QuickBooks 2010 for Mac processes credit card transactions

It's the day before Thanksgiving here in the U.S. which kicks off the rabid fourth quarter shopping melee which starts tomorrow. While there are plenty of tools that will help you shop (as I covered yesterday) what about if you're on the other side of the cash register?

If you're a business owner or otherwise involved in your company's finances the last three months of the year mean something completely different – accounting.

In the world of accounting there's pretty much one player – QuickBooks – and the best just got better. Intuit just released QuickBooks 2010 for Mac ($199) and it's a worthy upgrade.

QuickBooks 2010 for Mac can now process credit card transactions directly using Intuit Merchant Services and features new “Guide Me” functionality that guides you through creating invoices and entering customer information. QB2010 now also tracks billable hours, instantly generating timesheets and sending invoices to clients.

QuickBooks for Mac also has several features unique to the Mac version, including:

• Back up to MobileMe
• Synchronize contacts with Mac OS X Address Book
• Add reminders to iCal
• Share data with your accountant or other Windows-based users

All QuickBooks really needs is a companion iPhone app that can sync data bidirectionally over WiFi and over the Internet.

If you're in business and need to track every dollar coming in and going out with in-depth reporting, create invoices, track payments and manage expenses, QuickBooks 2010 is your ticket.