Hi bobsilverstein,
Welcome to the QuickBooks Community. I see you've been with us for a long time and I appreciate your loyalty. I'd like to help make sure you get the resolution you need so you can continue to focus on the things you love the most.
You can change the fiscal year by going to the Company menu > Company Information > navigate to Report Information and make the appropriate changes. Once you're done, make sure your changes are saved. After doing this, you should set with the new fiscal year date.
Give this a try and let me know how you make out. I'll be a message away in case you need anything else.