise v9 could have been the end of my upgrade path and perhaps entire 10-year relationship with Actinic...

[fix]

Thanks for the replies, yes I think its best thinking Actinic will only work with Quickbooks 2006 and earlier.

It would be nice to be able to afford Sage Line 50 but I cant, I think its going to be Quickbooks 2006 and see how it goes, then look at upgrading to Sage further down the line