Mac OS X Accounting Software for Canada?

For as long as I can remember I’ve been running the Reinvented bookkeeping through Quicken for Home and Business. This is a enhanced version of Quicken with some basic small business features — invoices, accounts receivable, etc. — added on. It’s easy to use, and although I get no respect from my accountant, it served my purposes well.

When I made the switch from PC to Mac several years ago, I was in mid-financial-year, so I bought a copy of Virtual PC for my Mac; this lets me continue to run Quicken for Home and Business, albeit in a somewhat glacial fashion, as Virtual PC has to constantly pretend to be a PC, which makes it quite slow.

In recent years my aforementioned accountant has been pressing me to move to a more adult bookkeeping solution, mostly because when I hand over the Quicken data dump at the end of each year they have to expend considerable manual efforts slurping the data into their Big Accounting System. There is also some apparent discomfort with the lack of “double entry” features, which I believe is related more to addiction than to real practicality, but I’ll play along.

And so, yet again, I’m looking for some basic accounting software for Mac OS X. That works in Canada. And imports digital data from my credit union. And that I can save files from that my account can import.

And those four features seem not to exist in any software I’ve been able to find.

QuickBooks was an early favourite. There’s no specific Canadian version, but they claim that the U.S. version supports unique Canadian features like the GST. But then I read the reviews. And made a couple of calls to Intuit (the company that makes QuickBooks) and found (a) that the U.S. version for the Mac I would be forced to use won’t output data that can be imported into the Canadian PC version my accountant would be using and (b) that the U.S. version doesn’t support import of Canadian financial institution data and (c) that “support” for GST isn’t exactly elegant.

So now I’m trawling for recommendations from others: are you keeping your accounts on a Mac in Canada? Are you happy? If so, what software are you using?

Wednesday, February 22, 2006 - 11:58am

Comments

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 2009-07-17 12:37.

Any news? I’ve yet to find anything.. Most people I know are still running Parallels to have Win XP on their mac…

Submitted by Brian Dickinson (not verified) on Wed, 2006-02-22 15:00.

I used TaxTron tax software last year and it seemed to work fine, no problems. They only made an OS 9 version last year, but this year they only make the OS X version, so hope it works as well as last years. TaxTron Canada. http://www.taxtron.ca/

Submitted by Paul G (not verified) on Sat, 2009-08-08 20:47.

Depending on your business needs you might want to take a look a Books by HansaWorld or HansaWorld Enterprise at www.hansaworld.com. I have been very happy with the software functionality and the support I have received has been first rate.

Submitted by Dora (not verified) on Mon, 2010-02-01 18:47.

Moneyworks for Mac is not very intuitive, the terminology is different i.e. debtor’s invoice, creditor invoice rather than bill, invoice, payable and receivable. If you make a repeat payment and want to delete later? you have to find the original entry to delete it, which is fine, if it is easy to find where it is. We use Moneyworks only because we have no other options. MYOB and Simply accounting are the best, easy to use. easy to get any report, easy on the eye forms, but it no longer support Mac, don’t know why.

Submitted by dee (not verified) on Wed, 2010-03-24 18:26.

i’m with you - Mac being such a big company and they only have Money works available in Canada - anyone that has a business i will make sure they know what they are doing before they purchase a mac- i wish i never would have - was using MYOB and still using on my old Mac i have to do my business accounting- this computor stuff is just getting to be a money racket

Submitted by Marilyn (not verified) on Wed, 2010-04-21 12:21.

I am in deep pain over this - put parallels + windows XP with MS Money onto a mac – ran into so many problems with it, finally gave up…Since I moved to Mac to get rid of Windows problems - using a virtual pc still is a pain. Intuit are very annoying - touted their Quicken for Mac could be easily used for Canadian info – no it cannot… it is not nearly as good as the Quickbooks or the Quicken versions I was using on PC. I feel ripped off — and more confused than ever as what to use. I will not recommend Intuit to anyone.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 2009-07-22 22:58.

Have you tried NetSuite? There’s a reseller we used to work with in Toronto, Kuspide.

Submitted by Peter Rukavina (not verified) on Wed, 2006-02-22 15:42.

TaxTron appears to be tax preparation software, not general-purpose accounting software, alas.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Thu, 2009-07-23 11:23.

Hey Peter, I always liked MYOB and the account didn’t seem to complain….they currently offer a Canadian version for the Mac. http://ca.accountedgeapp.com/

Submitted by Clark (not verified) on Wed, 2006-02-22 22:52.

This software may not be robust enough for your needs but we have been using Liquid Ledger for the past few years with some success. It’s support for multiple currencies was the hook for us. They are a Canadian company based in Toronto and the software is Mac only. http://www.liquidledger.com

Submitted by Olle Jonsson (not verified) on Thu, 2006-02-23 14:35.

Oh, that Liquid stuff looked neat. (“I want one”, my belly said. “Shut up”, I croaked.)

Submitted by Ned Bosnak (not verified) on Wed, 2006-03-01 02:52.

What has happened to QUICKBOOKS ACCOUNTS FOR MAC…. This is the original MYOB that was purchased by Intuit. Intuits motto is “if you can’t beat them, buy them!”

Submitted by Deft (not verified) on Sat, 2006-03-04 14:52.

any more luck on this one, i have the same needs but am currently servicing them by using us version.

Submitted by M. Michael (not verified) on Tue, 2006-03-07 18:23.

“if you can’t beat them, buy them!” Yes, I’d like to beat them. Intuit has dropped their support for Macs in Canada, after we all dropped big dollars for their software. An Apple rep said that it just wasn’t profitable “enough”. Quickbook Accounts for Mac is really an excellent program. However, it’s not multi-user as they claim it is—or if it is, you have to pay them $60 a phone call to find out how. Nice. Not sure they’ll answer that anymore now that it’s not supported, at least in development. MultiLedger has been recommended by an Apple dealer: http://www.checkmark.com/products/multiledger.php It’s buck-ugly though, and likely not as straightforward as QuickBooks. And so, we keep looking…. there appears to be very little (though I’ll check out Liquid Ledger).

Submitted by M. Michael (not verified) on Tue, 2006-03-07 18:29.

Liquid Ledger is a personal accounting software program, not for small business needs it seems…

Submitted by Bruno (not verified) on Fri, 2006-03-24 12:48.

It looks like Quickbooks 2006 for Mac will support what Peter (and I) need. It can export data for Windows, supports Canadian taxation and is compatible with Canadian banks. Are these not the sore points from the original post? I don’t have it yet and I haven’t found exact instructions for the tax setup, but there’s a clear list of Canadian banks supporting Quickbooks (including Mac support) as well as a pictorial and video demonstration of the Export for Windows feature. My biggest concern prior to reading the original post, was the possibility of surpassing Quickbooks’ database limitations.

Submitted by Scott (not verified) on Sat, 2009-11-14 02:23.

I have a small business with two partners and we are currently using Accountedge. However, none of us knows the first thing about accounting or properly using the software. We are based in Vancouver, and need someone who knows the software to come to our office for an afternoon for some in-house training. So far, we haven’t been able to find anyone who can help us. We are victims of our Mac geekness. We are contemplating running Windows on our Mac. Please, somebody, don’t let this happen. You can contact us directly at info@eh-plus.com if you know somebody who knows somebody . . .

Submitted by Andriy Semenyuk (not verified) on Wed, 2009-11-25 07:28.

I’ll recomend to use HansaWorld like best accounting ERP and CRM solution for MAC For more information please feel free to contact me on skype: samtn1, or linkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/andriysemenyuk

Submitted by Andriy Semenyuk (not verified) on Wed, 2009-11-25 07:30.

I’ll recomend to use HansaWorld like best accounting, ERP and CRM solution for MAC For more information please feel free to contact me on skype: samtn1, or linkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/in/andriysemenyuk

Submitted by JMarchand (not verified) on Wed, 2009-12-16 21:13.

All of these posts are exactly the pain I am feeling, and it’s sad to see that a thread that begins early in 2006 ends without a whole lot of progress, at exactly the same place, in 2010. Looks like it’s a tossup between the Moneyworks and Accountedge products, with accountedge handling payroll where Moneyworks does not, yet Moneyworks has better support. I had both in my hand today at the Apple Store in Montreal, and Moneyworks express was $279 while Accountedge was $459. A considerable difference. I guess I need to really investigate the payroll benefit. Thanks to all

Submitted by vik (not verified) on Thu, 2009-12-17 06:26.

It is a very good software to maintain proper records of accounts and book keeping. Construction Accounting Software always helps to maintain proper books of accounts.

Submitted by Ben (not verified) on Tue, 2010-01-05 16:50.

Has anyone tried iBank? http://www.iggsoftware.com/ibank/ It looks nice, but I can’t find any reference to it supporting Canadian accounting needs.

Submitted by Maz (not verified) on Fri, 2010-01-01 03:14.

Hi, Maybe this is not the right place to ask but I am wondering what is some of the best personal finance management systems out there for Mac? I am a PC convert using MS Money for long years. iBank was not up to the task. Suggestions from your experiences? Thanks …

Submitted by sloop (not verified) on Mon, 2010-01-11 11:24.

I have been using AccountEdge forever and was worried that it would die on me eventually. It is now back on the market for Canada as of 2009.

Submitted by Jim (not verified) on Tue, 2010-01-19 02:17.

Moneyworks support folk (and they ARE fast and helpful) told me that they cannot support any effort to blend personal with business. That is, if I buy something for the business plus something for personal use on the same credit card transaction, and try to split it out, part with separated GST and the personal part without - it won’t work. They said, “you shouldn’t be recording the personal stuff at all.” Further, it will not support splitting tax amounts. If I bought a similar expense code item in Ontario (8+5) one day and in BC (7+5) another, “sorry, don’t understand why you would want to do that.” But we do do that because we live in both provinces. So, Moneyworks won’t work. I may just do my own Excel spreadsheet. I have one almost mastered. Maybe I can sell it!

Submitted by Steve H. (not verified) on Fri, 2010-01-29 12:16.

I’ve been using AccountEdge, the Canadian version, for a while now and I highly recommend it. I’m not entirely clear on the back story, but it seems that MYOB was purchased by it’s US franchise (or some other US company), and is essentially putting out the Canadian version as well. It’s the best solution I’ve come across - and their support is excellent.

Submitted by Anonym (not verified) on Tue, 2010-05-25 01:40.

I see no references here to the open source options. I am intrigued by the GnuCash program. Anyone with experience or thoughts on this one? I am a PC user, who has returned to MAC after many years on the PC and have been using QuickBooks. From many comments here and elsewhere, it doesn’t look like I’ll be switching to the MAC version anytime soon. Hence the search for a decent accounting program that can handle small business needs.

Submitted by rRen (not verified) on Tue, 2010-06-22 21:07.

Now that we are in 2010 I cannot imagine that we ( Mac Users) still have no other option then to revert to a windows app. I am using Quicken for my personal banking, in fact that is the only thing I still do on my PC. I tried I-Bank but it is not made for Canadian Financial institutions.

Quicken worked well but you do not want to deal with the after sale service..... I am not a business so I do not want to buy a 300$ business version.....

Any options , please tell me that someone found something.

Submitted by Lawrence Boxall (not verified) on Fri, 2010-07-09 22:36.

I do graphic design as a freelancer on the most current software and I replace my Mac every three years. I've been using MYOB on a Mac since 1995. The program works perfectly for me, Except it doesn't run on Mac OS X so I'm still running an old computer using OS 9 for nothing else but my few measly entries per month to keep the taxman happy.

What's with the capitalist system that I can't find up-to-date software that is as good as the old MYOB on my current computer. Why do I have to keep an extra computer around because our great economic system doesn't provide what people in business need?

Submitted by Andrew N (not verified) on Wed, 2010-07-28 20:55.

I am have recently found a program called YNAB (You Need A Budget), though I am a bit of a newbie at personal financial accounting software, it seems to be relatively user friendly. It accepts quicken file formats and is able to synch to the iPhone! Again I don't have experience with accounting software so if someone more experienced than me can test it out please let me know if it was worth it for you.

Submitted by Anonymouse (not verified) on Mon, 2009-11-16 21:51.

Accountedge for Mac would work okay for you if you replaced all the red furniture in your lounge.

Submitted by Jason Hendriks (not verified) on Sun, 2010-04-25 16:43.

1. Isn’t that completely normal? When you start the software you set up a *business* account and start tracking related transactions. You don’t set up a business slash personal account. And if you have both types on one bill, just sort out which items are for the business yourself and enter those in. 2. Maybe support didn’t understand you. Just create a new Tax Rate for the BC, and enter the items bought in BC with the new tax rate. I don’t see how that setup is any different that buying ‘similar expense code items’ in Ontario in 2005 (8+7), 2007 (8+6) or 2009 (8+5).

Submitted by Bruno (not verified) on Fri, 2006-03-24 12:57.

Ok, scratch my comments… Those features are “supposed” to work but I see either through poor implementation or outright bugs, they don’t (for a lot of people). I think the solution may very well be to run the Windows version - either through dual-booting a new Intel Macbook Pro or through an emulator or virtualization (it’s not going to be the slug it was when running VPC on a PPC Mac). There are online solutions for accounting as well, but the only ones I’ve ever looked at were ones a friend was investigating. They ended up with a contract of $7000+ per year for the service. Not my cup of tea.

Submitted by Rebecca (not verified) on Wed, 2006-04-05 00:00.

March 31, 2006 (just before my 60-day return-it expires) I receive a letter from quickbooks: Dear “valued” …customer (emphasis mine): We are discontinuing QuickBooks Accounts for Mac in Canada. I just bought this program, discovered that the payroll doesn’t work unless you pay $150/year for it, and it doesn’t account for GST properly at all. In other words, it was a shoddy workaround in the first place, which they are now discontinuing. I’m searching too: a not too large, but complicated company with multi-warehouses and payroll. I refuse to bow to IBM, but oh boy is this frustrating!

Submitted by Brandon (not verified) on Fri, 2006-04-07 12:04.

I’m the same boat as yo guys. I’ve been using QuickBooks Canada on Windows and last year, moved to a mac. After searching and searching, I finally just relented and installed VirtualPC to use QuickBooks again. It’s a shame :(

Submitted by Bill Lewington (not verified) on Tue, 2006-05-02 13:58.

The problem is not the Quickbooks, MYOB or Quicken packages in Canada, it is Intuit. I am not sure why someone has not sued them for all their false promises and lack of support. I personally refuse to ever buy an Intuit supplied product ever again. They buy up exclusive rights to market the products in Canada only to pull the product 6 months later for Mac users sighting “too few sales”. It is pretty obvious they buy the rights, knowing they will continue with the Windows versions and shelf the Mac versions and illuminate another competitor in the process. I have tried to use the US versions and “Canadianize” them with their instructions and my accountant’s help, but the solution is very clunky and the GST remittance reporting is nonexistent. I hope Apple follows Microsoft’s lead with the Great Plains product and buys up a developer so it can release a proper accounting package for the Canadian market. I only wish I knew where to send my comments to Apple Canada.

Submitted by CAMILO (not verified) on Mon, 2006-05-08 16:13.

we are using MYOB 9 on the mac but are looking at multiledger, the graphics are not important but the software is, does anyone know wheter this package woks well? from an accounting point of view

Submitted by Amy (not verified) on Wed, 2006-06-07 11:16.

I feel all of your pain. I am running a Canadian Mac user and I feel all alone - until now. I am still running our company on MYOB AccountEdge Canadian Version 2. I love MYOB. Hate Intuit. I manually enter all the payroll - getting all the tables from the Canada Revenue site. I was considering buying the US Version of MYOB and trying to work around the US tax stuff and enter in my own Canadian rates and manipulate the system to work, but I downloaded the trial version and I’m not sure it will be easy to do. The MYOB I’m using now is still running very well on Mac OSX, but the problem is what will happen one day it doesn’t. In the meantime I am crossing my fingers as to something being available in the future for Macs!! Intuit screwed us Royally. And then, by discontinuing Quickbooks for Canada, screwed many again. Screw them. Someone at Apple needs to help us Canadians!!!

Submitted by Steve (not verified) on Mon, 2006-06-12 01:39.

Not sure if you’re still looking, but in case this helps anyone else, my company switched from MYOB to Moneyworks (http://www.cognito.co.nz) some time ago. The maker, Cognito, is a New Zealand company but their software automatically customizes itself to a number of different countries, including Canada. It’s a little on the pricey side, I think about C$600 though there are no annual subscriptions and the don’t seem to ding you for every silly upgrade. Support is free, but mostly email or forum-based for Canadians (we did call once, and it only cost the long distance fees), but we’ve had relatively little need of it anyway. Probably the biggest bonus for us was that Cognito gave our Accountant a free version of the software so that he could work on our files - with his Windows workstation!

Submitted by moni (not verified) on Wed, 2006-07-26 21:09.

definately check out cognito…. thank you so much for the tip.

Submitted by Megan (not verified) on Tue, 2007-05-29 16:08.

Hi all, If you are still using MYOB AccountEdge v.2 for the Mac, payroll tax table updates are available from my site: http://www.directupdates.com . I have been supplying them since Inutit bought out MYOB. I charge 119.00 plus tax for a calander year subscription and I have a free fix for your computer printed cheques. I know it works with all OS up to and including OS X 10.4.8 because that is what I have on my Mac Thanks and bye for now Megan

Submitted by Serge (not verified) on Tue, 2006-09-05 18:12.

Still using MYOB Accountedge 2. Works fine except for entering tax tables manually. Does Cognito support payroll?

Submitted by michel (not verified) on Thu, 2006-09-14 15:49.

I use MYOB Accountedge 2, but printing multiple invoices under OSX 10.4 crashes the machine. Total pain.

Submitted by Francois (not verified) on Sat, 2006-09-30 16:40.

Still using old version of MYOB Canadaian version but with up to date Payroll Tax tables . Available here for $99 : www.directupdates.com

Submitted by rick (not verified) on Thu, 2006-10-05 00:03.

Surprisingly, Quicken 2002 Deluxe for Mac was serving my needs until today when I opened a new box of checks (yes, from Intuit) and found that Quicken for Mac doesn’t support Image Ready Cheques. Minor adjustments to field positioning can be acheived easily enough, but changing the field order, e.g. “Text amount” and “Pay to the order of” is not supported. I’m not about to go back to writing checks by hand, so I’m looking elsewhere.

Submitted by Justine (not verified) on Sun, 2006-10-22 01:02.

I run a small design business in Canada - use a Mac and am looking for simple accounting software - this is my second time looking this year. Can I assume that if I am not doing any payroll but just wanting to track my business income and expense, and manage quotes and invoices easier that MYOB First Edge would be ok? It doesn’t seem to come in a Candian version - would I need to customize anything?

Submitted by Dave Clark (not verified) on Sun, 2006-11-05 03:22.

I found this program but couldnt get it to load . maybe you could check it out and have success. Best of all its free, and let me know if you get it to work. I am not a real computer guy so you may find it easy. I too am a mac user wanting a better program for point of sale and accounting. http://www.gnucash.org/

Submitted by Violet (not verified) on Mon, 2006-11-20 19:01.

After reading the first page I have to agree. I have been running Multi Ledger and giving my accountant hard copy. We have a Power mac G-3 and have just purchased a new 20 ” I Mac. My multi ledger will run on the old computer and do what I need and then some, but will not work on my new computer. Thanks Sreve I am going to look into http://www.cognito.co.nz. good luck to all and thanks. I think someone is missing the mark. I think that there is real need for software that will run of our computers and the accountant can read on there’s.

Submitted by Aaron (not verified) on Mon, 2006-11-27 22:53.

Hard to imagine that a professional Canadian accounting software does not seem to exist for Macs. Very frustrating. aj

Submitted by Mike Guilbault (not verified) on Tue, 2006-11-28 23:01.

I’m reviewing the MoneyWorks Express package (it’s around $350CDN) which is much cheaper than the Gold package and basically lacks network ability so for the single user small business owner, it should be sufficient. It looks pretty straight forward and appears to handle the GST & PST ok. The GUI looked a little overwhelming at first with all their arrows (workflow) and such… but once you play with it a little, it’s starting to make sense. Apparently there’s an easier way to use it rather than this ‘Navigator’. Haven’t got that far yet. One question for anyone already using it. My GST is filed monthly and PST quarterly. I saw the preference to use both taxes and to set the tax cycle for the GST, but nothing to set the tax cycle for the PST. Is this possible?

Submitted by Alan Jean-Joyce (not verified) on Wed, 2007-01-03 06:41.

I am still using MYOB 8 in Classic mode on my OSX based G5 and have been looking into MYOB First Edge out of the USA but can not seem to find a downloadable trial version for testing purposes. Anyone know where to download it as a trial? Nice to find the multiledger software but as someone mentioned above - what an ugly interface. If it works though, that is what counts (little pun there). Visiting the Moneyworks site and am impressed! They even have a download trial version and a Canadian specific link. They have my vote already. Let’s hope the software works. http://www.cognito.co.nz/download2.php

Submitted by Bill Gordon (not verified) on Mon, 2007-01-08 19:13.

For a fully-featured Cdn Mac OS X accounting program take a look at Connected from Accountek Solutions in Concord, ON. Available in single and multi-user versions. It is also available for Windows. The only downside appears to be cost $600 (GL, AR and AP). Inventory Control and Job Costing modules are extra at about $600 each. Phone 905-761-3307 http://www.accountek.com

Submitted by Patrick (not verified) on Thu, 2007-05-24 15:56.

I like NetSuite. Accounting software that supports Canadian payroll, taxes etc. for Mac OSX

Submitted by Mike Guilbault (not verified) on Fri, 2007-01-19 00:57.

I ended up with Moneyworks Express from Cognito. I’ve been converting my MYOB over to it as of January 1st since that seemed like the best time. I haven’t tried exporting accounts or anything and have been setting it up from scratch. (I find I can learn more about the program this way). So far, it’s going quite smoothly. It’s a little different and some of the terminology is different as well, but easy enough to learn. I’m enjoying it and there are some nice features, like cash flow projection, that I’m really finding useful. I think once I get the hang of it, it will be even easier to use than ‘the other one’.

Submitted by Mike Guilbault (not verified) on Wed, 2007-05-23 00:14.

PATRICIA… you can download a trial of MoneyWorks at http://www.mgpacc.com and there’s a comparison of the three ‘models’ and Canadian pricing. If you’ve been doing payroll calculations manually, then you’ll feel comfortable with MoneyWorks too. And you can create recurring transactions so you don’t have to re-key everything each time period. Only change the hours/deductions etc. that change from period to period. LIS… I’m sure you’ll enjoy it. I’ve been using Express since Jan 1 and still finding new ways to gather and display information. It’s very flexible in that regard and at times can be overwhelming… but the basic functionality of what’s important (getting your bookkeeping DONE!) is very easy and even enjoyable.

Submitted by Lis (not verified) on Sat, 2007-05-19 15:20.

I’ve just downloaded the Moneyworks Express demo, and am so far very impressed. WAY more functionality than Quicken, which I was using before. My business needs don’t require all the features that MoneyWorks Gold has, so Express will be just dandy for me. As a Mac user in Canada, I am so relieved to see that this software just does what it says it does, including keeping track of taxes (already set up for Canadian users, including provincial differences for GST, PST, and HST, plus it’s configurable to your own particular needs). Getting the most out of this software will take a little time to learn, since it is so feature rich, but it’s actually fun to use, so I look forward to it. (BTW, I’m using a MacBook Pro/Intel Core Duo/OSX 10.4.8.)

Submitted by Rahim (not verified) on Wed, 2007-02-07 23:58.

Its been such a pain to find accounting software thats just easy to use. Being a student and business owner, it’s even tougher….i’ll check out everyone’s suggestion, but someone really needs to come up with a solid acct software. Not sure if anyone out there uses a CRM but i recommend Daylite by Marketcircle….its something else, definately a time saver.

Submitted by Bill Braisher (not verified) on Tue, 2007-02-27 15:13.

If it ain’t broke don’t fix it I guess. I’ve had the same version of MYOB for years now. I tried to upgrade to the OS X quickbooks but like someone else said it wouldn’t do payroll so I sent it back. It was a huge fight and I can’t remember if I ever go my money back. My new book keeper is great, she suggested trying an OS X version of accounting software again, because I designed a payroll calculator with Filemaker Pro that works well. And she can do the T4’s by hand once a year. I googled and came up with this forum. Looks like my best bet is to stick with what I have, even though it’s the only program I have that has to open classic to run.

Submitted by Mike Guilbault (not verified) on Thu, 2007-03-08 16:18.

RAHIM… I use Daylite extensively. It’s a great package especially when combined with DMI to integrate Mail with the Daylite. Regarding MoneyWorks… I like it so much that I bought the company!! Just kidding… but I am now an official Reseller. So if anyone wants more info or to make a purchase, just let me know. Bill.. MoneyWorks won’t do payroll, but version 5 is coming out in the next week or two with many upgrades, especially for Canada. The reason I switched from MYOB was exactly because it ran only in Classic. When my G5 needed a new power supply and was in the shop for almost 2 weeks (the supplies were on backorder), I couldn’t run MYOB on my Intel iMac since Classic is no longer an option. So, if you ever upgrade to one of the new Intel Macs, MYOB won’t do you any good. Something to consider especially if you only have the one system.

Submitted by Gary Gourilk (not verified) on Sat, 2007-03-10 05:56.

I am still using Simply Accounting for Mac (which has not beeen supported for many years). I have a translator which converts it to windows simply accounting V7.0 for my accountant. I have been sticking to Classic supporting macs, so I could continue to run it forever. Unfortunately, this year new cheques require a different format for printing dates on cheques. Is there a patch for this, or am I required to run windows on a new mac and “simply” for windows? I tried running Simply 7.0 for windows under virtual PC 8 years ago, but couldn’t stomach windows. Any help?

Submitted by Stewart Marshall (not verified) on Thu, 2007-03-22 20:10.

Here’s a couple of links to questions I asked on LinkedIn - might be of interest to folk http://www.linkedin.com/answers/finance-accounting/accounting/FIN_ACC/11440-11755 http://www.linkedin.com/answers/finance-accounting/accounting/FIN_ACC/11768-11755 Stewart

Submitted by Mike Guilbault (not verified) on Sat, 2007-03-24 00:00.

Well guys.. I’m an official reseller of MoneyWorks now and have just uploaded the new website: http://www.mgpacc.com. I’ll answer your questions as best I can, or will try to find you the answer if I don’t know. Let me know what you think of the website!!

Submitted by Fay (not verified) on Tue, 2007-04-03 16:58.

Hi I too have spend a lot of time researching simple bookkeeping software for the Mac. I read here somewhere about Virtual PC. Is it possible to buy Simply Accounting for Windows and run it on a Mac with Virtual PC? You can tell I’m pretty new to the Mac. That would help me, though, because 1. I love Simply, and 2. it’s under Can$ 100.

Submitted by Ivan Zubot (not verified) on Tue, 2007-04-03 18:04.

I was a Quickbooks V5.0 for Windows user and have recently purchased a Mac. I did not know that Quickbooks for Mac Can. Version did not exist. I am now using Parallels to run the same Quickbooks on Windows on my Mac. This works OK but would prefer to rid myself of Windows completely. I will definately be checking out Moneyworks. Their gain and Intuit’s loss.

Submitted by Mike Guilbault (not verified) on Wed, 2007-04-04 16:54.

Fay… the last time I ran Virtual PC it was so slow to load and the software barely ran. I think you’ll be quite discouraged with it. Your much better off getting a Mac version like MoneyWorks. I just upgraded my Express package to version 5.0 and it’s much better than 4.0. You can download a trial copy through my website.

Submitted by Fay (not verified) on Wed, 2007-04-04 20:26.

Thanks for the info on the Virtual PC. Should VPC work ok on my Mac, I will definitely go with Simply Accounting because it’s made in Canada, has all the GST, PST, payroll and other features, is cheap and is truly an accounting software. Quicken, my accountant says, is a nightmare. I have tought myself to use Simply and it works very well. I will need to cough up the money for the VPC software and then I’ll be set, I guess.

Submitted by Fay (not verified) on Wed, 2007-04-04 20:44.

Hi Mike Thanks for the tip. If VPC is as slow as you say, that wouldn’t be much fun. I guess my last post to you disappeared. I will check out your site. I’m definitely interested in software that can do GST etc.

Submitted by Mike Guilbault (not verified) on Tue, 2007-04-10 13:45.

The only thing MoneyWorks doesn’t do is payroll calculations. But check on the Contact page of my website - I’ve got a link there for a company that does online payroll processing. Apparently they keep much better tabs on updates to payroll than most of the software companies, so you’re always current. Maybe that, matched with MoneyWorks to do your actual accounting will be a good fit. And it definately handles GST & PST. You can even setup extra tax codes for PST exempt, HST, or even Zero rated to cover all the possible tax configurations you may need.

Submitted by FRANCOIS (not verified) on Wed, 2007-04-18 23:59.

Cheque Printing Updates for MYOB, AccountEdge & QuickBooks Accounts for Mac : The Canadian Payments Association has mandated changes to the way in which computer generated cheques are designed and printed. This will require changes to both MYOB and your Computer Operating System. Patch : $ 39,95 CAN These changes are provided free to Tax Table Subscribers. Available to www.freshinsight.ca

Submitted by FRANCOIS (not verified) on Thu, 2007-04-19 15:58.

Sorry, but the freshinsight.ca solution above is actually working only on MacOS 10.3.4 and prior versions.

Submitted by Dave (not verified) on Mon, 2007-05-07 12:27.

The forms provided by Freshinsight appear to work, but the Date formatting trick for OS X did not work in Quickbooks Accounts for Mac that we are using. We are using 10.4.9 on a PPC iMac. Looks like my choices are Moneyworks Gold, Moneyworks Express, or Paralells/VMWare and Windows.

Submitted by Mike Guilbault (not verified) on Thu, 2007-05-10 08:41.

There’s a comparison of Gold and Express on the website and you can download a trial of each to see which one suits you best. But, you can also upgrade from one package to the other. If you’re using Express and upgrade to Gold, Gold will import everything and you’re off to the races.

Submitted by Patricia (not verified) on Mon, 2007-05-14 10:19.

I am about ready to give up.. The new date format required for June seems to be forcing me into(I)ts(B)lack(M)ail. I have been running MYOB on my 10.4.9 by doing my payroll calculations manually for the last couple of years. Has anyone found a way to over right the date field so checks can be printed with the four digit year?

Submitted by FRANCOIS (not verified) on Mon, 2007-06-18 08:40.

I would like to know if AccountEdge 2 is compatible with new Intel based Mac. Thanks to reply.

Submitted by hfashina (not verified) on Wed, 2007-07-11 12:04.

Another alternative to consider is to take your finances online. I’ve been using freshbooks.com The company is based in Canada. It lets you export to Quicken, Simply Accounting, or as a csv file

Submitted by Maddy (not verified) on Wed, 2007-08-08 13:00.

I purchased a software program from Turtle Software called Goldenseal last year that they told me would be networkable using OS9 but that they were working and would have the networkable OSX out ASAP. Well, we had to add OS9 to all of our fabulous, fast computers and it still didn’t work. They have unlimited support that doesn’t help when the software is not MAC OSX market ready as they said it would be. Here is their answer to our request for refund July, 2006…we had been trying for 2 months to get the software to work (computer consultants helping $$$) “I’m sorry, but we only give refunds within the first 30 days of purchase. For more details on our return policy, check out http://www.turtlesoft.com/Business-Software-Topics/Beginner-Topics/returnpolicy.htm I can understand your frustration with the OSX networking. It is long overdue. We almost had it ready last summer, but then hit some major snags caused indirectly by Apple’s switch to Intel. We are still working on it, and may be able to get it working soon. As for training, I am sorry that we cancelled the Calgary class, but it appears that we picked a bad weekend and had zero sign-ups a week before the class. We do offer free phone support, and if you want to attend some other class we’ll offer it to you at 1/2 price.” We are a small company and we committed money, time and resources…even signed up for their course in our city that they cancelled. Just in case anyone else is considering using them… FYI

Submitted by Mike Guilbault (not verified) on Fri, 2007-08-24 00:43.

This is exactly why I went with MoneyWorks. It does everything they say it does and the support is second to none in the accounting software arena.

Submitted by Philip Sambar (not verified) on Mon, 2007-09-17 17:05.

My friends I have tried them all, and without a doubt Moneyworks has to be the best, and I mean best accounting package I have come across. And Mike … you’re absolutely right … their support is THE BEST. I have tried Trickbooks (aka Quickbooks), MYOB, Simply, and I can go on, but none seem to capture the true Canadian taxes. Also I noticed that MYOB crashes often on the new Intel-based Mac’s. Also for the first time in a long time, finally there is a TRUE General Ledger accounting package that gives full audit trails. They are also CPA compliant, and well as much as accounting could be boring, this application is easy to use. I first started with their Express package, but have recently upgraded to Gold. The live lists are excellent, and you do not need to go “hunting” to find your information. It is all there “on-screen” for you to view. Again I cannot say enough about their customer support. It’s free of charge (via email) and their response time is great and with screenshots to boot, that help walk you through the problem you are having. And the best part is there is local (Canadian) support and representation. I must say I give this one 5 out of 5.

Submitted by Brian (not verified) on Sat, 2007-09-29 19:18.

I am re-asking Francois’ question from June. Has anyone determined if Accountedge 2 (Canadian) will work on an intel Mac? I am running it on a G5 and it is still working ok. I’m used to it and would rather not learn a new program, but at some point I will need to buy a new Mac (and then I suppose Leopard compatiblility will also be an issue). Have downloaded Moneyworks demo and it looks like a good possibility, but still a lot of work to convert to and learn a new program when Accountedge is presently doing a good job for me. Brian

Submitted by Andrew Netherton (not verified) on Tue, 2007-10-02 11:38.

Wow, I am SO glad I found this thread. Thank you Peter!! (Might I suggest you do a follow-up post to consolidate all the information in the comments?) I’m in the process of starting a new business, and the accounting software issue was the only one holding me back from going full-bore Mac. Looks like I can do that now. Woo-hoo!! Take THAT, Microsoft!! :)

Submitted by Thom (not verified) on Sun, 2007-10-07 11:08.

I can confirm that MYOB2 runs on my intel powerbook.

Submitted by Mike Guilbault (not verified) on Fri, 2007-10-19 01:19.

FYI.. MoneyWorks has just come down in price!

Submitted by Kathy (not verified) on Sat, 2007-10-20 12:40.

If you dont need payroll for the accounts, I have an accounting software that handles sales tax and GST. Its is pricey but will do the job well for about $300.00. And as far as Brian’s question. If you have the Intel version of the Mac and have the minimum OS of Leopard, I am pretty sure that Windows programs work

Submitted by Diane (not verified) on Fri, 2007-10-26 16:50.

I don’t understand your comment about the price going down on Moneyworks, Mike. When I started investigating it a month ago, it was $699. A check on the website just now tells me that the Gold version is now $708 Canadian?!?!?!?

Submitted by FRANCOIS (not verified) on Tue, 2007-10-30 00:36.

Thom said : I can confirm that MYOB2 runs on my intel powerbook. Now, can someone tell us if it works or not on MacIntel with Leopard ???

Submitted by Gary (not verified) on Wed, 2007-10-31 19:09.

It appears MoneyWorks Gold can be purchased for $599 CDN from MGP Accounting Software via http://www.mgpacc.com/pages/gold.html

Submitted by Ruth (not verified) on Fri, 2007-11-02 20:09.

Kathy what software are you referring to that costs about $300? Is it accounting package for Windows or Leopard? I just bought a new imac with leopard thinking i would install my old xp on it so i could use my old intuit products on it, but have found since that to install w xp, you have to have a new retail version of w xp. Sooo frustrating. If its for Mac would you mind sharing your find? Thanks for all this information. I’m so glad I found this post!

Submitted by Dawn (not verified) on Wed, 2007-11-07 11:26.

I’m running two different businesses and for one of them, I’m using Accounts, which is very simple, but useable for a Canadian small business, written for Mac and it was almost free! They’re at http://www.nano.com.au/download.html. Very customizable, integrates with address book and produces good reports. I use BriefAccounting for my other business, and I love it. It is not inexpensive, check them out at http://brieflegal.com/ It’s designed for Canadian law office use, and it’s great.

Submitted by Victor (not verified) on Tue, 2007-11-06 13:20.

Hello, this question is regarding conversion of QuickBooks 2006 Pro for Windows Canadian into QucikBooks 2007 Pro for Mac US. Intuit does not sell Mac version of QuickBooks in Canada, so I bought it in US and now I am stuck. I can’t read my windows *.qbw file into Mac, my windows quickbooks does not have an option to export to Mac (because it is a canadian version), so I have 2 licenses and I can’t get anywhere… one more question - does anyone know whether QuickBooks US version for Mac will be able to generate readable data for Canadian QuickBooks for Windows? i.e. if i do get my Mac version of quickbooks to work, would I be able to give my accountant a readable file. thanks! victor

Submitted by Ruth (not verified) on Thu, 2007-11-15 21:59.

Victor I have similar questions. I got mad at Windows and Dell, and bought an Imac after I was told I could get quickbooks for Mac. And I could, just not a Cdn version which doesn’t help. The US version won’t have Cdn tax accounts etc. or I’m thinking be able to print to Cdn cheques. So I broke down and loaded Windows on, and just copied my old version of quickbooks over. Seems to work ok except I can’t get the Windows partition to recognize my old dell printer, so i can’t print anything and the mac recognizes the printer but uses a generic driver so I can’t use the extra features like scan etc. I wish these darn things were easier!!! My goal is to get a mAC Software package eventually but I haven’t decided on one yet. I think i’ll finish out this accounting year anyway on qb and then maybe try out moneyworks. definately not an Intuit product. I think they have really let down Canadians by not supporting any product for macs. I did have tax program, quicken and quick books and loved them all. Moneyworks basic program appears to be fairy simple and may equate to quickbooks but I doubt you’ll be able to transfer your quicken to it. They do say they will provide a free copy of their sw to your accountant.

Submitted by michel (not verified) on Sat, 2007-11-17 10:16.

I can confirm that MYOB Accountedge v2 works under Leopard. In fact, it seems to be more fluid under 10.5 (I had found it a bit sluggish sometimes under 10.4). It also seems that under 10.5, printing multiple invoices works again (MYOB would crash under 10.4 when doing that).

Submitted by Amy (not verified) on Tue, 2007-11-20 13:49.

I also am in the same boat as many of you! I am still using MYOB AccountEdge (the old Canadian Version that Intuit dumped many years ago). I recently upgraded my G5 to Leopard. So far so good. Runs great, however a minor printing problem that will crash and freeze if I do not select the “print only so many pages” box when printing. This I can work around. So I am happy that this is working with Leopard. Wheew. What a relief. However, us Canadians need Mac help. I have been reading all of the above and will definitely look into Moneyworks as it seems a solution. Does it do Time Billing/tracking?

Submitted by Gary (not verified) on Wed, 2007-11-28 16:06.

One more person in a very crowded boat; it amazes me that Intuit can’t create a CDN version of QuickBooks or QB Pro when there are already so many people that would use one, and more Mac owners every day. This may be hard to believe, but I am still using QB Pro for Mac version 4.5 from 1995 on Classic. All my computers are 10.5 except this one (10.4.9), so I can run my accounting system until the end of the year and print the Balance sheet and P&L. Anyway, I have 3 small businesses and no payroll requirements to speak of (don’t need to do source deductions). I need to track time, send invoices by e-mail, receive and deposit cash or cheques, and record expenses and print the new cheques (don’t want to buy them until I have a new system). January 1 is coming closer. GST and PST and instalment payment tracking are necessary elements. Suggestions? Recent experience with OS-10.5 from users (not vendors) greatly appreciated.

Submitted by Lesley (not verified) on Thu, 2007-11-29 02:34.

Thanks so much Amy… It’s 12:24am and I thought I was about to lose it! I too still use MYOB2 with much success over the last 4 years. I just got a new iMac recently and was thrilled to find out the software will work on the Leopard OS as well as the Intel chip. Everything was so smooth until I tried to print - and couldn’t print - at all - not even to PDF. I’ve spend the last day trying out Moneyworks as well as Quickbooks and MYOB (the US version). QB and MYOB US were OK, until it came time to GST/PST return reporting. Not really interested in manually doing that report. etc. etc. Anyhow, long story short… I tried my older G5 and the MYOB program still works great. I need to sleep… this battle is not over! I may have to switch to Moneyworks in future, but for now I’m sticking to MYOB as I know the interface and it’s easy for me. I hear all of you - and feel your pain. Good luck!

Submitted by FRANCOIS (not verified) on Thu, 2007-11-29 19:53.

Wishful thinking ? For christmas, I’ll like to have… An accounting application able to import without pain my Canadian MOYB2 file. That dream application sould run perfectly on Mac Intel with Leopard (10.5). Santa Claus or developper listening ?

Submitted by Odette Therrien (not verified) on Thu, 2008-01-31 16:48.

I have the same problem as you Wayne. I had to take one computer and go back to 10.4. I was hoping to find somebody who knew what to do… Please Help. Odette

Submitted by Jim Cochrane (not verified) on Thu, 2007-12-13 15:08.

Thank you all. I am sitting beside a Mac tower running OS9 and 10, and MYOB, I am writing on an Intel Mac. I am an indifferent bookkeeper. I have owned Simply Accounting twice, I forget that to make changes, adjusting entries are required. I do not always do things in the right order and MYOB allows me to make corrections and additions. The earlier versions of Simply and Quicken accounting software would not allow custom forms, MYOB would. Does ‘MoneyWorks’ require adjusting entries? Does it support custom forms? Some of the forms in the older programs made all business invoices look like we were selling parts.

Submitted by Gilles Raymond (not verified) on Thu, 2007-12-27 16:56.

For all Canadian MYOB Users looking for 2008 Updated Tax Tables January 1st, 2008 - Shareware Updated Tax Tables Canadian MYOB

Submitted by Henry (not verified) on Sat, 2007-12-29 16:20.

Wow. I’m a bit overwhelmed by all the unhappiness with Intuit. I run a small business and have used Quicken for a number of years. Despite my accountant telling me it wasn’t quite “professional” enough it seems to have done the job fine. I will be incorporating on Jan 1 and my new accountant suggested that I now needed to switch over to QuickBooks and Payroll. Am I correct in assuming that there is no Canadian version of QuickBooks and Payroll is unavailable? If there is no payroll anyways and I don’t need to do GST/PST adjustments is there any problem with using the US version? Would there be difficulty moving my data from Quicken to QuickBooks? I would like to add the convenience of Payroll with deductions at source and it sounds like MoneyWorks does not do this either. Any advice is welcome since Jan 1 is looming.

Submitted by Rick (not verified) on Sun, 2007-12-30 23:32.

It seems that there is no easy/cheap solution for these problems is there any accounting software for macs in canada that work???

Submitted by jay black (not verified) on Tue, 2008-01-01 01:51.

WOW,I cant believe the amount of resentment towards INTUIT.No wait I am too just as frustrated with intuit,I am a small business owner and don’t want anything to do with PC. So I recently bought a Mac Pro and love it. Except for the fact everything seems to revolve around PC. My problem isn’t just intuit, Its also the Pro Est software that I want to use that won’t work with my Macs. But it just so happens to work in sync with QB. So is parr/fusion my only answer?? Everything I’ve read tells me I’m going to have problems using parr/fusion. Almost is like it’s a big PC conspiracy. On a final note I would like to say that It is a absolute joke that intuit doesn’t support macs in canada because of not enough profit. I am in the business of construction and I have clients that submit drawings to me where I can make a decent dollar and these same clients sometimes approach me with very small jobs where there isn’t money to be made but I do this as part of GOOD SERVICE. You think that a large company like intuit would do the same or are they just too big and us mac users don’t count.

Submitted by Michael Deane (not verified) on Tue, 2008-01-01 21:38.

If anyone is still looking for a good accounting package in Canada check out Moneyworks. www.moneyworks.com

Submitted by kevin (not verified) on Tue, 2008-01-08 21:40.

I also need to get out of my MYOB trap (the only remaining reason I am still running OS9 on an old mac), so I have been looking into SQL Ledger http://www.sql-ledger.org/. It’s free, and it runs on any windows, mac, linux or unix platform, via a browser window. It runs in perl, and uses postgresql (a database application). I have a friend who uses it for his Canadian-based business, and he likes it. I haven’t yet installed it myself, but have tried the online demos a little, and will probably install and try it out on my computer soon. Reading through their website, it looks like it may require a little more computer-deftness to install and use, but perhaps it’s not too bad. It seems geared more towards a business that inventories and sells items, but apparently it can also be used for time billing. As near as I can tell, it doesn’t appear to have payroll, however, and that’s too bad.

Submitted by Mike Guilbault (not verified) on Tue, 2008-01-15 01:37.

If you read my earlier posts, you’ll see that MoneyWorks does everything needed for Canadian Mac users. Everything except payroll, but there are other solutions for that as well, including CheckMark Payroll that has a direct export of the payroll data to MoneyWorks. Otherwise, it handles GST/PST/HST (even the recent change to 5%) and with three versions available, Cashbook, Express and Gold, users can select the level of bookkeeping they need - and upgrade to a higher package when the need arises. Support is great too and includes a user forum supported by MoneyWorks. I was using MYOB on my G5 under OS9 and now that I’ve gone to MoneyWorks, I don’t need OS9 anymore! There is also now available a “connector” to link MoneyWorks to Daylite.

Submitted by Mike Guilbault (not verified) on Tue, 2008-01-15 01:49.

Jim.. I haven’t been here for a while so sorry for the delayed response. But yes, MoneyWorks Express (http://www.mgpacc.com/pages/express.html) or Gold (http://www.mgpacc.com/pages/gold.html) will allow you to customize your forms/invoices to whatever you like, including logos. I have mine set up to NOT show the “part number”. I use the product number for my own internal reference for quick keying, but otherwise, my invoices only show the description. Works beautifully! As far as adjusting entries go, you can make them if needed, but MoneyWorks is very good at not allowing you to make mistakes. And if you do, a few quick keystrokes will reverse the transaction so you can redo it correctly. If the transaction hasn’t been posted, you can simply delete it.

Submitted by gunnar (not verified) on Tue, 2008-01-22 18:34.

Has anyone figured out how to get Quickbooks 2007 Mac US to list GST & PST separately on a sales receipt? Everything else works great.

Submitted by Wayne Davis (not verified) on Fri, 2008-01-25 04:35.

Does anyone know how to make Accountedge v2 print on a new Core2 Mac running system 10.5. Everything just comes out blank. Help??? wayne

Submitted by Michael (not verified) on Thu, 2008-03-20 14:13.

I would first like to thank everyone for their input. This has been a fascinating voyage - trying to find accounting software for the Mac. From the research (and all the postings above) I am definitely leaning towards MoneyWorks Express. I am a freelance designer restarting my sole proprietor business and need the A/R and A/P, otherwise I might have considered MoneyWorks Cashflow (great free download trial by the way, Mike). My only concern is what the minimum system and OS requirements are? I am presently running a G4 PowerPC tower with OS X10.3.9.. Will version 5 run on this configuration or do I need to upgrade OS? Michael

Submitted by Brian R Bowman (not verified) on Sat, 2008-03-22 01:44.

ok any body got answers re the 10.5 and myob issue , i am just setting up imacs on 10.4.11 and they wont print either it seems to be the cups printing , accountedge v2 is my myob version , ideas

Submitted by John (not verified) on Mon, 2008-03-31 22:52.

I too find problems with Accountedge 2 and OSX 10.5, where I am having grief is the print function. what happens for me is I get an illegal number (37256 or so) in the “to: page” and the program refuses to go past giving me a warning. I found a work-around by changing my log-in name. That worked until today when the problem returned. Now I am getting blank pages if I go directly to PDF file or the same illegal number! I did not have this in 10.4 and unfortunately upgraded my two computers to 10.5 before testing Accountedge’s printing. Sheesh! I do hope MYOB returns to Canada soon…I don’t know how much more of this I can take… John :-#(#

Submitted by John (not verified) on Mon, 2008-03-31 22:54.

Actually the ‘correct’ illegal number is 32767. John :-#)#

Submitted by Mike Guilbault (not verified) on Mon, 2008-03-31 23:02.

Michael.. sorry.. I didn’t receive notification that there was a reply to this thread and just happened to read it today. MoneyWorks will run on a Mac with minimum of OS-X 10.3.9, so you shouldn’t have a problem. Of course, you can always download the trial and give it a whirl just to be sure, but I don’t anticipate a problem.

Submitted by Raj (not verified) on Wed, 2008-04-02 15:08.

If you are looking for an accounting package that does more than accounting then check out PowerEasy. It is a true Mac software with enterprise software capabilities. http://www.powereasy.com

Submitted by Melody (not verified) on Wed, 2008-04-02 18:01.

Hey everyone, I wanted to say thanks for all your postings. I have been dealing with this problem every time I upgrade Microsoft Office and then lose the capability to export to Excel, and have gotten nowhere with Intuit. I will definitely check out MoneyWorks for my next fiscal year but am just finishing this one so don’t want to change anything. If anyone has experienced a problem upgrading their Office and then losing the ability to export to Excel because the OfficeLink Processor can’t be upgraded through the Canadian site, I went to the US site: http://www.myob-us.com/downloads/5002/ made sure I still have Office 2004 installed and magically it worked. Before I found this I made another call to Intuit, the friendly guy said he didn’t know any solution to my problem and that as far as he knew Intuit had no plans to upgrade QB for Mac in the Canadian market. He then asked me if I’d like to do a customer service survey so I said sure, gave Intuit terrible marks and then told them yet again that they should upgrade this program. They won’t but I wanted to register my ongoing complaint. I will not support Intuit and would rather buy software that works for Mac and that works for Canadians. I think MoneyWorks and companies like them should receive my support. One question in case anyone knows: can previous QB datafiles be imported into the MoneyWorks program?

Submitted by Mike Guilbault (not verified) on Sun, 2008-05-18 00:03.

Usually, it’s not so much a question of what can be imported into MoneyWorks, but more what can be exported from the previous program such as QB or MYOB and in what format. Since MW can import via excel spreadsheet or tab/comma delimited files, or through FileMaker, then it can import just about anything. Unfortunately, not everything can be exported without a lot of massaging of the data. In many cases, it’s simply easier to ‘close off’ the old system, archive it, and start anew. This also has the benefit of creating a fresh set of books with updated accounts, client and vendor lists, etc.

Submitted by Carolyn (not verified) on Tue, 2008-05-20 19:12.

I can’t tell you how RELIEVED I am to find this forum. I am cognitively Disabled and need to find a Canadian Mac user Accounting Software for a very small business that I hope to grow larger as time goes on as I eventually want to operate Online. Hopefully, sooner rather than later. This site has given me many options and named some very frustrating problems with what I WAS considering. Thanks for the input. Power to the people!

Submitted by Dobes Vandermeer (not verified) on Fri, 2008-05-30 03:26.

Have you considered using a web-based solution? There seem to be a few of them springing up - my own included. I can’t plug it too heavily yet, since I haven’t got the Canadian payroll working yet, and it’s still in beta. - or QuickBooks online (hmm still no canadian version, though), - Xero a NZ app, if their “GST” is similar to ours you’ll at least have GST in place - Saasu is an australian app, again I’m not sure about the canadian tax support - NetAgent in the UK - NetSuite, it’s a bit of an enterprise product but I’m pretty sure they have - my up-and-coming app - https://www.clarityaccounting.com … and a few more, although I haven’t seen any specifically with canadian GST Another one to look at in GnuCash, this one seems to be created by a canadian, although their Payroll support isn’t great, they’re free and there is a mac version; here’s the docs I found using google: http://linas.org/mirrors/www.aerospacesoftware.com/2003.06.21/GNU_Cash_for_Business_users_Howto_Guide.html

Submitted by Richard (not verified) on Wed, 2008-08-27 11:40.

I was a Windows user before switching to Mac and managed all my small business finances in Quickbooks Pro. I was really disappointed with intuit products on Mac platform and there didn’t seem to be any other apps that could accomplish what I was accustomed to doing with Quickbooks (and Quicken) for Windows. Still haven’t found anything that has the same feature set as QB for Windows, so I ended up having to install VMWare Fusion so I could run Windows 2000 and Quickbooks on my Mac. Incidentally the Mac (with VWMare Fusion) seems to run Windows better than any PC I’ve ever owned. Go figure!

Submitted by Dennis (not verified) on Mon, 2008-09-01 16:26.

Don’t overlook Simply Accounting (four versions starting at about $50). We have used it for more than 15 years. Developed in Canada it does Canadian accounting with ease. You do have to pay for annual updates if you use the payroll (which is excellent). Originally it was made for the Mac but when the Mac version was discontinued in 2001 we put in a PC to do accounting only. We just replaced our last PC with a new Mac with above mentioned VMWare Fusion running Windows to run Simply Accounting, and it runs about twice as fast as it did on our aging PC.

Submitted by Mike Guilbault (not verified) on Sat, 2008-10-11 14:23.

Check out MoneyWorks on my website, mgpacc.com. I was in the same situation (read some of the previous posts about MoneyWorks), found MoneyWorks, loved it, and now I also sell it. Great thing is, MoneyWorks will give your accountant a free support copy so they can directy read your files without any conversion, and if needed, create their own exports or reports to do what they need to do. It’s fully ‘Canadianized’ for GST/PST/HST and conforms to the new cheque standards.

Submitted by Clare (not verified) on Fri, 2008-11-14 08:36.

Oh my word. I want to cry! I just switched to Mac last week, after planning it for a year! I thought I’d done all my research, knowing that I would have to replace software for pretty much everything etc. I never thought there might not be an equivalent to one of my programs! While I LOVE my iMac, I wish I had read this page BEFORE, because I might not have made the switch!! I run a very small business, small enough that I don’t charge GST yet (just PST) and I don’t have a separate biz. bank account (yet). I have been using Quicken Home & Business because it allowed me to use my regular accounts for business transactions, and still do invoices and PST calculations etc. I can’t really run seperate programs for my finances, but its looking like that’s the only solution. I guess I can add my name to the Intuit Frustration Club!

Submitted by FRANCOIS (not verified) on Sat, 2008-12-06 23:11.

GOOD NEWS MYOB AccountEdge Returning to Canada http://myob-us.com/company/canada/

Submitted by David Mousley (not verified) on Wed, 2008-12-10 14:05.

I’m running MYOB version 7 on a Mac Pro Dual-Core Intel Xeon 2.66 GHz. My OS is Leopard 10.5. I run MYOB in an OS 9 emulator called SheeShaver, http://gwenole.beauchesne.info/en/projects/sheepshaver To simplify printing to OS X printers, I use something called PrintToPDF to print from OS. The output is saved as a PDF file. I’ve been through all pain over MYOB too, I’ve used this software since it’s beginning. I’ve looked at MoneyWorks several times and would switch to it if I had to. There is an announcement that MYOB Canadian version is coming back, it was apparently acquired by another company. At this point it’s promises and I have no idea if this company will last for the long term.http://www.myob-us.com/company/canada/ After what happened with MYOB being sold to Intuit and then being discontinued and Intuit dropping Mac I have no wish to trust any company without a dedicated Mac track record. Too many companies that started with Mac have abandoned us and that is happening. It’s as if they figure we should run Windows since we can now do that. The issue for me (even though I have Vista and never use it) is complicating my computing needs.

Submitted by Peter Rukavina (not verified) on Wed, 2009-03-11 15:32.

I never used it in its first incarnation, but worthy of note: it says here “We are proud to announce that AccountEdge will to return to Canada on July 1, 2009.”

Submitted by Paul L (not verified) on Fri, 2009-05-01 20:06.

Although I am happy to have found you here, I am not happy to discover that I am not alone using MYOB in Classic on my Mac. We are talking about software that runs on an OS that ended about 9 years ago… MYOB is great. I was never able to make a nice looking Invoice with Quebec and Canada sales taxes on any of the newer programs. Eventually my laptop will give out. I sure hope the MYOB new version will be able to open my old files… That would be too good.

Submitted by Me Me (not verified) on Thu, 2009-05-28 20:48.

I have a small eBay based company and I use Moneyworks Gold and LOVE it…support is fantastic, it’s easy to use and fun too!

Submitted by Gupta (not verified) on Sat, 2009-06-13 10:20.

Wow! I have been a Mac user for more years than I can to admit. I can honestly say, I share ALL your pain. I used to use Simply Accounting and it was a piece of CRAP. It had a tendancy to crash and wipe out all your data. I loved it, because it was SIMPLE but it was a piece of crap. Then, they discontinued it. In all these years, I have been unable to find an APPLE BASED accounting package that was half decent. Mac Users have been suffering from DAY ONE with this nonsense. If anyone out there thinks a solution is to run Windows on a MAC and then run a PC based software, you can join the line up of people blowing smoke up Steve Jobs’ butt. This is NOT a solution. A solution is for Apple to get someone to write the proper code. Why am I hear you ask?? LOL. I have a need for a Mac Based accounting package again and I am ready to throw my MAC into the Lake after reading the posts here. Apple has come a long way since the iPOD and all the little geeks that have gravitated to Macs but they continue to do NOTHING for business, other than Graphics. OH WELL…..