By Joe Woodard, AccountingWEB QuickBooks columnist

Each year Intuit releases a new version of the QuickBooks product line: Simple Start, Pro, Premier (in several industry-specific editions) and Enterprise Solutions (in several industry specific editions). Each year we QuickBooks ProAdvisors and Intuit Solution Providers look forward to the new version of QuickBooks with great expectation - looking to see what items we can drop from our QuickBooks "wish lists."

This year there is much emphasis on merchant service enhancements for the end user, including mobile credit card processing, electronic check processing, and the ability to scan a customer's credit card to populate fields in the New Customer window. For the accounting professional there are significant improvements to both the Client Data Review feature and to Intuit Statement Writer. I am personally very excited about the two primary enhancements to Enterprise Solutions: variable bills of material (with printable pick tickets) and enhancements to custom fields.

As with any new version the value proposition for upgrading is very high for accounting professionals. In my opinion the enhancements to the Client Data Review feature alone more than justify the investment in the new version for any accounting professional.

As with any new version the value proposition for our clients will vary depending on how the new features will impact the client's business practices. That said, I believe the new version is compelling for any client who:

• Receives more than 100 checks from customers each month
• Has an high number (or dollar value) of bounced checks from customers
• Pays more than 100 bills per month
• Uses inventory assemblies
• Uses or needs robust custom fields
• Has or wants e-filing processes
• Engages with you to analyze their files on a regular basis and/or to create monthly or quarterly compilation reports from QuickBooks data
• Is currently using QuickBooks 2007 or prior

The downloadable document, Joe Woodard's New and Enhanced Features in QuickBooks 2010, is geared toward accounting professionals and provides a detailed analysis of the new features in QuickBooks 2010 including:

• Descriptions of the various QuickBooks products available for 2010
• New and enhanced features of QuickBooks 2010
• Changes to the ProAdvisor program

Visit Joe Woodard's Scaling New Heights Web site for a link to his recorded Webinar on the new features in QuickBooks 2010, the Webinar handout, and the Q&A from the live Webinar session. In addition you can read about other free events in the series.

About the author
Joe Woodard is an Advanced Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor and Intuit Solution Provider who has taught over 20,000 QuickBooks consultants across the country. Joe works with Intuit, state CPA societies, and Atlanta-area CPA firms to present advanced QuickBooks instruction to accounting professionals and software consultants. Joe has earned a unique relationship with Intuit as a trainer, consultant and author. Joe has built two successful accounting software consulting practices: the first in New Orleans, Louisiana and the second in Atlanta, Georgia - Creative Financial Software (CFS). In addition to consulting with small businesses, CFS provides advisory services to CPA firms and other QuickBooks ProAdvisors/Intuit Solution Providers across the country -- helping them to better service their clients who use Intuit products. Joe recently hosted the first annual "Scaling New Heights" QuickBooks conference in Atlanta.

See all articles by Joe Woodard.