A message from the founder

QuickBooks betrayed its customers.
So we took back control.

I used QuickBooks for my small business since 2007. Then they decided to automatically file and pay my taxes without my consent — with no way to opt out. I built Solobooks so no small business owner ever has to feel that powerless again.

Take back control — it's free Read the full story

No credit card required · Import from QuickBooks in minutes · Cancel anytime

What QuickBooks did

QuickBooks Payroll: Automatic Tax Filing & Payment — No Opt-Out

In April 2026, Intuit announced that QuickBooks Payroll would automatically calculate, file, and pay your payroll taxes on your behalf — withdrawing funds directly from your business bank account without requiring your approval for each transaction. There was no way to opt out and continue using QuickBooks Payroll. For small business owners already stretched thin, having software make irreversible financial decisions with your money — without your explicit consent — is not a feature. It is a fundamental violation of trust.

Why I built Solobooks

I've been a small business owner since before QuickBooks was a household name. Here's what finally broke me.

I started using QuickBooks in 2007. Back then, it was the right tool — it helped me keep my books straight, run payroll, and stay on top of taxes. For years, it worked. I trusted it.

Then the company that makes it — Intuit — started changing. First, they forced us off of the desktop version by discontinuing features. So instead of paying once, we had to pay every month. Then every year, the price went up. Not because the software got meaningfully better for me, but because greed set in. They decided making money off of their customers was more importtant than the customers themselves.

The pop-up messages got worse. Every time I opened the app, something was trying to upsell me. The interface got more cluttered. What used to take two clicks now took five. It felt like they had forgotten who their original customers were.

But the moment that made me decide to build Solobooks was the announcement about automatic tax filing and payment. QuickBooks Payroll would now withdraw money from my business bank account to pay taxes — automatically, on a schedule they controlled, without requiring my approval for each transaction. And there was no way to opt out.

Think about what that means for a small business owner. We are constantly managing cash flow. There are weeks when payroll is tight, when a client payment is a few days late, when every dollar in the account is spoken for. The idea that software could reach into my account and take money before I was ready — without asking — is not a convenience. It is a threat to my business operations.

I don't know if what Intuit did is legal. But I know it is wrong. And I know I'm not alone in feeling that way. So instead of just canceling my subscription and moving on, I decided to build the alternative I wished existed: accounting software that is simple, honest, and designed for one purpose — to make the financial side of your business easier, so you can focus on the work that actually matters.

That's Solobooks. Built by a small business owner, for small business owners.

Alfreda Downie

Founder, Solobooks · Small business owner since 2007

Who Solobooks is for

If any of these sound familiar, you're in the right place.

You don't have to accept software that treats your money like it belongs to them.

You got the QuickBooks email about automatic tax payments and felt your stomach drop. You run payroll yourself and you need to know — and approve — where every dollar goes before it leaves your account.

You're tired of paying more every year for features you don't use while the features you rely on stay the same — or get buried under more upsells and pop-up messages.

You're a solopreneur, freelancer, or gig worker who needs real accounting tools — not a watered-down app — but also doesn't need the complexity and cost of enterprise software.

You run a small S-Corp or LLC with employees and you need payroll, tax forms (941, W-2, 1099), and bookkeeping in one place — without paying enterprise prices for it.

You believe your financial data belongs to you — not to a software company. You want to be able to export everything, anytime, in a format you can actually use.

You've been a QuickBooks customer for years and you feel like they've forgotten you exist — or worse, that they see you as a revenue line item rather than a customer worth respecting.

The difference

This isn't just about features. It's about values.

The real difference between QuickBooks and Solobooks isn't a feature list. It's a fundamental difference in who the software is designed to serve.

	What QuickBooks did	What Solobooks promises
Your money	Automatically withdrew funds to pay taxes — no approval required, no opt-out	You approve every payment before it leaves your account. Always.
Pricing	Annual price increases, adding enterprise features most small businesses never use	Flat, transparent pricing. You know what you pay before you sign up — and it doesn't change without notice.
The app experience	Constant upsell pop-ups, a cluttered interface, and features buried under promotional messages	Clean, focused interface. No pop-ups. No upsells. Just the tools you need to run your business.
Your data	Exports in QuickBooks-specific formats — Solobooks can read them, so your history is never trapped	Export everything anytime in standard formats. Your data belongs to you, not to us.
Who it's built for	Increasingly designed for enterprise customers and accountants — small businesses are an afterthought	Built by a small business owner, for small business owners. That's the only customer we have.

What's included

Everything you need. Nothing you don't.

Solobooks gives you the full accounting toolkit — bookkeeping, payroll, invoicing, mileage, and IRS-ready tax forms — without the enterprise bloat or the enterprise price tag.

Smart Bookkeeping

Import bank transactions, auto-categorize with rules, and keep your books clean — no accounting degree required.

Payroll — You Stay in Control

Run payroll, calculate withholdings, and record journal entries automatically. Every tax payment requires your explicit approval. No surprises, no automatic withdrawals.

Tax Center

Form 941, 940, W-2, 1099, Schedule C, and quarterly estimates — all computed from your actual books. You review, you file, you pay. On your schedule.

Invoice Generator

Create professional invoices in seconds. Track who owes you with AR aging reports and mark payments instantly.

Mileage Tracker

Log business trips and automatically calculate your IRS deduction at the current standard mileage rate.

Reports & Insights

Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet, and cash flow reports with drill-down detail — all in real time, all from your actual data.

Pricing

Simple, transparent pricing. No surprises.

We don't raise prices without notice. We don't add enterprise features and charge everyone for them. What you see is what you pay.

Starter

For freelancers and gig workers just getting started.

Free

1 company
1 bank account
50 transactions / month
Invoice generator
Basic reports

Get started free

QuickBooks betrayed its customers.
So we took back control.

I've been a small business owner since before QuickBooks was a household name. Here's what finally broke me.

If any of these sound familiar, you're in the right place.

This isn't just about features. It's about values.

Everything you need. Nothing you don't.

Your history comes with you. All of it.

Simple, transparent pricing. No surprises.

Your business. Your money. Your decision.

QuickBooks betrayed its customers. So we took back control.

I've been a small business owner since before QuickBooks was a household name. Here's what finally broke me.

If any of these sound familiar, you're in the right place.

This isn't just about features. It's about values.

Everything you need. Nothing you don't.

Your history comes with you. All of it.

Simple, transparent pricing. No surprises.

Your business. Your money. Your decision.

QuickBooks betrayed its customers.
So we took back control.