QuickBooks File Access Question

Posted by Bill on July 15, 2008, 7:34 pm

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A friend's husband passed away suddenly, and I'm helping the widow
sort through her husband's books to figure out how to file tax
returns, etc. (OFF-TOPIC: Everyone, make sure your spouse/significant
other knows how to FIND and ACCESS all your Intuit-based records in
case you get hit by a bus! This process has been like putting together
a 3000 piece jigsaw puzzle where all the pieces are black.) The
husband's bookkeeper sent me a bunch of QuickBooks '04 files laying
out
the husband's business. I don't use QuickBooks myself. I'd like to
avoid buying a copy just so I can read these files. Is there anything
like the free Adobe reader for QuickBooks out there that someone can
point me to? If not, any solution short of buying a copy? Is it a
solve to ask the bookkeeper to save the Quickbooks file in some other
format (and if so, what format works)?

Thanks in advance. I can't even tell all of you how much this is a
question I wish I didn't have to ask.

Bill

Posted by Mark Bole on July 15, 2008, 10:13 pm

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Bill wrote:

> A friend's husband passed away suddenly, and I'm helping the widow

> sort through her husband's books to figure out how to file tax

> returns, etc. (OFF-TOPIC: Everyone, make sure your spouse/significant

> other knows how to FIND and ACCESS all your Intuit-based records in

> case you get hit by a bus! This process has been like putting together

> a 3000 piece jigsaw puzzle where all the pieces are black.)

Nothing unique about Intuit-based records in this regard, is there?

> The

> husband's bookkeeper sent me a bunch of QuickBooks '04 files laying

> out

> the husband's business. I don't use QuickBooks myself. I'd like to

> avoid buying a copy just so I can read these files.

Instead of trying to "read" the Quickbooks files, why not work from the
annual tax returns that *were* filed, and other annual statements? If
standard tax year is used, and an extension was filed, 2007 return isn't
due until Oct 15, 2008.

> Is there anything

> like the free Adobe reader for QuickBooks out there that someone can

> point me to? If not, any solution short of buying a copy? Is it a

> solve to ask the bookkeeper to save the Quickbooks file in some other

> format (and if so, what format works)?

No, no, and no. Why not hire the bookkeeper? (In other words, what is
in the best interest of the widow? You, or a professional?)

-Mark Bole

Posted by Gary Charpentier on July 15, 2008, 11:50 pm

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Mark Bole wrote:

> Bill wrote:

>> A friend's husband passed away suddenly, and I'm helping the widow

>> sort through her husband's books to figure out how to file tax

>> returns, etc. (OFF-TOPIC: Everyone, make sure your spouse/significant

>> other knows how to FIND and ACCESS all your Intuit-based records in

>> case you get hit by a bus! This process has been like putting together

>> a 3000 piece jigsaw puzzle where all the pieces are black.)

> Nothing unique about Intuit-based records in this regard, is there?

Nothing at all. Every password to every e-mail account, online banking, social
networking site, your WEP key and you name it needs to be somewhere your
executor can find it. If you have a business, a copy of the paper and
electronic stuff and a copy of the program to read it needs to be kept. And if
you decide to use a safe deposit box, make sure the executor is on the signature
card so they don't have to go get a court order to open the box and get the
contents.

>> The

>> husband's bookkeeper sent me a bunch of QuickBooks '04 files laying

>> out

>> the husband's business. I don't use QuickBooks myself. I'd like to

>> avoid buying a copy just so I can read these files.

> Instead of trying to "read" the Quickbooks files, why not work from the

> annual tax returns that *were* filed, and other annual statements? If

> standard tax year is used, and an extension was filed, 2007 return isn't

> due until Oct 15, 2008.

>> Is there anything

>> like the free Adobe reader for QuickBooks out there that someone can

>> point me to? If not, any solution short of buying a copy? Is it a

>> solve to ask the bookkeeper to save the Quickbooks file in some other

>> format (and if so, what format works)?

> No, no, and no. Why not hire the bookkeeper? (In other words, what is

> in the best interest of the widow? You, or a professional?)

My guess is hubby hid everything from wifey. Wouldn't be all all surprised to
find dozens of bank accounts the wife knew nothing about.

You will have to find hubby's computer with Quickbooks on it to open the files.
Or buy a copy.

But the book keeper should be the one doing the returns unless he only does
business stuff and not estate stuff. Then you should get a tax accountant for
that and have him talk to the book keeper.

Posted by Bill on July 16, 2008, 11:43 am

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Thanks all.

The widow has a tax guy in addition to the bookkeeper. The bookkeeper
is doing the books and the tax guy is doing the returns. I'm in the
unusual spot of being a partner in the National Tax Office of one of
the Big 4 accounting firms with 30 years experience of tax planning
with Fortune 500 companies. That means two things. First, none of my
clients use QB. Second, my role is interpreting for the widow what
the bookkeeper and the tax guy say to her. She's an elementary school
teacher, and all this is just gibberish to her unless somebody
translates it all into English. I spend a lot of my days doing
interpretations for corporate execs, so it's a familiar role.
However, even with all that experience, I wouldn't touch these returns
or these books, because the widow needs someone who is paid to do it,
and approaches it professionally. "Doing a favor" for someone on
their books is asking for trouble.

By the way, Gary was right. We found all sorts of accounts that the
widow knew nothing about - all credit cards and all with noticeable
balances. Thank goodness the husband had life insurance. It's those
accounts that have me involved. The husband was doing some things -
cutting corners to save a paltry amount of money - that have the tax
guy and the bookkeeper stumped and worried. I see what it is he was
doing, and I'm trying to get the team pointed in a single direction to
get it dealt with.

What I'm hearing from Mark and Gary is that there is no free QB reader
out there. Oh, well. It was worth posting the question to find out.
After your responses, I EM'd the bookkeeper to ask if he couldn't send
me the QB files saved in pdf. Don't know if that'll work, but it'll
be my next effort.

Maybe I'll just have to break down and buy a cheap copy of QB.

Thanks again.

Bill

Posted by Gary Charpentier on July 16, 2008, 12:48 pm

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Bill wrote:

> Thanks all.

> The widow has a tax guy in addition to the bookkeeper. The bookkeeper

> is doing the books and the tax guy is doing the returns. I'm in the

> unusual spot of being a partner in the National Tax Office of one of

> the Big 4 accounting firms with 30 years experience of tax planning

> with Fortune 500 companies. That means two things. First, none of my

> clients use QB. Second, my role is interpreting for the widow what

> the bookkeeper and the tax guy say to her. She's an elementary school

> teacher, and all this is just gibberish to her unless somebody

> translates it all into English. I spend a lot of my days doing

> interpretations for corporate execs, so it's a familiar role.

> However, even with all that experience, I wouldn't touch these returns

> or these books, because the widow needs someone who is paid to do it,

> and approaches it professionally. "Doing a favor" for someone on

> their books is asking for trouble.

> By the way, Gary was right. We found all sorts of accounts that the

> widow knew nothing about - all credit cards and all with noticeable

> balances. Thank goodness the husband had life insurance. It's those

> accounts that have me involved. The husband was doing some things -

> cutting corners to save a paltry amount of money - that have the tax

> guy and the bookkeeper stumped and worried. I see what it is he was

> doing, and I'm trying to get the team pointed in a single direction to

> get it dealt with.

> What I'm hearing from Mark and Gary is that there is no free QB reader

> out there. Oh, well. It was worth posting the question to find out.

> After your responses, I EM'd the bookkeeper to ask if he couldn't send

> me the QB files saved in pdf. Don't know if that'll work, but it'll

> be my next effort.

> Maybe I'll just have to break down and buy a cheap copy of QB.

> Thanks again.

> Bill

There isn't a reader because it isn't a flat file it is a relational database.
That's also why you can't make .pdf's of it. I suppose a detail transaction
report of all accounts on all dates is possible, just be ready for a 10K page
report. It's more normal output is a P&L and a balance sheet, those of course
can be .pdf'd.

As for all those credit card accounts, time to get a credit report on him and
her. It may turn up a lot more credit card accounts that might have a zero
balance but need to be closed. Maybe pull a D&B on the business. Hopefully all
the bank accounts have been found, but if they are small they might not make the
$10 in interest to generate a 1099-INT. Also don't know if he had online
accounts like PayPal that have money in them. I suspect for several years the
widow may have to check for escheatments with all 50 states.