Registering QuickBooks
Registering QuickBooks Pro 5.0

You can use QuickBooks Pro up to 25 times without registering. After your 25th use, you must register to continue using QuickBooks.

We encourage you to register early. Registration entitles you to many benefits including technical support and notification of product upgrades.

1	Display the Register QuickBooks Pro window:

From the . . .	Do this
File menu	Choose Register QuickBooks. Then click Register.
Product Registration window	Click Register.
2	Call Intuit at the number displayed on screen.

3	In the Registration Number field, enter the number that the representative gives you.

4	When you've entered your registration number, click OK.


Register QuickBooks for Windows
Register QuickBooks Pro 5.0

This is where you register your copy of QuickBooks.

1	Keep the Register QuickBooks Pro window open on your screen. Call the QuickBooks registration line (the number is displayed on screen).

A customer representative will ask you for your serial number and some other information and give you your registration number.

2	Enter the registration number and click OK.


Welcome to QuickBooks Accounting & Payroll Version 5.0
Welcome to QuickBooks Pro Version 5.0

This window lists several options for getting started with QuickBooks. What happens next depends upon the option you choose.

Click . . .	To do this
Open the sample company data	Try out the features of QuickBooks without having to worry about your own company's books. The sample data file contains two years' worth of financial data for a fictional company.
Set up a new data file for a company	Start your own financial records in QuickBooks.
Open an existing QuickBooks for Windows data file	Update your existing data from your previous version of QuickBooks for Windows so you can work with it in QuickBooks.
Convert Quicken data file	Transfer financial data from Quicken to QuickBooks. This procedure creates a new QuickBooks company file based on the financial data.
New Features	See descriptions of the new features in QuickBooks 5.0.


Welcome to QuickBooks Accounting & Payroll Version 5.0
Welcome to QuickBooks Pro Version 5.0

QuickBooks is about to ask you some questions about your business. Your answers will help you determine the best way to use QuickBooks new features in your own business.


 Convert a Company Data File window

QuickBooks needs to know which type of file you want to convert your data from.

Click . . .	If your data file is from
Quicken	Quicken for Windows, versions 2 and higher. Quicken for DOS, versions 5 and higher.


Updating the tax tables

QuickBooks built-in tax tables become outdated as the government enacts changes. For example, if withholding tables change, you need a new tax table so that QuickBooks will withhold the correct amount of tax from each employee's wages.

What a subscription provides

To sign up for a subscription

Fill out the form included in your QuickBooks package and mail it to Intuit. Or call us, toll-free at 1-877-442-8912.

To verify whether you have the most current table

1	From the Help menu, choose About Tax Table.

2	Write down the version number for your tax table.

The first four digits in the number identify the latest tax year covered by your tax tables.

3	Call Intuit toll-free, at 1-877-442-8912.

You can also visit the Tax Table Service Web Site at http://www.intuit.com/canada//quickbooks


As a subscriber, you will receive the following:

Tax table updates. Whenever the tax tables you need are changed, you receive a new one, along with installation instructions and a description of the changes. Installing the tax table takes less than a minute, and it does not change your existing data.


About Tax Table window

This window shows which version of QuickBooks built-in tax tables you are using. To keep current with tax rate changes, you must subscribe to QuickBooks Tax Table Update Service. An annual subscription automatically provides you with an update each time the government [image] makes any changes that affect the tax tables.

To find out. . .	Do this
Which version you have	Check the tax table number at the top of the window.
How to subscribe	Fill in the sign-up form that came in your QuickBooks package. Or, call Intuit at        1-877-442-8912


Ordering supplies from Intuit

Intuit offers a complete line of cheques, forms, and giro slips to meet your needs. The Intuit QuickBooks Supplies Brochure, which comes with your QuickBooks package, describes these products. The brochure includes detailed information and an order form.

To place an order

Fill out the order form that came with the QuickBooks Supplies Brochure.

or

From the Activities menu, choose Other Activities and then Order Supplies/Software. Then follow the instructions that appear.

For more information

If you have further questions or if you no longer have the brochure, call Supplies at:

1-877-445-3233


Asset accounts you start with

QuickBooks automatically sets up these asset accounts for you:

Accounts receivable	This account tracks what your customers owe your business. QuickBooks sets up this account automatically when you enter your first invoice.
Bank	QuickBooks sets up this account the first time you write a cheque. You can use this account to track a current, savings or petty cash account. If you have more than one account from which you write cheques, you can set up additional bank accounts for those accounts.
Fixed assets	You can use this account to track the depreciation of your company's fixed assets. QuickBooks automatically sets up this account if you select a preset chart of accounts when you create your QuickBooks company. The account includes a subaccount named "Accumulated Depreciation."
See also

Asset accounts you can create


Asset accounts you can create

You can add as many asset accounts as you need to track your assets.  The types of asset accounts you can add are:

Accounts receivable	Use this type of account to track what your customers owe your company.  QuickBooks sets up an accounts receivable account automatically when you enter your first invoice.  If you wish, you can add additional accounts receivable accounts to your chart of accounts.
Bank	Use this type of account to track a current, deposit or petty cash account.
Fixed asset Other asset	Use these account types to track your company's fixed assets (assets your company holds for more than one year).  To track depreciation, use fixed asset accounts.
Other current asset	Use this type of account to track current assets that are not receivables or bank accounts, but which you plan to convert into cash or use up within one year. Examples of what you can track with an Other Current Asset account include stock, gilts, fixed term deposits, prepaid expenses, prepaid deposits, reimbursable expenses and notes receivable (if due within one year).
See also

Asset accounts you start with


Setting up asset accounts to track depreciation

What's the best way to track depreciation?

1	Create a fixed asset account for each asset (or group of assets) you want to depreciate.

How to set up the accounts

2	Add two subaccounts to each asset account you created. One subaccount tracks the cost of the asset, the other tracks accumulated depreciation.

How to set up the subaccounts

3	Finally, create an expense account to track depreciation expense. Give the account a name like "Depreciation Expense."

See also

Creating new accounts

Creating subaccounts

Entering a depreciation transaction


There are several "right" ways to track fixed assets and depreciation. This topic outlines one method. If you have been using a different method, it's perfectly all right to continue your current practice in QuickBooks.


The account can represent either a single asset or a group of related assets. When you create the account, follow these guidelines:

Make the account type "Fixed Asset."

Give each account a name that indicates which asset(s) it is tracking. Examples: Truck, Office Furniture, Computer.

Leave the opening balance at 0.00.


When you create the subaccounts, follow these guidelines:

Each "parent" account must have two subaccounts.

Name the first subaccount something like "Cost" and the second subaccount something like "Accumulated Depreciation." In your chart of accounts, these names will help you distinguish the two subaccounts:

Truck

Cost

Accumulated Depreciation

For the Cost subaccount, enter the original cost of the asset in the Opening Balance field. Enter the date you purchased the asset in the As of field.

For the Accumulated Depreciation subaccount, type 0.00 as the opening balance if you acquired the asset after your QuickBooks start date. If you acquired the asset before the start date, enter instead the accumulated depreciation of the asset as of the start date. Enter this amount as a negative number.


Entering a depreciation transaction

1	From the Lists menu, choose Chart of Accounts.

2	Select the subaccount that tracks accumulated depreciation for the asset you're depreciating.

3	From the Activities menu button, choose Use Register.

4	Enter the transaction in the bottom of the register:

Enter the depreciation amount as a decrease in the register.

Important. Determining the amount of depreciation to deduct can be a complex process, and the rules on the subject change often. Ask an accountant for help in figuring actual depreciation amounts.

In the Account field, enter the expense account you set up to track depreciation.

5	Click Record.

Effect on your accounts

In the asset's fixed asset account, QuickBooks subtracts the depreciation amount from the current value of the asset.

In the account that tracks depreciation, QuickBooks enters the depreciation amount as an increase to your company's depreciation expense.

See also

Setting up asset accounts to track depreciation

Using the QuickMath calculator to enter amounts


Reconciling an account with your bank statement

What is reconciling?

1	From the Activities menu, choose Reconcile.

2	In the Account to Reconcile field, enter or select the account you want to reconcile.

3	Compare the opening balance amount shown on your statement with the amount shown in the Opening Balance field in the Reconcile window.

If the amounts don't match

4	Find the ending balance on your statement and enter it in the Ending Balance field.

5	(Optional) Complete the "Transactions to be added" section of the Reconcile window:

If the bank statement shows a service charge or interest that you have not yet entered into your QuickBooks records, enter those amounts into the Service Charge and Interest Earned fields.

In the Account field for service charges, enter the expense account you use to track service charges. In the Account field for interest, enter the income account you use to track interest income.

6	When you find a transaction in the Reconcile window that matches a transaction on the statement, click the transaction to mark it as to be cleared.

7	For each transaction you mark, verify that its amount matches the amount listed on the statement.

8	If some amounts don't match, or if you find transactions that contain other errors, correct the transactions.

How to correct the transactions

9	If you find a transaction on your statement that is not shown in QuickBooks' list of uncleared transactions, enter the transaction now:

How to enter the transaction

10	When you've finished marking the transactions, look at the difference amount in the bottom right corner of the Reconcile window:

If the amount is 0.00. Click Done. You've reconciled the account with the statement. At this point, you can have QuickBooks print a reconciliation report.

If the amount is not zero. Your account does not balance for the period of time covered by the statement, and you need to correct the difference.

What if . . .

The account you're reconciling has subaccounts?

You click Cancel before you finish?

See also

Correcting differences

Printing a reconciliation report

Reconciling and paying a credit card statement


When you receive a statement from your bank or a credit card company, you can reconcile the statement with your QuickBooks records. The goal is to make sure that your QuickBooks records agree with your bank or credit card company about the amount of money in your account.

What can you reconcile?

Any QuickBooks current or credit card account, as well as accounts for savings and money market funds.

How accurate you have to be?

You can reconcile to the degree of accuracy you prefer. You can track down every penny if you want to, but QuickBooks does not require you to balance to the penny.

If you have a credit card . . .

When you finish reconciling your QuickBooks account with the credit card statement, you can have QuickBooks pay part or all of the balance due on your credit card.


If for any reason you close the Reconcile window by clicking Cancel, you'll have to reenter your ending balance as well as any amounts you entered for interest or service charges.

If you marked any items as cleared, QuickBooks remembers those items and makes them with an asterisk (*) in the [image] (cleared) column of the account register. The asterisks indicate that the items are pending because you haven't finished reconciling them. To finish reconciliation, you must mark those items again in the Reconcile window (when you do, the asterisks change to check marks in the account register).


When you reconcile a balance sheet account that has subaccounts (such as a joint current account), always reconcile the parent account. When you reconcile a parent account, QuickBooks includes all the subaccounts in the reconciliation, ensuring that all transactions related to the parent account get reconciled.


To correct the transactions

1	In the Reconcile window, select the incorrect transaction.

2	Click Go To.

3	Correct the error and click OK to record the change.

4	Click in the Reconcile window or choose Reconcile from the Activities menu to return to the list of items you were marking.

5	Mark the corrected transaction as to be cleared.


To enter a transaction

1	From the Activities menu, choose Use Register to open the register for the account.

2	Go to the blank transaction at the end of the register.

3	Enter the missing transaction.

4	Click Record to record the transaction.

5	Click in the Reconcile window or choose Reconcile from the Activities menu to return to the list of items you were marking.

6	Mark the transaction you just added as to be cleared.


Opening balance discrepancies

If you have been reconciling regularly and QuickBooks' opening balance is different from the opening balance on your bank statement, it means either that (1) you mistakenly cleared a transaction in the current statement period, or (2) a previously cleared transaction in your register [image] dated before the current statement period [image] was changed or deleted between today and the last time you reconciled.

Solutions

Quit reconciling and look for the problem in the register. When you fix the problem, choose Reconcile from the Activities menu again. Your opening balances should now match.

Ignore the discrepancy in the opening balances for now. When you finish reconciling, QuickBooks adds a balance adjustment transaction to the register.


Correcting differences

When your QuickBooks account doesn't balance with your statement, you can either have QuickBooks adjust for the difference, or you can track down and correct the problem yourself. If it turns out that your bank or credit card company made a mistake, QuickBooks can compensate for the error until it is corrected on your next statement.

See also

Having QuickBooks adjust for differences

Finding and correcting the difference yourself

Handling bank errors


Having QuickBooks adjust for differences

When should you let QuickBooks make an adjustment?

1	In the Reconcile window, click Done.

2	(Optional) In the Reconcile Adjustment window, change the date that QuickBooks shows for the adjustment transaction.

3	Do one of the following:

Click OK to create the balance adjustment transaction.

Click Cancel if you want to track down the difference yourself.

See also

Finding and correcting the difference yourself

Handling bank errors


If it's not worth your time to track down the source of a slight difference between your account balance and the ending balance on your statement, you can choose to ignore the difference. QuickBooks then adds a transaction that adjusts your account balance for the amount of the difference. That way, you'll start with accurate totals the next time you reconcile your account.

Important.  If you find and correct the source of the error later, be sure to also delete the adjustment transaction.


Finding and correcting the difference yourself
Finding and correcting the differences yourself

When should you correct the differences?

1	Count the number of transactions on your bank or credit card statement and compare that against the number of transactions you marked as cleared in the Reconcile window.

Tip

2	If the number of transactions you marked is different than the number of transactions on your statement, look for the source of the discrepancy.

What to look for

3	If you're pretty sure that you marked the transactions correctly, check the amounts shown in the Reconcile window against the amounts on your statement.

If an amount doesn't match

4	If you can't find any errors or omissions in your QuickBooks records, the problem may be the result of a bank error.

See also

Handling bank errors

Having QuickBooks adjust for differences


If you want your account to balance exactly with your statement, you must track down the source of each difference and update your QuickBooks records as needed.


Your bank may summarize transactions that you listed separately in your QuickBooks register  For example, if you made several deposits on a single day, the bank might indicate the total sum of deposits for that day rather than listing each deposit separately. Similarly, you may have summarized transactions in your register, such as bank charges, that the bank itemizes.


Look for places where you:

missed recording a transaction in QuickBooks.

missed marking a transaction as cleared.

mistakenly marked a transaction as cleared.

entered a transaction twice in QuickBooks.

entered a deposit as a payment or a payment as a deposit.

entered a charge as a payment or a payment as a charge.

You don't have to count the marked transactions. The lower left corner of the Reconcile window shows the number and total amount of the transactions you marked. Here's an example from reconciling a bank statement:

Items you have marked cleared

23 Deposits and Other Credits	15,782.50

75 Cheques and Payments	10,407.93

(The number of deposits includes interest you entered in the Reconcile window. The number of credits includes any service charge you entered.)


To correct an amount

1	In the Reconcile window, select the incorrect transaction.

2	Click Go To.

3	Enter the correct amount. Click OK to record the change.

4	Click in the Reconcile window or choose Reconcile from the Activities menu to return to the list of marked transactions.

5	Mark the corrected transaction as cleared.


Handling bank errors

Overview

1	Let QuickBooks make an adjustment transaction for the difference.

2	Contact your bank or credit card company and report the error.

3	When you receive your next statement, verify that it contains an adjustment for the error.

4	Delete the adjustment transaction from the account register.

5	Reconcile the new statement with the account.

See also

Reconciling an account with your bank statement

Reconciling and paying a credit card statement

Having QuickBooks adjust for differences


Occasionally, your bank or credit card company may make a mistake by processing a transaction for a different amount than you wrote it for. If this is the case, you can let QuickBooks make an adjustment transaction and then contact your bank.


Reconciling and paying a credit card statement

What is reconciling?

1	From the Activities menu, choose Reconcile.

2	In the Account to Reconcile field, enter or select the credit card account you want to reconcile.

3	Compare the opening balance amount shown on your statement with the amount shown in the Opening Balance field in the Reconcile window.

If the amounts don't match

4	Find the ending balance on your statement and enter it in the Ending Balance field.

5	(Optional) Complete the "Transactions to be added" section of the Reconcile window:

If the credit card statement shows a finance charge that you have not yet entered into your QuickBooks records, enter that amount in the Finance Charges field.

In the Account field, enter the expense account you use to track finance charges.

6	When you find a transaction in the Reconcile window that matches a transaction on the statement, click the transaction to mark it as to be cleared.

7	For each transaction you mark, verify that its amount matches the amount listed on the statement.

8	If some amounts don't match, or if you find transactions that contain other errors, correct the transactions.

How to correct the transactions

9	If you find a transaction on your statement that is not shown in QuickBooks' list of uncleared transactions, enter the transaction now:

How to enter the transaction

10	When you've finished marking the transactions, look at the difference amount in the bottom right corner of the Reconcile window:

If the amount is 0.00. Click Done. You've reconciled the account with the statement. At this point, you can have QuickBooks print a reconciliation report.

If the amount is not zero. Your account does not balance for the period of time covered by the statement, and you need to correct the difference.

11	Decide how you want to pay the bill:

To . . .	Do this
Write a cheque for the bill	Select "Write a cheque for payment now."
Enter the bill for later payment through accounts payable	Select "Enter a bill for payment later."
12	Click OK.

13	Complete the payment transaction:

If this is the first time you are paying this credit card company, enter the name of the credit card company in the "Pay to the order of" field (if you are writing a cheque), or the Vendor field (if you are entering a bill).  For subsequent payments, QuickBooks remembers the name of the credit card company and fills it in for you.

If you want to pay part of the amount due, edit the amount that QuickBooks has filled in.

Click OK to record the transaction.

If you are writing a cheque, you can have QuickBooks print the cheque now by clicking Print.

What if . . .

You click Cancel before you finish?

See also

Correcting differences

Reconciling an account with your bank statement


Printing a reconciliation report

When can you print a reconciliation report?

1	When you have finished marking the transactions in the Reconcile window, click Done.

2	Select the level of detail you want in the report:

Select this . . .	To get the following
None	No report.
Summary	A report that lists totals only.
Full	A report that lists totals for cleared, uncleared, and new transactions; and shows transaction details in each of these sections.
3	Click OK.

4	In the Print Report window, choose whether you'd like to print this report to your printer, a file, or your computer screen.

5	Click Print.

See also

Reconciling an account with your bank statement


You can only print a reconciliation report immediately after you finish reconciling. If you think you may want to print the report again at some time in the future, print the report to a file instead of your printer.


Reconcile window
For more detail about any part of this window, click the diagram.

You use this window to reconcile your QuickBooks account with your bank statement. You can reconcile current, savings, money market, and credit card accounts.

See also

Reconciling an account with your bank statement

Reconciling and paying a credit card statement


Account to Reconcile

Enter or select the account you want to reconcile.


Opening Balance

This amount is the sum of all previously cleared items in the register (those marked with an X in the Clr column).

If the amount that QuickBooks shows disagrees with the opening balance on the bank statement, it means either that (1) you mistakenly cleared a transaction in the current statement period, or (2) a previously cleared transaction in your register [image] one dated before the current statement period [image] was changed or deleted between today and the last time you reconciled. You can handle the discrepancy is one of two ways:

Quit reconciling and look for the problem in the register. When you fix the problem, choose Reconcile from the Activities menu again. Your opening balances should now match.

Ignore the discrepancy in the opening balances for now. When you finish reconciling, QuickBooks adds a balance adjustment transaction to the register.


Ending Balance

Enter the ending balance shown on your bank or credit card statement.


Service Charge, Date, Account
(Bank accounts only)

If the statement shows a service charge that you haven't yet entered into your QuickBooks records, enter the amount in the Service Charge field. Then enter the date of the service charge and the expense account you use to track service charges.

Important. If for any reason you close the Reconcile window by clicking Cancel, you'll have to re-enter this amount again. QuickBooks will not remember any service charges that you entered.

When you finish reconciling, QuickBooks adds the service charge to your bank account register.


Interest Earned, Date, Account
(Bank accounts only)

If the statement shows earned interest that you haven't yet entered into your QuickBooks records, enter the amount in the Interest Earned field. Then enter the date you earned the interest and the income account you use to track interest income.

Important. If for any reason you close the Reconcile window by clicking Cancel, you'll have to re-enter this amount again. QuickBooks will not remember any interest that you entered.

When you finish reconciling, QuickBooks adds the interest income to your bank account register.


Deposits and Other Credits

This list shows the uncleared deposits and credits in your QuickBooks register. Scan through the list and mark all the transactions that appear on your statement.

To . . .	Do this
Mark a single transaction	Click the transaction.
Mark all the transactions	Click Mark All.
"Unmark" a transaction	Click the transaction again.
"Unmark" all the transactions	Click Unmark All.
Mark all "matched" transactions	Click Matched


Cheques and Payments

This list shows the uncleared cheques and payments in your QuickBooks register. Scan through the list and mark all the transactions that appear on your statement.

To . . .	Do this
Mark a single transaction	Click the transaction.
Mark all the transactions	Click Mark All.
"Unmark" a transaction	Click the transaction again.
"Unmark" all the transactions	Click Unmark All.
Mark all "matched" transactions	Click Matched


Items you have marked cleared

This tally shows the number of transactions you have marked as cleared.


Ending Balance, Cleared Balance, Difference

These amounts track how well your QuickBooks register balances against your statement:

Cleared Balance	This is the total of your opening balance plus the transactions you've marked. QuickBooks recalculates this amount each time you mark or unmark a transaction.
Ending balance	This is the ending balance on your bank or credit card statement.
Difference	This is the difference between the Cleared Balance and the Ending Balance. When the difference is 0.00, you have reconciled the account.
If you finish marking the transactions and the difference between the cleared balance and the ending balance is not zero, it means that your account does not balance for the current statement period.

See also

Correcting differences


Done

Completes reconciliation.

Click Done only after you have marked all the transactions that appear on your statement, and after you have checked the Difference amount at the bottom of the Reconcile window. When the difference is 0.00, you have reconciled the account.

If you finish marking the transactions and the difference between the cleared balance and the ending balance is not 0.00, it means that your account does not balance for the current statement period. For help on tracking down the source of the problem, see:

See also

Correcting differences


Cancel

Closes the Reconcile window without completing reconciliation.

When you click Cancel, QuickBooks remembers the items you have cleared so far. They appear in the register with a * in the Clr column, instead of an X, to indicate that you haven't completed reconciling those items. If you then resume reconciling the account at a later time, you must re-enter any service charges and interest earned.


Go To

Displays the transaction you selected so that you can edit it. This is useful when a transaction contains an error such as an incorrect amount.


Mark All

Marks all of the unchecked transactions in the two lists.


Unmark All

Removes the check marks from all of the transactions you have marked so far.


Last Rpt (Last Report)

Prints a copy of the reconciliation report from the previous time you reconciled your accounts. This is helpful when you need to compare the previous reconciliation to the reconciliation you are doing now.

# F1_RECON_MATCH


Reconcile adjustment window

This window shows the difference between your QuickBooks account balance and the ending balance on your bank or credit card statement. If you wish, you can have QuickBooks add a balance adjustment to make up the difference.

To . . .	Do this
Add an adjustment amount	Click OK. QuickBooks then adds a balance adjustment transaction to the account. If you find the error later, you can delete this transaction.
Find the error on your own	Click Cancel. QuickBooks makes no changes to the account.


Print Reconciliation Report window

At this point, you can have QuickBooks print a report that lists the uncleared transactions in the account. You have a choice between these levels of detail:

Select this . . .	To get the following
None	No report.
Summary	A report that lists totals only.
Full	A report that lists totals, all uncleared transactions, and all cleared transactions.
Statement closing date. Enter the closing date shown on your bank or credit card statement. The closing date affects how QuickBooks groups the transactions on the report. Transactions dated up to the closing date appear on the report as either "Cleared Transactions" or "Uncleared Transactions." Transactions dated after the closing date appear on the report as "New Transactions."

See also

Reconciling an account with your bank statement


Pay Credit Card Bill window

In this window you indicate how you want QuickBooks to handle the credit card bill. If you pay bills from your current account, you can have QuickBooks write a cheque for all or part of the amount. If you use accounts payable, you can have QuickBooks enter a bill for later payment.

To . . .	Do this
Write a cheque	Select "Write a cheque for payment now" and click OK.
Enter a bill	Select "Enter a bill for payment later" and click OK.
Leave the balance unpaid	Click Cancel. QuickBooks reconciles the account, but the outstanding balance remains in the credit card account.
See also

Reconciling and paying a credit card statement


Entering bills

If you use QuickBooks' accounts payable, you'll get the most benefit if you enter bills as soon as you receive them. That way, your cash flow reports will be up-to-date, and you won't run the risk of setting bills aside for later and forgetting about them.

Overview

When you enter a bill, it can be for:

Expenses you track through expense accounts

Items you track through your Item list

Click the situation that applies.


Entering bills
Entering a bill for expenses

You can enter a bill for any kind of expense you track through expense accounts.

Instructions

1	From the Activities menu, choose Enter Bills.

2	Fill in the bill form in the top half of the window.

How to fill in the fields

3	(Optional) Enter a memo about the bill.

The memo you enter appears on reports that include the bill. If you pay the bill by cheque, QuickBooks puts the memo in the Memo field of the cheque if you did not enter an account number when you set up the vendor's record. If you did enter an account number, the account number appears in the Memo field of the cheque.

4	If the Enter Bills window displays two tabs labelled Expenses and Items, click the Expenses tab.

These tabs appear when the "Inventory and purchase orders are active" checkbox is selected in the Purchases & Vendors Preferences window.

5	In the detail area, assign the bill to one or more expense accounts.

How to fill in the detail area

6	Record the bill:

To record the bill and then enter another, click Next.

To record the bill and close the window, click OK.

See also

Memorizing a bill

Entering credit from a vendor

Voiding or deleting a bill


Entering bills
Entering a bill for items

You can enter a bill for inventory part, non-inventory part, service, and other charge items. When you enter a bill for items, you use the Items tab in the Enter Bills window.

Instructions

1	From the Activities menu, choose Enter Bills.

2	Fill in the bill form in the top half of the window.

How to fill in the fields

3	(Optional) Enter a memo about the bill.

The memo you enter will appear on reports that include the bill. If you pay the bill by cheque and you did not enter an account number when you set up the vendor's record, QuickBooks puts the memo in the Memo field of the cheque. If you did enter an account number, the account number appears in the Memo field of the cheque.

4	Click the Items tab.

If there is no Items tab

5	Did you write a purchase order for the items?

If . . .	Do this
Yes	Click Select PO and select the POs that contain the items you're receiving. More detail
No	Enter the items in the detail area. More detail
6	To enter shipping charges or taxes not associated with any one item, click the Expenses tab. In the detail area, enter each charge and associate it with its correct expense account.

How to fill in the detail area

7	Record the bill:

To record the bill and then enter another, click Next.

To record the bill and close the window, click OK.

See also

Memorizing a bill

Entering credit from a vendor

Voiding or deleting a bill


Required fields. At a minimum, you must fill in these fields:

Vendor. Choose the vendor from the Vendor list or type in the vendor's name. If the vendor is not on the list, QuickBooks asks you set up a record for the vendor. Click Quick Add to add just the vendor's name to the list; click Set Up to add more information, such as an address or phone number.

Amount Due. Enter the amount of the bill.

Optional fields. Fill in these fields as needed:

Date. QuickBooks automatically enters today's date. You can enter a different date if needed.

Ref. No. Enter the bill, statement, or invoice number here.

Terms. QuickBooks enters terms for you if you specified payment terms when you set up the vendor's record. QuickBooks uses the terms to determine the due date of your bill payment as well as the date you'll need to pay by to receive a discount for early payment.


When you click Select PO, QuickBooks displays a list of the open POs you have with the vendor.

To select the purchase orders

1	Click each purchase order that contain items you've received and are being billed for.

2	When you've selected the correct purchase orders, click OK. The detail area of the Enter Bills window now lists the line items on the purchase orders you selected.

3	Make any necessary changes to the line items.

If you didn't receive all the items on the purchase order, you can edit the quantity (or cost) of any item, or delete an item completely from the detail area of the bill.

Tip. If you make a mistake when you are editing the quantities, click Receive All to return all quantities to their original values.


To enter the items

1	From the Item list, choose the first item you are being billed for.

You can also type the item name directly into the Item column. If the item is not on your list, QuickBooks asks you to set it up.

2	In the Qty column, enter the quantity you received.

3	If necessary, edit the cost of the item.

4	In the tax column, choose the appropriate Tax code.

5	Repeat these steps for the other items you received.


Entering credit from a vendor

If you receive credit from a vendor, you can enter the credit amount in the Enter Bills window. Just change the Bill setting to Credit.

Instructions

1	From the Activities menu, choose Enter Bills.

2	At the top of the Enter Bills window, click "Credit" instead of "Bill."

3	In the top half of the window, enter the vendor's name and the amount of the credit.

4	In the detail area, enter the expense accounts, Tax code, customers, jobs, or classes you want to credit.

How to fill in the detail area

5	Record the credit:

To record the credit and then enter another, click Next.

To record the credit and close the window, click OK.


To assign a credit

1	In the Account column, choose the account that you use to track credit from vendors.

2	In the Tax column, choose the appropriate Tax code.

3	If you are assigning only part of the transaction amount to the credit, edit the amount that QuickBooks enters in the Amount column.

4	(Optional) If you plan to pass on the credit amount to a customer, enter the customer in the Customer:Job column.

5	(Optional) If you also want to assign the credit amount to one of your QuickBooks classes, enter the class in the Class column. (Note: This column only appears when you have selected the "Use Class Tracking" preference in the Accounting Preferences window.)


Assigning expenses to a customer or job

When you fill out a purchase form, you can assign part or all of the expense to a customer or job. Later, you can have QuickBooks recall the amount and add it as a line item to an invoice or sales receipt.

Instructions

1	Enter the cheque, credit card charge, bill, or item receipt as you normally would.

2	In the Customer:Job field of the detail area, enter the name of the customer or job that you want to assign the expense to.

If you are assigning the expense to a job, enter the customer's name followed by a colon (:) followed by the job name. For example:

Sonia Poulin:Kitchen remodel

3	If you enter a customer:job in the Customer:Job field, indicate in the Billable column (the column headed by the small invoice icon) whether the expense is billable to that customer.

If the expense is billable to that customer, leave the invoice icon next to the customer's name as it is.

If the expense is not billable to that customer, click on the invoice icon next to the customer's name to mark an "X" through it. (Clicking on the invoice icon again removes the "X.")

After you record the invoice that includes the expense, the invoice icon for that expense is greyed. This indicates that you've billed the customer for that expense.

4	If you are assigning only part of the expense to this customer or job, select the amount shown in the Amount column. Enter the amount you want to assign.

5	Click OK to record the expense.


Editing bills and payments

You can edit any bill or payment transaction. Even if you've already paid a bill, you can edit its amount. If you reduce the bill amount, QuickBooks creates a credit with the vendor you overpaid. If you increase the bill amount, QuickBooks considers the bill not fully paid until you pay the additional amount.

Instructions

1	From the Lists menu, choose Chart of Accounts.

2	Select the accounts payable account containing the transaction you want to edit.

3	Choose Use Register from the Activities menu button.

4	In the register window, select the specific bill or payment you want to edit.

Tip

5	Click Edit/Split.

6	Make any changes you wish.

7	Click OK.

See also

Entering bills

Associating payment terms with a vendor


Using the accounts payable register

The accounts payable register lists in date order all the bills, payments, and credits related to your vendors. You can enter new bills directly into the register and quickly open any transaction listed.

What you can do

Scroll the register

Enter a bill or a vendor credit

Edit a transaction

Move a transaction to a different account

For details, click the action.


Paying bills

In the Pay Bills window, you can have QuickBooks list all unpaid bills or all bills due as of a date you enter. You mark the bills you want to pay, and QuickBooks then writes and records the cheques or credit card charges. If you pay by cheque, all you do is print (or write) the cheques when you're ready.

To pay your bills

1	From the Activities menu, choose Pay Bills.

2	Fill in the fields at the top of the Pay Bills window.

How to fill in the fields

3	Select the bills you want to pay.

Click in the [image] column to select individual bills for payment. To select all the bills, click Pay All Bills.

As you select the bills, compare the total in the Amt Paid column against the total shown for "Ending Bank Balance." This tells you whether you have enough money in your current account to cover all the bills you've selected to pay.

If you don't see all the bills you expect

4	If you want to pay only part of a particular bill, edit the amount shown in the Amt Paid column.

5	Record the payment:

To record the payment and then enter another, click Next. You might click Next if you want to use different payment dates for your bills, or you want to pay them from different current accounts. Also, click Next if you want to create multiple cheques for the same vendor.

To record the payment and close the window, click OK.

6	If you write cheques by hand, record the correct cheque numbers in the cheque register.

How to correct the cheque numbers

7	To print your cheques, choose Print Forms from the File menu and then choose Print Cheques.

See also

Applying a discount to a bill

Applying credit from a vendor to pay bills

Getting information about your bills

Associating payment terms with a vendor

Setting a reminder to pay bills


Required fields. At a minimum, you must fill in these fields:

Pay By. Click the method you are going to use to pay the bills ("Cheque," or "Credit Card"). Then enter the name of the current or credit card account from which you will pay the bills.

Show bills due on or before. This date determines which bills QuickBooks displays in the list (bills due after the date do not appear). You can enter a different date if needed. Select this item or "Show all bills".

Show all bills. Select this item if you want QuickBooks to display all your bills in the list. Select this item or "Show bills due on or before".

Optional fields. Fill in these fields as needed:

Payment Date. This is the date that will appear on your printed cheques. QuickBooks automatically enters today's date. You can enter a different date if needed.

To be printed. Select this checkbox if you plan to print cheques.

Account. If you want QuickBooks to pay these bills from a different currnet (or credit card) account, enter the account name in this field.

Sort Bills by. This field controls the order in which the bills appear in the list. You can choose Due Date (oldest first), Discount Date (oldest first), Vendor (A through Z), or Amount (largest first).


If some bills seem to be missing from the Pay Bills window and you selected "Show bills due on or before", check that the date shown for this field is the date you want.

For example, if the date in the field is May 1st, any bills due after May 1st will not be listed. To list a bill due on May 5th, you must enter May 5th (or a later date) in the field.


To correct the cheque numbers

1	From the Lists menu, choose Chart of Accounts.

2	Select your current account

3	Choose Use Register from the Activities menu button.

4	Find the entries for the bills you paid. They will have BILLPMT (for "bill payment") in the Type field.

5	In the Number field, edit the number of each cheque.


Applying a discount to a bill

When you pay a bill, the Pay Bills window has a Discount Info button. You can use this button to apply a discount when your payment terms with the vendor include a discount for early payment.

Instructions

1	In the Pay Bills window, click the bill to which you want to apply a discount.

2	Click Discount Info.

3	(Optional) Change the amount of the discount.

How to change the amount

4	Enter the name of the account you use to track income from discounts.

5	Click OK.

See also

Paying bills

Applying credit from a vendor to pay bills


Applying credit from a vendor to pay bills;
Applying credit from a vendor to pay bills

You can easily apply any credit you have with a vendor to pay bills from that vendor.

Instructions

1	From the Activities menu, choose Pay Bills.

2	Fill in the rest of the fields in the top of the Pay Bills window.

3	In the [image] column, click both the bills you want to pay and any credit you want to use.

4	Record the payment:

To record the payment and then enter another, click Next.

To record the payment and close the window, click OK.

See also

Applying a discount to a bill

Paying bills


QuickBooks calculates a suggested discount amount based on your payment terms with the vendor and the payment date. You can enter any discount amount you choose; you don't have to use the suggested amount.


Enter Bills window
For more detail about any part of this window, click the diagram.

You use this window to enter bills and credits from vendors.


Enter Bills window
For more detail about any part of this window, click the diagram.

You use this window to enter bills and credits from vendors.


Enter Item Receipts window
For more detail about any part of this window, click the diagram.

You use this window to enter an item receipt when you receive a shipment from a vendor without a bill.


A/P Account
(Appears when you have more than one A/P account)

If you want QuickBooks to record the bill or item receipt in a different A/P (accounts payable) account, enter the account name in this field.


Bill
(Bills only)

Indicates that you are entering a bill. Normally, this option is selected for you when you open the Enter Bills window.

If you want to enter a credit instead of a bill, click Credit.


Credit
(Bills only)

Click Credit to enter a credit from the vendor [image] for example, if you returned merchandise you purchased and received credit in exchange.


Bill Received

A check mark here indicates that you have received the bill. QuickBooks checks this box automatically when you enter a bill, but leaves the box clear when you enter an item receipt.

To convert an item receipt to a bill

Select the checkbox. QuickBooks removes the "Item Receipt Only" stamp from the form to indicate that the transaction is now a bill.


Vendor

Enter the name of the vendor from whom you made the purchase.

Existing vendors. If you have already set up a record for the vendor, choose the vendor from the drop-down list.

New vendors. Type the vendor's name in the Vendor field and press Tab. If QuickBooks informs you that the vendor is not on your Vendor list, click one of these buttons:

Click . . .	To do this
Quick Add	Add the vendor's name to the list.
Set Up	Add the vendor's name to the list and then enter into the vendor's record information not covered on the bill or item receipt form (address, phone number, etc.).


Date

The date of the transaction. QuickBooks automatically inserts today's date for you. You can enter a different date if you wish.

See also

Shortcuts for dates


Ref No

The number of the bill or item receipt. QuickBooks normally leaves this field blank; you can enter a number here if you wish.


Amount Due

Enter the total shown on the bill or packing slip here.


Bill Due

The due date of the bill. QuickBooks uses your payment terms with the vendor to calculate this date for you. If you have no payment terms with the vendor, QuickBooks calculates the date by adding to the date of the bill the number of days allotted for payment of bills in the Purchases & Vendors Preferences window.

To change the date

Enter the new date in place of the date QuickBooks entered.

See also

Shortcuts for dates


Terms

These are your payment terms with the vendor. QuickBooks enters the terms for you if you specified payment terms when you set up the vendor's record. QuickBooks uses the terms to determine the due date of your bill payment as well as the date you'll need to pay by to receive a discount for early payment.


Memo

Enter a note about the transaction here. You can enter up to 4095 characters.

The beginning of the memo appears in your accounts payable register and on reports that include this transaction.


Memo

For item receipts, QuickBooks automatically inserts the text "Received items (bill to follow)" into this field. If you wish, you can change this text and enter a memo of your own up to 4095 characters in length.

The beginning of the memo appears in your accounts payable register and on reports that include this transaction.


Detail area

This part of the bill form lets you track exactly what you spend your money on and whether any part of the expenditure should be reimbursed by a customer. You can distribute a bill amount to expense accounts, specific items you have purchased, or a mixture of both.

To enter an expense

1	In the Account column, choose the account that you use to track that type of expense.

2	In the Tax column, choose the appropriate Tax code.

3	If you are assigning only part of the bill amount to the expense, edit the amount that QuickBooks enters in the Net Amt column.

4	If you plan to pass on the amount as a reimbursable expense to a customer, enter the customer in the Customer:Job column.

5	If you enter a customer:job in the Customer:Job field, indicate in the Billable column (the column headed by the small invoice icon) whether the expense is billable to that customer.

If the expense is billable to that customer, leave the invoice icon next to the customer's name as it is.

If the expense is not billable to that customer, click on the invoice icon next to the customer's name to mark an "X" through it. (Clicking on the invoice icon again removes the "X.")

After you record the invoice that includes the expense, the invoice icon for that expense is grayed. This indicates that you've billed the customer for that expense.

5	If you want to assign the amount to one of your classes, enter the class in the Class column. (This column appears only when you select the "Use Class Tracking" checkbox in the Accounting Preferences window.)


Expenses

This part of the bill form lets you track exactly what you spend your money on and whether any part of the expenditure should be reimbursed by a customer. You can distribute a bill amount to expense accounts, specific items you have purchased, or a mixture of both.

To enter an expense

1	In the Account column, choose the account that you use to track that type of expense.

2	In the Tax column, choose the appropriate Tax code.

3	If you are assigning only part of the bill amount to the expense, edit the amount that QuickBooks enters in the Net Amt column.

4	If you plan to pass on the amount as a reimbursable expense to a customer, enter the customer in the Customer:Job column.

5	If you enter a customer:job in the Customer:Job field, indicate in the Billable column (the column headed by the small invoice icon) whether the expense is billable to that customer.

If the expense is billable to that customer, leave the invoice icon next to the customer's name as it is.

If the expense is not billable to that customer, click on the invoice icon next to the customer's name to mark an "X" through it. (Clicking on the invoice icon again removes the "X.")

After you record the invoice that includes the expense, the invoice icon for that expense is grayed. This indicates that you've billed the customer for that expense.

6	If you want to assign the amount to one of your classes, enter the class in the Class column. (This column appears only when you select the "Use Class Tracking" checkbox in the Accounting Preferences window.)


Expenses

Click this tab to enter details about expenses that you would normally track through expense accounts (an example would be freight charges). When you click Expenses, these columns appear in the detail area:

To enter an expense

1	In the Account column, choose the account that you use to track that type of expense.

2	In the Tax column, choose the appropriate Tax code.

3	If you are assigning only part of the transaction amount to the expense, edit the amount that QuickBooks enters in the Net Amt column.

4	(Optional) If you plan to pass on the amount as a reimbursable expense to a customer, enter the customer in the Customer:Job column.

5	(Optional) If you want to assign the amount to one of your classes, enter the class in the Class column. (This column appears only when you select the "Use Class Tracking" checkbox in the Accounting Preferences window.)


Items

You use this part of the item receipt form to enter details about the items you ordered.

To fill in the detail area

1	Enter the name, quantity and cost of each item:

If you wrote a purchase order, Click Select PO. From the list that appears, select the purchase orders that apply to this order and click OK. Then check the line items that QuickBooks adds to the detail area. If you didn't receive everything you ordered, or if prices have changed, edit the amounts in the Qty and Cost columns.

If you did not write a purchase order, enter the item name, quantity, and cost of each item.

2	In the Tax column, choose the appropriate Tax code.

3	(Job tracking only).In the Customer:Job column, enter the name of the job for which you ordered each item. (If you haven't set up individual jobs for the customer, then enter the customer's name).


Items

Click this tab to enter details about the items you purchased:

To fill in the detail area

1	Enter the name, quantity and cost of each item. If you wrote a purchase order, click Select PO to enter the name, quantity, and cost directly from the purchase order.

2	(POs only) If you didn't receive everything you ordered, or if prices have changed, edit the amounts in the Qty and Cost columns.

To restore the quantities to their original values, click Receive All.

To display the purchase order a line item came from, click Show PO.

3	In the Tax column, choose the appropriate Tax code.

4	(Job tracking only) In the Customer:Job column, enter the name of the job for which you purchased each item. (If you haven't set up individual jobs for the customer, then enter the customer's name).


Select PO

Displays a window that lists all the open purchase your company has with the current vendor. From this window, you can select the purchase orders whose line items you want to appear in the detail area of the Items tab.


Clear Qtys / Receive All

Clears (and fills in) the quantities in the Qty column of the detail area.

Clear Qtys. When the button says Clear Qtys, clicking it changes all the quantities listed in the Qty column to zero. Click Clear Qtys if you have only received part of your order. After you clear the quantities, enter the actual quantities you received in the Qty column.

Receive All. When the button says Receive All, clicking it restores the original quantity number for each item. Click Receive All if you are receiving the order in full.


Show PO

Displays the purchase order that a particular line item entry came from. This is useful if you are receiving against several purchase orders at once and you need to know which line item entries came from which purchase orders.

To display a purchase order

1	In the detail area of the Items tab, click the line item entry you want to know about.

2	Click Show PO.


Next

Records the current bill or item receipt and displays the next transaction.

When you click Next, transactions appear in date order. If you are at the most recent bill or item receipt, click Next to display a blank form.

If you have more than one A/P account. The Next (and Prev) buttons only display bills and items receipts posted to the account shown in the A/P Account field. To see the bills and item receipts in one of your other A/P accounts, you must first choose the account from the A/P Account drop-down list.


Prev

Displays the previous bill or item receipt. When you click Prev, transactions appear in reverse date order (most recent first, oldest last).

If you have more than one A/P account. The Prev (and Next) buttons only display bills and items receipts posted to the account shown in the A/P Account field. To see the bills and item receipts in one of your other A/P accounts, you must first choose the account from the A/P Account drop-down list.


OK

Records the bill or item receipt and closes the window.

If you want to keep the window open to enter another bill or item receipt, click Next instead.


Cancel

Cancels what you have entered and closes the window. If you are entering a new bill or item receipt, the transaction is not recorded. If you are editing a bill or item receipt you entered previously, your changes are not saved.


Clear Splits

Removes all detail lines you have entered in the detail area.


Recalc

Recalculates the amount of the bill or item receipt by adding the line item amounts you entered in the detail area.


Pay Bills window
For more detail about any part of this window, click the diagram.

This window shows your unpaid bills as of any date you enter. To pay the bills, check off the bills you want to pay. You can pay by either cheque, or credit card.

# F1_PAYBL_OLB


Cheque

Select this option if you want to pay the bills from a current account. Enter the name of the account in the field below. If you plan to print the cheques from QuickBooks, select the "To be printed" checkbox.


Credit card

Select this option if you want to pay the bills from one of your credit card accounts. Enter the name of the account in the field below.


Account name

Enter here the name of the account from which you want to make the payment.


Payment Date

This is the date QuickBooks will print on the cheques (or enter on the credit card charges). QuickBooks automatically inserts today's date into this field.

See also

Shortcuts for dates


Show bills due on or before

By changing this date, you can control which bills QuickBooks shows in the list. This is helpful if the list doesn't show all the bills you expected to see.

For example if the date in the field is May 1st, any bills due after May 1st will not be listed. To list a bill due on May 5th, you must enter May 5th (or a later date) in the field.

See also

Shortcuts for dates


Show all bills

Shows all outstanding bills, regardless of their due date.


Sort Bills by

By selecting one of the choices on this list, you can change the order in which QuickBooks lists the bills. The choices are:

Due date	Lists the bills by their due date, oldest first.
Discount date	Resorts the list so that bills for which you'll receive an early payment discount appear first in the list. The dates by which you must pay to receive a discount appear in the Disc. Date column.
Vendor	Lists the bills alphabetically by vendor.
Amount due	Lists the bills by amount due, largest first.


A/P Account
(Appears when you have more than one A/P account)

If you want to pay the bills from a different A/P (accounts payable) account, enter the account name in this field.


List of unpaid bills

This is a list of all the bills your company owes as of the date you entered in the "Show bills due on or before" field. For each bill, the list shows the amount due and the last date by which you are entitled to a discount for early payment (these dates appear in the Disc. Date column).

To . . .	Do this
Pay an individual bill	Click in the [image] column so that a check mark appears next to that bill's entry in the list.
Pay all the bills listed	Click Pay All Bills.
Change the amount you pay on a bill	Edit the amount shown in the Amt. Paid column.


Ending Bank Balance

This amount shows how much money you have in the account from which you are paying the bills. If the total shown at the bottom of the Amt. Paid column is greater than this amount, you do not have enough money in the account to pay the bills.


OK

Records the bill payments as cheques or credit card charges in the register of the account you selected.


Cancel

Closes the Pay Bills window without recording any bill payments.


Pay All Bills

Checks off all the bills listed in the window. Click Pay All Bills when you want to pay all the bills listed.

When you click this button, it changes to "Clear Payments." Click the button again to erase the check marks for all the bills you checked off.


Discount Info

Displays a window where you can have QuickBooks calculate and apply a discount to the bill you have selected. QuickBooks bases its calculation on the payment terms you have with the vendor.

To apply a discount

1	Click the entry for the bill to which you want to apply a discount. The Disc. Date column shows the last date each bill would be eligible for a discount under your payment terms with the vendor.

2	Click Discount Info.


Transaction History window (bills)

This window lists all the payments you have made toward the current bill.

To . . .	Do this
Go to a payment	Select the payment and click Go To.
Display the bill	Click Edit Bill.


Transaction History window (bill payments)

This window lists all the bills that the bill payment paid.

To . . .	Do this
Go to a bill	Select the bill and click Go To.
Display the bill payment	Click Edit Bill Pmt.


Transaction History window (vendor credits)

This window lists all the bills you applied the current credit to.

To . . .	Do this
Go to a bill	Select the bill and click Go To.
Display the payment where you applied the credit	Click Edit Credit.


Transaction History window (vendor discounts)

This window shows the bill to which QuickBooks applied the current discount.

To . . .	Do this
Go to the bill	Select the bill and click Go To.
Display the payment where you applied the discount	Click Edit Discount.


Setting up a budget

What can you do with QuickBooks budgets?

1	From the Activities menu, choose Set Up Budgets.

2	Fill in the Set Up Budgets window as described in the following table.

When you fill in the window, you are setting up a budget for a single account (balance sheet, income, or expense account). If you also choose a customer or a job together with a class, you are setting up a budget for that account and for that customer or job and class.

Type of account	What to enter
Income or expense account	The projected amount of income or expense for that account for each month
Balance sheet account	The projected ending balance of that account for each month
Tip. If the amount is to be the same for each month, enter the amount for the first month and then click Fill Down.

3	Click Save to save the budget for that account.

4	Choose another account (or another job or class for the same account), and repeat Step 2 and Step 3.

5	When you have finished setting up budgets, click OK.

See also

Using the QuickMath calculator to calculate amounts

Creating reports about your budget

Graphing a budget


You can create a budget that shows your projected income and expenses [image] and even your projected account balances. Then through budget reports and graphs, you can compare your actual income and expenses, or your actual account balances, against your plan.

QuickBooks lets you create a different budget for each fiscal year. You can have multiple budgets for the same year only if the budgets are for different accounts, different customers or jobs, or different classes.


Changing a budget

1	From the Activities menu, choose Set Up Budgets.

Tip. You may find it handy to have a copy of your existing budget at your side while you make the changes. To get a copy, create and print one of these budget overview reports: P&L budget overview, P&L budget by job overview, or balance sheet budget overview.

2	For the budget amount you want to change, choose the correct fiscal year, account, customeror or job (if there is one), and class (if there is one).

3	When QuickBooks displays the monthly budget amounts, change the amounts as desired.

4	Click Save.

5	(Optional) Choose another account (or another job or class for the same account), and repeat Step 3 and Step 4.

6	When you have finished changing your budgets, click OK.

See also

Creating reports about your budget

Graphing a budget


Graphing a budget

1	From the Graphs menu, choose Budgets vs. Actual.

2	(Optional) When QuickBooks displays the graph, click the Customize button on the graph buttonbar to change the date range for the graph.

3	(Optional) Click any button on the graph buttonbar that allows you to group the data in a different way.

4	(Optional) Print the graph by clicking the Print button on the graph buttonbar.

What the graph shows

The upper bar graph shows your company's actual net income less the budgeted net income for each month. A monthly amount is favorable when the actual net income exceeds the budgeted net income. The lower bar graph shows the five income or expense accounts that are the furthest from budget (either over or under).

See also

Creating reports about your budget


Creating reports about your budgets
Creating reports about your budget

1	From the Reports menu, choose Budget Reports.

2	Choose one of the following reports:

P&L budget overview

P&L budget vs. actual

P&L budget by job overview

P&L budget vs. actual by job

Balance sheet budget overview

Balance sheet budget vs. actual

For details click the report.

See also

Graphing a budget


P&L budget overview report

This report shows monthly budgeted amounts for each income and expense account for which you have entered a budget amount.

This report does not compare budgeted amounts with actual amounts. (See, instead, the P&L budget vs. actual report.)


P&L budget vs. actual report

This report shows monthly budgeted amounts for each income and expense account for which you have entered a budget amount. Three additional columns show these statistics for each month:

The actual amount you spent for each income and expense account.

The difference between your budgeted and actual amounts.

The difference between your budgeted and actual amounts, shown as a percentage of the budgeted amount.


P&L budget by job overview report
P&L budget by job overview

This report shows total budgeted amounts by customer and by job for each income and expense account for which you have entered a budget for a job.

This report does not compare budgeted amounts with actual amounts. (See, instead, the P&L budget vs. actual by job report.)


P&L budget vs. actual by job report
P&L budget vs. actual by job

This report shows total budgeted amounts by customer and by job for each income and expense account for which you have entered a budget for a job. Three additional columns show these statistics for each job:

The actual amount you spent on each job.

The difference between your budgeted and actual amounts.

The difference between your budgeted and actual amounts, shown as a percentage of the budgeted amount.


Balance sheet budget overview report
Balance sheet budget overview

This report shows monthly budget amounts for each balance sheet account for which you have entered a budget amount.

This report does not compare budgeted amounts with actual amounts. (See, instead, the balance sheet budget vs. actual report.)


Balance sheet budget vs. actual report
Balance sheet budget vs. actual

This report shows monthly budget amounts for each balance sheet account for which you have entered a budget amount. Three additional columns show these statistics for each month:

The actual account balances as of the last day of the month.

The difference between your budgeted and actual account balances.

The difference between your budgeted and actual account balances, shown as a percentage of the budgeted amount.


Set Up Budgets window
For detail about any part of the window, click the diagram.

You use this window to set up budgets that show your projected income and expenses (or even projected account balances). Once you have set up a budget, you can create budget reports and graphs that compare your actual income and expenses against your plan.

See also

Using the QuickMath calculator to calculate amounts

Creating reports about your budget

Graphing a budget


Budget for Fiscal Year

Enter the fiscal year for which you want to create a budget. To change to the next fiscal year, click the upper button; to change to the previous fiscal year, click the lower button.

How many budgets can I create?

For each account, customer or job, and class combination, you can create one budget per fiscal year. For example, if you create a 1997 budget for lumber (an expense account) for the Jones remodel (a job for your customer Jones), you cannot create a second 1997 budget for lumber on the Jones remodel.

You can create as many separate budgets as you want within the same fiscal year as long as each budget applies to something different. For example, it's OK to have a 1997 budget for lumber for the Jones remodel and a 1997 budget for lumber on the Smith remodel (the Jones and Smith remodels are different customer/job combinations).


Account

Choose the account for which you want to set up a budget. The account can be a balance sheet account, income account, or expense account.

Leave this field blank when . . .

. . . you want a budget for all the income and expenses related to either a particular customer or job or class. When this is the case, fill in either the Customer:Job field or the Class field, but leave this field blank.


Customer:Job

Choose the customer or :job for which you want to set up a budget. If you have also selected an account, QuickBooks restricts the budget to income and expenses that relate both to the customer or job and the account.

Tip. If you want to create a budget that covers all expenses and income for a particular customer or job, leave the Account and Class fields blank.


Class

Choose the class for which you want to set up a budget. If you have also selected an account, QuickBooks restricts the budget to income and expenses that relate both to the class and the account.

Tip. If you want to create a budget that covers all expenses and income for a particular class, leave the Account and Customer:Job fields blank.


Budget amounts

Enter the budget amount for each month:

For . . .	Enter
Income accounts Expense accounts	The projected income or expense for each month.
Balance sheet accounts	The projected ending balance of that account for each month.
Tip. If the budget is to increase (or decrease) by either a fixed amount or percentage each month, you can have QuickBooks calculate and fill in the amounts for you. Simply enter the amount for the first month and click Fill Down.


Save

Saves the budget for your current selections (account, customer or job, class) and keeps the Set Up Budgets window open so you can enter a budget for a different account.

If you have no more budgets to set up, click OK instead.


OK

Saves the current budget and closes the Set Up Budgets window.

If you want to keep the window open to set up another budget, click Save instead.


Cancel

Closes the Set Up Budgets window without saving your current budget amounts.


Fill Down

Displays a window where you can tell QuickBooks how to fill in the remaining months of the budget. You can have QuickBooks increase (or decrease) the amounts for the remaining months by either a fixed amount or a percentage.


Fill Account Budget window

You use this window to tell QuickBooks how to fill in the remaining months on your budget, based on the amount for the month you just entered.

To have each month . . .	Enter this
Stay the same	0% or 0.00.
Increase by a certain amount	A percentage (for example, 5%), or a dollar amount (for example, 500).
Decrease by a certain amount	A negative percentage (for example, - 5%), or a negative dollar amount (for example, - 500). In either case, you must include a minus sign.


Entering a credit card transaction

If you have one or more credit card accounts, you can enter all your credit card purchases and credits by using one convenient form.

Overview

When you enter a credit card charge (or credit), it can be for:

Expenses you track through expense accounts

Items you track through your Item list

Click the situation that applies.


Entering a credit card transaction for expenses
Entering credit card charges for expenses

You can enter a credit card charge for any kind of expense you track through expense accounts.

Instructions

1	From the Activities menu, choose Enter Credit Card Charges.

2	In the Credit Card field, choose the credit card you used for the transaction.

3	Fill in the form in the top part of the window.

How to fill in the fields

4	(Optional) Enter a memo about the transaction.

The memo you enter appears on reports that include the credit card transaction.

5	If the Enter Credit Card Charges window displays two tabs labelled Expenses and Items, click the Expenses tab.

These tabs appear when the "Inventory and purchase orders are active" checkbox is selected in the Purchases & Vendors Preferences window.

6	In the detail area, assign the charge to one or more expense accounts.

How to fill in the detail area

7	Record the transaction:

To record the transaction and then enter another, click Next.

To record the transaction and close the window, click OK.

See also

Using the QuickMath calculator to calculate amounts

Memorizing a transaction


Entering a credit card transaction for items
Entering credit card charges for items

You can enter a credit card charge for inventory part, non-inventory part, service, and other charge items. When you enter a charge for items, you use the Items tab in the Enter Credit Card Charges window.

Instructions

1	From the Activities menu, choose Enter Credit Card Charges.

2	In the Credit Card field, choose the credit card you used for the transaction.

3	Fill in the form in the top part of the window.

How to fill in the fields

4	(Optional) Enter a memo about the transaction.

The memo you enter appears on reports that include the credit card transaction.

5	Click the Items tab.

If there is no Items tab

6	Did you write a purchase order for the items?

If . . .	Do this
Yes	Click Select PO and select the purchase orders that contain the items you're receiving. More detail
No	Enter the items in the detail area. More detail
7	To enter shipping charges or taxes not associated with any one item, click the Expenses tab. In the detail area, enter each charge and associate it with its correct expense account.

How to fill in the detail area

8	Record the transaction:

To record the transaction and then enter another, click Next.

To record the transaction and close the window, click OK.

See also

Using the QuickMath calculator to calculate amounts

Memorizing a transaction


Required fields. At a minimum, you must fill in these fields:

Purchased From. Enter the name of the payee from whom you made the purchase. Choose the payee from the drop-down list or enter the payee's name in the field. If the payee is not on the list, QuickBooks asks you set up a record for the payee. Click Quick Add to add just the payee's name to the list; click Set Up to add more information, such as an address or phone number.

Amount. Enter the amount of the transaction.

Optional fields. Fill in these fields as needed:

Date. QuickBooks automatically enters today's date. You can enter a different date if needed.

Ref. No. Enter the number from your credit card charge slip here.


When you click Select PO, a list of your open purchase orders with the vendor appears.

To assign purchase orders to the transaction.

Click each purchase order that contain items you've received and are paying for with this credit card transaction.

When you've selected the correct purchase orders, click OK. The detail area of the Enter Credit Card Charges window now lists the line items on the purchase orders you selected.

Make any necessary changes to the line items.

If you didn't receive all the items on the purchase order, you can edit the quantity (or cost) of any item, or delete an item completely from the detail area of the credit card charge.

Tip. If you make a mistake when you are editing the quantities, click Receive All to return all quantities to their original values.


Editing a credit card transaction

You can make changes to a credit card transaction after you've recorded it. You can do this either in the credit card account register or the Enter Credit Card Charges window. The register doesn't show all the information you originally entered, so you might prefer using the Enter Credit Card Charges window where you entered the charge.

Instructions

1	From the Lists menu, choose Chart of Accounts.

2	Select the credit card account containing the transaction you want to edit.

3	Choose Use Register from the Activities menu button.

4	In the register window, select the transaction you want to edit.

Tip

5	Click Edit/Split.

6	Make any changes you wish.

7	Click OK.

See also

Voiding or deleting a transaction


Using the credit card register
Using a credit card account register

Each credit card that you have has its own register. The register lists all the charges and credits you've recorded


and payments you've made. You can enter new charges and payments directly in the register and quickly open any transaction listed.

What you can do

Scroll the register

Enter a credit card charge or credit

Edit a transaction

Move a transaction to a different account

For details, click the action.


Enter Credit Card Charges window
For more detail about any part of this window, click the diagram.


Enter Credit Card Charges window
For more detail about any part of this window, click the diagram.


Credit Card

Choose the credit card you used for the transaction. (You should have one credit card account for each credit card your company uses.)


Ending Balance

This shows how much you currently owe on the credit card. If the amount is negative, it means that you have a net credit with the credit card company.


Purchased from

Enter the name of the payee here.

Existing payees. If you have already set up a record for the payee on one of your lists of names (Customer:Job, Vendor, Employee, or Other), choose the payee from the drop-down list.

New payees. Type the payee's name in the "Purchased from" field and press Tab. When QuickBooks informs you that the payee is not on any of your lists, click one of these buttons:

Click . . .	To do this
Quick Add	Add only the payee's name to your QuickBooks records.
Set Up	Add additional information about the payee (address, phone number, etc.) to your QuickBooks records.


Ref No

The number of the credit card transaction.

To change the number

Enter a new number in place of the one QuickBooks entered.


Charge

Indicates that you are entering a charge. Normally, this option is selected for you when you open the Enter Credit Card Charges window.

If you want to enter a credit instead of a charge, click Credit.


Credit

Click Credit to enter a credit to one of your credit card accounts


for example, if you return merchandise you bought with the card and receive credit in exchange.


Date

The date of the transaction. QuickBooks automatically inserts today's date for you. You can enter a different date if you wish.

See also

Shortcuts for dates


Amount

Enter the amount of the charge (or credit) here.


Memo

Enter a note about the credit card transaction here. You can enter up to 4095 characters.

The beginning of the memo appears in your credit card account register and on reports that include this transaction.


Detail area

This part of the form lets you track exactly what you spend your money on and whether any part of the charge should be reimbursed by a customer. You can distribute a charge amount to expense accounts, specific items you have purchased, or a mixture of both.

To enter an expense

1	In the Account column, choose the account that you use to track that type of expense.

2	In the Tax column, choose the appropriate Tax code.

2	If you are assigning only part of the charge amount to the expense, edit the amount that QuickBooks enters in the Net Amt column.

3	If you plan to pass on the amount as a reimbursable expense to a customer, enter the customer in the Customer:Job column.

4	If you enter a customer (or job) in the Customer:Job field, indicate in the Billable column (the column headed by the small invoice icon) whether the expense is billable to that customer.

If the expense is billable to that customer, leave the invoice icon next to the customer's name as it is.

If the expense is not billable to that customer, click on the invoice icon next to the customer's name to mark an "X" through it. (Clicking on the invoice icon again removes the "X.")

After you record the invoice that includes the expense, the invoice icon for that expense is greyed. This indicates that you've billed the customer for that expense.

5	If you want to assign the amount to one of your classes, enter the class in the Class column. (This column appears only when you select the "Use Class Tracking" checkbox in the Accounting Preferences window.)


Expenses

This part of the form lets you track exactly what you spend your money on and whether any part of the charge should be reimbursed by a customer. You can distribute a charge amount to expense accounts, specific items you have purchased, or a mixture of both.

To enter an expense

1	In the Account column, choose the account that you use to track that type of expense.

2	In the Tax column, choose the appropriate Tax code.

2	If you are assigning only part of the charge amount to the expense, edit the amount that QuickBooks enters in the Net Amt column.

3	If you plan to pass on the amount as a reimbursable expense to a customer, enter the customer in the Customer:Job column.

4	If you enter a customer (or job) in the Customer:Job field, indicate in the Billable column (the column headed by the small invoice icon) whether the expense is billable to that customer.

If the expense is billable to that customer, leave the invoice icon next to the customer's name as it is.

If the expense is not billable to that customer, click on the invoice icon next to the customer's name to mark an "X" through it. (Clicking on the invoice icon again removes the "X.")

After you record the invoice that includes the expense, the invoice icon for that expense is greyed. This indicates that you've billed the customer for that expense.

5	If you want to assign the amount to one of your classes, enter the class in the Class column. (This column appears only when you select the "Use Class Tracking" checkbox in the Accounting Preferences window.)


Items

Click this tab to enter details about the items you purchased:

To fill in the detail area

1	Enter the name, quantity and cost of each item. If you wrote a purchase order, click Select PO to enter the name, quantity, and cost directly from the purchase order.

2	(POs only) If you didn't receive everything you ordered, or if prices have changed, edit the amounts in the Qty and Cost columns.

To restore the quantities to their original values, click Receive All.

To display the purchase order a line item came from, click Show PO.

3	(Job tracking only) In the Customer:Job column, enter the name of the job for which you purchased each item. (If you haven't set up individual jobs for the customer, then enter the customer's name).


Next

Records the current credit card transaction and displays the next credit card transaction.

When you click Next, credit card transactions appear in date order. If you are at the most recent credit card transaction, click Next to display a blank credit card form.

If you have more than one credit card. The Next (and Prev) buttons only display credit card transactions for the card shown in the Credit Card field. To see the transactions for one of your other credit cards, you must first choose the credit card from the Credit Card drop-down list.


Prev

Displays the previous credit card transaction. When you click Prev, credit card transactions appear in reverse date order (most recent first, oldest last).

If you have more than one credit card. The Prev (and Next) buttons only display credit card transactions for the card shown in the Credit Card field. To see the transactions for one of your other credit cards, you must first choose the credit card from the Credit Card drop-down list.


OK

Records the credit card transaction and closes the window.

If you want to keep the window open to enter another credit card transaction, click Next instead.


Cancel

Cancels what you have entered and closes the window. If you are entering a new credit card transaction, the transaction is not recorded. If you are editing a credit card transaction you entered previously, your changes are not saved.


Clear Splits

Removes all detail lines you have entered in the detail area.


Recalc

Recalculates the amount of the credit card transaction by adding the line item amounts you entered in the detail area.


Bill Payments window (credit cards)

This window shows a credit card transaction that QuickBooks entered when you used your credit card to pay a bill through accounts payable. The top part of the window shows the credit card transaction. The bottom part shows which bills were paid by the transaction. Bills that have a check mark in the Pay column were paid (either partially or in full). Bills without a check mark have not yet been paid.

To . . .	Do this
Display a different bill payment	Click Next or Prev until the credit card charge appears, or use the Find command.
Change the account a charge is drawn upon	Choose the account you want to use from the Credit Card drop-down list. Then click OK to record the change.
Increase the amount of a credit card charge	Enter the new amount in the Bill Amt. field. Then, if you want to apply the additional amount to one or more bills, enter the amounts you want to apply in the Amt Paid column.
Decrease the amount of a credit card charge	Enter the new amount in the Bill Amt. field. Then edit the amounts shown in the Amt Paid column so that they add up to the new check amount.
Change how a charge amount is distributed among the bills listed	To "unapply" a charge to a bill, click the bill's check mark in the Pay column. To apply part or all of the charge to an unpaid bill, enter the amount you want to apply in the Amt Paid column for that bill. To change how much of the charge QuickBooks applies to a bill, edit the amount shown in the Amt. Paid column.
Void a credit card charge	From the Edit menu, choose Void Credit Card.
Delete a credit card charge	From the Edit menu, choose Delete Credit Card.


Displaying the chart of accounts

From . . .	Do this
The Lists menu	Choose Chart of Accounts.
The Navigator	Click the Chart of Accounts Icon on the Company tab.
The iconbar	Click [image].


Types of QuickBooks accounts

There are two main types of accounts in QuickBooks' chart of accounts:

Balance sheet accounts

Income and expense accounts

Balance sheet accounts

QuickBooks provides nine types of balance sheet accounts to choose from as you create and add to your chart of accounts. The following table describes each type of balance sheet account and the transactions you can use it for.

This account type . .	Tracks the following
Bank account	Chequing, savings, and money market accounts. Add one bank account for every account your company has at a bank or other financial institution. (You can also use this type for petty cash.)
Accounts receivable (A/R)	Transactions related to the customers that owe you money, including invoices, payments, deposits of payments, refunds, credit memos, and statements. Most companies have only one A/R account.
Other current asset	Assets that are likely to be converted to cash or used up within one year, such as petty cash, notes receivable due within a year, prepaid expenses, and security deposits.
Fixed asset	Long-term notes receivable and depreciable assets your company owns that aren't likely to be converted into cash within a year, such as equipment or furniture.
Accounts payable (A/P)	Your company's outstanding bills, bill payments, and any credit you have with vendors.
Credit card	Credit card purchases, bills, and payments.
Current liability	Liabilities that are scheduled to be paid within one year, such as sales tax, payroll taxes, accrued or deferred salaries, and short-term loans.
Long-term liability	Liabilities such as loans or mortgages scheduled to be paid over periods longer than one year.
Equity	Owner's equity, including capital investment, drawings, and retained earnings.
Income and expense accounts

Income and expense accounts track the sources of your income and the purpose of each expense. When you record transactions in one of your balance sheet accounts, you usually assign the amount of the transaction to one or more income or expense accounts. For example, not only do you record that you took money out of your checking account, but you keep track of what you spent the money on: utilities, perhaps, or office supplies.

QuickBooks does not display a balance for income and expense accounts in the chart of accounts. To see income and expense account balances, choose Profit and Loss from the Reports menu, or select the income or expense account in the chart of accounts and click QuickReport.

See also

Accounts QuickBooks sets up for you

Adding new accounts


Accounts QuickBooks sets up for you

QuickBooks automatically creates these accounts when you need them:

Accounts Payable

Accounts Receivable

Opening Bal Equity

Payroll Expenses

Payroll Liabilities

Purchase Orders

Retained Earnings

GST/PST Payable

Uncategorised Expense

Uncategorised Income

Undeposited Funds

For information about an account, click the account.


Adding new accounts

When should you add new accounts?

1	Display the chart of accounts.

2	Choose New from the Account menu button.

3	In the New Account window, choose the type of account from the Type drop-down list.

4	Enter the account's name in the Name field.

5	If you use account numbers, enter the account's number in the Number field.

6	(Optional) Enter a short description of the account in the Description field.

7	(Optional) Enter a bank or credit card number for this account.

8	If you want to make this account a subaccount of another account, select the "Subaccount of" checkbox. From the drop-down list, select the account that will be the higher-level account for this subaccount.

Why use subaccounts?

9	(Expense accounts only) Enter the Tax code you want associated with this account.

10	(Balance sheet accounts only) Enter an opening balance for the account.

11	Record your information about the new account:

Click Next to set up another account.

Click OK to close the New Account window.

What if . . .

You don't know which type of account to use?

There's no field for the account number?

You're not sure what to enter for the opening balance?

See also

Adding subaccounts

Using account numbers


You can add new accounts to your chart of accounts at any time. You are never locked into a fixed chart of accounts [image] you can expand it as your business grows and changes.

As your business grows, you many need to add:

Income accounts to track new sources of income.

Expense accounts to track new types of expenses.

Bank accounts when you open new chequing, savings, or money market accounts at your local bank.

Credit card accounts when you acquire new credit cards.

Other kinds of balance sheet accounts to track specific assets, liabilities, or equity. For example, you may need to add a fixed asset account to track the depreciation of a new equipment purchase, a long term liability account to track a business loan, or an equity account to track the investment from a new business partner.

Subaccounts. You may also need to divide certain accounts into subaccounts to get greater detail about specific income and expenses in your reports. For example, if your business has substantial advertising expenses, you might decide to divide your Advertising expense account into several subaccounts, such as Newspaper Ads, Signs, and Direct Mailings.


If the Number field doesn't appear, it means that account numbering is turned off in QuickBooks.

To turn on account numbering

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences.

2	In the Preferences window, select Accounting from the scroll box.

3	Select the "Use account numbers" checkbox.

4	Click OK.


Subaccounts give you greater detail about specific income and expenses in your reports. For example, if your business has substantial advertising expenses, you might decide to divide your Advertising expense account into several subaccounts, such as Newspaper Ads, Signs, and Direct Mailings. Instead of showing a single amount for advertising expenses, your reports will now show subtotals for the various ways that you advertise.


Before your QuickBooks start date. For balance sheet accounts that you've had since before your QuickBooks start date, see the Getting Started Guide for details on how to figure the opening balance.

After the start date. If you acquired the account after your QuickBooks start date, leave the opening balance at 0.00 and enter the opening balance as a transaction in QuickBooks. For example, if you open a new savings account using $500 from your chequing account, enter a cheque for $500 and assign the transaction to the new savings account in the detail area of the cheque.


Adding subaccounts

Why use subaccounts?

Subaccount example

1	Display the chart of accounts.

2	Choose New from the Account menu button.

3	Enter the type and name of the account.

The account type must be the same as the parent account. For example, if the parent account is an expense account, the subaccount must be an expense account also.

4	If applicable, enter the starting balance and starting balance date of the account.

5	Select the "Subaccount of" checkbox.

6	From the drop-down list, choose the account that you want to be the parent account.

7	Click OK.

See also

Adding new accounts


When an account in your chart of accounts seems to cover too much, you can divide the account into one or more subaccounts. Subaccounts give you the ability to track several related types of income or expenses independently yet keep them all under the "umbrella" of a single parent account.

In your chart of accounts, each subaccount appears indented immediately below its parent account. If the subaccount is a balance sheet account, QuickBooks includes its balance in the balance of the parent account. When you open the register of the parent account, the register shows all the transactions in the subaccounts.

See also

Subaccount example


If your business has substantial advertising expenses, you might decide to divide your Advertising expense account into several subaccounts, such as Newspaper Ads, Signs, and Direct Mailings. Your chart of accounts shows these accounts as follows:

Advertising
    Directing Mailings
    Newspaper Ads
    Signs

Adding the subaccounts gives you the ability to track each type of advertising expense as a separate component of your total advertising expense. Your reports will now show subtotals for the various ways that you advertise as well as the total for all of your advertising.


Editing account information

When should you edit account information?

1	Display the chart of accounts.

2	Select the account you want to edit.

3	Choose Edit from the Account menu button.

4	(Optional) Change the account's type.

How to change the type

5	Change, as needed, any of the other information shown in the Edit Account window.

6	Click OK.

See Also

Merging two accounts

Deleting an account


Whenever you need to. Once you have set up an account, you can change the information about the account at any time.

Example. Your bank account number changes because your bank was acquired by another bank. To update your records, you edit the old account number in the window that contains the information about the account.


To change the type

If the account has subaccounts, display the chart of accounts and drag each subaccount to a new location. You cannot change the type of an account that has subaccounts.

Choose the new account type from the Type drop-down list.

Restrictions. You cannot change A/R or A/P accounts to other account types, and you cannot change other account types to be A/R or A/P accounts. You also cannot change the type of automatically created accounts such as Undeposited Funds or VAT Control.


Merging two accounts

Why combine accounts?

1	Display the chart of accounts.

2	Make sure that the accounts you want to merge are at the same hierarchical level.

If they're not. Move one account to the level of the other. To do this, drag the diamond next to the account name.

3	Select the account whose name you don't want to use.

4	Choose Edit from the Account menu button.

5	Change the account name so that it is the same as the account you're merging with.

6	Click OK.

7	Click Yes to confirm that you want to merge the two accounts.

See also

Deleting an account


You can combine two accounts of the same type into a single account. This is helpful if you've been using two similar accounts and want to see those accounts represented by a single line in your reports.


Deleting an account

When can you delete an account?

1	Display the chart of accounts.

2	Select the account you want to delete.

3	Choose Delete from the Account menu button.

4	Click OK to confirm that you want to delete the account.

What if . . .

The account you want to delete is still in use?

See also

Merging two accounts

Editing account information


You can delete an account only when the account:

Is not used in any transactions.

Is not used in the Payroll Information window.

In not assigned to any line items.

Does not have subaccounts.

If the account has subaccounts, either move the subaccounts to another parent account or delete the subaccounts before you delete the parent account.


Consider merging the account with another account instead of deleting it. To delete the account, you would have to assign all transactions that post to the account to a different account. It's much simpler to merge the account with another account.

See also

Merging two accounts


Rearranging your chart of accounts

Overview

1	Display the chart of accounts.

2	Move the mouse pointer so that it touches the small diamond in front of the account you want to move.

3	While holding the mouse button down, drag the account up, down, left, or right to its new location:

To make an account. . .	Do this
A subaccount	Drag the account up or down until it is directly beneath the account that you want to be the parent account. Then move the account to the right to make it a subaccount.
A higher level account	Drag the account to the left.
4	Repeat the previous step for any other entries you want to move.

See also

Merging two accounts

Deleting an account

Alphabetizing a list


In your chart of accounts, all accounts of a particular type are grouped together [image] all income accounts appear together, all expense accounts appear together, etc. Within each grouping, QuickBooks normally displays the accounts in alphabetic order.

If you'd prefer a different organization, you can move any account to a new position in the list as long as the account stays with other accounts of its type. When you move an account, you can also make the account a subaccount or make a subaccount a higher-level account.

If you change the level of an account (by making it either a subaccount or a higher-level account), QuickBooks records the change in all transactions that have been assigned to the moved accounts.


Transferring funds between accounts

When can you transfer funds?

1	Do one of the following:

From the Activities menu. Choose Transfer Money.

Click Transfer Money on the Banking and Credit Cards tab of the Navigator.

2	Select an account to transfer funds from, and an account to transfer funds to.

3	Enter the amount you want to transfer.

4	Click OK.

See also

Transferring funds from an account register


You can transfer funds between any two balance sheet accounts in your chart of accounts. For example, you may need to transfer funds from a savings account to a chequing account to cover your weekly payroll.


Transferring funds from an account register

When can you transfer funds?

1	Open the register for the account from which you want to transfer funds.

2	At the end of the register, enter a transaction to transfer the funds:

Leave the Number and Payee fields blank.

In the Account field, enter the account you want to transfer the funds to.

Enter the amount to transfer in the Payment column.

3	Click Record.


Chart of Accounts

This is your company's chart of accounts. It shows the name and type of each account in your QuickBooks company. For balance sheet accounts, the chart shows the account balance of all the transactions you've entered for that account up to now. Accounts that do not show a balance are income and expense accounts.

What you can do from here

Add a new account

Edit information about an account

Start an activity related to your accounts

Create reports

See also

Deleting an account

Rearranging your chart of accounts

Printing a list

Hiding a list entry


New, Edit Account window

You use this window to add new accounts to your chart of accounts, and to edit information about accounts that are already on your chart of accounts.

To add a new account

1	From the Type drop-down list, choose the type of account you want to create.

2	Complete, as appropriate, these fields:

Name

Description

Bank No, Card No, or Note

Subaccount of

Default Tax Code

Opening Balance . . . as of

Track reimbursed expenses in

To change information about an account

Edit, as needed, the information shown for the account. Then click OK.


Name

Enter the name of the account as you would like it to appear on your chart of accounts.


Description (optional)

Enter a short description of the account.


Bank No, Card no, or Note

The name of this field changes depending on the type of account you are creating.

For . . .	Enter
Bank accounts	The account number.
Credit card accounts	The credit card number.
All other accounts	A note about the account.


Subaccount of (optional)

When an account in your chart of accounts seems to cover too much, you can divide the account into one or more subaccounts. Subaccounts give you the ability to track several related types of income or expenses independently yet keep them all under the "umbrella" of a single parent account.

To make an account a subaccount

1	Select the "Subaccount of" checkbox.

2	Enter the name of the "parent" account in the field immediately below the checkbox.

See also

Example


Default Tax Code (Expense accounts only - optional)

Choose the Tax code you want associated with this account.


Opening balance . . . as of
(balance sheet accounts only)

You must complete these fields when you add a balance sheet account. Here are some guidelines on what to enter for the opening balance:

New accounts. If the account is brand new, its balance is probably $0.00. For example, if you just opened a savings account with $500.00 from your chequing account, you would enter an opening balance of $0.00 and then transfer $500.00 from your QuickBooks chequing account to the new savings account.

Accounts you've had awhile. If you're adding to your chart of accounts an account you've had for awhile, you can do one of two things:

Enter the date and balance from a recent balance sheet.

Enter your QuickBooks start date, enter the account's balance as of that date, then add all transactions that occurred in the account between the start date and today.


Track reimbursed expenses in
(expense accounts only)

This field appears only if you are creating an expense account and you have selected the "Track reimbursed expenses as income" checkbox in the Sales & Customers Preferences window. The field lets you track expenses you intend to pass on to your customers separately from the reimbursement income you receive from your customers for those expenses.

To track reimbursable expenses and income separately

1	Select the "Track reimbursed expenses in" checkbox.

2	In the Account field immediately below the checkbox, enter the name of the income account you want to use to track reimbursement income.


Transfer Funds Between Accounts window

You use this window to transfer funds between two balance sheet accounts.

Instructions

1	In the Transfer Funds Between Accounts window, choose an account to transfer funds from, and an account to transfer funds to.

2	Enter a transfer amount, then click OK if you want to send only one transfer, or Next if you want to send multiple transfers.


Writing a cheque

When you write a cheque, you use a form that looks just like the paper cheques you're used to.

Overview

When you record a cheque, it can be for:

Expenses you track through expense accounts

Items you track through your Item list

Click the situation that applies.


Writing a cheque for expenses

You can write a cheque for any kind of expense you track through expense accounts.

Instructions

1	From the Activities menu, choose Write Cheques.

2	In the Bank Account field, choose the account from which you'd like to write this cheque.

3	Fill in the cheque face in the top part of the window.

More detail

4	If the Write Cheques window displays two tabs labelled Expenses and Items, click the Expenses tab.

These tabs appear when the "Inventory and purchase orders are active" checkbox is selected in the Purchases & Vendors Preferences window.

5	In the detail area, assign the expenses to one or more expense accounts.

More detail

6	Record the cheque:

To record the cheque and then enter another, click Next.

To record the cheque and close the window, click OK.

See also

Memorizing a cheque

Setting a reminder to print cheques

Printing cheques

Using a chequing account register


Writing a cheque for items

You can write a cheque for inventory part, non-inventory part, service, and other charge items. When you write a cheque for items, you use the Items tab in the Write cheques window.

Instructions

1	From the Activities menu, choose Write Cheques.

2	In the Bank Account field, choose the account from which you'd like to write this cheque.

3	Fill in the cheque face in the top part of the window.

More detail

4	Click the Items tab.

If there is no Items tab

5	Did you write a purchase order for the items?

If . . .	Do this
Yes	Click Select PO and select the purchase orders that contain the items you're receiving. More detail
No	Enter the items in the detail area. More detail
6	To enter shipping charges or taxes not associated with any one item, click the Expenses tab. In the detail area, enter each charge and associate it with its correct expense account.

More detail

7	Record the cheque:

To record the cheque and then enter another, click Next.

To record the cheque and close the window, click OK.

See also

Memorizing a cheque

Setting a reminder to print cheques

Printing cheques

Using a chequing account register


 Required fields. At a minimum, you must fill in these fields:

Date. QuickBooks automatically enters today's date. You can enter a different date if needed.

$. Enter the amount of the cheque.

Optional fields. Fill in these fields as needed:

Pay to the order of. Enter the name of the payee to whom you are writing the cheque. Choose the a name from the list or type the name in directly. If the name is not on any of your lists, QuickBooks asks you set up a record for the name. Choose the list you want to add the name to and follow the onscreen prompts.

Address. If you have already entered the payee's address on one of your lists of names, QuickBooks fills in the address for you.

Memo. Enter any note or message you would like QuickBooks to print on the cheque.


When you click Select PO, a list of your open purchase orders with the payee appears.

To assign purchase orders to the cheque

Click each purchase order that contain items you've received and are paying for with this cheque.

When you've selected the correct purchase orders, click OK. The detail area of the Write Cheques window now lists the line items on the purchase orders you selected.

Make any necessary changes to the line items.

If you didn't receive all the items on the purchase order, you can edit the quantity (or cost) of any item, or delete an item completely from the detail area of the cheque.

Tip. If you make a mistake when you are editing the quantities, click Receive All to return all quantities to their original values.


Entering the payee's name

You can either choose a name from one of your lists, or enter a new name and have QuickBooks add it to the list of your choice.

If the name is on a list. Type the first few letters of the name in the "Pay to the Order of" field. QuickBooks then completes the name by filling in the first name that begins with the letters you entered. If there is more than one name that begins with those letters, type additional letters until QuickBooks fills in the name you want.

Or, choose the name you want from the drop-down list.

To enter a new name. Type the name in the "Pay to the Order of" field, press Tab, and then click one of these buttons to add the new name to a list:

Quick Add	Adds just the name to the list you choose.
Set Up	Allows you to enter additional information (such as a phone number, fax number, and alternate contact) to the list you choose.


Editing a cheque

You can change the information on a cheque in either the Write Cheques window or the register from which you wrote the cheque.

Instructions

1	Display the cheque in the Write Cheques window or in your bank account register.

Tip. If you are unsure of the date or have a lot of cheques in the Write Cheques window, use the Find command to find the cheque.

2	Change, as needed, the content of the cheque.

Tip. The register does not show all the fields on a cheque.  If you are working in the register and you need to see all the fields, select the cheque and click Edit/Split.  This displays the cheque in the Write Cheques window.

3	Click OK to record your changes.

See also

Voiding or deleting a cheque


Using a chequing account register

Each chequing account you've set up in QuickBooks has its own register. The register lists all the cheques you've written and deposits you've recorded. You can enter new cheques and deposits directly in the register and quickly open any transaction listed.

What you can do

Scroll the register

Edit a transaction

Enter a new cheque or deposit

Move a transaction to a different account

For details, click the action.


Write Cheques window
For more detail about any part of the cheque form, click the diagram.


Write Cheques window
For more detail about any part of the cheque form, click the diagram.


Liability Cheque window
For more detail about any part of the cheque form, click the diagram.


Pay cheque window (when stock is off)
Pay Cheque window

You use this window to review payroll cheques you have already written.

For more detail about any part of the form, click the diagram.


Bank Account

Choose the account from which you want to write the cheque.


Ending Balance

Shows the balance of your chequing account minus the amount of this cheque. If the amount shown for the ending balance is negative, you do not have enough money in the account to cover the cheque.


No

The number of the cheque. QuickBooks automatically increases the number of each new cheque by 1.

To change the number

Enter a new number in place of the one QuickBooks entered.

QuickBooks then picks up the numbering sequence from the new number. For example if you enter 100, QuickBooks numbers the next cheque as 101.


Date

The date of the cheque. QuickBooks automatically inserts today's date for you. You can enter a different date if you wish.

See also

Shortcuts for dates


Date

The date of the pay cheque. You can edit the date if you wish.

See also

Shortcuts for dates


# F1_CHECK_OLB


Print as

This field appears when your records contain two different forms of the payee's name. For names on your Vendor list, this happens when you fill in the "Print on cheque as" field when you are setting up the vendor. For names on your Customer:Job, Employee, or Other Names lists, this happens when the first line of the payee's address is different than the payee's name on the list.

When you print the cheque, QuickBooks prints the name of the payee as it is shown in the "Print as" field. For example, if your Employee list has an entry for "Smith, Tom" and the first line of the employee's address is "Tom Smith," QuickBooks shows "Tom Smith" in the "Print as" field on the cheque. QuickBooks prints the cheque to "Tom Smith," not "Smith, Tom."


Print as

This field appears when your records contain two different forms of the employee's name. This happens when the first line of the employee's address is different than the payee's name on the list.

When you print the cheque, QuickBooks prints the name of the employee as it is shown in the "Print as" field. For example, if your Employee list has an entry for "Smith, Tom" and the first line of the employee's address is "Tom Smith," QuickBooks shows "Tom Smith" in the "Print as" field on the cheque. QuickBooks prints the cheque to "Tom Smith," not "Smith, Tom."


Pay to the Order of

Enter the name of the payee here.

Existing payees. If you have already set up a record for the payee on one of your lists of names (Vendor for example), choose the payee from the drop-down list.

New payees. Type the payee's name in the "Pay to the Order of" field and press Tab. When QuickBooks informs you that the payee is not on any of your lists, click one of these buttons:

Click . . .	To do this
Quick Add	Add only the payee's name to your QuickBooks records.
Set Up	Add additional information about the payee (address, phone number, etc.) to your QuickBooks records.


Pay to the Order of

You cannot change the payee on a pay cheque.


$

Enter the amount of the cheque here.


$

You cannot edit this field on a pay cheque. If the amount of the pay cheque is inaccurate, click Pay Cheque Detail and enter any changes needed to the payroll items listed for the cheque. When you enter the changes, QuickBooks recalculates the amount of the cheque.


Address

The payee's address. If you already have the payee's address in your QuickBooks records, QuickBooks fills in the address for you when you fill in the "Pay to the Order of" field. If you print the cheque, QuickBooks includes the address on the printed cheque.


Address

The payee's address. If you already have the payee's address in your QuickBooks records, QuickBooks fills in the address for you when you create the pay cheque. If you print the cheque, QuickBooks includes the address on the printed cheque.


Memo

You can enter a short note about the cheque here. Your note will appear on the cheque itself (if you print it), in your chequing account register, and on reports that include this cheque.


Memo

You can enter a short note about the pay cheque here. Your note will appear on the pay cheque itself, in your chequing account register, and on reports that include this cheque.

If you have selected the "Print pay period end date in cheque memo" checkbox in the Payroll & Employees Preferences window, QuickBooks automatically inserts the ending date of the pay period in this field.


Detail area

This part of the cheque form lets you track exactly what you spend your money on and whether any part of the expenditure should be reimbursed by a customer. You can distribute the cheque amount to expense accounts, specific items you have purchased, or a mixture of both.

To enter an expense

1	In the Account column, choose the account that you use to track that type of expense.

2	In the Tax column, choose the appropriate Tax code.

3	If you are assigning only part of the cheque amount to the expense, edit the amount that QuickBooks enters in the Net Amt column.

4	If you plan to pass on the amount as a reimbursable expense to a customer, enter the customer in the Customer:Job column.

5	If you enter a customer:job in the Customer:Job field, indicate in the Billable column (the column headed by the small invoice icon) whether the expense is billable to that customer.

If the expense is billable to that customer, leave the invoice icon next to the customer's name as it is.

If the expense is not billable to that customer, click on the invoice icon next to the customer's name to mark an "X" through it. (Clicking on the invoice icon again removes the "X.")

After you record the invoice that includes the expense, the invoice icon for that expense is greyed. This indicates that you've billed the customer for that expense.

6	If you want to assign the amount to one of your classes, enter the class in the Class column. (This column appears only when you select the "Use Class Tracking" checkbox in the Accounting Preferences window.)


Expenses

This part of the cheque form lets you track exactly what you spend your money on and whether any part of the expenditure should be reimbursed by a customer. You can distribute the cheque amount to expense accounts, specific items you have purchased, or a mixture of both.

To enter an expense

1	In the Account column, choose the account that you use to track that type of expense.

2	In the Tax column, choose the appropriate Tax code.

3	If you are assigning only part of the cheque amount to the expense, edit the amount that QuickBooks enters in the Net Amt column.

4	If you plan to pass on the amount as a reimbursable expense to a customer, enter the customer in the Customer:Job column.

5	If you enter a customer:job in the Customer:Job field, indicate in the Billable column (the column headed by the small invoice icon) whether the expense is billable to that customer.

If the expense is billable to that customer, leave the invoice icon next to the customer's name as it is.

If the expense is not billable to that customer, click on the invoice icon next to the customer's name to mark an "X" through it. (Clicking on the invoice icon again removes the "X.")

After you record the invoice that includes the expense, the invoice icon for that expense is greyed. This indicates that you've billed the customer for that expense.

6	If you want to assign the amount to one of your classes, enter the class in the Class column. (This column appears only when you select the "Use Class Tracking" checkbox in the Accounting Preferences window.)


Expenses

Click this tab to enter details about expenses that you would normally track through expense accounts (an example would be bank fees). When you click Expenses, these columns appear in the detail area:

To enter an expense

1	In the Account column, choose the account that you use to track that type of expense.

2	In the Tax column, choose the appropriate Tax code.

3	If you are assigning only part of the cheque amount to the expense, edit the amount that QuickBooks enters in the Net Amt column.

4	(Optional) If you plan to pass on the amount as a reimbursable expense to a customer, enter the customer in the Customer:Job column.

5	(Optional) If you want to assign the amount to one of your classes, enter the class in the Class column. (This column appears only when you select the "Use Class Tracking" checkbox in the Accounting Preferences window.)


Items

Click this tab to enter details about the items you purchased:

To fill in the detail area

1	Enter the name, quantity and cost of each item. If you wrote a purchase order, click Select PO to enter the name, quantity, and cost directly from the purchase order.

2	(POs only) If you didn't receive everything you ordered, or if prices have changed, edit the amounts in the Qty and Cost columns.

To restore the quantities to their original values, click Receive All.

To display the purchase order a line item came from, click Show PO.

3	In the Tax column, choose the appropriate Tax code.

4	(Job tracking only) In the Customer:Job column, enter the name of the job for which you purchased each item. (If you haven't set up individual jobs for the customer, then enter the customer's name).


Payroll liabilities

You use this part of the cheque form to enter details about the payroll items your cheque covers.

1	In the Payroll Item column, choose the payroll item that you are paying for.

2	In the Amount column, enter the amount you are paying for the item.

3	(Optional) Enter a note about the amount in the Memo column.

4	On the next blank line, repeat the first three steps for the next payroll item. Use as many blank lines as you need to enter the name and amount of each payroll item you are paying for.


Next

Records the current cheque and displays the next cheque.

When you click Next, cheques appear in date order. If you are at the most recent cheque, click Next to display a blank cheque.

If you have more than one bank account. The Next (and Prev) buttons only display cheques posted to the account shown in the Bank Account field. To see the cheques in one of your other bank accounts, you must first choose the account from the Bank Account drop-down list.


Prev

Displays the previous cheque. When you click Prev, cheques appear in reverse date order (most recent first, oldest last).

If you have more than one bank account. The Prev (and Next) buttons only display cheques posted to the account shown in the Bank Account field. To see the cheques in one of your other bank accounts, you must first choose the account from the Bank Account drop-down list.


OK

Records the cheque and closes the window.

If you want to keep the window open to write another cheque, click Next instead.


Cancel

Cancels what you have entered and closes the window. If you are writing a new cheque, the cheque is not recorded. If you are editing a cheque you wrote previously, your changes are not saved.


Print

Prints the current cheque.

To print all the cheques you have not yet printed, choose Print Forms and then Print Cheques from the File menu.


To be printed

A cheque mark here indicates that you have not yet printed the cheque. When you print the cheque, QuickBooks clears the check mark.

To print just this cheque by itself, click Print. To print all the cheques you have not yet printed, choose Print Forms and then Print Cheques from the File menu.


Clear Splits

Removes all detail lines you have entered in the detail area.


Recalc

Recalculates the amount of the cheque by adding the line item amounts you entered in the detail area.


Payment summary

This is a summary of the employee's earnings, additions, taxes, deductions, and hours worked for the pay period. If you need to edit any of this information, click Payment Detail.


Payment detail

Displays a window where you can edit the pay cheque.


Payment for payroll liabilities through

When you process tax forms for a particular tax period, QuickBooks uses this date to determine the amount of tax you have paid.

If there is no date. Enter the ending date for the tax period in which you owed this payment. For example, if you are entering a tax payment you made on 2/10/97 for tax you owed as of 1/31/97, enter 1/31/97.


Bill Payments window (cheques)

This window shows a cheque that QuickBooks wrote for you when you paid a bill through accounts payable. The top part of the window shows the cheque itself. The bottom part shows which bills were paid by the cheque. Bills that have a check mark in the Pay column were paid (either partially or in full). Bills without a check mark have not yet been paid.

To . . .	Do this
Display a different bill payment	Click Next or Prev until the cheque appears, or use the Find command.
Change the account a cheque is drawn upon	Choose the account you want to use from the Bank Account drop-down list. Then click OK to record the change.
Increase the amount of a cheque	Enter the new amount in the "$" field of the cheque. Then, if you want to apply the additional amount to one or more of the bills in the detail area, enter the amounts you want to apply in the Amt Paid column.
Decrease the amount of a cheque	Enter the new amount in the "$" field of the cheque. Then edit the amounts shown in the Amt Paid column so that they add up to the new cheque amount.
Change how the cheque amount is distributed among the bills listed	To "unapply" the cheque from a bill, click the bill's cheque mark in the Pay column. To change how much of the cheque QuickBooks applies to a bill, enter the amount you want to apply in the Amt Paid column for that bill.
Print a cheque	Click Print.
Void a cheque	From the Edit menu, choose Void Bill Payment.
Delete a cheque	Press Ctrl + D. Or choose Delete Bill Payment from the Edit menu.


Print Cheque window

Enter the number of the cheque you want to print and click OK.


Customising a business form
Customizing a business form

Why customize?

1	Do one of the following:

From . . .	Do this
The form itself	Choose Customize from the Custom Template list at the top of the form. Select the template for the business form. Click Edit.
The Lists menu	Choose Templates. Select the template for the business form. Choose Edit from the Templates menu button.
The Navigator	Click Customize Forms on the Sales and Customers tab. Select the template for the business form. Choose Edit from the Templates button menu.
2	Enter your changes in the Customize window:

3	If you are creating a new template, enter a name for the template in the Template Name field.

4	If you want to change the position of fields or other elements on the form, click Layout Designer.

More information

5	Click OK to save your changes.

What if . . .

You can't find the template you want to change?

You want to change one of the standard invoice templates?


By customizing a business form, you can make it more appropriate to your type of business. Here are a few examples of what you can do:

Create different versions of a form for use in specific situations. For example, if you ship goods with a delivery note, you can create an invoice form that has the title "Delivery note" instead of "Invoice."

Add new columns and fields (or delete ones you don't need). For example, if you've created custom fields for your stock, you can have the fields appear on the form.

Change the layout of the form. For example, you can move a field to give it greater visibility. Or it you have a large company logo that you want to center at the top of the form, you can create room to accommodate the logo.


To display a business form

From the Activities menu, choose the command for filling in the form. For example, to display the invoice form, you would choose Create Invoices.


The template you want may be inactive. When a template is inactive, it doesn't appear on the Templates list or any of the drop down lists from which you can select a template.

To make the template active again

1	Display the Templates list.

2	Select the Show All checkbox.

3	Click the [image] symbol to the left of the name of the inactive template.


QuickBooks severely limits the changes you can make to the Service, Professional, and Product invoice templates. You can add a logo and add your company name and address, but you cannot change anything else.

If you use one of these invoice templates but wish you could make more extensive changes, you can make a duplicate of the template and then edit the duplicate.

To duplicate an invoice template

1	From the Lists menu, choose Templates.

2	Select the invoice template you want to duplicate (Service, Product, or Professional).

3	Choose Duplicate from the Templates menu button.


To display the Customize window

1	First, display the type of form you want to customize. For example, to display the invoice form, choose Create Invoices from the Activities menu.

2	In the list of templates at the top of the form click Customize.

3	If you have more than one template for this type of business form, select the template you want to change.

4	Click Edit to edit the template. (If you want to create a new template based on the template you selected, click New instead.)

5	Click OK.


Changing the title of a business form

When would you want to change the title?

1	In the Customize window, click the Header tab.

2	Change the title shown for "Default title."

See also

Customizing a business form

Changing the title of a field or column


Change the title when:

You use a different name for the form in your business. For example, you could change the title of QuickBooks' purchase order form to "Requisition."

You want to use the form in a specialized way. For example, if your company uses delivery notes, you could create a form for delivery notes by creating a custom invoice template and then changing the title to "Delivery note."


Changing the title of a field or column

1	In the Customize window, click the tab that lists the field or column.

2	In the Title field, enter the new title for the field or column.

What if . . .

You also want to change the position of the title?

See also

Customizing a business form

Changing the form's title


If the template is one of QuickBooks' custom templates, or if it is one you created and added to the Templates list, you can use the Layout Designer to reposition the title within its field. You cannot reposition titles on the standard invoice templates (Service, Professional, or Product).

See also

Positioning text within a field


Adding or removing fields

1	In the Customize window, click either the Header or Fields tab.

2	For each field indicate where you want the field to appear:

Select . . .	To display the field
	On your screen and on your printed forms.
	Only on your screen. (The field does not appear on printed forms).
	Only on printed forms. (The field does not appear on your screen.)
	Neither on your screen nor your printed forms. (The field remains hidden until you choose to display it again.)
What if . . .

You remove a field after you've entered data into it?

You also want to move or change the size of the field?

See also

Customizing a business form

Adding or removing columns


If you used the field or column in previous transactions, QuickBooks removes the field or column from those transactions but retains all the data you entered. You can still create reports based on the data.

Example

For a period of time you use a custom field labelled "Colour" on your sales forms. Then you decide to remove the Colour field. When you display invoices you wrote before you removed the Colour field, the field no longer appears. Nevertheless, you can still create reports based on the colour of the items you sold.

If you decide to restore the Colour field at a later time, the field reappears on all the invoices where it originally appeared.


To move or change the size of a field, you must use the Layout Designer.

See also

Moving objects

Resizing objects


Adding long text

What can you do with long text?

1	In the Customize window, click the Footer tab.

2	Select the Print checkbox for Long Text.

Long text can only appear on the printed version of the form, not the onscreen version.

3	Enter the text in the Title field. If you run out of room, keep typing [image] the text scrolls within the field so that you can enter more text.

What if . . .

You want to move the text to a different position?

You want to change the font of the text?

See also

Customizing a business form


Long text is any large block of text that you want to appear on a sales or purchase form. Examples of long text include:

Warranties

Contractual details

Legal disclaimers

Notes to a client or customer.

QuickBooks normally places long text in the bottom left corner of the form. By using the Layout Designer, you can move the text to a different position, change how much area the text covers, or change the font QuickBooks uses to print the text.

See also

Moving objects

Resizing objects


QuickBooks normally places long text in the bottom left corner of the form. If you want to move the text, you must use the Layout Designer.

See also

Moving objects


QuickBooks normally prints long text in the same font it uses to print line item and field entries. If you want the text to be in a distinctive font, you must use the Layout Designer.

See also

Changing the font for individual objects


Adding or removing columns

1	In the Customize window, click the Columns tab.

2	For each column indicate where you want the column to appear:

Select . . .	If you want the column to show
	On your screen and on your printed forms.
	Only on your screen. (The column does not appear on printed forms).
	Only on printed forms. (The column does not appear on your screen.)
	Neither on your screen nor your printed forms. (The column remains hidden until you choose to display it again.)
What if . . .

You remove a column after you've entered data into it?

You want to move all the columns to a different position?

You omit the Markup column from printed estimates?

See also

Customizing a business form

Adding or removing fields


When you omit the Markup column from printed estimates, QuickBooks Pro recalculates the unit cost on printed estimates so that it equals the total divided by the quantity. Suppose you enter a quantity of 3 for an item that has a cost of $10.00 and a markup of 50%. If you print the Markup column, the full details of the markup appear on the printed estimate:

If you don't print the Markup column, the Cost column changes to Rate on the printed estimate, which shows only the quantity, rate, and total. In this case, the rate is $15.00 (the $45.00 total divided by the quantity of 3):


To move all the columns to a different position on the form, you must use the Layout Designer.

See also

Changing the layout of a business form


Changing column order

1	In the Customize window, click the Columns tab.

2	In the Order fields, enter numbers to show the order in which you want the columns to appear. Enter 1 for the column you want to be the column farthest to the left, 2 for the column you want to appear next to the far left column, and so on.

See also

Customizing a business form

Changing the width of a column


Changing fonts
(sales and purchase forms)

1	In the Customize window, click the Options tab.

2	In the Fonts section, select the element whose font you want to change.

For example, to change the font for the forms title, click Title.

3	Click Change.

4	Choose the font (for example, Arial); font style (for example, Bold); and size you want to use.

Tip. If you are not sure which font, style, and size to choose, the sample text in the lower part of the window changes to show what your selections will look like when printed.

5	(Optional) Select to strikeout or underline text.

6	(Optional) If you have a colour printer, choose the colour you want the font to print in.

7	Click OK to save your changes.

8	Repeat Steps 2 through 7 for any other elements whose font you want to change.

What if . . .

You want to be more selective when you change the fonts?

See also . . .

Customizing a business form

Printing your company name and address

Adding your company logo


When you change fonts by using the Options tab in the Customize window, you change the font for all objects of the same type on the business form. For example, if you change the font for labels, QuickBooks prints all the labels in the new font.

If you use the Layout Designer, you can select, directly, the text whose font you want to change. For example, to have a particular label stand out on the form, you could apply a special font to that label, but not to any of the others.

See also . . .

Change the font of an individual object


Printing your company name and address
(sales and purchase forms)

1	In the Customize window, click the Options tab.

2	To include your company name, select the "Print company name" checkbox.

3	To include your company address, select the "Print company address" checkbox.

4	Click OK.

What if . . .

You want to move the name and address to a different position?

See also

Customizing a business form

Changing fonts

Adding your company logo


QuickBooks normally prints your company name and address in the upper left corner of the form. If you want to move your company name and address to a different position, you must use the Layout Designer.

To move the name and address

1	Click Layout Designer.

2	Locate the name and address in the upper left corner. Click the name and address to select it.

3	Drag the name and address to where you want it to appear. (You may first need to move other objects on the form to make room for the name and address.)

See also . . .

Laying out a business form


Adding your logo to sales and purchase forms)
Adding your logo to sales and purchase forms

1	From the Templates List, click the Templates button and then choose Edit.

2	Select the "Use logo" checkbox.

3	In the Logo window, click File.

4	In the Open Logo File window, enter the drive, directory path, and name filename of the file that contains the logo.

Tip. The logo must be a bitmap (.BMP) file. You can create bitmaps in programs like Paintbrush. For best results, use a bitmap file that has the same height and width.

5	Click OK to return to the Logo window.

6	Click OK to return to the Customize window.

What if . . .

You want to move the logo to a different position?

See also

Adding your logo to chques and pay cheques

Customizing a business form


QuickBooks normally prints the logo in the upper left corner of the form. If you want to move the logo to a different position, you must use the Layout Designer.

To move the logo

1	Click Layout Designer.

2	Locate the logo in the upper left corner. Click the logo to select it.

3	Drag the logo to where you want it to appear. (You may first need to move other objects on the form to make room for the logo.)

See also . . .

 Laying out a business form


Laying out a business form

Why create a custom layout?

1	Display the form. In the list of templates at the top of the form click Customize.

2	In the Customize Template window:

Select the template you use for this form.

Click Edit to edit the template. (If you want to create a new template based on the template you selected, click New instead.)

Click OK.

3	Click Layout Designer.

4	Use the Designer window to layout the form:

5	Click OK.

What if . . .

You can't find the template you want to change?

You want to change one of the standard invoice templates?

See also

Customizing a business form


To display the Layout Designer

1	First, display the type of form whose layout you want to change. For example, to display the invoice form, choose Create Invoices from the Activities menu.

2	In the list of templates at the top of the form click Customize.

3	If you have more than one template for this type of business form, select the template whose layout you want to change.

4	Click Edit to edit the template. (If you want to create a new layout based on the template you selected, click New instead.)

5	Click OK.

6	In the Customize window, click Layout Designer.


Each business form that you use in QuickBooks has its own layout [image] that is, its own arrangement of fields and columns for entering information. If the layout of a particular form doesn't meet your needs, you can create your own custom layout and use your version instead of QuickBooks' version.

Here are a few examples of what you can do with a custom layout:

Give your company name, address, and logo special treatment on the form. For example, you could center the logo at the top of the form and put your company name and address in a special font immediately below the logo.

Enlarge a custom field so that it can hold more information. For example, if you're using a custom field to enter email addresses, you can lengthen the field so that it can hold a long email address.

Position the customer's billing address so that it coincides with the address window in the envelopes you use. (You can also remove the box around the address so that just the address shows through.)


Move objects

Resize objects

Change the width of columns

For details, click the task.


Undo mistakes

Zoom in to see more detail

Make objects the same height

Make objects the same width

Make objects the same size

Centre objects

Position text with a field

Add or remove field borders

Change the font of an individual object

Adjust the form for window envelopes

For details, click the task.


Selecting objects

To select . . .	Do this
A single object	Click the object.
Several objects	Click the first object. Then click each additional object while pressing the Shift key.
All the objects within an area	Click an object this is in one corner of the area. While holding down the mouse button, drag the mouse diagonally to the opposite corner. When the dashed rectangle includes all the objects you want to select, release the mouse button. (The dashed rectangle only needs to enclose the center of an object to select it.)
When you select an object . . .

A thick, shaded border appears around the object, like this:

Once you have selected an object, you can move it; resize it; match its size, width or height to other objects; or remove any of the borders around the object.

See also

Moving objects

Resizing objects

Laying out a business form


Object

Objects are the elements that make up the layout of a business form. An object can be:

A field

The column table where you enter line items

The title of a field or column

The title of the form (e.g. "Invoice")

A block of text you added to the form

Your company name and address

Your company logo.


Moving objects

1	In the Layout Designer, select the objects you want to move.

2	Click anywhere within the boundary of the objects.

3	While holding down the mouse button, drag the objects to their new position.

See also

Laying out a business form

Selecting objects

Resizing objects


Resizing objects

1	In the Layout Designer, select the object you want to resize.

2	With the mouse, drag one of the object's handles until the object is the size you want:

If you're resizing your logo . . .

No matter how large or small you make the logo, QuickBooks always keeps the original height to width ratio of the logo. This ensures that you won't distort the logo graphics when you change the size of the logo.

See also

Laying out a business form

Selecting objects

Moving objects


Handles

Handles are the square dots that surround an object when you select it in the Layout Designer:

There are eight handles in all: one at each corner and one in the middle of each side. Dragging a corner handle changes both the width and height of the object. Dragging a side handle changes either the height or the width, but not both.

When you select more than one object, the last object you select has darker handles to indicate that it is the dominant object:

When you perform a "make the same as" operation, all the other selected objects change to match the dominant object. For example, if you are making all the objects the same size, the other selected objects become the same size as the dominant object.


Changing the width of a column

1	In the Layout Designer, click within the table where the column appears.

2	Move the mouse pointer to either edge of the column.

Restriction. You cannot move the edge of a column when it coincides with the edge of the table. When this is the case, move the other edge of the column.

3	Drag the edge to make the column the width you want.

See also

Laying out a business form


Positioning text within a field

When would you want to do this?

1	In the Layout Designer, double-click the field where the text appears.

2	On the Text tab of the Properties window, select the horizontal position you want (Left, Right, or Center).

3	Select the vertical position you want (Top, Bottom, or Center).

4	(Optional) In the Label field, edit the text.

Restriction. In the Layout Designer, you cannot edit your company name, your company address, or long text such as a disclaimer. You can reposition these

5	(Optional) Click Fonts to print the text in a different font.

6	Click OK.

See also

Laying out a business form

Selecting objects

Changing the font of an individual object


When you create a layout for a business form, QuickBooks automatically positions the text that appears inside each field. For example, column titles appear in the center of their fields; data you enter into a field aligns with the upper left corner of the field.

If don't like how QuickBooks positions the text, you can change the position. For example, you could change all the column titles so that they align with the left edge of each column instead of the center.

You can choose from these nine positions within a field:


Adding or removing field borders

1	In the Layout Designer, select the field whose borders you want to change.

2	Click Properties.

3	In the Properties window, click Border.

4	Select the sides where you want the border to appear.

For example, to print a border along the top and bottom of a field (but not its sides), you would select the Top and Bottom checkboxes and clear the Left and Right checkboxes.

5	Click OK.

See also

Laying out a business form

Selecting objects


Properties window

You use this window to make certain kinds of changes to the object [image] and its text [image] that you selected.

To . . .	Do this
Edit the text	Enter the new text in the Label field.
Reposition the text	Click the Text tab. Select a horizontal and a vertical position for the text.
Change the text font	Click Font. In the window that appears, select the font, style, and size you want.
Add a border	Click Border. Select the checkboxes for all four edges (Left, Right, Top, Bottom).
Remove the border	Click Border. Clear the checkboxes for all four edges (Left, Right, Top, Bottom).
See also

Positioning text within a field

Adding or removing field borders

Changing the font of an individual object


Undoing mistakes

1	In the Layout Designer, click Undo as many times as you need to undo the mistake.

You can undo up through your last 50 actions.

2	If you change your mind about undoing the mistake, click Redo.

See also

Laying out a business form


Zooming in to see more detail

The Layout Designer lets you view the form at six different zoom levels [image] from a 50% reduction to a 300% enlargement. The zoom status box in the lower right corner of the Layout Designer window shows the current zoom level.

Click . . .	To do this
	Enlarge the layout to display greater detail. Tip. When you zoom in, the Layout Designer window shows less of the layout than it did before. You may need to use the scroll bar to display the part of the layout you want to work with.
	Shrink your view of the layout. When you zoom out, the Layout Designer window shows more of the layout than it did before.
See also

Laying out a business form


Making objects the same height

1	In the Layout Designer, select the objects you want to be the same height. The object whose height you want the others to match should be the dominant object (the last object you select).

2	Click Height.

See also

Making objects the same width

Making objects the same size

Centering objects

Laying out a business form


Dominant object

When you select more than one object, the last object you select has darker handles to indicate that it is the dominant object:

When you perform a "make the same as" operation, all the other selected objects change to match the dominant object. For example, if you are making all the objects the same size, the other selected objects become the same size as the dominant object.

Tip. If you want a different object to be the dominant object after you've selected a group of objects, simply click one of the other selected objects.


Making objects the same width

1	In the Layout Designer, select the objects you want to be the same width. The object whose width you want the others to match should be the dominant object (the last object you select).

2	Click Width.

See also

Making objects the same height

Making objects the same size

Centering objects

Laying out a business form


Making objects the same size

1	In the Layout Designer, select the objects you want to be the same size. The object whose size you want the others to match should be the dominant object (the last object you select).

2	Click Size.

See also

Making objects the same height

Making objects the same width

Centering objects

Laying out a business form


Centering objects

1	In the Layout Designer, select the objects you want to center.

2	Click Horz.

What happens

QuickBooks centers the object horizontally with respect to the edges of the paper. For example, if you are printing on 8.5 by 11 inch paper in portrait orientation, an object 2.5 inches in width will be exactly 3 inches from the left edge and 3 inches from the right edge.

See also

Making objects the same height

Making objects the same width

Making objects the same size

Laying out a business form


Changing the layout grid

What is the grid? How does it work?

1	In the Layout Designer, click Grid.

2	(Optional) To change the interval between grid points, choose the interval you want from the drop-down list.

3	(Optional) If you don't want objects to "snap" automatically to the nearest set of grid points, clear the "Snap to grid" checkbox.

4	(Optional) If you don't want the grid to appear on your screen, clear the "Show grid" checkbox.

5	Click OK.

See also

Laying out a business form


The grid consists of the rows of dots that fill the area where you lay out the business form. Each dot is a point on the grid. The grid points help you line up the boxes, text, and other elements that appear on the form.

Initially, QuickBooks spaces the grid points so that they are exactly 1/16 of an inch apart. If this spacing is too fine for your needs, you can change to a larger interval [image] to 1/8, 3/16, 1/4, 5/16, or 3/8 of an inch.

As you move and resize objects, you'll notice that they always align with points on the grid. If you place an object so that it is slightly "off," QuickBooks adjusts the object to align with the nearest row of grid points. This behavior is called snapping. If you would rather have objects stay exactly where you place them, you can turn snapping off.


Setting margins
(sales and purchase forms)

What are the margins? How do they relate to your printer?

1	In the Layout Designer, click Margins.

2	Enter the margin sizes you want in the Left, Right, Top, and Bottom fields.

3	Click OK.

What if . . .

You want to change the unit of measure?

See also

Laying out a business form


The margins are the border of white space between the edges of the paper and the printed part of the form. The Layout Designer uses a light dashed rectangle to show the width of the current margins.

The main purpose of the margin rectangle is to help you layout the form with respect to the edges of the paper. For example, if you want more white space around the form, you can increase the margin along each edge of the paper. The rectangle adjusts accordingly.

Changing the margins in the layout designer has no effect on the margin settings for your printer. If you make the Layout Designer margins too narrow for your printer, QuickBooks warns you that the width you have chosen is incompatible with your printer.


Changing the font for individual objects

1	In the Layout Designer, select the objects whose font you want to change.

2	Click Properties.

3	Click Font.

4	Choose the font (for example, Arial); font style (for example, Bold); and size you want to use.

Tip. If you are not sure which font, style, and size to choose, the sample text in the lower part of the window changes to show what your selections will look like when printed.

5	(Optional) Select to strikeout or underline text.

6	(Optional) If you have a colour printer, choose the colour you want the font to print in.

7	Click OK to save your changes.

See also

Laying out a business form


Adjusting the form for window envelopes

What this adjustment does

1	In the Layout Designer, select the "Show envelope window" checkbox.

2	Adjust the position or size of the address fields so that they appear within the shadowed areas. (The shadowed areas represent the size and position of the windows in Intuit's standard window envelopes.)

See also

Moving objects

Resizing objects


If you mail your forms in Intuit's standard window envelopes, you can adjust the position of the address fields so that the addresses appear in the envelope windows.


Creating a delivery note
Creating delivery notes

Does Intuit provide a form for delivery notes?

1	Make a duplicate of the template you currently use for invoices.

The duplicate template will be the template you use to create delivery notes.

2	Make the following changes to your new delivery note template:

Change the title of the form from "Invoice" to "Delivery Note."

Remove the rate and amount columns.

3	Each time you need a delivery note with an invoice, do the following:

Create the invoice with the template you normally use for invoices.

In the Create Invoices window, click Print to print the invoice.

Change the invoice template to the delivery note template.

Click Print again to print the delivery note.

See also

Customizing a business form


Yes. If you order quadruplicate Product invoices from Intuit, the last part of each invoice is a goldenrod delivery note with the price information blocked out. When you print your invoices, the delivery notes automatically print on the goldenrod part of each invoice.

If you don't use Intuit's quadruplicate Product invoices, you can create a custom invoice that omits price information and has the title "Delivery Note" instead of "Invoice." When you use this method to create delivery notes, you must print each delivery note separately from its invoice.


Duplicating a template

When would you duplicate a template?

1	Display the Templates list.

2	Select the name of the template you want to duplicate.

3	From the Templates menu button, choose Duplicate.

4	Select the type of business form with which you want to use the new template.

If you want, you can use a different type of business form than you did with the original template.

5	Click OK.

6	In the Template list, double-click the duplicate template to open the Customize window.

7	Enter a new name for the template.

8	(Optional) Make any desired changes to the form in the Customize window and Layout Designer window.

9	Click OK to save your changes.

See also

Customizing a business form

Laying out a business form


When you duplicate a template, you are making a copy that you can use as a starting point for creating another custom template. This is useful when:

You want to change the layout for one of Intuit's standard invoice templates (Service, Professional, or Product).

QuickBooks won't let you change the layout of these templates, but you can create a duplicate, save it under a different name, and then change the layout of the duplicate.

You want to use the layout in one of your custom templates for another business form.

For example, if you create a custom invoice template and you want to use the same layout for your estimates, you can duplicate the invoice template and save it under another name to use with estimates.


Removing a template from the Template list

When would you remove a template from the list?

To . . .	Do this
Remove a template	From the Lists menu, choose Templates. Select the name of the template you want to remove and choose Make Inactive from the Templates menu button.
Reinstate a template	In the Template list, click Show All. When the inactive template appears in the list, click the "ghost" icon next to the template name.
See also

Deleting a template


If you have a template you don't use, you can remove the template from the list without deleting the template from your QuickBooks records. For example, you may have a template you used in previous transactions but no longer use. By removing the template from the list, you can keep the information associated with the template yet ensure that you won't accidentally use the template in a future transaction.

When you remove a template from the list, QuickBooks also removes the template from any drop-down lists that use templates. You can reinstate a template at any time.


Deleting a template

When would you delete a template?

1	From the Lists menu, choose Templates.

2	Select the name of the template you want to delete.

3	Choose Delete from the Templates menu button.

4	Click OK.

See also

Removing a template from the Template list


You can delete a template only if it has never been used in a transaction. When you delete a template, QuickBooks permanently deletes all the information you specified for that template.

If you have used a template but no longer want the template to appear on your Template list, you can remove the template from the list without deleting the template from your QuickBooks records.

See also

Removing a template from the Template list


Select Template Type window

Before you can create a new template, you must let QuickBooks know which type of business form the template is for.

To . . .	Do this
Create a new template	Select the type of business form (invoice, credit memo, etc.) you want. Click OK to proceed.
Go back to the Templates list	Click Cancel.
See also

Customizing a business form


Customise Template window
Customize Template window

QuickBooks needs to know which template you want to use to create the customized form:

1	Select the template you want from the list of templates.

2	Click one of the following:

Click . . .	To do this
	Edit the template you selected.
	Create a new template based on the template you selected. Use this option if you don't want to change the original template.
	Go to the Templates list. From the list, you can: Duplicate a template. Delete templates you no longer need. Import a template from another QuickBooks company file. Export a template to another QuickBooks company file. Find which transactions are based on a particular template. Print a listing of your current templates.
See also

Customizing a business form


Why use custom fields?

Custom fields let you add to the information that QuickBooks tracks about your customers, vendors, and employees [image] and the items that you purchase and sell.

How the fields work

Note. QuickBooks treats the information you enter into a custom field the same way it treats information entered into any other field. If you memorize a transaction that has a custom field, QuickBooks memorizes what you entered in the field along with the other details of the transaction. If you export a list that contains data in custom fields, QuickBooks exports that data along with the other data from the list.

Examples

Sales. You want to track your sales by region. To do this, you:

1	Add a field titled "Sales Region" to the New/Edit Customer window.

2	Fill in the sales region for each customer on your Customer:Job list.

3	Add the new Sales Region field to each form.

From then on, a customer's sales region fills in automatically when you enter a sale. On your reports you can filter the report so that it shows only sales for a particular region.

Payroll. You want to include each employee's last review date, birthday, and pager number on their payroll record. To do this, you:

1	Add fields titled "Last Review," "Birthday," and "Pager #" to the New/Edit Employee window.

2	Fill in the information for each employee.

See also

Adding custom fields for names

Adding custom fields for items


Adding custom fields for names

Why use custom fields?

1	Open the Customer:Job list, the Vendor list, or the Employee list.

2	Do one of the following:

Click New to add a new customer, vendor, or employee to the list.

Select any name on the list and click Edit.

3	Click the Additional Info tab.

4	Click Define Fields.

5	For each field you want to add:

Enter the name of the field in the label column.

Select the lists where you want the field to appear.

Restrictions. You can add up to seven fields to each list. Overlapping fields count as one field on each list. For example, if you add the same field to all three lists, you can still add six other fields to each list.

6	Click OK.

7	(Optional) Fill in the fields for this customer, vendor, or employee.

You'll see the new fields on the Additional Info tab.

If you fill in a field, the information you enter transfers automatically to any custom form where the field appears. For example, if the field is named "Sales Region" and you've entered "Far West" as the sales region for a particular customer, the Sales Region field on your sales forms prefills to "Far West" each time you enter a sale to the customer.

Leave a field blank if you'd prefer to fill it in at the time you make a sale, write a purchase order, or prepare an estimate.

8	Click OK.

9	(Optional) Fill in the fields for your other customers, vendors, or employees.

What's next

You can add custom fields you've set up for customers to any sales form and to the estimate form. Likewise, you can add custom fields you've set up for vendors to the purchase order form. If you want information you've entered in the custom fields to appear on a form, you must add the fields to the form. For details, see:

See also

Adding custom fields for items

Customizing a business form


Adding custom fields to items

Why use custom fields?

1	From the Lists menu, choose Items.

2	Do one of the following:

If you're adding a new item to the list, choose New from the Item menu button.

If you're editing information about an item, choose Edit from the Item menu button.

3	In the New/Edit Item window, click Custom fields.

4	Click Define Fields.

5	For each field you want to add:

Select the Use checkbox.

Enter the name of the field.

You can define up to 5 fields. The fields will be available for all item types except subtotals.

6	Click OK.

7	(Optional) Fill in the fields for this item.

You'll see the new fields in the Item Custom fields window.

If you fill in a field, the information you enter transfers automatically to any custom form where the field appears. For example, if the field is named "Colour" and you've entered "navy blue" as the colour of a particular item, the Colour field on your sales forms prefills to "navy blue" each time you enter a sale of the item.

Leave a field blank if you'd prefer to fill it in at the time you make a sale, write a purchase order, or prepare an estimate.

8	Click OK to close the Item Custom Fields window.

If you are setting up a new item, fill in the information about the item in the New/Edit Item window.

9	Click OK to close the New/Edit Item window.

10	(Optional) Fill in the fields, as needed, for other items on your Items list.

What's next

You can add any or all of the new fields to sales forms, the purchase order form, and the estimate form. If you want information from an item's record to transfer automatically to a form, you must add the field to the form. For details, see

See also

Adding custom fields for names

Customizing a business form


Renaming a custom field

When you rename a custom field, you can rename it

On a particular business form

Everywhere in QuickBooks

For details, click the task.


Renaming a custom field (business forms only)
Renaming a custom field
(on a business form)

What are the consequences of renaming a field?

1	Display the form. In the list of templates at the top of the form click Customize.

2	In the Customize Template window:

Select the template for which you want to rename the field.

Click Edit to edit the template.

Click OK.

3	In the Customize window, click the tab where the field appears:

Click . . .	For fields associated with
Fields	Customers or vendors.
Columns	Items.
4	Enter the new name in the Title field.

5	Click OK.

See also

Renaming a custom field (throughout QuickBooks)

bmc SEE2.BMP}	Removing a custom field


If you rename a field that is already in use, data previously entered into the field remains unchanged. For example, if you change the name of a field from "Sales Region" to "County," a previous transaction where you entered "Far West" as the sales region will now show "Far West" as the county. When the new name changes the meaning of the field, you may wish to assign the name to a currently unused field instead.


Renaming a custom field
(throughout QuickBooks)

What are the consequences of renaming a field?

1	Display the window where you defined the field:

For items. In the Items list, select any item. Click Edit, click Custom Fields, and then click Define fields.

For names. In the Customer:Job, Vendor, or Employee list, select any name. Click Edit, click the Additional Info tab, and then click Define fields.

2	In the Define fields window, change the name of the field.

3	Click OK.

What happens

For item-related fields, QuickBooks changes the name of the field on all transactions where the field appears. For name-related fields, QuickBooks changes the name of the field on all list entries where the field appears.

See also

Renaming a custom field (on a business form)

Removing a custom field


Removing a custom field

If you no longer need to use a custom field, you can turn it off so that it doesn't appear. You can remove a custom field:

From a particular business form

From every form and list where the field appears

For details, click the task.


Removing a custom field
(from a business form)

1	Display the form. In the list of templates at the top of the form click Customize.

2	In the Customize Template window:

Select the template from which you want to remove the field.

Click Edit to edit the template.

Click OK.

3	In the Customize window, click the tab where the field appears:

Click . . .	For fields associated with
Fields	Customers or vendors.
Columns	Items.
4	Mark the Screen and Print checkboxes to indicate the situations when you don't want the field to appear:

Mark like this . . .	If you want to
	Display the field when you view the form on your screen, but exclude the field when you print the form. This option is useful when you need to retain the field for your own records, but you don't want your customer to see the information you've filled in.
	Remove the field from both the onscreen and printed version of the form. This option removes the field from the forms only [image] the field is still available on the lists for which you created it. If you entered data into the field on previous forms, QuickBooks retains the data even though the field no longer appears on the forms.
5	Click OK.

See also

Removing a custom field (throughout QuickBooks)

Renaming a custom field


Removing a custom field
(throughout QuickBooks)

1	Display the window where you defined the field:

For items. In the Items list, select any item. Click Edit, click Custom Fields, and then click Define fields.

For names. In the Customer:Job, Vendor, or Employee list, select any name. Click Edit, click the Additional Info tab, and then click Define fields.

2	Clear the checkboxes for the field:

For . . .	Clear the . . .
Names	Customer:Jobs, Vendors, and Employees checkboxes.
Items	Use checkbox.
3	Click OK.

See also

Removing a custom field (from a business form)

Renaming a custom field


Item Custom Fields window

This window shows the custom fields you have set up for items (if no fields are listed, you haven't set any up yet). Information you enter in a field becomes part of the information associated with the item.

To add more fields to the list

Click Define Fields.

To rename a field

Click Define Fields.

See also

Adding custom fields for items

Why use custom fields?


Define Fields window

You use this window to set up custom fields for items. QuickBooks adds your custom fields to the fields you work with when you set up new items or make changes to existing items. You can also add your custom fields as additional columns to sales forms, purchase orders, and estimates.

To set up a field

1	Enter the name of the field in the Label column.

2	Select the Use checkbox next to the field name.

To rename a field

1	In the Label column, select the name of the field.

2	Enter the new name in place of the existing name.

3	Click OK.

Implications of renaming a field

To remove a field from use

1	Clear the Use checkbox next to the name of the field.

2	Click OK.

See also

Why use custom fields?


Define Fields window

You use this window to set up custom fields for customers, vendors, or employees. The fields appear on the Additional Info tab when you are editing a customer, vendor, or employee record. In the case of customers and vendors, you can also add your custom fields to sales forms, purchase orders, and estimates.

To set up a field

1	Enter the name of the field in the Label column.

2	Select the checkbox for each list on which you want the field to appear.

Restrictions. You can add up to seven fields to each list. Overlapping fields count as one field on each list. For example, if you add the same field to all three lists, you can still add six other fields to each list.

To rename a field

1	In the Label column, select the name of the field.

2	Enter the new name in place of the existing name.

3	Click OK.

To remove a field from use

1	Clear the checkbox for each list on which the field appears.

2	Click OK.

See also

Why use custom fields?


Finding more information in Help

Contents. Click this tab to look through the table of contents of everything in QuickBooks Help. To open one of the book icons, double-click it. Keep opening books until you get a topic you want to read.

Index. Click this tab to look up a term in the index. Start typing the term you're looking for. Some terms have subentries, just like any book's index. Double-click a term to open a topic related to it.

Find. Click this tab to search for each instance of a word or phrase. This kind of search is more thorough, but it may give you topics that aren't as relevant as those you find from the Index tab.

See also

How to use Help


How to use Help

Where to start

To find out about the window you're working in, press F1, click the Help button on the iconbar, or choose Help from the Help menu.

To learn how to use QuickBooks in your type of business, choose QuickBooks and Your Industry from the Help menu.

To learn about the new features in this release of QuickBooks, choose New Features for QuickBooks 5.0 from the Help menu.

How to find the topic you want

Click the Contents button at the top of the Help window. The window that opens has three tabs at the top: Contents, Index, and Find:

Contents. Click the this tab to look through the table of contents of everything in QuickBooks Help. To open one of the book icons, double-click it. Keep opening books until you get a topic you want to read.

Index. Click this tab to look up a term in the index. Start typing the term you're looking for. Some terms have subentries, just like any book's index. Double-click a term to open a topic related to it.

Find. Click this tab to search for each instance of a word or phrase. This kind of search is more thorough, but it may give you topics that aren't as relevant as those you find from the Index tab.

When you've found the topic

If the topic goes beyond the bottom of the Help window, click the scroll bar at the right to read the rest of the topic. Text in green indicates that more information is available. Click the green text to display the information.

Some topics also contain diagrams you can click to get more information. When this is the case, click the part of the diagram you want to know more about.

To return to a topic you read during your current session with Help, click Back.


Depositing customer payments

1	From the Activities menu, choose Make Deposit.

2	If you have payments to deposit, click the ones you'd like to deposit now.

3	Click OK.

4	In the Make Deposits window, select the account you'd like to deposit into.

5	In the detail area of the Make Deposits window, enter any amounts to deposit that are not payments you received through sales to customers.

Examples

6	Click OK.

What if . . .

You want to separate your deposits?

See also

Printing a deposit slip

Setting a reminder to make deposits

Editing or deleting a deposited payment

Using the QuickMath calculator to calculate amounts


If your bank separates different kinds of deposits (cheques from credit cards, for example), you can make reconciling easy by separating your deposits the same way. That way, your QuickBooks current register will have separate deposit transactions the same way your bank statement does.

To make separate deposits

1	Check off only one type of payment  (cheques, for example) in the Payments to Deposit window.

2	Click OK and complete the first deposit in the Make Deposits window.

3	Record the first Deposit by clicking Next in the Make Deposits window.

4	Click Pmts to redisplay the Payments to Deposit window.

5	Start the process over by choosing another group of payments (Visa, for example).


Examples of deposits that are not customer payments might include refunds from vendors or money an owner is investing in the company.

To add an amount to the deposit

1	In the Make Deposits window, click anywhere below the last payment listed in the detail area.

2	Enter the name of the person or organization you received the money from.

3	Enter the amount.

4	Enter the account where you want to track the money.


Editing or deleting a deposited payment

1	Open the Undeposited Funds register.

2	In the register, select the deposit that contains the payment you want to edit or delete.

3	Click Edit.

4	In the Make Deposits window, select the line containing the payment you want to edit or delete.

5	Press Ctrl + D.

QuickBooks deletes the payment from the deposit. The payment still exists in your QuickBooks records; it's just undeposited. QuickBooks puts the money back into Undeposited Funds.

6	Click OK in the Make Deposits window to record the deposit without the payment you've just deleted.

7	Edit or delete the original payment transaction.

See also

Using the QuickMath calculator to calculate amounts


Handling American Express charges

Why do American Express charges need special handling?

1	Add to your chart of accounts a current asset account to track the receipts you send to American Express:

Name the account something like "Due from AmEx."

For the opening balance, enter the amount that American Express currently owes you.

2	When a customer pays you using American Express, use one of these methods to record the payment:

Use this window . . .	When
Enter Cash Sales	The customer pays at the time of sale. Enter American Express as the payment method.
Receive Payments	The customer pays after receiving an invoice. Enter the payment method (American Express) when you record the customer's payment in the Receive Payments window.
3	When you send your receipts to American Express, deposit the receipts in the account you set up to track American Express receipts.

How to make the deposits

4	When you receive a cheque from American Express, choose Make Deposits from the Activities menu.

5	If you see the Payments to Deposit window, do not select any payments. Instead, click OK to display the Make Deposits window.

6	In the Make Deposits window, do the following:

Enter the name of the current asset account you created.

Enter the original total of the receipts on one line.

Then add a line that subtracts the fees American Express charged to arrive at the correct deposit amount.

Example

See also

Adding new accounts

Depositing customer payments


With most bank credit cards, you simply deposit in QuickBooks the amount your customer has charged on the card. Your bank credits you with the total amount charged and the credit card company charges you a fee. With American Express, you send your receipts to the credit card company and they send you back your revenue minus their charge.


To deposit the receipts, do the following:

1	From the Activities menu, choose Make Deposits.

2	In the Payments to Deposit window, select those payments where the payment method is American Express.

3	In the Make Deposits window, choose the "Due from AmEx" account in the Deposit To field.


This example shows how to enter the American Express fees:


Make Deposits window
For more detail about any part of this window, click the diagram.

You use this window to deposit customer payments that QuickBooks has been holding in your Undeposited Funds account.

See also

Depositing customer payments


Payments to Deposit window

You use this window to select the customer payments you want to include in this deposit. You can select all the payments listed, or any combination of individual payments.

To . . .	Do this
Select some of the payments listed	Click each payment you want to include in the deposit.  Then click OK.
Select all of the payments listed	Click Select All. Then click OK.
"Unselect" the payments you have selected	Click Select None.
See also

Depositing customer payments


Deposit to

Choose the QuickBooks bank account where you would like QuickBooks to record the deposit.


Date

The date of the deposit. QuickBooks automatically inserts today's date. You can enter a different date if you wish.

See also

Shortcuts for dates


List of payments to deposit

This list shows the customer payments you selected in the Payments to Deposit window. If you wish, you can add non-customer payments at this time. Examples of payments you might add include refunds or rebates from vendors or money someone is investing in the company.

To add payments to the list

1	Click below the last payment in the list.

2	Enter the name of the person or vendor from whom you received the payment, the amount of the payment, and the account where QuickBooks is holding the payment (usually, this is Undeposited Funds).

3	(Optional) Enter a memo about the payment, the cheque number (if you received a cheque), and the method of payment (cheque, Visa, etc.).


Memo

Enter a note about the deposit here. You can enter up to 4095 characters.

The beginning of the memo appears in your current account register and on reports that show the details of the deposit.


Deposit Total

This is a running total of the payments listed in the deposit. QuickBooks recalculates the total each time you add another payment to the deposit.


Next

Records the current deposit and displays the next deposit.

When you click Next, deposits appear in date order. If you are at the most recent deposit, click Next to display a blank form so you can enter a new deposit.

If you have more than one bank account. The Next (and Prev) buttons only display deposits posted to the account shown in the Deposit To field. To see the deposits in one of your other bank accounts, you must first choose the account from the Deposit To drop-down list.


Prev

Displays the previous deposit. When you click Prev, deposits appear in reverse date order (most recent first, oldest last).

If you have more than one bank account. The Prev (and Next) buttons only display deposits posted to the account shown in the Deposit To field. To see the deposits in one of your other bank accounts, you must first choose the account from the Deposit To drop-down list.


OK

Records the deposit and closes the window.

If you want to keep the window open to enter another deposit, click Next instead.


Cancel

Cancels what you have entered and closes the window. If you are entering a new deposit, the deposit is not recorded.


Pmts (Payments)

Redisplays the Payments to Deposit window. From this window, you can select additional customer payments to include in the current deposit.


Print

Prints a summary that lists the payments you included in the deposit. You can use this printed list as a deposit slip at your bank.


Transaction History window (deposits)

This window lists all the payments included in the current deposit.

To . . .	Do this
Go to a transaction	Select the transaction and click Go To.
Display the deposit	Click Edit Deposit.
See also

Depositing customer payments


QuickBooks Professional Advisors

QuickBooks Professional Advisors offer guidance on everything from installing your software and setting up your company books, to mastering QuickBooks' and QuickBooks Pro's advanced features.  Whether you're upgrading from an earlier version of QuickBooks or using the software for the first time, a QuickBooks Professional  Advisor can help you get the most out of QuickBooks.

QuickBooks Professional Advisors are independent accountants, bookkeepers, computer consultants and trainers who work with small businesses, providing one-on-one service.  They can provide valuable, practical advice from their areas of expertise.

Free Referral Service

To find a QuickBooks Professional Advisor in your community, visit our website at  www.intuit.com/canada/quickbooks. New members from across Canada are continually added, providing you with a comprehensive list of professionals in your community.

 Or, call toll-free 1-888-829-7789 to find the name of a professional in your community who provides consulting for QuickBooks. (Hours: Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. EST)

There is no charge to use our referral service. However, Professional Advisors charge  fees for their services.  For personalized assistance, consulting and support, contact a QuickBooks Professional Advisor in your area.

While Intuit believes all members of the QuickBooks Professional Advisors Program to be qualified professionals, Intuit does not warrant or guarantee the quality of  their work and Intuit is not responsible for any errors or results of the actions of the Advisors.


Using the interview

This interview takes you through the steps of involved in setting up a new QuickBooks company. The interview walks you through the entire set up process.

In general

If you're not sure how to answer a question, you can always go back and change your answer later. If you're setting up a new QuickBooks company file, a few questions ask you to make a decision that's not easily reversed. When this is the case, you'll see this symbol:

As you use the interview

Click . . .	To do this
Next	Move to the next screen.
Prev	Move to the previous screen.
A tab	Move to the next part or section of the interview. If you are setting up a new QuickBooks company, the tabs along the side represent major aspects of your business. We recommend that you complete the General section at a minimum.
Leave	Return to the main QuickBooks program. You can leave the interview at any point and finish it later.
To return to the interview

From the File menu, choose EasyStep Interview.

When you return to the interview, the sections you have completed are checked off. You do not need to return to a previously-completed section unless you need to change a response or enter new information.


Equity accounts you start with

When you set up your QuickBooks company, QuickBooks automatically sets up these two equity accounts for you:

Opening Bal Equity	QuickBooks automatically creates this account when you enter the starting balance of your first balance sheet account.  QuickBooks uses Open Bal Equity to ensure that you get a correct balance sheet even before you've entered all your company's assets and liabilities.  QuickBooks records the opening balance of each account in Opening Bal Equity. You can transfer some, or all, of the money in Opening Bal Equity to other equity accounts.
Retained Earnings	This account tracks your company's net income from previous fiscal years.  QuickBooks automatically transfers your profit (or loss) to Retained Earnings at the end of each fiscal year.
See also

Tracking retained earnings

Transferring money out of Opening Bal Equity

Equity accounts you can create


Equity accounts you can create

You can create additional equity accounts as you need them. You can use equity accounts to track the following:

Owner's equity

Owner's draws

Capital investment

Capital stock.

If you own your company, we recommend that you add at least one equity account to track your personal investment and owner's draws.

See also

bmc SEE2.BMP}	Recording an owner's draw

Recording capital investments

Transferring money out of Opening Bal Equity


Recording an owner's draw

1	From the Activities menu, choose Write Cheques.

2	Make the cheque out to yourself.

3	In the detail area of the cheque, assign the amount of the cheque to the equity account you use to record owner's draws.

4	Click OK to record the cheque.

See also

Recording capital investments


Recording capital investments

What is a capital investment?

1	From the Activities menu, choose Make Deposits.

2	If QuickBooks displays the Payments to Deposit window, do one of the following:

Select the payments you want to deposit along with your investment cheque.

Click Cancel to deposit the investment cheque by itself.

3	In the Make Deposits window, choose the bank account into which you're depositing the money.

4	In the detail area, enter the name of the person whom you received the money from and the amount of the investment.

5	In the "From account" drop-down list, choose the appropriate equity account.

6	Click OK.

See also

Recording an owner's draw


A capital investment is personal money that you or a business partner invests in your business. You use an equity account to track capital investments.


Tracking retained earnings

What are retained earnings?

1	From the Reports menu, choose Balance Sheet.

2	Chose Standard. Your Retained Earnings Account appears in the Equity section of the balance sheet.

Example

If your fiscal year is January to December and you create a standard balance sheet on December 31st, QuickBooks shows your net income for the year on a line labelled "Net Income."  In this example, the net income for the year is $124,493.00:

Equity
Opening Bal Equity	15,000.00
Owners Draws	-45,750.00
Owners Equity	75,000.00
Retained Earnings	0.00
Net Income	124,493.00
Total Equity	168,743.00
If you then create a standard balance sheet the next day on January 1st, the same net income from the previous year now appears in your Retained Earnings account, and net income for the new year has changed to 0.00:

Equity
Opening Bal Equity	15,000.00
Owners Draws	-45,750.00
Owners Equity	75,000.00
Retained Earnings	124,493.00
Net Income	0.00
Total Equity	168,743.00


Retained earnings are profits from earlier accounting periods that have not been distributed to the company's owners. At the end of your fiscal year, QuickBooks automatically transfers your profit (or loss) into an equity account named Retained Earnings.


Transferring money out of Opening Bal Equity

What is Opening Bal Equity?

1	From the Lists menu, choose Chart of Accounts.

2	Select the Opening Bal Equity account.

3	Choose Use Register from the Activities menu button.

4	Enter a transfer transaction:

Enter the amount in the Decrease column of the register.

In the Account field, enter the name of the equity account where you are transferring the money.

5	Click Record.

See also

Tracking retained earnings


When you set up your company in QuickBooks as of a particular start date, you may already have company assets and liabilities as of that date. When you tell QuickBooks the opening balances of your assets and liabilities, QuickBooks automatically enters those amounts in an equity account named Opening Bal Equity. QuickBooks creates Opening Bal Equity to ensure that you will have a correct balance sheet when you first set up your QuickBooks company.

If you have set up other equity accounts to track an owner's capital investment or an owner's draw, you may want to transfer money from Opening Bal Equity to those accounts.

Opening Bal Equity and retained earnings

If you've created an equity account to track your investment and draws and entered a starting balance for that account, it's likely that any money left in Opening Bal Equity is retained earnings from prior years. If that's the case, you can transfer the Opening Bal Equity amount to Retained Earnings. (This is another equity account that QuickBooks creates. QuickBooks uses the Retained Earnings account to track profits from earlier accounting periods that have not been distributed to the company's owners).


New features
New features in QuickBooks Pro 5.0

QuickBooks 5.0 provides over two dozen new features to help you accomplish more in less time. A brief description of each major new feature appears in the list below. If you'd prefer to have a paper copy of this listing, choose Print Topic from the File menu in this help window.

Sales

With QuickBooks' new customization features, it's even easier to make QuickBooks work exactly the way you do:

Customizable forms

With the new customize forms feature, you can do the following:

- Create multiple custom invoices, statements, and other forms

- Control placement of fields, columns, and a logo by selecting and moving them with your mouse

- Resize fields and columns using your mouse

- Add a colour logo of virtually any size

- Control individual fonts

- Have greater control of margins

- Specify text justification

- Control whether you want lines drawn around fields and columns

- Have snap to grid alignment

- Use Undo for greater flexibility when experimenting with your designs

- Use print preview to view your custom designs

- Add a text field for legal text, disclaimers, and so on.

Word wrap

You can now enter long, paragraph style descriptions on forms for the products and services you sell.

Progress invoicing (Pro only)

New progress billing allows you to bill your clients by milestone, by date, or by percentage complete.

Tax

The following tax related features have been added:

Tax codes for customers

You can assign a default tax code to each customer. This feature allows you to use the customer tax code for tax calculation, instead of the item tax code.

To assign a tax code, first select the "Allow customer tax codes" checkbox on the GST/PST Preferences window. Once you've done this, a "Use customer tax code" checkbox appears on the Additional Info tab of the New Customer window. Select the "Use customer tax code" checkbox, and choose the tax code from the drop-down list.

You can use this feature on the invoice, estimate, cash sale and credit memo/refund sales forms.

Editable tax fields

The tax fields on the cash sales, credit memo, and invoice forms are now editable.

Working style

These new features make QuickBooks faster and easier to use than ever before:

Inactive customers, vendors, and employees

Simplify your customer, vendor, and employee lists by specifying which are active and which are inactive. For example, you can hide customers with whom you no longer do business, but view their information with a click of the mouse.

List reporting

New list reporting makes it easier to run reports on customers, vendors, items, and more. You can create your own reports, or choose one of the many preset reports.

Report customization and filtering

It is now easier and faster to create custom reports. Report customization and filtering are similar to our Find feature.

Improved job costing (Pro only)

You can improve your understanding of job costs and project profitability with the new ability to allocate payroll taxes, commissions, and company contributions by job.

Accountant's Review

If you give a copy of your QuickBooks data file to your accountant to make adjustments such as year-end adjusting entries, you can continue using QuickBooks while your accountant is working.

When your accountant returns the updated file, you can import the adjustments into your QuickBooks data file.

Easy printer set-up

The new printer set-up allows you to quickly switch from printer to fax at print time so you an easily fax invoices and other forms to your customers.

Enhanced notes for vendors and employees

With the enhanced Notes feature, it is easier to keep track of all your conversations with vendors and employees. Add a date stamp to your notes and quickly create new To Do's.

Menu buttons

New menu buttons give you fast access to the activities you want to perform from any QuickBooks list.

QuickBooks Navigator

The QuickBooks Navigator is a graphical user interface that makes it easier to learn and use QuickBooks. It is organized the way you think about your business.

Timer (Pro only)

The onscreen Timer allows you to record start and stop times for projects. Distribute the Timer to multiple people in your office and use it to import their time information into QuickBooks to process payroll and bill clients.

Print timesheets (Pro only)

You can now print your timesheets. This new capability is especially useful for archiving timesheet data.

Longer notes on time activities (Pro only)

Now you can enter longer notes on timesheets to record detailed information about how you spend your time.


Starting a new QuickBooks company

A QuickBooks company contains all the financial records for a single business. If you are just starting out with QuickBooks, and if you are not a Quicken user, the first thing you must do is create a QuickBooks company for your financial records.

We recommend that you use the EasyStep interview to create your QuickBooks company. The interview walks you through the setup procedure and helps you tailor QuickBooks to suit your business. The interview also creates, automatically, some of the QuickBooks accounts and items you'll need.

Instructions

1	From the File menu, choose New Company.

2	(Mandatory) Fill in the information for all the tabs (Welcome, Company Info, Preferences, and Start Date) in the General section.

3	When you have finished the General section, do one of the following:

Click Next to continue the interview.

Click Leave to exit the interview.

What if . . .

You've already been using Quicken or QuickBooks?

You want to bypass the interview?


If you have already been using Quicken, or QuickBooks for Windows, to manage your company's finances, these instructions do not apply to you. See instead the appropriate conversion instructions for your program:

Quicken

QuickBooks for Windows

For details, click the program you are using.


Creating a QuickBooks company without the interview

Use this procedure to set up a QuickBooks company if you prefer to bypass the EasyStep interview and enter only the minimal amount of information you need to get started.

Instructions

1	From the File menu, choose New Company.

2	Exit the EasyStep interview:

Click Next twice.

Click Skip Interview.

Click Yes when QuickBooks asks if you want to continue creating a new company.

3	In the Creating New Company window, enter the following information then click Next:

Your company's name and address.

The name your company uses on legal documents.

The first month of your company's financial year (if other than January).

The first month of your income tax year (if other than January).

How QuickBooks uses this information

4	Choose one of the QuickBooks preset charts of accounts by selecting the type of company that most closely matches yours. Then click Next.

What do you get from a preset chart of accounts?

5	In the Filename for New Company window, review the proposed DOS filename and directory, make any changes you'd like, and then click OK to create your new QuickBooks company.


This is how QuickBooks uses the information you enter:

Company name. Appears on all reports.

Legal name. Appears on tax reports and paystubs.

Address. If you choose to print your name and address on invoices, cheques, or other forms, QuickBooks uses the name and address you enter here. You can add your company's phone number if you want it to print with your address.

Financial year. QuickBooks uses your financial year to set the date range for year-to-date reports.

Tax year. QuickBooks uses your income tax year to set the date range for the Income Tax Summary and Detail reports.

You can change any of this information later by choosing Company Information from the File menu. You can change the date range of any report when you create the report.


A preset chart of accounts gives you these benefits:

Speedy setup. The fastest way to develop your own chart of accounts is to choose the preset chart that best suits your company and then add or delete accounts as needed.

Expertise. You get a list of accounts developed by accounting experts after careful research into businesses like your own.

Other preset lists. QuickBooks automatically supplies other lists (payment methods, customer and vendor types, and payment terms) suited to your type of business.


Changing your company information

When you set up your QuickBooks company, you enter information about it in the EasyStep Interview windows or in the Creating a New Company windows. Later, you can change any of the information you entered. For example, you may need to change your company address because your company has moved.

Instructions

1	From the File menu, choose Company Info.

2	If needed, change your company's name, legal name, or address:

Enter your new company name and address as you would like them to appear on printed invoices, cheques, and other forms.

If your company's legal name is different from the company name you use on printed forms, enter the legal name in the Legal name field. QuickBooks uses your company's legal name on tax reports and paystubs.

3	If the starting month for your financial year has changed, choose the new month from the drop-down list.

How QuickBooks uses your financial year

4	If the starting month for your income tax year has changed, choose the new month from the drop-down list.

How QuickBooks uses your income tax year

5	If your income tax form has changed, choose the new tax form from the drop-down list.

Important. If you change the tax form, QuickBooks resets all of the associations between accounts and tax lines to <Unassigned>. You'll have to reassociate your accounts with tax lines for the new tax form you've chosen.

6	Click OK.

See also

Adding new accounts


QuickBooks uses your financial year to set the date range for certain reports and graphs. For example, if your financial year begins on July 1st, the beginning date for reports based on your financial year is July 1st. You can change the date range for any individual report or graph when you create it.


QuickBooks uses your income tax year to create tax reports. For example, if your income tax year begins on January 1st, your tax reports show all tax-related transactions from January 1 through December 31 of the current income tax year. You can change the date range of any individual report to cover other income tax years or periods when you create the report.


Changing to a different company file

If you work with several companies, you'll be keeping their financial records in separate company files. You can change to another company file at any time.

Instructions

1	From the File menu, choose Open company.

2	Click OK to confirm that you want to close the current company.

QuickBooks asks you this question because you cannot have two company files open at the same time.

3	In the window that appears, select the filename of the company you want to use and click Open.


Keeping an audit trail

You can have QuickBooks keep a record of all the changes made to transactions. Such a record is called an audit trail.

If you keep an audit trail, you may find that QuickBooks works a little more slowly, and your data will take up more disk space. These changes occur because QuickBooks must keep a record of every transaction change. (Normally, QuickBooks writes over a transaction when you change it.)

To start an audit trail

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences.

2	In the Preferences window, select Accounting from the scroll box.

3	Select the Use Audit Trail checkbox.

4	Click OK.

To view the audit trail report

1	From the Reports menu, choose Other Reports.

2	Choose Audit Trail.

What the report shows

Transactions that say "Previous Transaction" have been modified. You can compare a "previous" transaction against the "current" one to see what has changed. The report also shows the date and time of each modification.

Removing audit trail information from your file

Audit trail information increases the size of your company data file. If you need to, you can remove the audit trail information by selecting "All audit trail info" when you use QuickBooks' Condense Data command to reduce the size of the file. If you have never used the Condense Data command before, we suggest that you read the following topic first to learn how this powerful command affects your data:

How QuickBooks condenses data


Backing up your data

You should make a backup copy of your QuickBooks company on a daily basis. Backup copies are important insurance [image] if you should lose data for any reason, you can restore data from your backup copy.

Instructions

1	If you are backing up to a floppy disk, put the disk in a disk drive.

2	From the File menu, choose Back Up.

3	(Optional) Change the name that QuickBooks suggests for the backup file.

4	(Optional) Change the suggested drive and directory for the backup file.

If you are backing up to a floppy disk, choose your floppy drive from your list of drives.

5	Click OK.

If you need more than one disk. QuickBooks asks you to insert an additional disk as each disk fills up. Be sure to label the disks so that you'll know which one was first, which was second, and so on. This will help you if you ever need to restore the data from the disks.

What the backup command does

The QuickBooks Backup command does not simply copy the data for your QuickBooks company. Instead, it compresses the data into a compact file that is smaller than your company file. To open a backup file, choose Restore from the File menu.

See also

Recommended backup routine


Recommended backup routine

We recommend that you back up your data at the end of each session. If your hard disk has more than one drive, back up onto a different drive from the one where you keep your working data. If you have only one hard disk drive, back up onto floppy disks. Remember that an important purpose for backing up data is to protect against a hard disk failure.

Instructions

1	Each day, back up onto floppy disks to keep in the office.

Tip. The first time you do a daily backup, we suggest that you make several sets of backup floppy disks and label the sets "QuickBooks Backup Monday," "QuickBooks Backup Tuesday," etc.

2	At least once a month, make a backup copy to keep off your premises.

Tip. For your monthly backups, you may want to alternate between two sets of disks. If disaster strikes your office, you'll want to have a reliable record of your data to fall back on.

3	At the end of your financial year, make an archive copy of your data to keep off your premises.


Restoring data you've backed up

If you have created a backup copy of your company data, you can bring the backup copy back into QuickBooks by using the Restore command. You may need to do this if one of the following has occurred:

Your working data is damaged

Your hard disk has malfunctioned

You need to put the data on another computer

You want your data to revert to the state it was in at an earlier date.

Restrictions

Instructions

1	If the backup copy is on a floppy disk, put the disk in your floppy disk drive.

If the backup copy is on several disks, insert the first disk in the disk drive.

2	From the File menu, choose Restore.

3	Click OK to confirm that you want to close the current company.

QuickBooks asks you this question because you cannot have two company files open at the same time.

4	If the name of the backup file doesn't appear in the File Name list, choose the drive and directory that contain the backup copy.

5	In the File Name list, select the backup file and click OK.

Note. The backup file will have a QBB extension.

6	In the Name Restored File window, enter a name for the new company file.

7	(Optional)  If you want the new company file to be in a different location than where you installed QuickBooks, choose the drive and directory where you want to put the file.

8	Click OK.

9	Respond to any messages QuickBooks may display.

If QuickBooks finds a company file with the same name in the folder you specified, QuickBooks asks you if you want to replace the existing file. If you click Replace, QuickBooks erases the existing file from your hard disk and replaces it with the file you are restoring. To be absolutely safe, click Cancel and give the file you are restoring a different name.

If your backup file spreads over more than one disk, QuickBooks asks you to insert the next disk.

What the Restore command does

Restore creates a new QuickBooks company using the data from the backup copy.


Because your back up copy is in a compressed file format, you must use the Restore command to bring the data back into QuickBooks. Do not use the Copy command from the Windows File Manager or the DOS prompt.

If your hard disk has malfunctioned, you first need to reinstall QuickBooks on the repaired or new hard disk. For instructions, see the QuickBooks Getting Started Guide.


Setting passwords for your company file

You can set passwords to discourage unauthorized access to your company file and limit particular activities within the file.

Instructions

1	From the File menu, choose Passwords.

2	Under "Owner Password," click Set Password.

3	Enter the password in the New Password field.

For security reasons, you'll only see asterisks as you enter the password.

4	Enter the password again in the Confirm Password field.

5	Click OK.

6	(Optional) Repeat the previous steps to set up a payroll, data entry, or transaction password.

7	Click OK to leave the Passwords window.

8	Write down the new passwords and save them in a secure place.

Important. If you don't remember the owner password, you will not be able to view or print reports, graphs, or registers for your company file.

See also

Setting a password for payroll

Changing a password

Deleting a password

Closing an accounting period


Setting a password for payroll

You can set up a password that lets the person who uses it enter and edit payroll transactions, payroll items, and employee information (including wage and salary information). Users of the password will not be able to view reports, graphs, or registers; or edit transactions entered in previous sessions.

Instructions

1	From the File menu, choose Passwords.

2	Create an owner password, if you don't have one.

You cannot set up a payroll password without an owner password. The owner password is needed so that someone can have access to the entire program (and change or remove passwords).

3	Under "Payroll Password," click Set Password.

4	Enter the password in the New Password field.

For security reasons, you'll only see asterisks as you enter the password.

5	Enter the password again in the Confirm Password field.

6	Click OK.

7	Click OK to leave the Passwords window.

8	Write down the new password and save it in a secure place.

See also

Changing a password

Deleting a password


Changing a password

If you have the privileges of the owner password, you can change any of the passwords for your company file.

Instructions

1	From the File menu, choose Passwords.

2	Click Set Password for the password you want to change.

3	Enter the new password in the New Password field.

For security reasons, you'll only see asterisks as you enter the password.

4	Enter the new password again in the Confirm Password field.

5	Click OK.

6	(Optional) Repeat Steps 3 through 5 to change any of the other passwords.

7	Click OK to leave the Passwords window.

8	Write down the new passwords and save them in a secure place.

See also

Deleting a password


Deleting a password

If you have the privileges of the owner password, you can delete any of the passwords for your company file.

Instructions

1	From the File menu, choose Passwords.

2	Click Clear Password for the password you want to delete.

3	Click OK.

See also

Changing a password


Closing an accounting period

Unlike most other accounting systems, QuickBooks does not require you to "close the books" at the end of a period. However, you may want to restrict access to the transactions of prior accounting periods to be sure that no one changes the transactions without your knowledge. You can do this by setting up a transaction password.

Instructions

1	From the File menu, choose Passwords.

2	In the Transaction Password section of the Passwords window, enter the date through which your books are closed.

3	Click Set Password.

4	Enter the password in the New Password field.

For security reasons, you'll only see asterisks as you enter the password.

5	Enter the password again in the Confirm Password field.

6	Click OK.

7	Click OK to leave the Passwords window.


How QuickBooks condenses data

If your company file has grown too large, you can reduce its size by having QuickBooks condense the transactions from a period of time that you designate. When you condense data, QuickBooks deletes all the transactions you no longer need to keep your records current, replacing them with new transactions that summarize, by month, the deleted transactions.

Important. Condensing data has a significant effect on your company file. We suggest you review this topic first before you proceed.

Which transactions are affected?

When you condense data, you specify an ending date for the period of time you want to condense. This has no effect on transactions dated after the ending date. For example, if your ending date is 12/31/96, all transactions dated 1/1/97 and later remain unchanged in your company file.

Of the transactions dated on or before the ending date, QuickBooks deletes and summarizes only those that have no effect on transactions dated after the ending date.

For example, if an invoice has been paid in full, QuickBooks deletes the details and includes the amount in a summary transaction showing income accounts. Neither the customer name nor the items sold are retained. However, if an invoice is unpaid, QuickBooks leaves the invoice in your file so you can apply future payments to the invoice.

This table gives examples of the situations that cause QuickBooks to retain transactions dated on or before the ending date:

Situation	Examples
A transaction has an open balance	Unpaid or partially-paid invoices, undeposited customer payments, unpaid bills, unused credit memos.
A transaction is linked to another transaction that has an open balance	An undeposited customer payment that you applied to an invoice. Even though the invoice is paid, QuickBooks retains the invoice because it has a link to an open transaction (the undeposited payment).
A transaction is not marked as cleared	Unreconciled transactions in a current or credit card account.
A transaction is marked as "to be printed"	Any invoice, credit memo, sales receipt, or cheque that has a checkmark in its "To be printed" checkbox.
QuickBooks summarizes what it deletes

QuickBooks creates summary transactions for the transactions it deletes from your file. With the exception of transactions that affect the value of your inventory, you can spot the summary transactions by looking for GENJRNL in the Type field of your registers.

There is usually one GENJRNL transaction for each month in which QuickBooks deleted transactions. The transaction amount is the total of the transactions that QuickBooks deleted for the month. For a given month, the register may also show other transactions that QuickBooks did not delete. These are transactions that could be affected by transactions you have yet to enter.

The effect on inventory

QuickBooks does not condense any transactions that include inventory items.

The effect on your reports

Condensing your company file will affect reports that include part or all of the period of time you condensed. The main effects are:

Account balances	After you condense your data, you can still create reports that summarize financial activity for the period of time you condensed. For example, if you condense last year's data, you can still create profit and loss reports that compare last year's results to this year's. This is because QuickBooks adds summary transactions to your company file to preserve account balances.
Transaction detail	After you condense your data, you won't be able to create reports that show daily detail for the period of time you condensed. This is because QuickBooks deleted the individual transactions that would have provided the detail. In addition, you won't be able to create reports that show balances for individual customers or vendors over that period of time. (As a precaution, QuickBooks creates a backup file in case you need access to the deleted transactions later.)
The effect on payroll

QuickBooks adds adjustment transactions to your payroll liability account. Each payroll item receives one adjustment transaction for each month over the period of time you condensed.

The effect on estimates and time data

QuickBooks deletes only those estimates that have a job status of Closed. If an estimate has any other job status (Pending, Awarded, In Progress, or Not Awarded), QuickBooks retains the estimate.

QuickBooks deletes time data if it is marked as "billed" or "not billable," or if its job status is Closed. If you base your payroll on time data, you must also have paid your employees for the time. For example, if you billed your customer for the time but you have not yet paid your employee, QuickBooks does not delete the time data.

How to condense data

For step-by-step instructions, see:

Condensing data


Condensing data

Important. Condensing data has a significant effect on your company file. We suggest you review this topic before you proceed:

How QuickBooks condenses data

Instructions

1	From the Window menu, choose Close All.

Before you can condense your data, you must first close all windows that are currently open on the QuickBooks desktop.

2	From the File menu, choose Utilities and then choose Condense Data.

3	Enter the ending date for the period of time you want QuickBooks to condense the transactions. If you track inventory, it's best to make the date the last day of the month. That way, your average cost for items will remain correct.

Example

4	(Optional) After QuickBooks condenses the transactions, you may have list items that are no longer in use. If there are any unused list items that you wish to delete, select the checkboxes for those items.

5	Click OK.

A message appears stating that QuickBooks will make a backup file before it condenses the transactions. The backup file ensures that you will still have a record of the details of any transactions that QuickBooks deletes from your company file.

6	Click OK to create the backup file.

7	If you are backing up to a floppy disk, be sure that you have a blank, formatted disk in drive A or drive B. Click the down arrow to display the Drives list; then click the letter of your floppy drive.

8	(Optional) Change the name of the backup file. (The name that QuickBooks suggests is the name of your company file with a QBB extension.)

9	If you want the backup file to be in a different directory than the one shown under the word "Directories," double-click the directory you want in the Directories list.

10	Click OK.


For example, to condense data up to the end of 1995, you would enter 12/31/95.  This would condense all transactions dated on or before 12/31/95. Transactions dated 1/1/96 and later would not be affected.


Creating New Company window (Enter company name)
Creating New Company window

You use this window to enter your company's name and address, your company's legal name, the first month of your company's financial year, the first month of your company's income tax year, and the tax form you use when you file your company's income taxes.

Instructions

1	Enter the following information:

Your company's name and address.

The name your company uses on legal documents.

The first month of your company's financial year (if other than January).

The first month of your income tax year (if other than January).

How QuickBooks uses this information

2	From the list of income tax forms, choose the form you use for your company.

3	Click Next to display the next company setup window.


Create New Company window (Choose chart of accounts)
Creating New Company window

You can have QuickBooks set up a preset chart of accounts for your new QuickBooks company.

To . . .	Do this
Choose a preset chart of accounts	Click the type of company that most closely resembles your company. The accounts that QuickBooks will create appear in the right hand list.
Move on to the next window.	Click Next.


Using Inventory window

If your business purchases some items ready for resale, keeps them in inventory, and then sells them, QuickBooks can track the current number in stock and the value of your inventory after every purchase and sale.

Click . . .	If you
Yes	Stock inventory, or if you track or print purchase orders. This causes QuickBooks to put some additional choices on your Activities and Reports menus, and makes it possible to add stock items to your Item list.
No	You don't need to track inventory and you don't need to track or print purchase orders.
If you answer "No," you can always turn on inventory tracking at a later time.


Company Information window

This window shows basic information you entered about your company in the EasyStep Interview windows or in the Creating a New Company windows. Later, you can change any of the information shown.

Instructions

1	If needed, change your company's name, legal name, or address:

Enter your new company name and address as you would like them to appear on printed invoices, cheques, and other forms.

If your company's legal name is different from the company name you use on printed forms, enter the legal name in the Legal name field. QuickBooks uses your company's legal name on on tax reports and paystubs.

2	If the starting month for your financial year has changed, choose the new month from the drop-down list.

How QuickBooks uses your financial year

3	If the starting month for your tax year has changed, choose the new month from the drop-down list.

How QuickBooks uses your tax year

4	If your income tax form has changed, choose the new tax form from the drop-down list.

Important. If you change the tax form, QuickBooks resets all of the associations between accounts and tax lines to <Unassigned>. You'll have to reassociate your accounts with tax lines for the new tax form you've chosen. For details, see:


Filename for New Company window

QuickBooks is creating the data file that will hold the financial records for your new company. This window shows QuickBooks' suggested name and location for the company file.

To . . .	Do this
Accept the suggested filename and location	Click OK.
Change the filename	Enter the filename you want over QuickBooks' suggested filename. You can use up to eight characters in a filename. Be sure to keep the .QBW extension [image] it identifies the file as a QuickBooks company file.
Put the file in a different directory	Double-click the directory you want in the list of directories. (If you don't see the directory you want in the list, you may have to double-click another directory to display the one you want.)
Put the file on a different drive	Choose the drive you want from the Drives list. Do not change to a floppy drive [image] your data file can become too large to fit on one floppy disk.


Open a Company window

Use this window to enter the name of the company file you want to open.

To . . .	Do this
Open a file from the current directory	In the list of files, double-click the file you want to open.
Open a file from a different directory	Double-click the directory you want from the Directories list. In the list of files, double-click the name of the file you want to open.
Open a file from a different drive	Choose the drive you want from the Drives list. In the list of files, double-click the name of the file you want to open.


Backing up or restoring a file

To complete the task you are performing, you must either make a back up copy of your current file, or restore data from a previous backup. If you are backing up a file, this window shows QuickBooks' suggested name and location for the backup file. If you are restoring a file, this window suggests which file to restore.

For details on how to use this window, click the action that applies:

Backing up a file

Restoring a file


To . . .	Do this
Accept the suggested filename	Click OK. QuickBooks names the file as indicated and puts the file in the directory shown just above the list of directories.
Change the name of the backup file	Enter the filename you want over QuickBooks' suggested filename. You can use up to eight characters in a filename. Be sure to keep the three character filename extension that QuickBooks suggests (QBB if you are backing up your company file, QBX if you are creating an Accountant's Review copy).
Put the backup file in a different directory	Double-click the directory you want in the Directories list. (If you don't see the directory you want in the list, you may have to double-click another directory to display the one you want.)
Put the backup file on a different drive (such as a floppy drive)	Choose the drive you want from the Drives list.


To . . .	Do this
Accept the suggested filename	Click OK. If you are backing up a file, QuickBooks names the file as indicated and puts the file in the directory shown just above the list of directories.
Select a file to restore from a different directory	Double-click the directory you want from the Directories list. In the list of files, double-click the name of the file you want to restore.
Select a file to restore from a different drive	Choose the drive you want from the Drives list. In the list of files, double-click the name of the file you want to restore.


Name Restored File window

QuickBooks creates a new company file for the restored data. This window shows QuickBooks' suggested name and location for the file.

To . . .	Do this
Accept the suggested filename and location	Click OK.
Change the filename	Enter the filename you want over QuickBooks' suggested filename. You can use up to eight characters in a filename. Be sure to keep the three character filename extension that QuickBooks suggests.
Put the file in a different directory	Double-click the directory you want in the list of directories. (If you don't see the directory you want in the list, you may have to double-click another directory to display the one you want.)
Put the file on a different drive	Choose the drive you want from the Drives list. Do not change to a floppy drive [image] your data file can become too large to fit on one floppy disk.


No company file is open

A company file provides the financial data you work with. You cannot work in QuickBooks without one.

When no company file is open, you can do one of the following:

Create a new QuickBooks company. From the File menu, choose New Company.

Open an existing company file. From the File menu, choose Open Company.

Restore an existing company file from a backup disk. From the File menu, choose Restore.

Convert financial data from Quicken into a company file. From the File menu, choose Convert From Quicken.


Passwords window

You use this window to set up (or change) passwords for your company file. You can have up to four different kinds of passwords: an owner password, a payroll password, a data entry password, and a transaction password.

To . . .	Do this
Set up a password	Click Set Password for the type of password you want to set up. In the window that appears, enter the text of the new password twice and click OK.
Change a password	Click Set Password for the type of password you want to change. In the window that appears, enter the text of the new password twice and click OK.
Delete a password	Click Clear Password for the type of password you want to delete.
See also

Closing an accounting period


Enter Password window

Type your password in the box provided and click OK.


Ship To Information window

If your company's shipping address is different than its billing address, you can enter the shipping address here. QuickBooks remembers the shipping address and enters it automatically each time you create a purchase order.

To enter the address

Edit, as needed, the address shown in the Ship To field. Then click OK.


Finding a transaction

1	From the Edit menu, choose Find.

2	In the upper part of the Find window, fill in what you want QuickBooks to search for to find the transactions:

You can select as many filters as you want. The more you select, the fewer matching transactions QuickBooks finds.

5	Click Find.

What the Find window shows

6	Select the transaction you want to see and click Go To.

7	(Optional) To print a report showing the transactions QuickBooks found, click Report. When the report appears, click Print in the report buttonbar.

8	To start over or search for different transactions, click Reset.

See also

Examples


QuickBooks lists the transactions it finds in the lower half of the Find window. This list shows all the transactions that match your current search criteria. If the transaction includes line items (like an invoice), or detail lines (like a cheque or a bill), QuickBooks displays the transaction total and, underneath the total, each line item or detail amount. The transaction total appears in bold. An exception to this is when you search for a specific transaction number. Then QuickBooks displays only the transaction total.


Finding a transaction (examples)
Finding a transaction: examples

Example 1

You want to search for the invoices you wrote to three particular customers. First, select Type and choose Invoices from the list of transaction types. Then select Name and choose Selected Names from the Name drop-down list. In the window that appears, click the names of the three customers.

Example 2

You want to search for all cheques greater than or equal to $500.00 that you wrote during the current financial year. First, select Type and choose Cheques from the list of transaction types. Next, select Date and choose "Financial year to date" from the list of date ranges. Finally, select Amount, click > (which means "greater than or equal to"), and enter $500.00.


Click the item you want to know how to fill in

Account	FOB
Amount	Job Type
Date
Item	Paid status
Memo	Payment method
Name	Payroll item
Number	Posting status
Transaction type	Printed status
Aging	Received
Class	Rep
Cleared	Ship date
Customer type	Ship via
Detail level	Template
Due date	Terms
Entered/Modified	Vendor type
What if . . .

You use custom fields?

You can't seem to find a filter for what you want to do?


Account

Account refers to the account associated with a transaction. You can use this filter to find balance sheet accounts where transactions originate (for example, your chequing account), detail accounts (for example, the expense accounts assigned to detail lines on a cheque), or both. Including detail accounts shows you where your income came from and where your expenses went.

To find specific accounts

1	Choose the accounts you want from the Account list.

To search for . . .	Do This
Two or more specific accounts	Choose Selected from the Account list. Then select each account you want to include.
An entire category of accounts	Choose the category from the middle of the Account list.
One account only	Choose the account name from the bottom of the Account list.
2	If you choose one or more balance sheet accounts, indicate whether you also want to search in detail accounts.

Click . . .	To do This
No	Exclude detail accounts from the search.
Yes	Include all detail accounts in the search.
For detail accounts matching	Include selected detail accounts in the search. Use the drop-down list to select the accounts.
Example


Account filter example

You'd like to know which travel-related expenses you paid from your chequing account. To find those transactions, you do the following:

1	Select Account in the list of filters.

2	Choose your chequing account from the Account list.

3	Select "For detail accounts matching".

4	Choose your travel expense account from the drop-down list.

5	Click Find.


Amount

The amount of a transaction is its total [image] for example, the total of an invoice or the amount billed by a vendor.

Click . . .	To show
Any	All transactions, regardless of amount.
=	Transactions exactly equal to a particular amount. For example, all bills for $100.00 exactly.
<	Transactions less than or equal to a specific amount. For example, all cheques for $25.00 or less.
>	Transactions equal to or greater than a specific amount. For example, all invoices for $500 or more.
Example. You're concerned that your business is making too many small purchases. To limit a search to purchases of $100.00 and under, you would click < and enter 100 in the last field (the one to the right of the > symbol).


Date

This is the date of a transaction [image] the date on a invoice for example.

To show transactions . . .	Do this
Dated within a standard period of time	Choose one of the time periods shown on the Date drop-down list. For example, choose "Last quarter" to show transactions dated within your last financial quarter.
Dated between two calendar dates	Enter the dates in the From and To fields. For example, enter 6/15/97 and 6/30/97 to show transactions dated between June 15th and June 30th 1997.
See also

Shortcuts for entering dates


Item

Items are the goods and services you buy and sell. You can limit a search to transactions related to a particular item.

To search for . . .	Do This
Two or more specific items	Choose Selected from the Item list. Then click the name of each item you want to include in the search.
An entire category of items	Choose the category from the Item list. For example, to limit the search to items from your chequing, choose All Inventory Items from the list.
One item only	Choose the item from the last section of the Item list.


Memo

A memo is a note to yourself that you enter in the Memo field of a transaction. You can search for only those transactions that have a specific memo.

To search for . . .	Do This
One memo only	Enter the entire text of the memo.
Memos that share the same word or phrase	Enter the word or phrase.
Example. As a contractor you use the memos "Installation labour" and "Framing labour" on invoices. To limit a search to all invoices that include the word labour, you would select the Memo filter and enter "labour" in the Labour field.


Name

The name of the person or company that appears on a transaction. You can limit a search to transactions related to a particular customer, job, vendor, or employee [image] or to any of the names on your Other Names list.

To search for . . .	Do This
Two or more specific names	Choose Selected from the Name list. Then click each name you want to include in the search.
An entire category of names	Choose the category from the Name list. For example, to limit the search to vendors only, choose All Vendors from the list.
One name only	Choose the customer, job, vendor, or employee from the last section of the Name list.
Example. Your business buys office supplies from three different vendors. To limit a search to purchases from those vendors, you would select the Name filter, choose Selected from the Name list, and then click the names of your office supply vendors.


Number

This is a transaction's number [image] for example, the cheque number on a cheque or the invoice number on an invoice.

To search for . . .	Do this
A range of numbers	Enter the beginning number in the first field and the ending number in the second field.
A single number	Enter the number in the first field. Leave the second field blank.
Example. To search for invoices 500 through 675, you would enter 500 in the first field and 675 in the second field.


Transaction type

A transaction's type indicates what the transaction is [image] a cheque, for example. You can limit a search to only invoices, only bills, only cheques, etc.

To search for . . .	Do this
One type of transaction only	Choose the transaction type (cheque, invoice, etc.) from the Type list.
Two or more types of transactions	Choose Selected Transaction Types from the Transaction Type list. Then click each type of transaction you want to include in the search.
All transactions regardless of type	Leave All in the Type field.


Aging

This is the number of days an invoice or bill is past due.

Click . . .	To show
Any	All past due invoices or bills.
=	Invoices or bills that are past due by only by a specific number of days. For example, 30 days, but not 28 or 31.
<	Invoices or bills that are past due up to and including a specific number of days. For example, up to 30 days, but not over 30.
>	Invoices or bills that are past due by at least a specific number of days. For example 30 days and beyond, but not under 30.
Examples. To show invoices or bills that at least 60 days overdue, click > and enter 60 in the last field (the one to the right of the > symbol). To show invoices or bills that are overdue by 30 days or less, click < and enter 30.


Class

Classes let you group transactions in ways that are meaningful to your business. You can limit a search to transactions related to a particular class.

To search for . . .	Do This
Two or more specific classes	Choose Selected from the Class list. Then click each class you want to include in the search.
One class only	Choose the class from the last section of the Class list.
Example. Your business uses classes to denote sales regions. To search for sales in the Pacific and Southwest regions, you would select the Class filter, choose Selected from the Class list, and then click Pacific and Southwest.


Cleared

Cleared refers to whether you have reconciled your QuickBooks records against your bank or credit card statement. QuickBooks marks cleared transactions with a [image] in a bank, or credit card register.

Click . . .	To search for
Either	All transactions, regardless of whether they have cleared.
Yes	Cleared transactions only.
No	Uncleared transactions only.


Customer Type

Customer types let you group your customers in ways that are meaningful to your business. You can restrict a search to transactions related to a particular customer type.

To search for . . .	Do This
Two or more customer types	Choose Selected from the Customer Type list. Then click each customer type you want to include in the search.
One customer type only	Choose the customer type from the last section of the Customer Type list.


Detail level

Detail level refers to the detail lines in a transaction (for example, the line items on an invoice or the expense account detail on a cheque).

Click . . .	To do this
All	Search for detail lines in a transaction.
Summary only	Exclude detail lines from the search.
All except summary	Include detail lines but not transaction totals in the search.


Due date

Due date applies to both sales and expenses. It can be:

The date a customer owes payment on an invoice.

The date your company owes payment on a bill.

To search for . . .	Do this
Due dates within a standard period	Choose one of the time periods shown on the Due Date drop-down list. For example, choose "Last quarter" to search for invoices or bills that were due during your last financial quarter.
Due dates between two calendar dates	Enter the dates in the From and To fields.
See also

Shortcuts for entering dates


Entered/modified

These are the dates when a transaction was entered or modified.

To search for . . .	Do this
Entries made within a standard period of time	Choose one of the time periods shown on the Entered/Modified drop-down list.
Entries made between two calendar dates	Enter the dates in the From and To fields.


FOB

FOB (which stands for "free on board") is the location from which you ship a product. If you are using the FOB field on your sales forms, you can limit a search to sales of products shipped from a particular location.

To use this filter

Enter the location in the FOB field.


Job type

Job types let you group your jobs in ways that are meaningful to your business. You can limit a search to transactions related to a particular job type.

To search for . . .	Do This
Two or more job types	Choose Selected from the Job Type list. Then click each job type you want to include in the search.
One job type only	Choose the job type from the last section of the Job Type list.
Example. As a general contractor, you use job types to group jobs by the type of construction [image] kitchen remodels, bathrooms, etc. To limit a search to transactions related to kitchen remodels, you would select the Class filter, and choose Kitchen Remodels from the Class list.

# POPUP_FIND_ONLINE

	To search for


Paid Status

Paid status applies to both sales and expenses. It can indicate:

Whether a customer has paid an invoice.

Whether your company has paid a bill.

Click . . .	To search for
Closed	Invoices or bills that have been paid in full.
Open	Invoices or bills that still have a balance due.
Either	All invoices or bills, regardless of whether they have been paid.
Example. For best results, we suggest using this filter in combination with the Transaction Type filter. For example, to find all invoices that have been paid, you would set the Transaction Type filter to "Invoice" and the Paid Status filter to "Closed."


Payment method

This is the way in which a customer pays you. You can limit a search to only the customer payments you received by cash, cheque, credit card, etc.

To search for . . .	Do This
Two or more payment methods	Choose Selected from the Payment Method list. Then click each method you want to include in the search.
One payment method only	Choose the method from the last section of the Payment Method list.


Payroll item

Payroll items are the amounts that make up a pay cheque. They include the taxes and deductions that affect the cheque total as well as company expenses related to payroll. You can search for transactions that contain a particular payroll item.

To search for . . .	Do This
Two or more specific payroll items	Choose Selected from the Payroll Item list. Then click the name of each payroll item you want to include in the search.
An entire category of payroll items	Choose the category from the Payroll Item list. For example, to limit the search to withholding taxes, choose All Taxes Withheld from the list.
One payroll item only	Choose the payroll item from the last section of the Payroll Item list.


Posting status

Posting status refers to whether QuickBooks records a transaction in one of your registers. Most transactions post to a register; for example, when you create an invoice, QuickBooks records the amount in your accounts receivable register. A few types of transactions [image] estimates, pending sales, and purchase orders [image] are non-posting in that they never appear in a register.

Click . . .	To search for
Either	All transactions, regardless of whether they post to a register.
Non-posting	Estimates, pending sales, and purchase orders only.
Posting	All transactions except estimates, pending sales, and purchase orders.


Printed status

Printed status indicates whether you have printed a cheque, pay cheque, sales form, or a purchase order.

Click . . .	To search for
Either	All transactions, regardless of whether you have printed them yet.
Printed	Printed transactions only.
To be printed	Unprinted transactions only.
Example. For best results, we suggest using this filter in combination with the Transaction Type filter. For example, to find all cheques that have been printed, you would set the Transaction Type filter to "Cheque" and the Printed Status filter to "Printed."


Received

Received indicates whether a purchase order is open or closed. A purchase order remains open as long as it lists at least one item that you haven't received from the vendor. QuickBooks automatically closes a purchase order when you receive all the items (you can also close a purchase order yourself if your vendor is out of an item that you ordered).

Click . . .	To search for
Either	All purchase orders, regardless of their status.
No	Open purchase orders only.
Yes	Closed purchase orders only.
Example. For best results, we suggest using this filter in combination with the Transaction Type filter. For example, to find all purchase orders that have been closed, you would set the Transaction Type filter to "Purchase order" and the Received filter to "Yes."


Rep

Rep refers to the initials of the sales representative who made a sale. If you use the Rep field on your sales forms, you can search for sales made by a particular sales representative.

To search for sales by . . .	Do This
Two or more reps	Choose Selected from the Rep list. Then click the initials of each sales representative whose sales you want to include in the search.
One rep only	Choose the initials of the sales representative from the bottom section of the Rep list.


Ship date

This date is the shipping date entered on a sales form.

To show dates . . .	Do this
Within a standard period of time	Choose one of the time periods shown on the Date drop-down list. For example, choose "Last quarter" to search for sales that had a ship date during your last financial quarter.
Between two calendar dates	Enter the dates in the From and To fields.
See also

Shortcuts for entering dates


Ship via

Ship via refers to the shipping method indicated on a sales form or a purchase order. If you use the Ship Via field on sales forms or purchase orders, you can limit a search to only the sales or purchases in which you used a particular shipping method [image] for example, UPS.

To search for . . .	Do This
Two or more shipping methods	Choose Selected from the Ship Via list. Then click each shipping method you want to include in the search.
One shipping method only	Choose the shipping method from the bottom section of the Ship Via list.


Template

Template refers to version of the business form you used when you entered a transaction. If a particular business form in QuickBooks doesn't meet your needs, you can create your own version [image] called a template [image] in which the fields, columns, and text on the form appear exactly the way you want them to.

This filter is particularly useful when you use two or more templates of the same form and you want to search for transactions that use a particular template.

To search for . . .	Do This
All templates.	Choose All from the Template list.
Two or more particular templates	Choose Selected from the Template list. Then click each template whose transactions you want to include in the search.
One template only	Choose the template from the bottom section of the Template list.


Terms

Terms are the conditions under which:

A customer owes payment on an invoice.

Your company owes payment on a bill.

QuickBooks uses a shorthand notation to express payment terms. For example, 1% 10 NET 30 means "payment due in 30 days, 1% discount if paid within 10 days."

To search for . . .	Do This
Two or more sets of payment terms	Choose Selected from the Terms list. Then click each set of terms you want to include in the search.
One set of payment terms	Choose the payment terms from the bottom section of the Terms list.


Vendor Type

Vendor types let you group your vendors in ways that are meaningful to your business. You can restrict a search to transactions related to a particular vendor type.

To search for . . .	Do This
Two or more vendor types	Choose Selected from the Vendor Type list. Then click each vendor type you want to include in the search.
One vendor type only	Choose the vendor type from the last section of the Vendor Type list.


If you've set up custom fields for your sales forms or purchase orders, the name of each custom field appears at the end of the Filter list. You can limit a search to transactions that show a particular entry in one of your custom fields.

Example. Your retail business uses a custom field named Colour on its sales forms. To limit a search to sales of blue mugs, you would first select the Items filter and choose Mugs from the Item list. Next, you would select the Colour filter and enter Blue.


Overview of accounts receivable
Sales and invoicing in QuickBooks

For details about any task, click the chart.


Filling out a sales form

When you make a sale, you fill in one of QuickBooks' sales forms. QuickBooks provides an invoice forms for invoices you send to customers, and a sales receipt form for cash sales. In both forms, QuickBooks makes it easy to add line item entries. Simply pick the line item you want from the Item list and QuickBooks automatically inserts a description of the item and its price.

See also

Filling in a sales form

Using line items

Printing sales forms


Invoicing a customer

If you write an invoice for a sale, you can print the invoice and send it to your customer. Or, if you prefer to send a periodic statement that summarizes the customer's account with your company, you can have QuickBooks prepare and print the statement. If you have a lot of invoices or statements to mail, you can also have QuickBooks print the mailing labels you need.

See also

Printing sales forms

Viewing and printing statements

Printing mailing labels


Entering a payment

When you receive payment for an invoice from a customer, you enter a record of the payment into QuickBooks. For each customer, QuickBooks keeps track of which invoices have an unpaid balance, how much credit the customer has with your company, and whether the customer has earned a discount for early payment. When you enter a customer's payment, you select the invoices you want to apply the payment to.

See also

Recording an invoice payment

Applying a discount for early payment

Handling down payments and overpayments

Correcting the application of a payment


Recording a return

If a customer returns merchandise, you record the return by filling out a credit memo in QuickBooks. You can also have QuickBooks create a refund cheque to send to the customer.

See also

Recording a return

Writing a refund cheque


Entering a bank deposit

When you record a cash sale or a customer payment, QuickBooks knows you've received money. You may hold the money in a drawer or cash register; QuickBooks holds the amount in an account named "Undeposited Funds." This account was specifically designed to hold money that has not yet made it to the bank. To transfer the money to your bank account, you enter a bank deposit in QuickBooks.

See also

Depositing customer payments

Printing a deposit slip

Setting a reminder to make deposits


Overview of accounts payable
Expenses and bills in QuickBooks

For details about any task, click the chart.


Filling in a purchase order

When you need to order items from a vendor, you fill out QuickBooks' purchase order form. When you use purchase orders, QuickBooks tracks which items you have on order and when they're due to be received.

See also

When to use purchase orders

Filling in a purchase order

Printing purchase orders

Listing your open purchase orders


Receiving items on order

When you receive items you've ordered, you can:

Pay by cheque or credit card -- if you're buying the items on the spot.

Enter an item receipt -- if you received the items without a bill.

Enter a bill -- if you received the items with a bill.

See also

Receiving items on order


Entering an item receipt

If you receive a shipment with a packing slip but no bill, you record the arrival of the shipment by entering an item receipt. Later, when the bill for the shipment arrives, you can convert the item receipt to a bill.

See also

Receiving items and getting a bill later


Paying by cheque or credit card

When you purchase items on the spot, you can use either QuickBooks' cheque or credit card form to record the transaction. QuickBooks automatically posts the purchase amount to the correct chequing or credit card account.

See also

Writing a cheque

Entering a credit card transaction


Entering a bill

If you receive a bill, you use QuickBooks' bill form to record the transaction. You can record bills for expenses such as utilities or office supplies, or for items you've ordered and received from vendors. When you enter a bill, QuickBooks automatically posts the amount to the correct expense account and updates your company's balance with the vendor who sent the bill.

See also

Entering bills


Paying a bill

When it's time to pay bills, you can have QuickBooks list all the bills your company owes. You then mark which bills you want to pay, and indicate how you want to pay (by cheque or credit card). QuickBooks automatically writes and records the payments, and updates your vendor balances. If you use Intuit cheques, you can even have QuickBooks print the cheques it recorded.

See also

Paying bills

Applying a discount to a bill

Applying credit from a vendor to pay bills

Printing cheques

Printing mailing labels


Overview of GST/PST
GST/PST in QuickBooks

For details about any task, click the chart.


Setting up tax rates and agencies

Before you can charge and track sales tax with QuickBooks, you must let QuickBooks know which agency you collect tax for, and at what rates. You do this by selecting the appropriate tax preferences and tax codes for your company.

For details, see

Setting up GST and Provincial Sales Taxes

Setting up tax codes


Indicating who and what gets taxed

After you have set up your tax codes and preferences, QuickBooks still needs to know which items you charge tax for when you make a sale. Once you've entered this information, QuickBooks automatically calculates GST and/or PST whenever you sell that item.

For details, see

Marking items you sell as taxable


Applying tax to a sale

When you fill out a sales form, the tax column of the form automatically shows the tax code you have assigned to the item. QuickBooks uses that tax code to calculate the tax for the item. The tax amount appears on the bottom of the form, in the PST and GST tax fields.

If you need to apply a different tax to the item, all you have to do is select a different tax code from the drop down list on the sales form. QuickBooks then recalculates the tax by using the rate for the tax code you selected.


Finding out how much tax you owe

As you write invoices and sales receipts, QuickBooks automatically tracks how much tax you owe in your GST/PST Payable account. You can get complete information about your tax liability at any time by displaying QuickBooks' GST/PST Summary reports (two of the many preset reports available from the Reports menu). The reports show your total taxable sales as of a date you choose, the total non-taxable sales, and the amount you owe each tax agency.

For details, see

Keeping track of how much tax you owe


Paying your tax agencies

When It's time to pay your GST or PST, simply run your GST or PST Summary report to see how much you currently owe each tax agency. You can then write a cheque to the appropriate agency. Once you've paid, QuickBooks automatically updates your GST and PST Payable accounts.


Setting up GST and Provincial Sales Taxes

Because you've indicated that you track and pay more than one tax, or that you charge different tax rates under different conditions, you use a different procedure to set up for sales tax. It is important that you do this before you record your first sale.

For further information in online Help on how to set up for complex tax situations, see this topic:

Tax preferences


Overview of inventory tasks
Inventory in QuickBooks

For details about any task, click the chart.


Ordering inventory

If you use purchase orders, you start by filling out a purchase order for the items you want to order. Once you have written a purchase order, you print it and send it to your vendor. If you don't use purchase orders, you can buy inventory directly by writing a cheque, entering a bill, or entering a credit card transaction. See Paying for Inventory on this chart.

See also

Filling in a purchase order

Printing purchase orders

Listing your open purchase orders


Receiving inventory

When the shipment from the vendor arrives, you select the purchase order(s) that generated the shipment. This allows QuickBooks to enter the details of your purchase. You can have QuickBooks enter the purchase details on a bill, a cheque, or a credit card receipt. If you did not receive the quantity you ordered of a particular item, you can enter the number you did receive. QuickBooks keeps that line on the purchase order "open" so you can apply the remaining quantity to future shipments.

See also

Receiving items on order


Paying for inventory

If you received the inventory through a purchase order, you have already paid if you applied the purchase order to either a cheque or a credit card receipt. If you entered a bill, the bill remains unpaid until you go to the Pay Bills window and tell QuickBooks to pay the bill. If you bought the inventory without a purchase order, you can pay for the inventory by writing a cheque, entering a credit card receipt, or entering a bill (and then paying the bill later).

See also

Paying for inventory


Selling inventory

You sell inventory by writing an invoice or a cash sales receipt. When you fill in the form, you enter the inventory items you are selling. With each sale, QuickBooks automatically adjusts the quantity on hand for the items you sold.  You always have an up-to-date record of how much you have in inventory. When your inventory of an item gets low, QuickBooks reminds you that it's time to buy more. If you try to sell more than what you have in inventory, QuickBooks warns you that you don't have enough.

See also

Selling inventory to customers


Adjusting inventory

Events other than sales can change how much you have in inventory. Perhaps you've lost some inventory due to damage, spoilage, or theft. Or you may have discovered inventory you didn't know you had hidden away in your warehouse. When events like these occur, you can enter adjustments so that QuickBooks has an accurate record of how much you have in inventory of each item.

See also

Adjusting your inventory

Taking a physical inventory


Analyzing inventory

QuickBooks tracks a wealth of information that you can tap into at any time. You can get answers to questions like "How soon will I run out of this item?" or "What percent of my inventory consists of perishable goods?" To get information, you can choose from several preset reports available from the Reports menu.

What you can learn about your inventory

Average cost of items

Current prices

Current value of your inventory

Status of your purchase orders

Quantity on hand for items

Quantity on order for items

When to reorder items


Overview of payroll
Setting up for payroll

For details about any task, click the chart.


Gathering information

When you set up payroll in QuickBooks, QuickBooks asks you for  certain information about your tax obligations and your employees. You'll find it helpful if you gather this information together in advance.

See also

What you need to set up payroll


Adding payroll items

QuickBooks maintains a list of everything that affects the amount on a payroll cheque or that is for a company expense related to payroll. This list is the Payroll Item list.

QuickBooks automatically provides some payroll items for you. To fully track your payroll, you may need to add some more payroll items to the list. You can add payroll items for employee deductions of any kind; additions (such as bonuses); commissions; and company-paid expense (such as company-paid health insurance).

See also

Adding payroll items


Setting up an employee template

The employee template is where you enter payroll information that most employees have in common, such as deductions for taxes, health insurance, or union dues. The template saves you time, because you need to enter this information only once. When you are setting up the payroll record for a new employee, QuickBooks automatically fills in the information you entered into the template. Of course, if you need to, you can customise any of the prefilled information for each employee.

See also

Setting up your employee template


Customizing your employee payroll records

After you set up the employee template, the next step is to complete your payroll records for each employee. If you already have an Employee list in QuickBooks, you'll need to add payroll-related information to each employee's record. In you are new to QuickBooks, you'll also have to enter the name, address, and social insurance number of each employee -- including former employees you paid during the current calendar year.

See also

Customizing the payroll record for each employee


Summarizing year-to-date transactions

If your company has just hired its first employees and has not done payroll before, you do not need to perform this last setup task. You are ready to start writing pay cheques.

If you issued pay cheques this calendar year before you started using QuickBooks for payroll, you need to enter summaries of your payroll transactions from the beginning of the calendar year until your QuickBooks start date. That way, QuickBooks can update your year-to-date amounts as it issues pay cheques during the remainder of the calendar year.

In addition, if your company did payroll last year, you must enter information about payroll taxes and liabilities that were outstanding as of the end of last year.

See also

Which amounts do you need to summarize?


Running your payroll

For details about any task, click the chart.


Recording hours worked

If you are using the time tracking feature of QuickBooks, you can track your employee's time and use it as a basis for payroll cheques. You can also track time for owners and partners and for subcontractors (vendors), so that you have an overall report of the time required to do a job.

QuickBooks gives you two ways to enter hours worked: single activity entries and weekly timesheets. The method you choose depends upon the needs of your business and your personal preferences. You can use either method [image] or both in combination.

See also

Which way should you enter time?

Entering single activities

Filling in weekly timesheets


Creating payroll cheques

When payday arrives, QuickBooks makes it easy to create pay cheques. If all of your employees are salaried and are receiving their standard pay cheque for this pay period, you can write accurate pay cheques with just a few clicks of the mouse.

On the other hand, if some employees are paid hourly, or receive commissions, or take sick or holiday time, or have other variations from pay period to pay period, you can preview their pay cheques and enter any changes. Then QuickBooks does the calculations, withholds the correct taxes, and leaves you ready to print the cheques.

See also

Entering pay cheques

Previewing and adjusting pay cheques


Printing payroll cheques

When it's time to print your payroll cheques, you can print them all at once with just a few clicks of the mouse. If you don't print your payroll cheques on voucher cheques, you can print [image] in a separate operation [image] the paystub information that normally appears in the voucher area of a pay cheque.

See also

Printing pay cheques

Printing paystubs


Creating payroll reports

Two preset reports give you the information you need to manage your payroll.

The payroll summary by employee report shows the taxable earnings, sick hours and vacation pay, taxes withheld, deductions from pay, and employer-paid taxes and contributions for each employee.

The liabilities by payroll item report shows your outstanding payroll liabilities as of the date you specify. This report helps you pay the correct amount of taxes and other payroll liabilities as they accrue.

See also

Creating a payroll summary by employee report

Creating a liabilities by payroll item report


Writing payroll liability cheques

When it's time to pay taxes or other payroll liabilities, you can create a liabilities by payroll item report to find out how much you owe. Then you use a special cheque window (not the regular Write Cheques window) to write a liability cheque for each amount.

See also

Paying payroll taxes and other liabilities


Reviewing employee T4 information

At year's end, it's time to prepare your employee's T4 forms. You begin by reviewing the T4 amounts QuickBooks has calculated for each employee. If you need to, you can make an adjustment to an amount before you print the T4 forms.

See also

T4s: an overview

Reviewing and editing T4 forms


Printing T4 forms

After you review the T4 forms and verify that they are correct, you can print them. You can print all the T4 forms with a single click of the mouse.

See also

Printing T4 forms


Setting up GST and Provincial Sales Taxes

Because you've indicated that you track and pay more than one tax, or that you charge different tax rates under different conditions, you use a different procedure to set up for sales tax. It is important that you do this before you record your first sale.

For further information in online Help on how to set up for complex tax situations, see this topic:

Tax preferences


# FLOW_RUN_PRNW3


Overview of tracking estimates, jobs, and time
Tracking estimates, jobs, and time

For details about any task, click the chart.


Setting up for job tracking

If job tracking is part of your business, you can keep a record of the important information related to each job or project. This includes a description of the job, start and completion dates, and the job's status (Pending, Awarded, In progress, etc.).

QuickBooks gives you two ways to enter job-related information. If you are doing a single job for a customer, you can enter the information when you are setting up the customer's record (you do not need to add a job to the Customer:Job list). If you are doing multiple jobs for a customer, you can set up the individual jobs and adding them as entries under the customer's name on the Customer:Job list.

See also

Setting up to track a single job

Setting up to track multiple jobs for a customer


Writing estimates

You can write estimates by using the same Item list you use for writing invoices. Onscreen, the estimate shows both your estimated cost and markup. The printed estimate you give to your customer shows only your estimated price after markup. (If you want, you can include the markup on the printed copy.)

If you prepare bids, proposals, or quotes in your business, you can customize QuickBooks' estimate form so that it suits your needs. For example, you can change the form's title from "Estimate" to "Bid," "Proposal," or anything else that's appropriate for your business. You can also add up to two extra columns to hold specialized information, and delete the fields and columns you don't need.

See also

Creating an estimate

Printing an estimate

Customizing the estimate form


Assigning costs to jobs

When you purchase items (including services) for a specific job, you can track the cost of those items as part of your job costs. You can also track employee time on specific jobs so that your payroll costs become part of your job costs. Finally, if you incur miscellaneous expenses that are not associated with a particular item or service, you can include them as part of your job costs.

See also

Setting up items for tracking costs and revenues

Assigning costs (or time) to a job

Invoicing for actual costs


Entering hours worked

If you have employees and use QuickBooks payroll, you can track your employee's time and use it as a basis for payroll cheques. You can also track time for owners and partners and for subcontractors (vendors), so that you have an overall report of the time required to do a job.

QuickBooks gives you two ways to enter hours worked: single activity entries and weekly timesheets. The method you choose depends upon the needs of your business and your personal preferences. You can use either method [image] or both in combination.

See also

Which way should you enter time?

Entering single activities

Filling in weekly timesheets


Creating invoices

When it's time to bill your customer, you can create an invoice either directly from your estimate, or from the actual costs you've recorded against the job. If you're working from an estimate, a single click of the mouse creates an invoice that shows the items and amounts on the estimate. Of course you can edit the invoice [image] revise amounts or add or delete items [image] like you would any other QuickBooks invoice.

If you've already incurred costs and assigned them to the job, it's easy to add the costs as line items to the invoice. The Job Costs button on the invoice form displays a list of the costs for the job. All you have to do is choose the costs you want to appear on the invoice.

See also

Preparing an estimate from an invoice

Invoicing for actual costs


Preparing reports

QuickBooks provides several custom reports to give you information and comparisons about jobs, costs, revenues and time. You can learn how profitable your jobs were, find out how well you estimated the costs and revenues for a job, and see [image] at a glance [image] which jobs and projects consumed the most time.

See also

Tracking the profitability of your jobs

Checking the status of your jobs

Finding out how much time you've spent

Comparing estimates to actuals


Glossary

A

accountant's review copy

accounts payable

Accounts Payable account

accounts receivable

Accounts Receivable account

accrual basis

aging

assets

average cost

B

balance sheet

balance sheet accounts

billing statement

C

cash basis

chart of accounts

class

continuous-feed printer

cost of goods sold

credit memo

customer type

D

data entry password

depreciation

desktop

E

employee template

equity

expense account

export file

F

filter

FOB

G

general journal entry

I

iconbar

import file

income account

inventory part

item

J

job type

L

landscape orientation

liabilities

N

net worth

Non-inventory part

O

opening balance

Opening Bal Equity account

owner password

P

page-oriented printer

Payroll Expenses account

payroll item

Payroll Liabilities account

payroll password

pay slip report

preset chart of accounts

purchase forms

Purchase Orders account

Q

quantity on hand

quantity on order

Quick Add

QuickBooks company

QuickReport

QuickZoom

R

register

reimbursable expenses

reminder statement

reorder point

Retained Earnings account

S

sales forms

Sales Tax Payable account

start date

T

terms

to be printed

transaction history

transaction password

trial balance

U

Uncategorised Expenses account

Uncategorised Income account

Undeposited Funds account

V

vendor type


Accountant's review copy (glossary definition)
Accountant's review copy

An accountant's review copy lets two people work independently on data from the same QuickBooks company file. When each person is done, they merge their changes .

Suppose your accountant wants to make some adjustments to your books, but you cannot afford to lose access to your books yourself. By giving a review copy of your data to your accountant, you can continue your day-to-day operations with QuickBooks while your accountant enters the adjustments. When your accountant finishes, you merge the accountant's changes along with your own. At no point during the process do you lose the ability to work with your QuickBooks data yourself.


Accounts payable (glossary definition)
Accounts Payable

The record of the outstanding bills of a business. Accounts payable is called A/P for short. (Even though the word accounts is plural, QuickBooks uses a single account on the chart of accounts to track all outstanding bills.)

See also

Accounts payable account


Accounts Payable account (glossary definition)
Accounts Payable account

An account that QuickBooks automatically adds to your chart of accounts the first time you enter a bill. QuickBooks uses this account to track the money your business owes to others. When you enter a new bill, or pay off outstanding bills, QuickBooks records the transaction in the register for your Accounts Payable account.

Your chart of accounts lists the type of this account as "Accounts Payable." If you need to use more than one of this type of account in your business, you can add additional "accounts payable" accounts to the chart. When you have more than one accounts payable account, QuickBooks lets you choose the account you want to use when you enter and pay bills.

See also

Accounts payable


Accounts receivable (glossary definition)
Accounts Receivable

The record of money owed to a business, that is, invoices for which a business has not received payment. Accounts receivable is called A/R for short. (Even though the word accounts is plural, QuickBooks uses a single account on the chart of accounts to track all outstanding invoices.)

See also

Accounts receivable account


Accounts Receivable account, defined
Accounts Receivable account

An account that QuickBooks automatically adds to your chart of accounts the first time you write an invoice. QuickBooks uses this account to track the money owed to your business. When you write an invoice or receive a payment from a customer, QuickBooks records the transaction in the register for your Accounts Receivable account.

Your chart of accounts lists the type of this account as "Accounts Receivable." If you need to use more than one of this type of account in your business, you can add additional "accounts receivable" accounts to the chart. When you have more than one accounts receivable account, QuickBooks lets you choose the account you want to use when you write an invoice or enter a customer payment.

See also

Accounts receivable


Accrual basis (glossary definition)
Accrual basis

A method of bookkeeping in which you regard income or expenses as occurring at the time you ship a product, render a service, or receive a purchase. Under this method, the time when you enter a transaction and the time when you actually pay or receive cash may be two separate events.

In QuickBooks, an accrual basis report shows income regardless of whether all your customers have paid up, and expenses regardless of whether you have paid all your bills . You can put all your reports on an accrual basis by selecting Accrual in the Reports and Graphs Preferences window.

See also

Cash basis


Aging (glossary definition)
Aging

This term refers to the tracking of outstanding invoices and unpaid bills. For both A/R (accounts receivable) and A/P (accounts payable), QuickBooks offers preset ageing reports that show how much is currently due, and how much is overdue. For example, an A/R aging summary report breaks down what your customers owe so that you can see how much is

Currently due.

31 to 60 days overdue.

61 to 90 days overdue.

Over 90 days overdue.


Assets (glossary definition)
Assets

Your company assets are the things that your company owns.

QuickBooks distinguishes between two types of assets:

Current assets	These are the assets you are likely to convert to cash within one year.  They include the cash you have on hand, the money in your current and savings accounts, and the money your customers owe your business.
Fixed assets	These are the assets you do not expect to convert to cash during one year of normal operations.  A fixed asset is usually something that is necessary for the operation of your business -- like a truck, cash register, or computer.


Average cost (glossary definition)
Average cost

For an inventory item, average cost is the total cost of the items currently in stock divided by the number of items in stock. QuickBooks uses average cost -- and not another method such as LIFO or FIFO -- to determine the value of your inventory.

QuickBooks recalculates the average cost of an item every time you record the purchase of more units of the item. It adds the cost of the new items to the cost of the old inventory and then divides by the total number of new and old items.

Example

You originally bought 100 T-shirts at $5.00 each. When you have 10 shirts left in stock, you order 100 more shirts, but the price has gone up to $6.00 each. Here's how QuickBooks calculates the average cost:

The cost of your old inventory is $50 (10 shirts x $5.00).

The cost of the new inventory is $600 (100 shirts x $6.00).

The combined cost of the old and new inventory is $650.

The average cost of your entire inventory is $5.91 ($650/110 shirts).


Balance sheet (glossary definition)
Balance sheet

A report that summarizes the financial position of a business. A balance sheet shows the value of your company's assets, liabilities, and equity as of a particular day. It is called a balance sheet because the value of the assets is always exactly equal to the combined value of the liabilities and equity.

QuickBooks offers four different preset balance sheet reports. You'll find these reports under Balance Sheet on the Reports menu.

See also

Balance sheet accounts


Balance sheet accounts (glossary definition)
Balance sheet accounts

Accounts that appear on a balance sheet report. In QuickBooks, these include the following types of accounts:

bank

accounts receivable

accounts payable

fixed asset, other asset, other current asset

other current liability, long term liability

credit card

equity.

Each balance sheet account in QuickBooks has its own register that tracks the balance of the account. You can also see the account balances by looking at your chart of accounts.

See also

Balance sheet

Expense accounts

Income accounts


Billing statement (glossary definition)
Billing statement

A billing statement lists the charges a customer has accumulated over a period of time. You use billing statements when:

You bill customers periodically, such as once a month.

You want to let your customers know how much is past due from previous billing periods (30 days past due, 60 days past due, etc.).

To create a billing statement, you enter each charge individually in the customer's register. When it's time to send the statement, you preview the information that will appear on the statement, decide whether to add finance charges, and print the statement.

See also

Reminder statement


Cash basis (glossary definition)
Cash basis

A method of bookkeeping in which you regard income or expenses as occurring at the time you actually receive a payment or pay a bill. A cash-basis report shows income only if you have received it, and expenses only if you have paid them. For example, if you have not yet received a payment for an invoice, a cash-basis report on your sales will not include the amount of the invoice.

In QuickBooks, you can put all summary reports on a cash basis by selecting "Cash" in the Reports & Graphs Preferences window. (Summary reports summarize groups of transactions; they have the word "Summary" in their titles.) On the other hand, reports that list individual transactions always appear as accrual basis reports when you create them from the Reports menu. You can change a transaction report to cash basis, however, by clicking Customize in the report window and then selecting "Cash" under "Report basis."

See also

Accrual basis


Chart of accounts (glossary definition)
Chart of accounts

A complete list of a business's accounts. The accounts that appear on the balance sheet are called "balance sheet accounts." Other accounts track particular kinds of expenses or income.


Classes (glossary definition)
Class

In QuickBooks, classes give you a way to classify your transactions. You can use QuickBooks' classes to classify your income and expenses by department, business office or location, separate properties you own, or any other meaningful breakdown of the business you do.

For example, a general contractor might classify all income and expenses as relating to either residential or commercial work. A farmer might create a class for each enterprise -- for example, "Corn," "Hogs," and "Soybeans." At the end of an accounting period, the contractor could create separate reports for the residential and commercial parts of the business. Likewise, the farmer could create separate reports for each farm enterprise.

The classes you create appear on your Class list. The "Use class tracking" preference in the Accounting Preferences window adds a Class field to windows where you enter invoices, cheques, bills, credit card charges, or other transactions.

See also

Customer type

Job type

Vendor type


Continuous printer (glossary definition)
Continuous-feed printer

A continuous-feed printer prints on a continuous sheet of paper that has perforations for individual pages, like this:

Most dot matrix printers are continuous-feed printers.

See also

Page-oriented printer


Cost of goods sold (glossary definition)
Cost of goods sold

The cost of goods and materials held in inventory and then sold.


Credit memo (glossary definition)
Credit memo

A document notifying a customer that you have reduced the customer's balance (for example, when a customer cancels a sale, returns something, or overpays).  Enter credit memos in the Create Credit Memos/Refunds window.


Customer type (glossary definition)
Customer type

Customer types let you categorise your customers in ways that are meaningful to your business. For example, you could set up your customer types so that they indicate which industry a customer represents, a customer's geographic location, or how a customer first heard about your business.

You can create reports and do special mailings that are based on your customer types. For example, if you use customer types to categorise your customers by location, you could print mailing labels for all the customers in a particular region.

See also

Job type

Vendor type

Class


Data entry password (glossary definition)
Data entry password

Allows others to enter new transactions (except payroll). Users of this password will not be able to view registers, account balances, customer and vendor balances, reports or graphs, or edit transactions entered in an earlier session. If you create a data entry password, you must also create an owner password so you can have access to the rest of your company file.

Payroll. If you want the user of the password to enter payroll data, create a payroll password instead. A payroll password gives someone the ability to entry any type of new transaction, including payroll.

Using the password. QuickBooks asks for a password before it opens your company file. If you enter the data entry password, QuickBooks only lets you enter new transactions, as described above. If you enter the owner password instead, you have unlimited access to everything in the company file.

See also

Owner password

Payroll password

Transaction password


Depreciation (glossary definition)
Depreciation

When you purchase an asset that will be used in your business for more than one year, you typically spread its cost over the useful life of the asset. But because fixed assets wear out or become obsolete, their value declines constantly from the day they are purchased. The amount of this decline in value is called depreciation.

To determine the value of a fixed asset at any point in time, you subtract its accumulated depreciation from its original cost.

Example

You bought a company car in January 1995 for $13,000.

By January 1997, the car has depreciated by 40% of its original value (£5,200).

The value of the car in January 1997 is:

Original cost	13,000
Accumulated depreciation	- 5,200
Current value	7,800


Desktop (glossary definition)
Desktop

The area where forms, registers, reports, etc. appear in QuickBooks. You can have as many items open at one time on your desktop as you want.


Employee template (glossary definition)
Employee template

The employee template is where you enter payroll information that most employees have in common, such as deductions for taxes, health insurance, or union dues. The template saves you time, because you need to enter this information only once. When you are setting up the payroll record for a new employee, QuickBooks automatically fills in the information you entered into the template. Of course, if you need to, you can customize any of the prefilled information for each employee.

See also

Setting up your employee template


Equity (glossary definition)
Equity

Equity is the net worth of a company. If you sold all your assets today, and if you paid off your liabilities with the money received from the sale of your assets, the money you would have left would be equity.

Equity comes from two sources:

Money invested in your company

Profits or losses from your business.

Of course, an owner can also take money out of the company. Such withdrawals, called owner's draws, reduce the company equity.


Expense account (glossary definition)
Expense account

An account that tracks what your company is spending. (You can think of expenses as money that leaves the company.) Unlike balance sheet accounts, expense accounts do not have a register of their own. You can get a list of the transactions posted to an expense account by selecting the account in the chart of accounts and clicking QuickReport.

See also

Income account

Balance sheet accounts


Export file (glossary definition)
Export file

A file that stores company list and budget information in text format for transfer to another QuickBooks company or to another application such as a word processor or spreadsheet. You create export files by using the Export command on the File menu.

Important. QuickBooks cannot include transaction data when it creates an export file. You can add transaction data yourself by editing the file or by using a spreadsheet program to create an import file.

See also

Creating an import file

Importing transactions to QuickBooks

Reference guide to import files


Filter (glossary definition)
Filter

A tool you use to limit a QuickBooks report to transactions that meet criteria you specify. You can filter reports by dates, names, accounts, and in many other ways.

To filter a report, click the Filter button in the report window.


FOB (glossary definition)
FOB

In QuickBooks, this term appears on the Product format invoice. You can use it for the site from which an invoiced product is shipped; it has no bookkeeping implications within QuickBooks. In traditional accounting terms, FOB is an acronym for "free on board" and refers to terms between the buyer and seller regarding transportation costs and the moment at which the buyer assumes ownership of an item.


General journal entry (glossary definition)
General journal entry

In traditional accounting, a record of a transaction in which the total amount in the Debit column equals the total amount in the Credit column, and each amount is assigned to an account on the chart of accounts. For day-to-day transaction entry, QuickBooks uses familiar forms (invoices, bills, cheques). It has a General Journal Entry form that you can use for special transactions (such as selling a depreciated asset) or for all transactions if you prefer the traditional system. Also, when you enter a transaction directly into an asset, liability, or equity account register, QuickBooks automatically labels the transaction "GENJRNL" in the register and "General Journal" on reports that list transactions.


Iconbar (glossary definition)
Iconbar

The row of buttons that appears on your QuickBooks desktop. Each button performs a particular activity when you click it. For example, clicking the Accnt button displays your chart of accounts. (The activities on the iconbar are also available through the menus.)


Import file (glossary definition)
Import file

A text file that transfers list, budget, and transaction data to a QuickBooks company file. An import file must conform to a specific structure for QuickBooks to interpret the data in the file correctly

You can also use an export file that you created with QuickBooks' Export command as a way to import data to another QuickBooks company. Export files conform to the same internal structure as import files. The only difference is that QuickBooks cannot add transaction data to an export file. If you want the file to contain transaction data, you must edit it yourself.

See also

Creating an import file

Importing transactions to QuickBooks

Reference guide to import files


Income account (glossary definition)
Income account

An account that tracks the source of your company's income. (You can think of income as money that comes into the company.) Unlike balance sheet accounts, income accounts do not have a register of their own. You can get a list of the transactions posted to an income account by selecting the account in the chart of accounts and clicking QuickReport.

See also

Expense account

Balance sheet accounts


inventory part (glossary definition)
Inventory part

In QuickBooks, an inventory part is one of the types of line items you can use when you are filling out a sales or purchase form. You use inventory items to track merchandise your business purchases, keeps in stock as inventory, and then resells. For each inventory item, QuickBooks tracks the current number in stock and the value of your inventory after every purchase and sale.

See also

Non-stock part

Item


Item (glossary definition)
Item

In QuickBooks, items help you fill out the line item area of a sales or purchase form quickly. When you choose an item from your Item list, QuickBooks fills in a description of the line item and calculates its amount for you.

QuickBooks provides ten different types of items. Some -- such as the service item or the inventory part item -- help you record the services and products your business sells. Others -- such as the subtotal item or discount item -- you use to perform calculations on the amounts in a sale.

See also

When to use QuickBooks items

Inventory part

Non-inventory part


Job type (glossary definition)
Job type

Job types give you a way to classify your jobs so you can group and subtotal similar jobs on your reports. Like QuickBooks' classes, customer types, and vendor types, they add another dimension to your data.

Some examples of job types

In construction: New Construction, Remodels

In landscaping: Design, Installation, Maintenance

In consulting: Advisory Services, Implementation

In interior design: Space Planning, Decoration

How do classes fit in? Use classes to set up broader categories that apply across all of your business, not just jobs you do. For example, a good use of classes would be to indicate the geographic areas where you do business.

See also

Class

Customer type

Vendor type


Landscape orientation (glossary definition)
Landscape orientation

One of the two page orientations you can use when you print reports, lists, registers, or business forms. In landscape orientation, the long edges of the page are the top and bottom, like this:


Liabilities (glossary definition)
Liabilities

Liabilities are your company's debts. In a sense, liabilities represent the credit extended to your business. Liabilities include the bills you've received, money you owe on credit cards, tax you owe the government, employee withholdings you owe the government, and both short-term and long-term debts.

QuickBooks distinguishes between two types of liabilities:

Current liabilities	These are debts your company expects to pay within a year, such as a short-term loan or a bill.
Long-term liabilities	These are debts your company expects to pay off in more than one year.


Net worth (glossary definition)
Net worth

Same as equity. QuickBooks has a net worth graph that shows assets, liabilities, and their difference (net worth).


Non-inventory part (glossary definition)
Non-inventory part

In QuickBooks, a non-inventory part is one of the types of line items you can use when you are filling out a sales or purchase form. You use non-inventory part items to track merchandise that:

You purchase but do not resell.

You sell but do not purchase.

You purchase and resell but do not track as inventory.

See also

Inventory part

Item


Opening balance (glossary definition)
Opening balance

(1) The amount of money in, or the value of, an account as of the start date of your records in QuickBooks. (2) On a bank statement, the amount of money in your account at the beginning of the statement period.


Opening Bal Equity account (glossary definition)
Opening Bal Equity account

QuickBooks creates this account the first time you enter an opening balance for a balance sheet account. As you enter the opening balances, QuickBooks records the amounts in Opening Bal Equity. This ensures that you get a correct balance sheet for your company, even before you've entered all your company's assets and liabilities.

See also

Transferring money from Opening Bal Equity


Owner password (glossary definition)
Owner password

Gives you unlimited access to your company file. If you set an owner password, QuickBooks asks for the password before you open your company file.

You can set just an owner password, or you can set a data entry password in addition. The data entry password gives you limited access to the file, allowing you only to enter new transactions.

See also

Data entry password

Transaction password

Payroll password


Page-oriented printer (glossary definition)
Page-oriented printer

A page-oriented printer prints on separate pages of paper fed from a paper tray, like this:

Most laser printers and ink jet printers are page-oriented printers. A few dot matrix printers are also page-oriented printers.

See also

Continuous-feed printer


Payroll Expenses account (glossary definition)
Payroll Expenses account

An expense account that QuickBooks automatically adds to your chart of accounts the first time you turn on payroll.

The Payroll Expenses account tracks payroll items that are an expense to your company. These include salaries; wages; bonuses; commissions; company contributions such as a company-paid health plan; and the company-paid portion of taxes such as Employment Insurance and Health Care.

See also

Payroll item


Payroll item (glossary definition)
Payroll item

QuickBooks maintains a list of everything that affects the amount on a payroll cheque or that is for a company expense related to payroll. The entries on this list are called payroll items.

QuickBooks automatically provides some payroll items for you. To fully track your payroll, you may need to add more payroll items to the list. You can add payroll items for employee deductions of any kind; additions (such as bonuses); commissions; and company-paid expense (such as company-paid health insurance).

See also

Adding payroll items


Payroll Liabilities account (glossary definition)
Payroll Liabilities account

An Other Current Liability account that QuickBooks automatically adds to your chart of accounts the first time you turn on payroll.

The Payroll Liabilities account tracks taxes that you deduct from employees' pay cheques and hold temporarily until you turn them over to the government.


Payroll password (glossary definition)
Payroll password

Allows others to enter new transactions, including payroll transactions, payroll items, and employee payroll data. Users of this password will not be able to view reports, graphs, or registers, or edit transactions entered in previous sessions. If you create a payroll password, you must also create an owner password so you can have access to the rest of your company file.

Using the password. QuickBooks asks for a password before it opens your company file. If you enter the payroll password, QuickBooks only lets you enter and edit new payroll data, as described above. If you enter the owner password instead, you have unlimited access to everything in the company file.

See also

Owner password

Data entry password

Transaction password


Pay slip (glossary definition)
Pay slip

A summary of the information on a payroll payment. Pay slips provide all the information required for a legal pay slip, including:

Employee's full name, address, and national insurance number.

Pay period start and end dates.

Salary or hourly rate, hours worked, and amount of pay for the pay period.

Deductions from wages; additions to wages.

Sick hours and vacation pay (both used and available).

Net pay.

Year-to-date totals for the above.


Preset chart of accounts (glossary definition)
Preset chart of accounts

QuickBooks provides complete lists of accounts for many different types of businesses. When you choose a preset chart of accounts, QuickBooks automatically supplies other lists -- such as payment methods, customer and vendor types, and payment terms -- that are suited to your type of business.

The accounts and lists that QuickBooks creates are to help you get started. After QuickBooks sets up your company, you can add additional accounts, delete accounts you don't need, and modify your company lists.


Purchase forms (glossary definition)
Purchase forms

The purchase forms available in QuickBooks are purchase orders, bills, credit card charges, and cheques.


Purchase Orders account (glossary definition)
Purchase Orders account

QuickBooks creates this account the first time you create a purchase order. This is a non-posting account that does not affect your balance sheet or income statement.


Quantity on hand (glossary definition)
Quantity on hand

For a particular item, the quantity on hand is the number of items you currently have in stock. QuickBooks automatically keeps track of this number for all the invoice items on your Item list.

How quantity on hand changes

It increases when you purchase new inventory or receive items you ordered through a purchase order. For example, if you have 30 faucets on hand and then discover that you need 20 more, QuickBooks increases the quantity on hand to 50 when you indicate that you have received the 20 faucets -- either by entering an item receipt or bill for the faucets, or by paying for the faucets directly with a cheque or credit card.

It decreases when you sell items by writing an invoice or entering a cash sale, or when you make an inventory adjustment to account for theft or damage. For example, if you have 50 faucets and then sell 30 of them, QuickBooks decreases the quantity on hand to 20.


Quantity on order (glossary definition)
Quantity on order

For a particular item, the quantity on order is the total number of items for which you have written purchase orders but not yet received the items. QuickBooks automatically keeps track of this number for all the invoice items on your Item list.

How quantity on order changes

It increases when you write a purchase order for the item. For example, if you have 30 faucets on order and then discover that you need 20 more, QuickBooks increases the quantity on order to 50 when you write a purchase order for the additional 20 faucets.

It decreases when you record a receipt from a vendor for that particular item. For example, if you have 50 faucets on order and then receive 30 of them, QuickBooks decreases the quantity on order to 20 when you record the receipt for the 30 faucets.


Quick Add (glossary definition)
Quick Add

The Quick Add button appears on the message QuickBooks displays when you enter a name, item, class, account, customer type, vendor type, payment method, payment terms, or shipping method that QuickBooks has no record of.

Clicking Quick Add creates a new list entry based on what you enter into the form you are working with. For example, if you enter a new customer name on an invoice, clicking Quick Add adds the new customer to the Customer:Job list and adds to the customer's record all information you enter about the customer on the invoice form (billing address, payment terms, taxable status, etc.).

Clicking Set Up takes you to another window where you can enter information not covered by the current form. In the case of a new customer, for example, you could click Set Up to enter the customer's phone number, fax number, and credit limit. If you choose Quick Add instead, you can always add more information to the customer's record at a later time.


QuickBooks company (glossary definition)
QuickBooks company

The data file that stores all the information about your company and its finances. Creating the company file is the first thing you do when you set up your financial records in QuickBooks. All company files for QuickBooks have the extension .QBW.


QuickReport (glossary definition)
QuickReport

A special type of QuickBooks report that gives you instant financial information about your business. You can create QuickReports simply by clicking this button:

You'll find the QuickReport button in key places throughout QuickBooks. Clicking the button displays the financial information you're most likely to want at that place. For example, if you click QuickReport after selecting a cheque in your current account register, QuickBooks displays a list of all the cheques in the register made out to that payee.


QuickZoom (glossary definition)
QuickZoom

Refers to the "magnifying glass" symbol that appears in reports and graphs:

When the QuickZoom symbol appears over a number in a report or an item in a graph, you can double-click it to bring up more detail about that number or item. QuickZoom is only available on accrual basis reports.

See also

Accrual basis

Cash basis


Register (glossary definition)
Register

A chronological list of transactions, similar to the register of your chequebook. QuickBooks has a register for each balance sheet account (except the equity account called Retained Earnings).


Reimbursable expenses (glossary definition)
Reimbursable expenses

Expenses that your business incurs on behalf of customers. You can charge a customer for reimbursable expenses by assigning the expense to the customer when you incur it and then transferring the expense to an invoice.


Reminder statement (glossary definition)
Reminder statement

A reminder statement summarizes a customer's account with your company by listing recent invoices, credit memos, and payments received. You use reminder statements when you bill through invoices but want to remind your customers about delinquent payments.

Reminder statements are different than other "forms" in QuickBooks such as invoices, sales receipts, or cheques. Because QuickBooks already has all the information you need to create reminder statements, you don't have to fill them out. Instead, you review the information that will appear on each statement, decide whether to add finance charges, and print them.

See also

Billing statement


Reorder point (glossary definition)
Reorder point

The minimum quantity of a particular inventory item that you want to have in stock at any given time. When the quantity reaches the reorder point, it's time to order more of the item.

You set the reorder point for an inventory item when you add it to your Item list. By using your Reminders list, you can have QuickBooks remind you when it's time to reorder a particular item.


Retained Earnings account (glossary definition)
Retained Earnings account

An equity account that QuickBooks automatically adds to your chart of accounts when you set up a new QuickBooks company. QuickBooks uses the account to track profits from earlier periods that have not been distributed to owners. At the beginning of a new fiscal year, QuickBooks automatically transfers net income into your Retained Earnings account.


Sales forms (glossary definition)
Sales forms

The sales forms available in QuickBooks are invoices, credit memos, and sales receipts.

# GLOSSARY_TAX_ACCT+ -J


Start date (glossary definition)
Start date

A date you choose as the starting point for your financial records in QuickBooks. This is the date by which QuickBooks has complete information -- the balance for each balance sheet account must correct as of the start date.

The start date can be in the past if you enter historical records; it can be the current date; or it can be a future date if you prefer to enter information gradually.


Terms (glossary definition)
Terms

A shorthand way of expressing when you expect to receive payment from a customer, or when a vendor expects to receive payment from you. Terms show the number of days (or date) by which payment is due, and can include a discount for early payment.

Example

1% 10 Net 30

This means: "payment due in 30 days, 1% discount if paid within 10 days."


To be printed (glossary definition)
To be printed

QuickBooks automatically keeps track of the cheques, sales forms, and purchase orders that you have not yet printed. When you write a cheque, fill out a sales form, or enter a purchase order, QuickBooks automatically checks this box for you:

The box remains checked until you print the cheque, sales form, or purchase order.


Transaction history (glossary definition)
Transaction history

A listing that shows you which transactions are related or "linked" to a transaction you have selected. For example, a transaction history for a customer payment shows the invoices to which you applied the payment (and the bank deposit, if you deposited the payment).

In QuickBooks, you can display transaction histories for:

invoices

customer payments

deposits

credit memos

cash sales

bills

payments to vendors

credits with vendors

item receipts.


Transaction password (glossary definition)
Transaction password

Restricts editing of transactions in a prior period. When you set a transaction password, QuickBooks asks for the password when you try to add or change a transaction dated in the prior period.

The transaction password works independently of the owner and data entry passwords. For example, if you have an owner password, you must always enter the owner password each time you open your company file. Once the file is open, QuickBooks asks for the transaction password only when you try to enter a change in the prior accounting period.

See also

Owner password

Data entry password

Payroll password


Trial balance (glossary definition)
Trial balance

In traditional accounting, a document that adds up all the debits and credits so that mistakes can be traced if debits don't equal credits. Because QuickBooks always adds correctly, you do not need to do a trial balance. Nevertheless, QuickBooks provides a trial balance report if you want to see your data in this format.


Uncategorised Expense account (glossary definition)
Uncategorised Expense account

An account that QuickBooks automatically adds to your chart of accounts the first time you enter an opening balance for a vendor.


Uncategorised Income account (glossary definition)
Uncategorised Income account

An account that QuickBooks automatically adds to your chart of accounts the first time you enter an opening balance for a customer.


Undeposited Funds account (glossary definition)
Undeposited Funds account

An account that QuickBooks automatically adds to your chart of accounts the first time you receive an invoice payment or cash from a cash sale. QuickBooks uses this account to hold money you've collected until you deposit it in a bank account.


Vendor types (glossary definition)
Vendor type

Vendor types let you categorise your vendors in ways that are meaningful to your business. For example, you could set up your vendor types so that they indicate which industry a vendor represents, or a vendor's geographic location.

You can create reports and do special mailings that are based on your vendor types. For example, if you own a construction company and use subcontractors, you might want to use the ones closest to each job. You could create a QuickBooks report that shows the subcontractors in each geographic area.

See also

Customer type

Job type

Class


What a graphs shows
What a graph shows

Each type of graph in QuickBooks gives you a particular view of your company finances:

Income and expense

Sales

Accounts receivable

Accounts payable

Net worth

Budget Vs actual

For details, click the type of graph.

See also

Creating a graph

Viewing data in a graph

Customizing a graph


Income and expense graph

This type of graph shows your income and expenses for the period of time that you specify.

The bar graph across the top shows income and expenses for the period, while the pie chart at the bottom shows a breakdown of income or expenses (you can choose which you want to see) by account.

See also

Creating a graph


Sales graph

This type of graph shows sales income for the period of time that you specify.

The bar graph at the top shows your company's sales income for each month from invoices, credit memos, and cash sales receipts. The pie chart at the bottom shows a summary of your sales [image] broken down by item, customer, or sales rep [image] for the period of time covered by the graph. The legend to the right of the pie chart shows you what each pie slice represents.

See also

Creating a graph


Accounts receivable graph

This type of graph shows you how much your customers owe.

The bar graph at the top shows how much your customers currently owe you, and how much is overdue by up to 30, 60, 90, and over 90 days. The pie chart at the bottom shows a breakdown of unpaid balances by customer. The legend to the right of the pie chart shows you which customer each pie slice represents.

See also

Creating a graph


Accounts payable graph

This type of graph shows how much you owe your vendors.

The bar graph at the top shows how much you currently owe your vendors, and how much is overdue by 30, 60, 90, and over 90 days.  The pie chart at the bottom shows a breakdown of your unpaid bills by vendor.  The legend to the right of the pie chart shows you which vendor each pie slice represents.

See also

Creating a graph


Net worth graph

This type of graph shows changes in your company's net worth.

The graph shows the following amounts for each month of the period covered by the graph:

Total assets (positive amounts). These appear as bars above the zero line.

Total liabilities (negative amounts). These appear as bars below the zero line.

Net worth (equity). This is the difference between your assets and liabilities for each month.

The net worth data points are connected to form a line graph. Each small square shows the net worth for that month. You can double-click the assets or liabilities section of a bar (or one equity data point) to see a pie chart of account balances for that portion of the balance sheet for that month.

See also

Creating a graph


Budget vs actual
Budget vs. actual graph

This type of graph lets you see the difference between your budgeted amounts and the actual amounts you earned or spent.

The upper bar graph shows your company's actual net income less budgeted net income for each month. A monthly amount is favourable when the actual net income exceeds the budgeted net income. The lower bar graph shows the five income or expense accounts that are the furthest from budget (either over or under).

See also

Creating a graph


Creating a graph

1	From the Graphs menu choose the type of graph you want to create.

2	(Optional) When QuickBooks displays the graph, click the Dates button on the graph buttonbar to change the dates for the graph.

3	(Optional) Click any button on the graph buttonbar that allows you to group the data in a different way.

For example, the sales graphs usually display sales by item, but you can change them to display sales by customer or by rep.

4	(Optional) Print the graph by clicking the Print button on the graph buttonbar.

See also

Viewing data in graphs

Customizing a graph

Printing a graph


Viewing data in graphs

When you create a graph, you can get more detail about an element in the graph. If the graph shows too much detail, you can selectively hide elements to see other elements in the graph more clearly.

What you can do

Zoom in to see more detail

Hide detail

See small groups of data

For details, click the task.

See also

Customizing a graph

Printing a graph


Zooming in for more detail in a graph

When the QuickZoom symbol  [image]  appears over a bar, pie slice, or data point in a graph, it means that you can "zoom in" to see more detail.

To display . . .	Do this
More detail	Double-click the bar, pie slice, or data point in the graph. This displays a new graph, or a report, about the element you double-clicked.
An exact  amount	Position the magnifying glass over the bar, pie slice, or data point. Then hold down the right mouse button.
See also

Hiding detail in a graph

Seeing small groups of data in a graph


Hiding detail in a graph

To . . .	Do this
Hide a pie slice or bar	Hold down the Shift key while you click the left mouse button.
Redisplay what you've hidden	Create the graph again.
Note. Hiding is not the same as filtering. When you filter data in reports, QuickBooks excludes specific amounts from the report. When you hide data in graphs, QuickBooks still includes the hidden value when it calculates the values in the graph.

See also

Zooming in for more detail in a graph

Seeing small groups data in a graph


Seeing small groups of data in a graph

How does QuickBooks handle small groups of data?

If some groups of data are too small to display in the original graph, click the Next Group button.

See also

Zooming in for more detail in a graph

Hiding detail in a graph


Bar graphs. In a bar graph, if all your data doesn't fit on the axis, QuickBooks displays the largest groups first.

Pie charts. If a pie chart has more than ten data groups (for example, more than ten customers), QuickBooks displays the largest ten first. It summarizes the rest of the groups in the eleventh slice of the pie called "Other."


Customizing a graph

When you create a graph, you can do the following things to customize the graph:

Change the date range

Change the data groupings

For details, click the task.

See also

Viewing data in a graph

Printing a graph


Changing a graph's date range

1	In the graph window, click Dates.

2	Choose a date range from the drop-down list, or enter your own beginning and ending dates in the From and To fields.

Tip. The graph may get too cluttered if you enter a date range much longer than a year.

3	Click OK.

See also

Changing how a graph groups data


Changing how a graph groups data

Click . . .	To do this . . .
By Account	Group your data by income or expense account. Applies to: Income and expense graphs, budget vs. actual graphs.
By Customer	Group your data by customer. Applies to: Income and expense graphs, sales graphs, budget vs. actual graphs.
By Class	Group your data by class. Applies to: Income and expense graphs, budget vs. actual graphs.
Next Group	Show a breakdown of the "Other" slice in a pie chart, or groups to small to display in a bar chart. Applies to: Income and expense graphs, sales graphs, budget vs. actual graphs.
By Item	Group your data by item sold. Applies to: Sales graphs.
By Rep	Group your data by sales representative. Applies to: Sales graphs.
See also

Changing a graph's date range


Graph window

This window displays the graph you created.

What you can do

Print the graph

Zoom in to see more detail

Hide detail

See small groups of data

Change the date range

Change the data groupings

For details, click the task.

See also

What a graph shows


QuickZoom Graph window

This window displays a new graph that shows the composition of the item you double-clicked. In a sales graph, for example, double-clicking the bar for the month of June creates a pie chart that shows the sources of your sales for June.

To . . .	Do this
See more detail for the "Other" slice in a pie chart	Click Next Group. ("Other" appears when a pie chart has more than ten data groups. The largest ten groups have slices of their own; an 11th slice summarizes all the other groups. Clicking Next Group displays a new pie chart that shows the groups that made up the 11th slice.)
See more detail for anything else in the graph	Double-click the item.
Print the graph	Click Print.


Change Graph Dates window (income, sales, and net worth graphs)
Change Graph Dates window

Most of the graphs you create cover the current fiscal year to date, unless you change the date range in this window. The new dates you enter apply only to this graph [image] not to graphs you'll create in the future.

To . . .	Do this
Change the dates	Choose a date range from the Graphs Dates list. Or, enter the beginning date in the From field and the ending date in the To field. For best results, keep the date range to one year or less. Graphs that cover more than a year can be crowded and difficult to read.
Retain the dates shown	Click Cancel.


Change Graph Dates window (A/R, A/P graphs)
Change Graph Dates window

When you create an accounts receivable or an accounts payable graph, it uses today's date as the starting point for the aging categories (Current, 1-30, 31-60, etc.) shown on the graph. If you want, you can use this window to change the starting point to a different date. The new starting point applies only to this graph [image] not to graphs you'll create in the future.

To . . .	Do this
Change the starting point for aging	Enter the new date in the "Show aging as of" field.
Keep the starting point at today's date	Click Cancel.


Change Graph Dates window (budget graphs)
Change Graph Dates window

When you create a budget graph, it covers the current fiscal year to date, unless you change the date range in this window. The new dates you enter apply only to this graph [image] not to graphs you'll create in the future.

To . . .	Do this
Change the dates of the graph	Choose a date range from the Graphs Dates list. Or, enter the beginning date in the From field and the ending date in the To field. For best results, keep the date range to one year or less. Graphs that cover more than a year can be crowded and difficult to read.
Keep the graph's dates as they are	Click Cancel.


Creating an import file

If you've been using another financial software product, and you'd like to import information from that product into QuickBooks, you can do so if the product allows you to export to a spreadsheet or text file. You can import lists that correspond to QuickBooks' lists, budgets, and individual transactions.

Tip. The easiest way to see and understand the format QuickBooks needs to import data is to export some of your QuickBooks lists and view the resulting file in a spreadsheet. If you don't already have a QuickBooks company, you can export lists from the sample data (SAMPLE.QBW).

Instructions

1	Open the spreadsheet that contains the data.

2	Move the contents of all the cells in your spreadsheet one column to the right so that the first column is blank.

3	Move the contents of all the cells down by one row so that the first row is blank.

4	Check the structure of the spreadsheet. If it contains more than one type of list [image] or a mixture of lists, budgets, and transactions [image] make sure that each type of information has its own block in the spreadsheet. The blocks should follow each other vertically. Insert a blank row of cells to separate the blocks.

For example, it you have a list of customers and a list of vendors, all the customer data should be in one block and all the vendor information should be in another block.

5	In the first cell in the blank row above each block of information, enter one of the keywords shown in this table. Be sure to include the exclamation point (!).

Enter this text . . .	If the block contains
!ACCNT	Details about your chart of accounts.
!CUST	A customer address or phone list.
!VEND	A vendor address or phone list.
!EMP	A list of employees.
!OTHERNAME	A list of names you'd like to add to QuickBooks' Other Name list.
!BUD	Budget details.
!CLASS	A list of general classifications you'd like to add to QuickBooks' Class list.
!CTYPE	A list of customer classifications you'd like to add to QuickBooks' Customer Type list.
!INVITEM	Details about the line items you use on sales and purchase forms.
!INVMEMO	Messages you'd like to add to QuickBooks' Customer Message list.
!PAYMETH	A list of payment methods you'd like to add to QuickBooks' Payment Method list.
!SHIPMETH	A list of shipping methods you'd like to add to QuickBooks' Ship Via list.
!TERMS	A list of payment terms you'd like to add to QuickBooks' Terms list.
!TIMEACT	Details about activities you timed with the QuickBooks Pro Timer. Works with !TIMERHDR.
!TIMERHDR	QuickBooks Pro Timer data.
!TODO	A list of upcoming "to do" tasks you want QuickBooks to remind you about.
!TRANS	Transactions.
!VTYPE	A list of vendor classifications you'd like to add to QuickBooks' Vendor Type list.
For example, if the spreadsheet contains a list of customers and then a list of vendors, the structure of the spreadsheet would be as follows:

!CUST

[List of customers]

!VEND

[List of vendors]

6	Fill in the remaining cells of the first column with the keyword you entered in the first row for each informational block. This time, omit the exclamation point.

In our example, the first column would look like this:

!CUST

CUST

CUST

[etc.]

!VEND

VEND

VEND

[etc.]

7	Complete the first row for each list by adding the headings that QuickBooks expects to find for that type of information. To see a list of the headings you can use, click the type of information you are importing:

Chart of accounts	Payroll Item list
Budgets	Ship Via list
Class list	Terms list
Customer Type list	To Do list
Customer:Job list	Vendor list
Employee list	Vendor Type list
Item list	Transactions
Customer Message list	Distribution lines in transactions
Other Names list	Activites timed with the QuickBooks Pro Timer
Payment Method list
For example, the first row for a list of vendor names, addresses, and phone numbers would look like this:

!VEND  NAME  ADDR1  ADDR2  ADDR3  ADDR4  ADDR5  PHONE1  PHONE2

8	Make sure that the content of the columns in each block matches the headings you just added:

If you have a vendor's entire address in one column, you need to break it up so that the first line of the address appears under the ADDR1 column, the second line under the ADDR2 column, and so forth.

You may have some columns that are filled with information, but you could find no heading that matched the information. In this case, consider moving the material in those columns to the NOTES column.

9	Save the spreadsheet as a text file. (The columns must be separated by tabs or commas.)  Add an .IIF extension to the filename.

The .IIF extension is not required; however, if you use the extension, QuickBooks can locate the file more quickly.

10	Start QuickBooks. From the File menu, choose Import and enter the name and path of the file you just created. Click OK.

What happens

QuickBooks adds the data to your company file, updating any lists as needed. For example, if you have imported a list of vendors, QuickBooks adds the new vendor names to your Vendor list.


Importing transactions to QuickBooks

You can import transactions to QuickBooks, provided that the transaction data is in a text file that conforms to QuickBooks' import file format. This is a tab- or comma- delimited text file in which the transaction data appears in columns. Special keywords identify the beginning and end of each transaction, and provide headings that indicate the type of information in each column.

Before you begin. These instructions are rather long. You may want to print them instead of reading them onscreen. To print them, choose Print Topic from the File menu of the Help window.

Instructions

1	If the transaction data is already in a file, open that file.  Otherwise, create a new file in either a word processor or a spreadsheet.

Important.  If you are using a spreadsheet, it must be capable of saving the file as a tab-delimited text file (most spreadsheets can).  If you are using a word processor, it must be capable of saving the file as a straight text file without embedded formatting codes.  In either case, your end result will be a file in which tab characters separate blocks of transaction data.

2	Set up the first column.  This column is reserved for special keywords that identify the beginning and end of each transaction.  Follow the guidelines that apply to the type of program you are using:

Spreadsheets.  Use the first (leftmost) column in the spreadsheet.  The first three cells in the column must read as follows:

!TRNS

!SPL

!ENDTRNS

For now, leave the remaining cells in the column blank.

Word processors.  The first three lines of the file must begin as follows:

!TRNS <tab>

!SPL <tab>

!ENDTRNS <tab>

Note.  <tab> indicates that you press the Tab key after entering the text.  Do not type "<tab>".

3	Add the headings for the other columns.  (For a model, use the two examples below.)  In general, follow these guidelines:

For a list of the keywords you can use for column headings, see the keyword reference.

The keywords must appear at the beginning of the file, before any of the transaction data.  In a spreadsheet, put the keywords in the first two rows, like this:

!TRNS	TRNSTYPE	DATE	ACCNT . . . etc.
!SPL	TRNSTYPE	DATE	ACCNT . . . etc.
In a text file, put the keywords in the first two lines.  Press Tab after each keyword:

!TRNS <tab>	TRNSTYPE <tab>	ACCNT <tab>. . . etc.
!SPL <tab>	TRNSTYPE <tab>	ACCNT <tab>. . . etc.
The first row of keywords covers general information that appears in each transaction (the date of the transaction, the customer's name, the vendor's name, the transaction total etc.).  The second row of keywords applies specifically to the distribution lines of the transaction (the amount of each distribution, the income or expense account to which you assigned the distribution, etc.).  In some cases, the same keyword can apply to both the transaction as a whole and to a distribution line.

Use only the keywords that apply to your transactions [image] you do not have to use all the keywords listed in the keyword reference.  For example, if you do not include payment terms on your invoices, you do not have to have a Terms column in the import file.

Only three keyword columns are absolutely required for transactions [image] all others are optional.  The required keywords are:

TRNSTYPE	Indicates the type of transaction.
ACCNT	For the transaction as a whole:  the name of the balance sheet account to which you assigned the transaction. For a distribution line:  the name of the income or expense account to which you assigned the distribution line.
AMOUNT	For the transaction as a whole:  the transaction total. For a distribution line:  the amount of the distribution.
4	Enter the specific details of each transaction.  (Again, use the two examples as a model.)  In general, follow these steps:

Start at the beginning of the first row or line after !ENDTRANS.  This would be row 4 in a spreadsheet and line 4 in a text file.

Type the keyword TRNS to indicate the beginning of the first transaction.  If you are in a text file, press Tab after TRNS.

Go to the beginning of the next row or line and enter the keyword SPL to indicate the first distribution line of the transaction.  If you are in a text file, press Tab after SPL.

If the transaction has more than one distribution line, repeat the last step for each distribution line.  Use a separate row or line for each distribution line.

Type the keyword ENDTRNS in the first row or line after the last distribution line.  If you are in a text file, press Tab after ENDTRANS.

Fill in the transaction details.  General information about the transaction goes into the row or line that begins with the keyword TRNS.  Information about the distribution lines goes in the rows or lines that begin with SPL.  If you are in a text file, press Tab after each item of information.

Note.  The column headings you added in Step 3 indicate where to put each item of information.  For example, transaction dates go into the DATE column.

Transaction amounts require special attention.  See Step 5 below.

The names of accounts that you enter must be the names of accounts in the chart of accounts of your QuickBooks company.  If they are not, you can set up the accounts in the import file.  The account information must precede the first transaction in the import file.

You cannot create a link between two transactions.  For example, if one transaction is an invoice and another transaction is a payment for the invoice, you cannot indicate in the import file that the payment is to be applied to the invoice.  To apply the payment, you would wait until you have imported the transactions into QuickBooks.  Then, you would go to the Receive Payments window and apply the payment from there.

Repeat this process for each additional transaction.

5	In the Amount column, enter the transaction amounts.  For each transaction, do the following:

Enter the total amount of the transaction in the Trns row of the Amount column.

Enter the distribution line amounts in the Spl rows of the Amount column.

Important.  Follow these guidelines for making an amount positive or negative:

If the amount is posted to . . .	Make the amount
An asset account (like accounts receivable)	Positive [image] if it increases your assets.  (Example:  an invoice.) Negative [image] if it decreases your assets.  (Example:  a credit memo.)
A liability account (like accounts payable)	Negative [image] if it increases your liabilities.  (Example:  a bill from a vendor.) Positive [image] if it decreases your liabilities.  (Example:  a credit from a vendor.)
A capital or equity account	Negative [image] if it increases your equity or capital. Positive [image] if it decreases your equity or capital.
An income account	Negative [image] if it increases your income. Positive [image] if it decreases your income.
An expense account	Positive [image] if it increases your expenses. Negative [image] if it decreases your expenses.
As a final check, add up all the amounts.  For each transaction, the amounts should total zero.

6	When you've entered all the data, save the import file.  Follow the guidelines that apply to the type of program you are using:

Spreadsheets.  Save the file as a tab-delimited text file.

Word processors.  Save the file as a text file.

7	In QuickBooks, choose Import from the File menu.

8	Enter the location and name of the import file.

9	Click OK to import the transactions.

Cheque example

The following example shows a cheque in QuickBooks' import file format.  To see the entire example, you may have to widen this Help window.  You can also print the example by choosing Print Topic from the File menu of the Help window.

Because there are too many columns of information to show, we have split the cheque into two parts.  Here are the first seven columns:

!TRNS	TRNSTYPE	DATE	ACCNT	NAME	AMOUNT	DOCNUM
!SPL	TRNSTYPE	DATE	ACCNT	NAME	AMOUNT	DOCNUM
!ENDTRNS
TRNS	CHECK	3/31/94	Chequing	Koepplinger Landowners	-550.00	1985
SPL	CHECK	3/31/94	Rent		500.00
SPL	CHECK	3/31/94	Utilities		50.00
ENDTRNS
Here are the remaining columns.  If we had not split up this example, these columns would appear to the right of the first seven columns:

MEMO	CLEAR	TOPRINT	ADDR1	ADDR2	ADDR3
MEMO	CLEAR	QNTY	INVITEM
April rent	N	N	Koepplinger  Landowners	876 West Paul Avenue	Saskatoon, SK
	N
	N
Notes

This example could have been created in either a spreadsheet or a text file.  In a spreadsheet, each item of information would have a cell of its own.  In a text file, tab characters would separate the data columns.

The cheque is made out to Koepplinger Landowners for the amount of 550.00.  The import file shows the amount as a negative number (-550.00) because a cheque decreases the value of a company's assets.  This is purely for QuickBooks' internal accounting purposes.  If you viewed this cheque in QuickBooks, the cheque amount would be 550.00, not -550.00.

The cheque also has two distribution lines (designated SPL in the import file).   The first distribution line assigns 500.00 of the cheque to an expense account named Rent; the second distribution line assigns 50.00 of the cheque to an expense account named Utilities.  Here, the amounts are positive because they represent increases to the company's expenses.  Note that the detail amounts and the cheque amount add up to zero.

The import file also contains other information about the cheque.  The cheque number (1985) is in the DOCNUM column.  A memo to the payee ("April rent") appears in the MEMO column.

The TRNSTYPE column identifies the type of transaction [image] cheque, invoice, bill, etc.  The keyword to use for cheques is CHECK.  It must appear in each line of data [image] the SPL lines as well as the TRNS line.

The accounts (Chequing, Rent, Utilities) must be either in the chart of accounts of your QuickBooks company or defined in the import file.  When neither is the case, QuickBooks creates the accounts when you import the transactions, making each account a bank account.  If you are using the import file to set up the accounts, the account information must precede the first transaction in the file.

Invoice example

The following example shows an invoice in QuickBooks' import file format.  To see the entire example, you may have to widen this Help window.  You can also print the example by choosing Print Topic from the File menu of this Help window.

Because there are too many columns of information to show, we have split the invoice into two parts.  Here are the first nine columns:

!TRNS	TRNSTYPE	DATE	ACCNT	NAME	AMOUNT	DOCNUM	MEMO	CLEAR
!SPL	TRNSTYPE	DATE	ACCNT	NAME	AMOUNT	DOCNUM	MEMO	CLEAR
!ENDTRNS								N
TRNS	INVOICE	3/31/94	Accounts Receivable	Lisa Yee	726.70	679	Light fixtures	N
SPL	INVOICE	3/31/94	Sales Income		-456.92		Light Fixtures	N
SPL	INVOICE	3/31/94	Labour Income		-175		Labour	N
SPL	INVOICE	3/31/94	GST Payable		-44.23		Total GST	N
SPL	INVOICE	3/31/94	PST Payable		-50.55		Total PST	N
ENDTRNS
Here are the remaining columns.  If we had not split up this example, these columns would appear to the right of the first nine columns:

TOPRINT	ADDR1	ADDR2	ADDR3	DUEDATE	TERMS	PAID	SHIPDATE	INVTITLE	INVMEMO
QNTY	INVITEM
Y	Lisa Yee	541 Surf Road	Saskatoon, SK	4/30/94	1%10  Net 30	Y	3/31/94	Invoice	Thank you!
	Resale
128	Labour
	Auto Tax
Notes

This example could have been created in either a spreadsheet or a text file.  In a spreadsheet, each item of information would have a cell of its own.  In a text file, tab characters would separate the data columns.

The invoice is made out to Lisa Yee at 541 Surf Road, Saskatoon, SK.  The invoice total (669.62) is a positive number because an invoice increases the value of a company's assets.

The invoice contains three line items (designated SPL in the import file).  The first line item is for a light fixture (-456.92), the second is for labour hours (-175.00), the third is for GST on the light fixture (-44.23), and the fourth is for PST (-50.55).  The amounts are negative because they are increases, either to the company's income (as in the case of the light fixture and the labour hours), or to the company's liabilities (as in the case of GST/PST).  The negative amounts are necessary for QuickBooks' internal accounting purposes.  If you viewed this invoice in QuickBooks, the line item amounts would all be positive.  Note that the invoice total and the line item amounts all add up to zero.

The import file also contains other information about the invoice.  The payment terms for the invoice (1%10 Net 30) appear under TERMS.  A message to the customer ("Thank you!") appears under INVMEMO (QuickBooks will print this message at the bottom of the invoice).  A notation that the invoice is yet to be printed (Y) appears under TOPRINT.  All of this is information that QuickBooks stores with the invoice.

The TRNSTYPE column identifies the type of transaction [image] invoice, cheque, bill, etc.  The keyword to use for invoices is INVOICE.  It must appear in each line of data [image] the SPL lines as well as the TRNS line.

The accounts (Accounts Receivable, Sales Income, Labour Income, GST Payable, PST Payable) must be either in the chart of accounts of your QuickBooks company, or they must be defined in the import file.  When neither is the case, QuickBooks creates the accounts when you import the transactions; making each account a bank account.  If you are using the import file to set up the accounts, the account information must precede the first transaction in the file.


Reference guide to import files

The files that QuickBooks exports and imports are text files.  The best way to view an export or import file is to open it from a spreadsheet program [image] that way, you'll see the data laid out into rows and columns.  If you don't have a spreadsheet program, you can also view an export file in a word processor.

When you view the file, you'll see keywords in capital letters that serve as row and column headings.  The keywords that appear at the beginning of each row identify the type of information in that row.  For example, the keyword CUST indicates that the row contains data about a customer on your Customer:Job list.

Rows that begin with the same keyword are grouped together.  For example, all of the CUST entries from your Customer:Job list appear as a single block of rows in the file. Each block, in turn, has its own column headings that appear in capital letters in the cells of  the first row in the block.  The column headings identify the type of information that each column in the block contains.

For details about the column headings that belong to a particular block of information, click the keyword for that block in the list below:

ACCNT (chart of accounts)	PAYMETH (Payment Method list)
BUD (budgets)	QBP EMPLOYEE (Employee payroll records)
CLASS (Class list)	SHIPMETH (Ship Via list)
CTYPE (Customer Type list)	SPL (Distribution lines)
CUST (Customer:Job list)	TERMS (Terms list)
EMP (Employee list)	TODO (To Do list)
HDR (header information)	TRNS (Transactions)
INVITEM (Item list)	VENDOR (Vendor list)
INVMEMO (Customer Message list)	VTYPE (Vendor Type list)
OTHER (Other Names list)	TIMERHDR (Header for Timer data)
PAYITEM (Payroll Item list)	TIMEACT (activites timed with the Timer)


Chart of accounts (IIF reference)
Chart of accounts (ACCNT)

Import and export files can contain complete information about your chart of accounts.  The keyword for the chart of accounts is ACCNT.

Column headings

The following table shows the column headings for a chart of accounts.  The NAME and ACCNTTYPE columns are required.

NAME	(Required)  The name of an account in your chart of accounts.  If the account is a subaccount, the account's name includes the names of the parent accounts, beginning with the highest level account.  If you are creating an import file, use a colon (:) to separate subaccount names.
TIMESTAMP	(Export files only)  A unique number that identifies the company file from which you exported the chart of accounts.
REFNUM	(Export files only)  A unique number that identifies the account in the list.
ACCNTTYPE	(Required)  The type of account.  If you are creating an import file, use one of the keywords below to indicate the account type:
	AP	Accounts payable
	AR	Accounts receivable
	BANK	Chequing or savings
	CCARD	Credit card account
	COGS	Cost of goods sold
	EQUITY	Capital/Equity
	EXEXP	Other expense
	EXINC	Other income
	EXP	Expense
	FIXASSET	Fixed asset
	INC	Income
	LTLIAB	Long term liability
	NONPOSTING	Non-posting account
	OASSET	Other asset
	OCASSET	Other current asset
	OCLIAB	Other current liability
OBAMOUNT	The opening balance of the account.  Leave the amount blank and import the account without an opening balance. If the account must have an opening balance, use the TRNS keyword to create an opening balance transaction for the account.
DESC	A brief description of the account.
ACCNUM	The account number of the account.
TAXCODE	The tax code assigned to the account. Applies only to Expense and Other Expense accounts.
SCD	The tax line assigned to an account. To specify the tax line, enter its number (tax line numbers come from the file BUSTAX.SCD). If you don't know the correct number, leave this field blank. You can always assign the tax line later, after you import the chart of accounts into QuickBooks.
BANKNUM	The number of the bank/branch.
EXTRA	Identifies an account as one of the special balance sheet accounts that QuickBooks automatically creates when the need for the account arises.  If you are creating an import file, use one of these keywords to identify the account:
	OPENBAL	Opening Balance Equity
	RETEARNINGS	Retained Earnings
	UNDEPOSIT	Undeposited Funds
	GST	GST Payable
	GST EXP	GST Expense
	PST	PST Payable
	PST EXP	PST Expense


Budgets (IIF reference)
Budgets (BUD)

Import and export files can contain complete information about your budgets.  The keyword for a budget is BUD.

Column headings

The following table shows the column headings for a budget.  Only the ACCNT and AMOUNT columns are required.

ACCNT	(Required)  The name of the account to which this budget applies.  If the account is a subaccount, the account's name includes the names of the parent accounts, beginning with the highest level account.  If you are creating an import file, use a colon (:) to separate subaccount names.
PERIOD	A keyword that identifies the time intervals within the budget.  Because QuickBooks only allows one month intervals in a budget, an export file always shows the keyword MONTH.  If you are creating an import file, type MONTH.
AMOUNT	(Required)  The budget amounts.  Because a QuickBooks budget covers an entire year, an export file shows 12 amounts, one for each month of the year.  If you are creating an import file, each month's amount must have its own column.
STARTDATE	The starting date of the budget.  If you are creating an import file, enter the date in MM/DD/YY format.  For example, 1/30/94.
CLASS	The name of the class that the budget applies to.  If the class is a subclass, the class name includes the names of the parent classes, beginning with the highest level class.  If you are creating an import file, use a colon (:) to separate subclass names.
CUSTOMER	The customer that the budget applies to.  If you are applying the budget to a specific job for the customer, the customer name includes the job name.  The customer's name comes first, then a colon (:), then the job name.


Class list (IIF reference)
Class list (CLASS)

Import and export files can contain the list of classes you use in QuickBooks.  The keyword for the Class list is CLASS.

Column headings

The following table shows the column headings for the Class list.  Only the NAME column is required.

NAME	(Required)  The name of the class.  If the class is a subclass of another class, the name includes the name of the parent classes, beginning with the highest level class.  If you are creating an import file, use a colon (:) to separate subclass names.
TIMESTAMP	(Export files only)  A unique number that identifies the company file from which you exported the Class list.
REFNUM	(Export files only)  A unique number that identifies an entry in the list.


Customer Type list (IIF reference)
Customer Type list (CTYPE)

Import and export files can contain the list of customer types you use in QuickBooks.  The keyword for the Customer Type list is CTYPE.

Column headings

The following table shows the column headings for the Customer Type list.  Only the NAME column is required.

NAME	(Required)  The customer type.  If the customer type is a subtype of another customer type, the name includes the name of the parent types, beginning with the highest level type.  If you are creating an import file, use a colon (:) to separate subtype names.
TIMESTAMP	(Export files only)  A unique number that identifies the company file from which you exported the Customer Type list.
REFNUM	(Export files only)  A unique number that identifies an entry in the list.


Customer:Job list (IIF reference)
Customer:Job list (CUST)

Import and export files can contain all the information on your Customer:Job list.  The keyword for the Customer:Job list is CUST.

Column headings

The following table shows the column headings for the Customer:Job list.  Only the NAME column is required.

NAME	(Required)  The name of the customer.  If a job name is included, the customer name appears first.  If you are creating an import file, use a colon (:) to separate the customer name from the job name.
TIMESTAMP	(Export files only)  A unique number that identifies the company file from which you exported the Customer:Job list.
REFNUM	(Export files only)  A unique number that identifies an entry in the list.
BADDR1	The first line of the customer's billing address.
BADDR2	The second line of the customer's billing address.
BADDR3	The third line of the customer's billing address.
BADDR4	The fourth line of the customer's billing address.
BADDR5	The fifth line of the customer's billing address.
SADDR1	The first line of the customer's shipping address.
SADDR2	The second line of the customer's shipping address.
SADDR3	The third line of the customer's shipping address.
SADDR4	The fourth line of the customer's shipping address.
SADDR5	The fifth line of the customer's shipping address.
PHONE1	The customer's phone number.
PHONE2	The customer's alternate phone number.
FAXNUM	The customer's FAX number.
CONT1	The name of your primary contact with the customer.
CONT2	The name of an alternate contact with the customer.
CTYPE	Your classification for the customer (QuickBooks calls this a "customer type").  If you import a customer type that is not on your Customer Type list, QuickBooks adds the new customer type to the list.
TERMS	The customer's payment terms with your company.
USECUSTOMERTAXCODE	Indicates whether you want to assign a default tax code to this customer If you are creating an import file, enter one of these keywords in the USECUSTOMERTAXCODE field:
	Y	Yes.  You want to assign a default tax code to this customer.
	N	No.  You do not want to assign a default tax code to this customer.
DEFAULTTAXCODE	The default tax code to be assigned to this customer, overriding any item tax codes.
LIMIT	The customer's credit limit with your company.  If you are creating an import file, enter the dollar amount.
REP	The initials of the sales representative who deals with the customer.
TAXITEM	The name of the tax item you have assigned to this customer. The name you enter must correspond to one of the sales tax items on your Item list.
NOTEPAD	Your notes about the customer.  If you are creating an import file, the notes appear in the Notepad window for the customer.
SALUTATION	The customer's salutation, or title (Mr., Ms., Doctor, etc.).
COMPANYNAME	The name of the customer's company.
FIRSTNAME	The customer's first name.
MIDINIT	The customer's middle initial.
LASTNAME	The customer's last name.
CUSTFLD1 CUSTFLD2 . . CUSTFLD15	The custom field entries for the customer (you can have up to 15 custom field entries). Custom fields let you track special information about the customer, such as the customer's birthday or email address. What you use custom fields for is entirely up to you.
JOBDESC	(QuickBooks Pro only) A short description of the job you a performing for the customer.
JOBTYPE	(QuickBooks Pro only) A word or phrase you want to use to categorize the job you are performing for the customer. You can create reports based on job types.
JOBSTATUS	(QuickBooks Pro only) The status of the job you are performing for the customer. QuickBooks Pro uses these terms to indicate job status: Pending Awarded In progress Closed Not awarded
JOBSTART	(QuickBooks Pro only) The starting date of the job you are performing for the customer.
JOBPROJEND	(QuickBooks Pro only) The projected ending date of the job you are performing for the customer.
JOBEND	(QuickBooks Pro only) The ending date of the job you performed for the customer.
NOTE	The name or number of the account you want to associate with this customer. QuickBooks requires an account number if you want to set up this customer as an online payee. The payee uses this number to identify you.


Employee list (IIF reference)
Employee list (EMP)

Import and export files can contain all the information in your Employee list.  The keyword for the Employee list is EMP.

Column headings

The following table shows the column headings for the Employee list.  The NAME and INIT columns are required.

NAME	(Required)  The name of the employee.
TIMESTAMP	(Export files only)  A unique number that identifies the company file from which you exported the Employee list.
REFNUM	(Export files only)  A unique number that identifies an entry in the list.
INIT	(Required)  The employee's initials.
ADDR1	The first line of the employee's address.
ADDR2	The second line of the employee's address.
ADDR3	The third line of the employee's address.
ADDR4	The fourth line of the employee's address.
ADDR5	The fifth line of the employee's address.
SSNO	The employee's Social Security number.
PHONE1	The employee's phone number.
PHONE2	An alternate phone number for the employee.
NOTEPAD	Your notes about the employee.  If you are creating an import file, the notes appear in the Notepad window for the employee.
FIRSTNAME	The employee's first name.
MIDINIT	The employee's middle initial.
LASTNAME	The employee's last name.
SALUTATION	The employee's salutation, or title (Mr., Ms., Doctor, etc.).
CUSTFLD1 CUSTFLD2 . . CUSTFLD15	The custom field entries for the employee (you can have up to 15 custom field entries). Custom fields let you track special information about the employee, such as the employee's birthday or email address. What you use custom fields for is entirely up to you.
NOTE	The name or number of the account you want to associate with this employee. QuickBooks requires an account number if you want to set up this employee as an online payee. The payee uses this number to identify you.


Payroll record (IIF reference)
Employee payroll record (QBP EMPLOYEE)

Import and export files can contain the payroll records for your employees. Because of the complexity of payroll records, there are four keywords for payroll records: QBP EMPLOYEE, CUSTOMPI, HOURLYPI, LOCALPI. Each keyword has its own column headings. For each employee record, there is one QBP EMPLOYEE line (or row). Immediately following, there can be up to 10 CUSTOMPI lines, up to 8 HOURLYPI lines, and up to 2 LOCALPI lines. The keyword ENDQBPEMP (in a line by itself) indicates the end of an employee's record.

Columns for QBP EMPLOYEE

The following table shows the column headings for QBP EMPLOYEE. The NAME and PAYPERIOD columns are required.

NAME	(Required)  The name of the employee.
REFNUM	(Export files only)  A unique number that identifies an entry in the list.
TIMESTAMP	(Export files only)  A unique number that identifies the company file from which you exported the Employee list.
PAYPERIOD	(Required) A keyword that identifies the pay period for the employee. If you are creating an import file, use one of these keywords:
	DAILY	You pay the employee each business day.
	WEEKLY	You pay the employee once a week.
	BIWEEKLY	You pay the employee every two weeks (26 times a year).
	SEMIMONTHLY	You pay the employee twice each month (24 times a year).
	MONTHLY	You pay the employee once a month (12 times a year).
	QUARTERLY	You pay the employee once a quarter (4 times a year).
	YEARLY	You pay the employee once a year.
	10 PERIODS	You pay your employees 10 times a year.
	13 PERIODS	You pay your employees 13 times a year.
	22 PERIODS	You pay your employees 22 times a year.
	27 PERIODS	You pay your employees 27 times a year.
	53 PERIODS	You pay your employees 53 times a year.
CLASS	The name of the class that applies to the employee. If the class is a subclass, the class name includes the names of the parent classes, beginning with the highest level class. A colon (:) separates each class name.
NUMCUSTOM	The number of "custom" payroll items in the employee's payroll record. A custom payroll item can be either a deduction, addition, comission, or company contribution payroll item. If there are no custom payroll items in the employee's record, enter 0.
NUMHOURLY	The number of hour wage payroll items in the employee's payroll record. If there are none, enter 0.
SICKACCRL	The number of sick hours accrued per pay period.
SICKRATE	The rate per sick hour.
SICKACCRD	The amount of sick hours already accrued by the employee.
SICKLIMIT	The maximum number of sick hours the employee can accrue.
VACACCRL	The number of vacation hours accrued per pay period.
VACRATE	The rate per vacation hour.
VACACCRD	The amount of vacation hours already accrued by the employee.
DOB	The employee's date of birth.
HIREDATE	The date you hired the employee. The date is always in MM/DD/YY format. For example, 1/30/94.
RELEASEDATE	The date you released the employee. The date is always in MM/DD/YY format. For example, 1/30/94.
TD1CLAIM	The employee's Federal Claim as per the TD1.
EIFACTOR	The employee's EI (Employment Insurance) factor (e.g., 1.4)
FEDTAX	Indicate whether the employees pays federal taxes. If you are creating an import file, use one of these keywords:
	Y	Employee is subject to federal witholdings.
	N	Employee is not subject to federal witholdings.
CPP	If you are creating an import file, use one of these keywords:
	Y	Employee has CPP contributions deducted from the pay cheque.
	N	Employee does not have CPP contributions deducted from the pay cheque.
QPP	If you are creating an import file, use one of these keywords:
	Y	Employee has QPP contributions deducted from the pay cheque.
	N	Employee does not have QPP contributions deducted from the pay cheque.
EI	If you are creating an import file, use one of these keywords:
	Y	Employee has EI contributions deducted from the pay cheque.
	N	Employee does not have EI contributions deducted from the pay cheque.
QUETAX	If you are creating an import file, use one of these keywords:
	Y	Employee is subject to Quebec provincial tax witholdings.
	N	Employee is not subject to Quebec provincial tax witholdings.
TIMECARD	If you are creating an import file, use one of these keywords:
	Y	Data from employee's time card is used to create pay cheque.
	N	Data from employee's time card is not used to create pay cheque (is only used for reporting purposes).
CARRYSICK	If you are creating an import file, use one of these keywords:
	Y	Sick pay for the employee is carried into the next year.
	N	Sick pay for the employee is not carried into the next year.
CARRYVAC	If you are creating an import file, use one of these keywords:
	Y	Vacation pay for the employee is carried into the next year.
	N	Vacation pay for the employee is not carried into the next year.
SICKPERPAY	If you are creating an import file, use one of these keywords:
	Y	Sick pay is paid out each pay period.
	N	Sick pay is not paid out each pay period.
VACPERPAY	If you are creating an import file, use one of these keywords:
	Y	Vacation pay is paid out each pay period.
	N	Vacation pay is not paid out each pay period.
Columns for CUSTOMPI

The following table shows the column headings for CUSTOMPI (custom payroll items). Each employee record can have up to 10 custom payroll items. The PAYITEM column is required.

PAYITEM	(Required) The name of the deduction, addition, commission, or company contribution payroll item.
AMOUNT	The rate or amount of the payroll item. If you are creating an import file, be sure to include a percent sign is the item is based on a percentage rate. If the item is to be subtracted from employees' pay, include a minus sign before the rate or amount.
LIMIT	The annual limit, in dollars, of the payroll item. For deductions from pay, this is the maximum amount that can be deducted from an employee's pay in one year. For additions to pay, this is the maximum amount that can be added to an employee's pay in one year. If you are creating an import file, be sure to enter an minus sign for all deductions.
Columns for HOURLYPI

The following table shows the column headings for HOURLYPI (hourly wage payroll items). Each employee record can have up to 8 hourly wage payroll items. Both columns are required.

PAYITEM	(Required) The name of the hourly wage payroll item.
AMOUNT	(Required) The hourly rate for the employee.
Columns for LOCALPI

The following table shows the column headings for LOCALPI (local tax payroll items). Each employee record can have up to 2 local tax payroll items. The PAYITEM and LOCALITY columns are required.

PAYITEM	(Required) The name of the local tax payroll item.
AMOUNT	The rate or amount of the payroll item. If you are creating an import file, be sure to include a percent sign is the item is based on a percentage rate. If the item is to be subtracted from employees' pay, include a minus sign before the rate or amount.
LIMIT	The annual limit, in dollars, of the payroll item. For deductions from pay, this is the maximum amount that can be deducted from an employee's pay in one year. For additions to pay, this is the maximum amount that can be added to an employee's pay in one year. If you are creating an import file, be sure to enter an minus sign for all deductions.


Header information (IIF reference)
Header information (HDR)

An export file always begins with a header that shows the version and release numbers of the QuickBooks software used to create the file.  The keyword for the header is HDR.

If you are creating a file to import, you do not need to include a header.

Column headings

The following table shows the column headings that appear in the header:

PROD	Identifies the Intuit product that created the export file.
VER	The version number of the QuickBooks software that created the export file.
REL	The release number of the QuickBooks software that created the export file.
IIFVER	The version number of the export file format (IIF).
DATE	The date the export file was created.
TIME	The time the export file was created.


Item list (IIF reference)
Item list (INVITEM)

Import and export files can contain all the information on your Item list.  The keyword for an entry in the list is INVITEM.

Column headings

The following table shows the column headings for the Item list.  The NAME, INVITEMTYPE, and ACCNT columns are required.

NAME	(Required)  The name of the invoice item.
TIMESTAMP	(Export files only)  A unique number that identifies the company file from which you exported the Item list.
REFNUM	(Export files only)  A unique number that identifies an entry in the list.
INVITEMTYPE	(Required)  Indicates the type of invoice item.  If you are creating an import file, use one of these keywords to indicate the item type.
	DISC	Discount item
	GRP	Group item (groups several invoice items into a single item)
	INVENTORY	Inventory part item
	OTHC	Other charge item
	PART	Non-inventory part item
	PMT	Payment item
	SERV	Service item
	SUBT	Subtotal item
DESC	A description of the item as you want it to appear in the Description column on invoices, credit memos, and sales receipts.
PURCHASEDESC	(Inventory part items only) A description of the item as you want it to appear on purchase orders.
ACCNT	(Required)  The name of the income account you use to track sales of the item. The type of this account should be INC.
ASSETACCNT	(Inventory part items only) The name of the asset account you use to track the value of your inventory. The type of this account should be OASSET.
COGSACCNT	(Inventory part items only) The name of the account you use to track the cost of your sales. The type of this account should be COGS.
PRICE	(All item types except group, payment, and subtotal)  The rate or price you charge for the item.  If you are creating an import file, add a percent sign (%) if the amount is a percentage.
COST	(Inventory part items only) The unit cost of the item.
STAXCODE	Default tax code assigned when selling this item (tax charged your customer)
PTAXCODE	Default tax code assigned when purchasing this item (tax charged by your vendor)
PAYMETH	(Payment items only)  The payment method customers use (cheque, Visa, etc.).
PREFVEND	(Inventory part items only) The name of the vendor from whom you normally purchase the item.
REORDERPOINT	(Inventory part items only) The minimum quantity you want to keep in stock at any given time. When your inventory reaches this level, QuickBooks informs you that it is time to reorder the item.
EXTRA	Adds additional information about the invoice item.  These keywords can appear in the EXTRA field:
	REXPGROUP	Indicates that the item is a group of reimbursable expenses that you included on the invoice.
	REXPSUBTOT	Indicates that the item is the subtotal amount for a group of reimbursable expenses you included on the invoice.
CUSTFLD1 CUSTFLD2 . . CUSTFLD5	The custom field entries for the item (you can have up to 5 custom field entries). Custom fields let you track special information about the item, such as color, unit or measure, or size. What you use custom fields for is entirely up to you.
DEP_TYPE	(Payment items only) Indicates how you want QuickBooks to handle deposits of the payment item.
	1	You want QuickBooks to deposit the payment in the bank account of your choice when you record the payment. The payment does not go into the Undeposited Funds account, and you do not have to use the Make Deposits window to deposit the payment.
	0	You want QuickBooks to "hold" all the payments in a special account named Undeposited Funds. To move the payments to a bank account, you must use the Make Deposits window to group the payments into one deposit.
ISPASSEDTHRU (QuickBooks Pro)	(Service, non-inventory part, and other charge items) Indicates whether you pass the item through as an expense to the customer.
	Y	Yes. You pass the item through as an expense.
	N	No. You do not pass the item through as an expense.
HIDDEN		Indicates whether this item is inactive.
	Y	Yes. Item is inactive.
	N	No. Item is active.


Payroll Item list (IIF reference)
Payroll Item list (PAYITEM)

Import and export files can contain all the information on your Payroll Item list. The keyword for an entry in the list is PAYITEM.

Column headings

The following table shows the column headings for the Payroll Item list. The NAME and PAYITEMTYPE columns are required.

NAME	(Required)  The name of the payroll item.
TIMESTAMP	(Export files only)  A unique number that identifies the company file from which you exported the Payroll Item list.
REFNUM	(Export files only)  A unique number that identifies an entry in the list.
DESC	A description of the payroll item.
PAYITEMTYPE	(Required) Indicates the type of payroll item. If you are creating an import file, use one of these keywords to indicate the item type:
	SALARY	For salaried wages.
	HOURLY	For hourly wages.
	COMMISSION	For commissions.
	ADD	For bonuses or other additions to gross or after-tax pay.
	DEDUCT	For union dues, loan repayments, employee-paid insurance, employee deductions for a pension or 401(k) plan, or any local tax (city, county, or district) that is not on QuickBooks' predefined list of local taxes.
	COMPANY	For company-paid contributions associated with each pay period.
	SICK	Sick hours.
	LUMPVAC	Vacation pay – accrual paid out.
	VACATION	Vacation pay.
	FEDTAX	Federal tax
	CPP	CPP.
	EI	EI.
	QPP	QPP.
	PROVTAX	Provincial tax.
DEFAULTAMT	The rate or amount of the item. If you are creating an import file, be sure to include a percent sign is the item is based on a percentage rate. If the item is to be subtracted from employees' pay, include a minus sign before the rate or amount.
LIMIT	The annual limit, in dollars, of the payroll item. For deductions from pay, this is the maximum amount that can be deducted from an employee's pay in one year. For additions to pay, this is the maximum amount that can be added to an employee's pay in one year. If you are creating an import file, be sure to enter an minus sign for all deductions.
EXPACCT	The name of the expense account you use to track company expenses related to payroll.
LIABACCNT	The name of the liability account you use to track money you deduct, but then owe as a liability to the federal, a state, or a local government.
TAXAUTHORITY	The tax authority that applies to this witholding.
T4TRACKING	The line on the T4 that is associated with this item.
ADDJUSTGROSS	(ADD and DEDUCT payroll item types) Indicates whether the item affects gross pay. If you are creating an import file, enter one of these keywords in the ADDJUSTGROSS column:
	Y	Yes.
	N	No.
TAXEFFECTS	If you enter Y in the ADDJUSTGROSS column, you can specify which taxes you want QuickBooks to calculate after it applies the payroll item to gross pay. To do this, you list the taxes in the TAXEFFECTS column. Each tax has its own keyword, and you must separate the keywords with the | character. For example, to calculate federal, CPP, and EI withholding after applying the payroll item, you would enter FWH|CPP|EI. The keywords for individual taxes are:
	FWH	Federal withholding.
	CPP	CPP withholding.
	EI	EI withholding.
	QUETAX	Quebec witholding.
	QPP	Quebec Pension Plan witholding.
BASEDON QUANTITY (one word)	(ADD, DEDUCT, COMPANY payroll item types). Indicates that you want QuickBooks to calculate the amount of the item by multiplying its default rate or amount by a quantity you specify whenever you use the item on a paycheque. If you are creating an import file, enter one of these keywords in the BASEDONQUANTITY column:
	Y	Yes.
	N	No.
SPECIAL	Adds additional information that QuickBooks needs to know about the payroll item. If you are creating an import file, the keywords you can use are listed below. If none of the keywords, enter NONE.
	EESSEC	Indicates that the item tracks the employee portion of social security.
	FEDTAX	Indicates that the item tracks federal income withholding tax.
	SALARY	Indicates that the item tracks salaried wages.
ISEMPREC	Indicates that the payroll item tracks the employee share of a tax that both the employee and the company pay.  If you are creating an import file, enter one of these keywords in the ISEMPREC column:
	Y	Yes.
	N	No.


Customer Message list
Customer Message list (INVMEMO)

Import and export files can contain the list of customer messages you use in QuickBooks.  The keyword for the Customer Message list is INVMEMO.

Column headings

The following table shows the column headings for the Customer Message list.  Only the NAME column is required.

NAME	(Required)  The text of the customer message.
TIMESTAMP	(Export files only)  A unique number that identifies the company file from which you exported the Customer Message list.
REFNUM	(Export files only)  A unique number that identifies an entry in the list.


Other Names list
Other Names list (OTHERNAME)

Import and export files can contain all the information in your Other Names list.  The keyword for the Other Names list is OTHERNAME.

Headings for the Other Names list

The following table shows the column headings for the Other Names list.  Only the NAME column is required.

NAME	(Required)  A name or entry on the list.
TIMESTAMP	(Export files only)  A unique number that identifies the company file from which you exported the Other Names list.
REFNUM	(Export files only)  A unique number that identifies an entry in the list.
BADDR1	The first line of the person's address.
BADDR2	The second line of the person's address.
BADDR3	The third line of the person's address.
BADDR4	The fourth line of the person's address.
BADDR5	The fifth line of the person's address.
PHONE1	The person's phone number.
PHONE2	The person's alternate phone number.
FAXNUM	The person's FAX number.
CONT1	The name of your primary contact.
NOTEPAD	Your notes about this person. If you are creating an import file, the notes appear in the Notepad window for this person.
SALUTATION	The person's salutation, or title (Mr., Ms., Doctor, etc.).
COMPANYNAME	The name of the person's company.
FIRSTNAME	The person's first name.
MIDINIT	The person's middle initial.
LASTNAME	The person's last name.
NOTE	The name or number of the account you want to associate with this person. QuickBooks requires an account number if you want to set up this person as an online payee. The payee uses this number to identify you.


Payment Method list (IIF reference)
Payment Method list (PAYMETH)

Import and export files can contain the list of payment methods you use in QuickBooks.  The keyword for the Payment Method list is PAYMETH.

Headings for the Payment method list

The following table shows the headings that QuickBooks recognizes in the Payment Method list.  Only the NAME column is required.

NAME	(Required)  The name of the payment method.
TIMESTAMP	(Export files only)  A unique number that identifies the company file from which you exported the Payment Method list.
REFNUM	(Export files only)  A unique number that identifies an entry in the list.


Ship Via list (IIF reference)
Ship Via list (SHIPMETH)

Import and export files can contain the list of shipping methods you use in QuickBooks.  The keyword for the Ship Via list is SHIPMETH.

Column headings

The following table shows the column headings for the Ship Via list.  Only the NAME column is required.

NAME	(Required)  The name of the shipping method.
TIMESTAMP	(Export files only)  A unique number that identifies the company file from which you exported the Ship Via list.
REFNUM	(Export files only)  A unique number that identifies an entry in the list.


Terms list (IIF reference)
Terms list (TERMS)

Import and export files can contain all the information in your Terms list.  The keyword for the Terms list is TERMS.

Headings for the Terms list

The following table shows the column headings for the Terms list.  Only the NAME column is required.

NAME	(Required)  Your name for the payment terms.
TIMESTAMP	(Export files only)  A unique number that identifies the company file from which you exported the Terms list.
REFNUM	(Export files only)  A unique number that identifies an entry in the list.
DUEDAYS	When TERMSTYPE = 0, the number of days in which payment is due. When TERMSTYPE =1, the day of the month by which payment is due.
DISCPER	The discount percentage earned for early payment.  If you are creating an import file, enter the percent number.
DISCDAYS	The number of days by which an early payment can earn the discount specified by DISCPER.
TERMSTYPE	Indicates the type of terms you are setting up. Type 0 for "standard terms" (payment to be made within a specific number of days), or type 1 for "date driven" terms (payment to be made by a certain date of the month).


To Do list (IIF reference)
To Do list (TODO)

Import and export files can contain all the information on your To Do list.  The keyword for the To Do list is TODO.

Column headings

The following table shows the column headings for the To Do list.

REFNUM	(Export files only)  A unique number that identifies an entry in the list.
ISDONE	Indicates whether the task is complete.  If you are creating an import file, enter one of these keywords in the ISDONE column:
	Y	Yes.
	N	No.
DATE	The date you want QuickBooks to place the task on your Reminders list.
DESC	Your notes about the task.


Transactions (IIF reference)
Transactions (TRNS and SPL)

Import files can contain information about transactions. Note that you cannot export transactions from QuickBooks.

The keyword for a transaction is TRNS; the keyword for each distribution line is SPL.

The distribution lines appear immediately below the transaction.  The keyword ENDTRANS appears after the last distribution line.  In an import file, the first column for a transaction that has three distribution lines would look like this:

TRNS

SPL

SPL

SPL

ENDTRNS

Column headings for transactions

The following table shows the column headings for transactions.  The TRANSTYPE, ACCNT, and AMOUNT columns are required.

TRNSID	A unique number that identifies the transaction.
TIMESTAMP	A second unique number that works with TRNSID to identify the transaction.
TRNSTYPE	(Required)  A keyword that identifies the type of transaction.  These keywords can appear in the TRNSTYPE field:
	BEGINBALCHECK	Transactions that create a beginning balance in a balance sheet account
	BILL	Bills from vendors
	BILLCCARD	Bill payments you make by credit card
	BILLPMT	Bills payments you make by cheque
	BILL REFUND	Refunds from a vendor
	CASH REFUND	Cash refunds you give to customers
	CASH SALE	Sales receipts
	CCARD REFUND	Refunds you receive on credit card charges
	CHECK	Cheques
	CREDIT CARD	Charges you make on a credit card
	CREDIT MEMO	Credit you give to customers for merchandise they return
	DEPOSIT	Bank or money market deposits
	ESTIMATES	(QuickBooks Pro only) Estimates or bids
	GENERAL JOURNAL	General journal transactions
	LIABADJ	Adjustments for the amount you owe for a payroll liability
	LIABCHECK	Payroll liability cheques
	INVOICE	Invoices
	PAYCHECK	Paycheques
	PAYMENT	Customer payments
	PURCHORD	Purchase orders
	TRANSFER	Transfers of funds from one balance sheet account to another
DATE	The date of the transaction.  The date is always in MM/DD/YY format.  For example, 1/30/94.
ACCNT	(Required)  The name of the account assigned to the transaction.
NAME	The name of the customer, vendor, payee, or employee.
CLASS	The name of the class that applies to the transaction.  If the class is a subclass, the class name includes the names of the parent classes, beginning with the highest level class.  A colon (:) separates each class name.
AMOUNT	(Required)  The amount of the transaction.  Debit amounts are always positive, credit amounts are always negative.
DOCNUM	The number of the transaction.  For cheques, the number is the cheque number; for invoices, the number is the invoice number; etc.
MEMO	The memo text associated with the transaction.
CLEAR	Indicates whether the transaction has cleared.  These keywords can appear in the CLEARED field:
	Y	Yes.  The transaction has cleared.
	N	No.  The transaction hasn't cleared.
	P	Pending.
TOPRINT	Indicates whether a cheque, invoice, credit memo, or sales receipt has been marked as "To be printed."  These keywords can appear in the TOPRINT field:
	Y	Yes
	N	No
ADDR1	The first line of the customer's, vendor's, payee's, or employee's address.
ADDR2	The second line of the customer's, vendor's, payee's, or employee's address.
ADDR3	The third line of the customer's, vendor's, payee's, or employee's address.
ADDR4	The fourth line of the customer's, vendor's, payee's, or employee's address.
ADDR5	The fifth line of the customer's, vendor's, payee's, or employee's address.
DUEDATE	(Bills and invoices only)  The due date of the bill payment or invoice payment.  The date is always in MM/DD/YY format.  For example, 1/30/94.
TERMS	(Invoices only)  The terms of the invoice.
PAID	(Invoices only)  Indicates whether an invoice has been paid in full.  These keywords can appear in the PAID field:
	Y	Yes.  The invoice has been paid in full.
	N	No.  The invoice is either partially paid or unpaid.
PAYMETH	(Sales receipts only)  The method your customer used to pay for the merchandise.
SHIPVIA	(Invoices and sales receipts only)  The method you used to ship the merchandise.
SHIPDATE	(Invoices and sales receipts only)  The shipping date.  If you are creating an import file, enter the date in MM/DD/YY format.  For example, 1/30/94.
REP	(Invoices and sales receipts only)  The initials of the sales representative or employee who made the sale.
FOB	(Invoices, credit memos, and cash sales only)  The location where you delivered the merchandise [image] free of charge [image] to a carrier for shipment.
PONUM	(Invoices and credit memos only)  The customer's purchase order number.
INVTITLE	(Invoices, credit memos, and sales receipts only)  The title that appears on the invoice, credit memo, or sales receipt.
INVMEMO	(Invoices, credit memos, and sales receipts only)  Your message to the customer [image] as it appears on the invoice, credit memo, or sales receipt.
SADDR1	(Invoices and sales receipts only)  The first line of the customer's shipping address.
SADDR2	(Invoices and sales receipts only)  The second line of the customer's shipping address.
SADDR3	(Invoices and sales receipts only)  The third line of the customer's shipping address.
SADDR4	(Invoices and sales receipts only)  The fourth line of the customer's shipping address.
SADDR5	(Invoices and sales receipts only)  The fifth line of the customer's shipping address.
NAMEISTAXABLE	(Invoices and sales receipts only) Indicates whether the customer whose name appears in the transaction is taxable.
	Y	Yes. The customer is taxable.
	N	No. The customer is not taxable.
PAYITEM	(Payroll) The name of the payroll item in a transaction.
YEARTODATE	(Payroll) The amount of a year-to-date adjustment transaction for an employee.
WAGEBASE	(Payroll) The total amount of employee wages or earnings on which a payroll tax is calculated in a transaction.
Column headings for distribution lines

The following table shows the column headings for distribution lines:

SPLID	(Required)  A unique number that identifies the distribution line in the transaction.
TRNSTYPE	A keyword that indicates the type of transaction.  The keyword in this field must match the keyword in the TRNSTYPE field for the transaction.  The keyword will be one of the following:
	BILL	Bills from vendors
	CHECK	Cheques
	DEPOSIT	Bank or money market deposits
	INVOICE	Invoices
	PAYMENT	Customer payments
DATE	The date of the transaction.  The date in this field must match the date in the DATE field for the transaction.
ACCNT	(Required)  The income or expense account to which you assigned the amount on the distribution line.
NAME	The name of the customer, vendor, payee, or employee.
CLASS	The name of the class that applies to the distribution amount.  If the class is a subclass, the class name includes the names of the parent classes, beginning with the highest level class.  A colon (:) separates each class name.
AMOUNT	(Required)  The distribution amount.  Credit amounts are negative.
DOCNUM	The number of the transaction.  For cheques, the number is the cheque number; for invoices, the number is the invoice number, etc.
MEMO	The memo text associated with the distribution line.
CLEAR	Indicates whether the distribution amount has cleared.  These keywords can appear in the CLEARED field:
	Y	Yes.  The amount has cleared.
	N	No.  The amount hasn't cleared.
	P	Pending.
PRICE	The unit cost of the item.
QNTY	The number of items sold.  This value is part of a line item on an invoice, credit memo, or sales receipt.
INVITEM	The type of items sold.  This value is part of a line item on an invoice, credit memo, or sales receipt.
PAYMETH	On a sales receipt, indicates the method of payment (cheque, Visa, etc.) that the customer used.
TAXABLE	Indicates that a line item on an invoice, credit memo, or sales receipt is taxable.
REIMBEXP	Indicates the status of the distribution amount as a reimbursable expense.  These keywords can appear under REIMBEXP:
	NONEED	Indicates that the distribution amount does not qualify as a reimbursable expense.
	NOTHING	Indicates that the distribution amount can be billed to a customer as a reimbursable expense.
	THISWAS	Indicates that the distribution amount is a reimbursable expense that appears on an invoice or sales receipt.
	HASBEEN	Identifies a distribution amount on a cheque that has been billed to a customer as a reimbursable expense.
EXTRA	Adds additional information about the distribution line.  These keywords can appear in the EXTRA field:
	ENDGRP	(Invoices, credit memos, and sales receipts only)  Indicates that the distribution line is the last item of an invoice item group.
	AUTOSTAX	Identifies a sales tax item as the automatic tax rate you set up for your QuickBooks company.
PAYITEM	(Payroll) The name of the payroll item in a transaction.
YEARTODATE	(Payroll) The amount of a year-to-date adjustment transaction for an employee.
WAGEBASE	(Payroll) The total amount of employee wages or earnings on which a payroll tax is calculated in a transaction.
VALDAJ	(Inventory) Indicates whether the amount in a detail line is an inventory value adjustment.
	Y	Yes. The amount is an inventory value adjustment.
	N	No. The amount is not an inventory value adjustment.


Vendor list (IIF reference)
Vendor list (VEND)

Import and export files can contain all the information in your Vendor list.  The keyword for the Vendor list is VEND.

Column headings

The following table shows the column headings for the Vendor list.  Only the NAME column is required.

NAME	(Required)  The name of the vendor.
TIMESTAMP	(Export files only)  A unique number that identifies the company file from which you exported the Vendor list.
REFNUM	(Export files only)  A unique number that identifies an entry in the list.
PRINTAS	The name you would like cheques to be made out to.  This field allows you to make cheques out to a different name than the name that appears on your Vendor list.
ADDR1	The first line of the vendor's address.
ADDR2	The second line of the vendor's address.
ADDR3	The third line of the vendor's address.
ADDR4	The fourth line of the vendor's address.
ADDR5	The fifth line of the vendor's address.
VTYPE	Your classification for the vendor (QuickBooks calls this a "vendor type").  If you import a vendor type that is not on your Vendor Type list, QuickBooks adds the new vendor type to the list.
CONT1	The name of your primary contact with the vendor.
PHONE1	The vendor's phone number.
PHONE2	The vendor's alternate phone number.
FAXNUM	The vendor's FAX number.
NOTE	A short note or phrase you want to associate with the vendor. QuickBooks automatically puts your note in the Memo field of cheques you send to the vendor.
TAXID	The vendor's tax identification number (SBRN).
LIMIT	Your credit limit with the vendor.  If you are creating an import file, enter the dollar amount.
TERMS	Your payment terms with the vendor.
NOTEPAD	Your notes about the vendor.  If you are creating an import file, the notes appear in the Notepad window for the vendor.
SALUTATION	The vendor's salutation, or title (Mr., Ms., Doctor, etc.).
COMPANYNAME	The name of the vendor's company.
FIRSTNAME	The vendor's first name.
MIDINIT	The vendor's middle initial.
LASTNAME	The vendor's last name.
CUSTFLD1 CUSTFLD2 . . CUSTFLD15	The custom field entries for the vendor (you can have up to 15 custom field entries). Custom fields let you track special information about the vendor, such as the vendor's birthday or email address. What you use custom fields for is entirely up to you.
NOTE	The name or number of the account you want to associate with this vendor. QuickBooks requires an account number if you want to set up this vendor as an online payee. The payee uses this number to identify you.


Timer data (IIF reference)
Header for Timer data (TIMERHDR)
(QuickBooks Pro only)

Data you export from or import to the QuickBooks Pro Timer always begins with a header block. The keyword for the header is TIMERHDR. The header block can be followed by either activity data (TIMEACT) you are importing from the Timer, or list data (CUST, EMP, INVITEM, VEND, OTHERNAME, and CLASS) you are importing to the Timer.

Column headings

The following table shows the column headings that appear in the header:

VER	The version number of the QuickBooks Pro Timer.
REL	The release number of the QuickBooks Pro Timer.
COMPANYNAME	The name of your QuickBooks Pro company. Enter the name as it appears in the Company Information window in QuickBooks Pro.
FROMTIMER	Indicates whether you exporting data from the Timer or importing data to the Timer. Enter one of these values:
	Y	If you are improting activity data from the Timer to QuickBooks Pro.
	N	If you are exporting list data from QuickBooks Pro to the Timer.
COMPANYCREATETIME	A unique number that comes from your QuickBooks Pro company file when you export lists to the Timer. The number identifies which company file the lists came from. You can see an example of this number by exporting your lists to the Timer and then opening the .IIF file that QuickBooks Pro creates.


Activities timed with the Timer (IIF reference)
Activities timed with the Timer (TIMEACT)
(QuickBooks Pro only)

You can import data about the activities you time with the Timer to QuickBooks Pro. The keyword for activity data is TIMEACT. Timer activity data must begin with the Timer header block (TIMERHDR).

Column headings

The following table shows the column headings for activity data:

DATE	The date the activity was performed. Enter the date in a MM/DD/YY format. For example, you would enter June 21, 1997 as 06/21/97.
JOB	The name of the customer (or job) for whom the activity was performed. If you're entering the name of a job, enter the customer's name followed by a colon followed by the name of the job. Both the customer and the job names must also be on your Customer:Job list (CUST).
EMP	The name of the employee who performed the activity. The employee's name must also be on your Employee list (EMP).
ITEM	The name of the service item assigned to the activity (a service item indicates the type of work performed). The service item must also be on your Item list (INVITEM).
PITEM	Leave blank. This field is not used in QuickBooks 5.0.
DURATION	The duration of the activity in hours and minutes. Enter the duration in an HH:MM format. For example, if the activity lasted 4 hours and 15 minutes, you would enter 4:15. The duration cannot be greater than 23:59.
PROJ	The QuickBooks Pro class assigned to the activity (classes give you a way to group activities in meaningful ways in time reports). The Class must also be on your Class list (CLASS)
NOTE	Your notes about the activity. You may enter up to 1000 characters, but the characters must be on a single line within the field. To indicate a line break in the note, enter \n.
BILLING STATUS	Indicates the billing status of the activity. Enter one of these values:
	0	The activity is not billable to the customer or job specified in the Job field. Enter this value if the activity is part of your company overhead.
	1	The activity is billable but has not yet been billed to the customer or job specified in the Job field.
	2	The activity has already been billed to the customer or job specified in the Job field.


Vendor Type list (IIF reference)
Vendor Type list (VTYPE)

Import and export files can contain the list of vendor types you use in QuickBooks.  The keyword for the Vendor Type list is VTYPE.

Column headings

The following table shows the column headings for the Vendor Type list.  Only the NAME column is required.

NAME	(Required)  The vendor type.  If the vendor type is a subtype of another vendor type, the name includes the name of the parent types, beginning with the highest level type.  If you are creating an import file, use a colon (:) to separate subtype names.
TIMESTAMP	(Export files only)  A unique number that identifies the company file from which you exported the Vendor Type list.
REFNUM	(Export files only)  A unique number that identifies an entry in the list.


Items list contents
Overview

Which item type should you use?

Setting up items for . . .

Inventory

Non-inventory part

Calculations

Customizing your items

Why use custom fields?

Adding custom fields to items

Renaming a custom field

Removing custom fields

Operations with items

Grouping related items together

Using group items on a form

Creating subtotal items

Editing item information

Changing the prices of items


Which item type should you use?

QuickBooks provides eight different types of items to help you fill out sales and purchase forms quickly. This table shows when to use each type of item. For details on how to set up an item, click the item in the table.

Use this item type . . .	For
Service	Services you either charge for or purchase. Examples include specialised labour and consulting hours.
Inventory part	Merchandise or parts you purchase, track as inventory, and then resell.
Non-inventory part	Materials or parts you buy but don't keep on hand as inventory. These can be either part of your overhead (for example, office supplies), or they can be materials you buy to finish a specific job and charge back to your customer. In QuickBooks 2, this type of item was called a Part item.
Other charge	Miscellaneous charges that are not services, labour, materials, or parts. Examples include delivery charges, setup fees, and service charges.
Subtotal	Calculating a subtotal. You must use a subtotal item before calculating a discount or a charge that covers several items.
Group	Fast entry of a group of individual items already on the Items list.
Discount	An amount to be subtracted from the total. If you are applying the discount to more than one item, you must first use a subtotal item and then apply the discount to the subtotal.
Payment	Payment you received at the time you write an invoice. A payment item reduces the amount owed on an invoice.
For details on how set up an item, click the item in the table.


Creating items for inventory

Use inventory part items to represent materials or parts you buy, track as inventory, and then resell. Through inventory part items, you can keep track of how many items remain in inventory after a sale, how many items you have on order, your cost of goods sold, and the value of your inventory.

You can use the same inventory part item on both sales forms and purchase orders. You do not need to create a separate set of inventory items specifically for purchases.

Instructions

1	From the Lists menu, choose Items.

2	Choose New from the Item menu button.

3	From the Type drop-down list in the New Item window, choose Inventory Part.

If Inventory Part isn't on the list

4	Enter an item name or number.

What you enter here appears on the drop-down list of items when you are filling out a sales form or purchase order. Enter a name or number that will help you distinguish this item from all the others on the list.

5	Fill in the purchase information fields for easy reordering of inventory.

How to fill in the fields

6	Fill in the sales fields for information you show to customers.

How to fill in the fields

7	If this is a new item that you are adding to your inventory, leave the Quantity on Hand and Total Value at zero.

Guidelines for existing items

8	(Optional) Fill in any custom fields that apply to this item:

Click Custom fields.

Fill in the fields and click OK.

9	Record the item:

To record the item and then enter another, click Next.

To record the item and close the window, click OK.

See also

Why use custom fields?

How to create custom fields


If you don't see "Inventory Part" in the list of item types, it means that inventory tracking is off. To turn it on, do the following:

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences.

2	In the Preferences window, select Purchases & Vendors from the scroll box.

3	Select the "Inventory and purchase orders are active" checkbox.

4	Click OK.


Purchase Description. What you enter here appears in the Description column of cheques, bills, credit card charges, and item receipts when you reorder the item. Your description may be up to three lines in length. If you need to, you can edit the description when you are filling out a purchase order.

Cost. Enter the cost you expect to pay when you order or buy this item. You can change the cost at the time you purchase the item.

COGS. Enter the name of the account you want QuickBooks to use to track your cost of the items you sell. The type of this account should be "Cost of Goods Sold."

Preferred Vendor. Choose or enter the name of your preferred vendor for this item. This information appears on the inventory status report and the physical inventory worksheet.

Default Purchase Tax Code. Choose the Tax code which normally applies to this item when you purchase it. You can override this code when you enter the item on a bill or purchase order.

Inventory Asset. Enter the name of the account you want QuickBooks to use to track the current value of your inventory. Most companies use another current asset account called something like "Inventory." If you use the same account for all your inventory part items, the balance of this account will show the total value of your inventory at any one time.


Sales Description. What you enter here appears in the Description column of the sales form when you sell the item. Your description may be up to three lines in length. If you need to, you can edit the description when you are filling out a sales form.

Sales Price. Enter your sales price for the item. If your sales price varies, you can leave the field blank.

Income Account. Enter the name of the income account you want QuickBooks to use to track the income you earn from sales of this item.

Default Sales Tax Code. Choose the Tax code which normally applies to this item when you sell it. You can override this code when you enter the item on a bill or purchase order.


If this is an item you already have in inventory, enter the quantity-on-hand and value as of the last time you measured your inventory. Then, be sure to enter any sales or purchases of the item that occurred between the date you measured your inventory and today. This ensures that QuickBooks' record of your quantity-on-hand for the item will be accurate.

 If this is an item you are converting to an inventory part item from a non-inventory part, service, or other charge item, the date you enter must be a date that is after the date of the last transaction that uses the item.


Creating and using items that calculate

QuickBooks has four item types that perform calculations on the amounts of a sales form. If you want QuickBooks to perform any of these calculations, you must have an item for each calculation you need.

Overview

These are the calculation items you can set up:

Type	Use when calculating
Subtotal	A subtotal. You must use a subtotal item before calculating a discount or a charge that covers several items.
Discount	An amount to be subtracted from the total. If you are applying the discount to more than one item, you must first use a subtotal item and then apply the discount to the subtotal.
Payment	Partial payment you receive at the time you write an invoice. A payment item reduces the amount owed on an invoice.
For details on how to set up an item type, click the type.


Creating subtotal items

A subtotal item adds up the amounts of the items above it, up to the last subtotal. You'll need to create a subtotal item if you ever want to apply a percentage discount to several items. Because QuickBooks calculates percentages only on the line above, you need to subtotal the items before entering a discount item that calculates on a percentage basis.

Instructions

1	From the Lists menu, choose Items.

2	Choose New from the Item menu button.

3	In the Type field of the New Item window, choose Subtotal.

4	Enter an item name, such as "Subtotal."

5	Enter the description that you want QuickBooks to put on your sales forms when you apply the subtotal.

6	Record the item:

To record the item and then enter another, click Next.

To record the item and close the window, click OK.


Creating discount items

A discount item applies a discount (either a percentage or a fixed amount) to the preceding line on a sales form.

Instructions

1	From the Lists menu, choose Items.

2	Choose New from the Item menu button.

3	In the Type field of the New Item window, choose Discount.

4	Enter an item name, such as "Discount."

5	Enter the description that you want QuickBooks to put on your sales forms when you apply the discount.

6	Enter the discount amount or percentage:

If the discount is a percentage, include a % sign. For example, 5% tells QuickBooks to multiply the previous line by .05.

If your discount amounts vary, you may want to leave the Amount field blank and enter the amount directly on your sales forms.

7	Enter the account you use to track discounts you give to customers. You can use either an expense account or an income account. When an income account tracks discounts on sales, the account is often called a "contra-income" account.

8	Choose the default Tax code to use for this discount item:

If you want QuickBooks to apply this discount amount to tax, select the appropriate Tax code.

If the discount is a percentage, make sure that the Tax code on the item is the same as the Tax code on the discount when you enter a sale.

9	Record the item:

To record the item and then enter another, click Next.

To record the item and close the window, click OK.


Creating payment items

A payment item subtracts the amount of a customer payment from the total amount of an invoice. You need a payment item when you receive a partial payment toward the amount of an invoice at or before the time you create the invoice.

If you receive full payment at the time of the sale, use a sales receipt form instead of an invoice with a payment item.

Instructions

1	From the Lists menu, choose Items.

2	Choose New from the Item menu button.

3	In the Type field of the New Item window, choose Payment.

4	Enter an item name, such as "Payment."

5	Enter the description that you want QuickBooks to put on your sales forms when you use the payment item.

6	(Optional) Enter the payment method.

Tip. If you enter a payment method, you can group the money you receive by payment method when you deposit it (all cheques in one deposit, all Visa charges in another deposit, etc.). Simply create a separate payment item for each payment method your customers use.

7	If this is the first time you are setting up a payment item, indicate how you want QuickBooks to deposit customer payments:

Grouped with other payments. Click "Group with other funds for later deposit."

Directly to a bank account. Click "Deposit to" and enter the name of the bank account where you would like QuickBooks to deposit the payment.

Which method is best for you?

8	Record the item:

To record the item and then enter another, click Next.

To record the item and close the window, click OK.


Think about how your bank statement shows deposits. If the statement shows a lump sum for each deposit, you should group your payments for later deposit. On the other hand, if your statements show each individual cheque you deposited, you should have QuickBooks deposit the payment directly in a bank account. It's easier to reconcile your QuickBooks accounts with your bank statements when the accounts show deposits the same way that your statements do.

Grouping for later deposit. If you choose this method, QuickBooks "holds" all your customer payments in a special account named Undeposited Funds. To move the payments to your bank account, you must use the Make Deposits window to group the payments into one deposit. This method works best when you hold the money you've collected for a period of time before you deposit it, or receive several payments that you deposit together in a lump sum.

Direct deposit. If you choose this method, QuickBooks deposits the payment in the bank account of your choice when you record the payment. The payment does not go into the Undeposited Funds account, and you do not have to use the Make Deposits window to deposit the payment.


Grouping related items together

If you often enter the same group of items when you record a sale or purchase, you can set up the items as a group item. A group item allows you to enter several items at once when you are filling out a form. Instead of entering each item individually, you enter the name of the group item. QuickBooks then fills in the details for the items in the group.

Why use group items?

Instructions

1	From the Lists menu, choose Items.

2	Choose New from the Item menu button.

3	In the Type field of the New Item window, choose Group.

4	In the Group Name/Number field, enter a name or number for the group item.

5	Enter a description of the group item.

What you enter here appears on the drop-down list of items when you are filling out a sales form or purchase order. Enter a name or number that will help you distinguish this item from all the others on the list.

6	(Optional) Select the "Print items in group" checkbox.

Select this checkbox if you want your customers to see a list of the individual items and their amounts on your printed forms.

Leave the checkbox clear if you don't want the details of the group to appear on your printed forms. (You'll still see the details when you view the form onscreen.)

7	In the Item column, select the items that you want to include in this group.

8	In the Qty column, enter the quantity you want QuickBooks to enter for each individual item when you use the group item on a form.

If you do not enter quantities, QuickBooks assumes that the quantity of each item is 1. You can always change the quantities when you enter a sale or purchase. You make the changes directly on the sale or purchase order form.

9	(Optional) Fill in any custom fields that apply to this group of items:

Click Custom fields.

Fill in the fields and click OK.

10	Record the item:

To record the item and then enter another, click Next.

To record the item and close the window, click OK.

See also

Why use custom fields?

How to create custom fields


More detailed reports. Group items let you track the items you sell in greater detail. For example, a construction firm that remodels houses could set up a group item that lists the significant components of a remodeling job: lumber, carpentry hours, markup, etc. Sales reports for the company would then show income broken down by each component instead of a single lump sum for all remodeling jobs.

 Less detail for customers. If you need to track a lot of detail about your items but you also want to give your customers simple, uncluttered invoices, you can use group items to do both. You can set up a group item so that the printed version of an invoice reduces a group item to a single line item and one amount. Yet when you view the invoice on your screen, you see a separate line entry and amount for each item in the group.

Fast data entry. Group items also give you a way to enter a great amount of line item detail quickly. On a sales or purchase form, all you have to do is enter the name of the group item [image] QuickBooks fills in all the details about the items in the group for you.


Using group items on a form

You can use group items on any form that accepts line item entries. You enter group items the same way you enter any other kind of item.

Instructions

1	Fill in the form as you normally would.

2	In the line item area, choose the group item from the drop-down list in the Item column.

3	(Optional) Change the quantities QuickBooks fills in for the group item.

You can change either the quantity for the entire group or the quantities of individual items listed in the group. If you change the quantity for the entire group, QuickBooks automatically adjusts the quantities of the individual items and recalculates the amount for each item. If you change the quantity of an individual item, the quantities and amounts of the other items remain unchanged.

Examples

The group item is "Jewelry Set" and the items in the group are "Earrings," "Bracelet," and "Necklace." The group item was initially set up to include a quantity of 1 of each item:

Changing the quantity of the group item to 2 changes the individual quantities to 2. Note how QuickBooks automatically adjusts the amounts:

If you then change the quantity for "Bracelet" to 4, the other quantities do not change because you are changing only one member of the group, not the entire group:


 Creating subtotal items

Subtotal items let you create a hierarchy of items so you can group information about similar items in sales reports and graphs. Subtotal items are purely for your own convenience. They look the same as items on sales forms and purchase orders.

Instructions

1	Create the "parent" item (that is, the item that will have subtotal items) first.

If you won't be using the parent item on invoices and sales forms, you can leave the rate or price of the parent item at zero. You'll still have to assign an account to the item; however. QuickBooks requires an account even if you don't plan to sell the item.

2	Create the subtotal items:

Each subtotal item must be the same type as its parent item.

To make the item a subtotal item, select the "Subtotal item of" checkbox and choose the name of the parent item.


Editing item information

After you've created an item, you can edit information about it at any time, subject to certain restrictions. You can change Service, Part, or Other Charge to another one of these three types or to an Inventory part item.

Instructions

1	From the Lists menu, choose Items.

2	Select the item you wish to change.

3	Choose Edit from the Item menu button.

4	Enter your changes in the Edit Item window.

What you can't change

5	Click OK to record the changes.


You can change an item's type only under these circumstances:

If the item is . . .	You can change it to
Non-inventory Part, or Other Charge	A service, non-inventory part, other charge, or inventory part item. If you are changing the item to an inventory part item, the "as of" date you enter for the total value of the item must be a date that is after the date of the last transaction that uses the item.
Anything else	Nothing else. You must leave the item type as it is.


 Changing your prices

You can adjust the prices for the different types of items you sell.

Instructions

1	From the Lists menu, choose Items.

2	Choose Change Prices from the Activities menu button.

3	Enter the type of item for which you want to change prices.

4	Use one of these methods to enter the new prices:

Enter the new prices in the New Price column.

Click Calculate Prices and enter a markup that you want QuickBooks to use to calculate the new prices.

How to apply a markup

5	Click OK.


To apply a markup

1	In the [image] column, click the items to which you want the markup to apply. Or click Select All to select all the items.

2	Enter the markup in the field provided. You can enter either a pound amount or a percentage. If you are entering a percentage, be sure to type a percent (%) sign.

3	Select one of these options:

Current sales price.  Applies the markup to the current sales price of each item.

Unit cost.  Applies the markup to the price you paid for each item.

4	Click Apply.


The account to which you assign an item is important when you're analysing your sales by looking at sales reports or profit and loss statements. By assigning the item to the correct account, you ensure that your reports will show accurate sales totals for the item.

If the account doesn't exist. Type the name of the account and set it up by following the onscreen prompts.


Making a journal entry

If you're familiar with making adjusting entries in a general journal, you can use QuickBooks' General Journal Entry window to enter debits and credits.

Important. QuickBooks provides the general journal for bookkeepers who know debits from credits and who prefer to enter certain transactions in a general journal. If you are unfamiliar with how a general journal works, you do not need to make journal entries.

Instructions

1	From the Activities menu, choose Make Journal Entry.

2	If you want the date of the transaction to be different than today's date, change the date that QuickBooks filled in.

3	Fill in the entry number of the transaction.

4	In the detail area, enter the following information for the first distribution line of the transaction:

Account name.

Debit or credit amount.

Tax code.

(Optional) A memo to yourself about the amount.

A customer, vendor, employee name (required if the account is an A/R or A/P account).

(Optional) A class name to classify the transaction.

5	Enter additional distribution lines until the transaction reaches a zero balance (the total in the Debit column should equal the total in the Credit column).

6	To record the journal entry:

To record the journal entry and then enter another, click Next.

To record the journal entry and close the window, click OK.

What happens

The entry you made appears in the register for any balance sheet account involved, and in reports showing any income or expense for the accounts you included.

See also

Viewing general journal transactions


Viewing general journal transactions

1	From the Reports menu, choose Transaction Detail Reports, and then By Date.

2	Click Filters in the report buttonbar.

3	In the Filter list, select Transaction Type.

4	In the Transaction Type list, select Journal.

5	Click OK.

6	In the report, double-click the general journal transaction you want to view.

7	(Balance sheet accounts only) In the register that opens, click Edit to view the transaction in its general journal form.

When the transaction originates in a balance sheet account (for example, a bank account), QuickBooks opens the account register and selects the transaction. If the transaction also has split detail, QuickBooks opens the Splits window so you can see how the amount of the transaction was distributed to different accounts, customers, jobs, or classes.

See also

Making a journal entry


How Accountant's Review works

The Accountant's Review feature of QuickBooks allows an accountant to make certain kinds of changes in a special copy of the company file. Meanwhile, the QuickBooks user can continue to enter daily transactions in the original master file. After the accountant has made changes, the user can merge them back into the master company file.


Changes an accountant can make in an Accountant's Review copy

The following table shows the changes you can and cannot make when you are working with an accountant's review copy of your client's QuickBooks data.

What you can do	What you can't do
View existing lists.	Delete existing list entries. Make list entries inactive.
View existing transactions.	Edit or delete existing transactions, including pay cheques.
Enter general journal transactions.	Enter transactions other than general journal transactions.
Memorize new general journal transactions	Memorize any other kind of transaction.
Edit existing payroll items.	Delete existing payroll items.
View employee YTD payroll setup transactions.	Enter or edit employee YTD payroll setup transactions.
Adjust inventory values and quantities.	Delete existing inventory part items.
Temporarily change preferences.	Export changes to preferences back to your client's master copy.
Create new reports.	Memorize reports.
Add new items to the chart of accounts, Item list, Payroll Item list, and To Do Notes list.	Reorganize lists (move items within the list, make one item a sub-item of another item, etc.).
Edit existing account names and numbers.	Delete existing accounts.
Edit account and tax information for existing items.	Delete existing items.


Preparing an accountant's review copy

What is an accountant's review copy?

1	Do one of the following:

From . . .	Do this
The File menu	Choose Accountant's Review and then choose Create Accountant's Copy.
The Navigator	On the Taxes and Accountant tab, click the Accountant's Review icon. In the window that appears, select "Create accountant's copy" and click OK.
2	If QuickBooks tells you that you have other windows open, click OK to close those windows.

3	(Optional) Change the filename that QuickBooks suggests for the accountant's copy. The file must have a .QBX extension.

4	(Optional) Change the suggested drive and directory for the file.

If you are putting the file on a floppy disk, insert the disk and choose your floppy drive from the Drives list.

5	Click OK to create the accountant's copy.

The phrase "Accountant's copy exists" appears in the title bar of the QuickBooks program window. This reminds you that your accountant is making changes that you'll need to merge later with your company data.

6	Give the file to your accountant.

7	Continue working with your company data. Except for two restrictions, you can work with your company data as you normally would.

What you can and cannot do

What if . . .

You make an accountant's copy by mistake?

See also

How Accountant's Review works

Merging your accountant's changes


An accountant's review copy lets two people work independently on data from the same QuickBooks company file. When each person is done, they merge their changes.

Example

Suppose your accountant wants to make some adjustments to your books, but you cannot afford to lose access to your books yourself. By giving a review copy of your data to your accountant, you can continue your day-to-day operations with QuickBooks while your accountant enters the adjustments. When your accountant finishes, you merge the accountant's changes along with your own. At no point during the process do you lose the ability to work with your QuickBooks data yourself.


While your accountant is making changes to the accountant's copy, you can do the following in your master copy of your company data:

What you can do

Create, edit, and delete transactions.

Add new entries to any of your lists.

Edit the information for a list entry.

What you can't do

Delete a list entry.

Reorganize your lists. For example, you cannot move entries in the list, make an account a sub-account, etc.

Rename existing accounts or items.


If you make an accountant's copy when you didn't intend to, you can remove all restrictions on your company data by cancelling the accountant's copy.

From . . .	Do this
The File menu	Choose Accountant's Review and then choose Cancel Accountant's Copy.
The Navigator	On the Taxes and Accountant tab, click the Accountant's Review icon. In the window that appears, select "Cancel accountant's changes" and click OK.


Working with an accountant's review copy

1	Do one of the following:

From . . .	Do this
The File menu	Choose Accountant's Review and then choose Start Using Accountant's Copy.
The Navigator	On the Taxes and Accountant tab, click the Accountant's Review icon. In the window that appears, select "Start using accountant's copy" and click OK.
2	If QuickBooks tells you that you have other windows open, click OK to close those windows.

If you are in the middle of entering or editing a transaction, QuickBooks asks you if you want to record the transaction.

3	Enter the location and filename of the compressed QuickBooks company file you received from your client and click OK.

This file has a .QBX extension.

4	In the Name Accountant's copy window, enter the filename and location of the decompressed copy you are about to create and click OK. The filename must have a .QBA extension.

This file becomes the file in which you enter your changes. Note that the words "Accountant's copy" appear after the name of the company in the title bar of the QuickBooks Program window.

5	Enter your changes.

What you can and cannot do

6	If you need to reopen the accountant's copy in a later session, choose Accountant's Review and then choose Continue Using Accountant's Copy from the File menu. Enter the filename of your copy (it has a .QBA extension) and click OK.

7	When you have made all of your changes, create an export file to give to your client:

If the export file will be on a floppy disk, insert the disk into one of your disk drives.

From the File menu, choose Accountant's Review and then Export Changes for Client. Or click Accountant's Review on the Taxes and Accountant tab of the Navigator and select "Export changes for client."

Enter the filename and location of the file you are about to create. The filename must have a .AIF extension.

Click OK.

8	Give the export file to your client.

See also

Changes you can make in an accountant's review copy

How Accountant's Review works


Merging your accountant's changes

What you need to merge the changes

1	If the accountant's changes are on a floppy disk, insert the disk into your floppy disk drive.

2	While the master company is open, do one of the following:

From . . .	Do this
The File menu	Choose Accountant's Review and then choose Import Accountant's Changes.
The Navigator	On the Taxes and Accountant tab, click the Accountant's Review icon. In the window that appears, select "Import accountant's changes" and click OK.
3	When the message about backing up your data appears, click OK.

Backing up is a safeguard in case anything goes wrong when you try to merge the changes.

4	Enter the filename and location for the backup file and click OK.

5	In the Import Changes from Accountant's copy window, enter the filename and location of the accountant's changes and click OK.

The file containing the accountant's changes has an .AIF extension.

See also

How Accountant's Review works


You need to have received from your accountant a file that contains the accountant's changes. This file has an .AIF extension.


General Journal Entry window

Use this form to make debit and credit entries the way an accountant would in a general journal.

Important. QuickBooks provides this form for bookkeepers who know debits from credits and who prefer to enter certain transactions in a general journal. If you are unfamiliar with how a general journal works, you do not need to use this form.

For more detail about any part of this form, click the diagram.


Date

The date of the general journal entry. QuickBooks automatically inserts today's date. You can enter a different date if you wish.

See also

Shortcuts for dates


Entry No.

If you number your general journal entries, fill in a number for this entry.


Detail area

This is where you make the adjusting entries.

To make an entry

1	In the Account column, enter the first account in your transaction.

2	Enter the debit or credit amount for the account you entered.

3	In the Tax column, choose the appropriate Tax code.

4	(Optional) Enter a memo about the amount. The memo appears on reports that include the general journal entry.

5	Enter the customer, vendor, or employee name associated with the amount. If the account is an A/R or A/P account, you must enter a name.

6	(Optional) Assign a class to the amount. Note: the Class column appears only if "Use class tracking" is selected in the Transaction Preferences window.

7	Continue to enter distribution lines until the transaction reaches a zero balance (the total in the Debit Column equals the total in the Credit column).


Next

Records the general journal entry and displays a blank form so that you can make another entry.

If you have no more entries to make, click OK instead. This records the entry and closes the window.


Cancel

Cancels what you have entered and closes the window. QuickBooks does not record the general journal entry.


OK

Records the general journal entry and closes the window.

If you want to keep the window open to make another entry, click Next instead.


Transaction History window (journal entries)

This window shows the transactions affected by the current general journal entry. QuickBooks provides the general journal for bookkeepers who know debits from credits and who prefer to enter certain transactions in a general journal.

To . . .	Do this
Go to a transaction	Select the transaction and click Go To.


Liability accounts you start with

If you select a preset chart of accounts when you set up your QuickBooks company, QuickBooks automatically sets up these liability accounts for you:

Accounts Payable	This account tracks what your company owes to suppliers and vendors.
Credit Card	You can use this account to track expenses you charge to a credit card. If you use more than one credit card, you can set up additional credit card accounts for each card.
Loan Payable	You can use this account to track payments you make on a loan.
GST/PST Payable	QuickBooks creates these accounts if you indicated that you charge tax when you set up your company. The accounts track your company's tax liability.
If you indicate that you want to use QuickBooks' payroll when you set up your QuickBooks company, QuickBooks adds this liability account to your chart of accounts (QuickBooks Pro only):

Payroll Liabilities	This account tracks payroll items that are an expense to your company. These include salaries; wages; bonuses; commissions; and company contributions such as a company-paid health plan.
See also

Liability accounts you can create


Liability accounts you can create

You can add as many liability accounts as you need to track your debts. The types of liability accounts you can add are:

Accounts payable	Use this type of account to track what your company owes to suppliers and vendors. If you selected a preset chart of accounts when you set up your company, you already have an accounts payable account.  Normally, you will have only one or two accounts payable accounts. You do not need to set up an accounts payable account for each vendor.
Credit card	Use this type of account to track expenses you charge to a credit card. Create a separate credit card account for each credit card that you have.
Long term liability	Use this type of account to track a loan you expect to pay off in more than one year.
Other current liability	Use this type of account to track short-term liabilities other than bills and credit card charges. Examples of what you can track with an other liability account include lines of credit, short-term loans, accrued payroll, and accrued payroll taxes (payroll available in QuickBooks Pro only).
See also

Liability accounts you start with


Setting up a liability account for a loan

You can use QuickBooks liability accounts to track the loans your company has with lending institutions and lenders.

Instructions

1	From the Lists menu, choose Chart of Accounts.

2	Choose New from the Account menu button.

3	In the New Account Window, click [image] to display the list of account types:

For short term loans (one year or less), choose "Other current liability" as the account type.

For long term loans, choose "Long term liability."

4	Enter the name of the lender and a description of the loan.

5	Leave the opening balance at 0.00.

6	Click OK.

7	To set the opening balance for the liability account, use the Make Deposits window to deposit the money you received. In the From Account field, enter the name of the liability account you set up to track the loan.

See also

Recording a payment on a loan


Recording a payment on a loan

When it's time to make a payment on a loan, use the Write Cheques window to record a cheque to your lender.

Instructions

1	From the Activities menu, choose Write Chques.

2	Make a cheque out to your bank for the amount of the payment.

3	In the detail area of the cheque, assign the amount for interest to an interest expense account, and the amount for principal to the liability account you created to track the loan.

4	Click OK to record the payment.

See also

Setting up a liability account for a loan


Software license agreement
Software licence agreement

Copyright
1997 Intuit Inc. All rights reserved

Intuit Canada Limited                    P.O. Box 4182                    Edmonton, Alberta T6E 5G6

Trademarks

EasyStep, Intuit, the Intuit logo, MacIntax, Quicken, QuickBooks, Qcard, and TurboTax are registered trademarks of Intuit, Inc. ("Intuit") or one of its subsidiaries. Billminder, Bizminder, End Financial Hassles, Financial Calendar, IntelliCharge, ProSeries, QuickBooks Pro, Quicken Companion, QuickFill, QuickInvoice, QuickMath, QuickPay, QuickReport, QuickScroll, QuickTax, QuickTour, QuickZoom, Tax Partner, and TurboForms are trademarks of Intuit Inc. or one of its subsidiaries. Other brands or products are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders and should be treated as such.

Important

Intuit Inc. ("Intuit") is willing to licence this software, user manual and related materials (the "Software") only on the condition that you agree to all the terms of this agreement. Please read these terms carefully. After reading the terms, if you agree to them and do not return the Software as described below your use of the Software will be governed by this Agreement. If you do not agree to these terms, return the Software and your dated proof of receipt to Intuit, or its subsidiary Intuit Canada Limited, within sixty (60) days from your purchase of the Software for a full refund.

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Title, ownership rights, and intellectual property rights in and to the Software belongs to Intuit and its licensors. The Software is protected by the copyright laws of the United States, Canada, and international copyright treaties. Title, ownership rights and intellectual property rights in and to the content accessed through the Software is the property of Intuit, and where applicable, to the licensor content owners and may be protected by applicable copyright or other law. This Agreement gives you no rights to the Software, other than the right to use the Software, as set forth in this agreement.

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The sole limited warranty regarding the Software is that the original disk is free from material physical defects in material and workmanship, assuming proper use, for a period of sixty (60) days from the date of your purchase. If such defect occurs during this period, you may return your faulty disk to Intuit, or its subsidiary, Intuit Canada Limited, along with a dated proof of purchase. If such defect occurs after 60 days from the date of your purchase, you may send the defective disc together with a cheque for $20.00 made payable to Intuit.

Under no circumstances, and under no legal theory, (tort, contract or otherwise), will Intuit or its licensors, be liable to you for any damages, including any lost profits, lost data or other indirect, special, incidental or consequential damages, arising out of the use or inability to use the Software, any data or information supplied, even if Intuit, its licensors or authorized Intuit dealer has been advised of the possibility of such damages, or for any claim by any other party. This limitation of liability shall not apply to liability for death or personal injury to the extent applicable law prohibits such limitation. Furthermore, some provinces may not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages so this limitation and exclusion may not apply to you.

Except for the express warranty of the original disks set forth above, this software is provided "As-Is" and you accept the entire risk as to the quality and performance of the Software. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Intuit and its licensors, disclaim all other representations, warranties or conditions, express or implied, by statute or otherwise, regarding the Software, including the fitness for a particular purpose, quality, merchantability, or their noninfringement. No oral or written information or advice given by Intuit and its licensors, their respective employees, distributors, dealers or agents shall increase the scope of the above representations, warranties or conditions or create any new warranties. The liability of Intuit or its licensors under the representations, warranty or conditions set forth above is limited to the amount paid by the customer for the product. Some provinces may not allow this exclusion of implied warranties, so the exclusion may not apply to you. In that event, any implied warranties are limited in duration to 60 days from the date of your purchase of the Software.

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Displaying a list

From . . .	Do this
The Lists menu	Choose the list you want to display.
The Navigator	Click the name of the list at the top of the Navigator window.
The iconbar	Click the icon for the list you want to display. (If there's no button for the list, you can add one).
A field	Press Ctrl + L.
See also

Adding a button to the iconbar

Starting an activity from a list

Creating a report from a list


Adding a new entry to a list

1	Display the list that you want to add an entry to.

2	In the list, choose New from the leftmost menu button.

This menu button always shows the name of the list. For example, to add a new entry to your Customer Type list, you would choose New from the Customer Type menu button.

3	Fill in the fields that appear.

4	Do one of the following:

Click OK to record the new entry and return to the list window.

Click Next to record the new entry and enter another.

See also

Adding a customer

Adding a job

Adding a vendor

Adding an employee


Updating lists as you work

Overview

1	Type the new entry in the appropriate field on the transaction form. Then press Tab.

2	When QuickBooks tells you that the entry is not on any of your lists, indicate how you want QuickBooks to handle the new entry:

Click . . .	To
Quick Add	Add only the entry to your list. Later, if you want to add more information about the entry, you can edit its record in the list itself.
Set Up	Add additional information about the entry, such as an address or phone number. QuickBooks then displays a window where you can enter the information.
What if . . .

You run out of room on the list?

See also

Adding a customer

Adding a job

Adding a vendor

Adding an employee


You can add to any of your QuickBooks lists while you are in the middle of another task. For example, if you're writing an invoice to a new customer and you type your new customer's name in the Customer:Job field, QuickBooks gives you an opportunity to add the new customer to the list.


It's unlikely that you'll run out of room. The following table shows the maximum number of entries each type of list can hold:

# of entries	Type of list
10,000	Chart of accounts, Class, Terms, Payment Methods, Customer Type, Vendor Type, Job Type, Customer Message.
16,000	Items, Names (Customer:Job, Vendor, Employee, and Other Names lists combined).
30,000	Memorized Transactions.


Using an entry from a list

What does it mean to use a list entry?

1	Click the field where you want the list entry to appear.

2	Click the down arrow next to the field to display the list entries.

3	In the list, click the entry you want to use.

What if . . .

You'd like to see the full list when you make your choice?

See also

Starting an activity from a list


Lists are the framework of QuickBooks. You use entries from one or more lists during almost every transaction. For example, to write an invoice, you would use the name of one of your customers on your Customer:Job list and one or more line items from your Items list.

When you "use" a list entry, you have QuickBooks enter it for you instead of typing it in yourself. This saves you time and prevents typing errors.


To choose from the full list

1	Click the field where you want the list entry to appear.

2	Press Ctrl + L to display the full list in its own window.

3	In the list window, select the entry you want to use.

4	From the leftmost menu button, choose Use.

The leftmost menu button displays the name of the list. For example, if you are using an entry from the Item list, you would choose Use from the Item menu button.

Example

You are entering the name of a customer and you want to know the customer's current balance. You could choose the customer from the drop-down list in the Customer:Job field, but that only shows you the customer's name. By displaying the full Customer:Job list, you can also see the customer's balance.


Hiding a list entry

Why hide a list entry?

1	Display the list that contains the entry you want to hide.

2	Double-click the list entry.

3	Select the " . . . is inactive." checkbox.

The name of the checkbox depends upon the type of list. For example, if you are making an employee inactive, the checkbox is "Make employee inactive."

4	Click OK.

What if . . .

You want to see which entries are inactive?

See also

Making a hidden entry active again

Deleting a list entry


Making a list entry inactive removes the entry from the list but does not delete the entry from your QuickBooks records. If a list is particularly long, you can shorten it by making entries you seldom use inactive.

For example, you may have a vendor from whom you haven't purchased anything in the last six months, but with whom you may want to do business in the future. You can make that vendor inactive.

Once a list entry is inactive, you can make it active again at any time.


Normally, QuickBooks doesn't show which entries are inactive in a list. If you want to see which entries are inactive, click Show All.

  This symbol indicates that an entry is inactive. You can make the entry active again by click the symbol. If the entry has sub-entries, QuickBooks ask you if you want to make them active as well.


Making a hidden entry active again

1	Display the list that contains the inactive entry.

2	Click Show All.

3	Click the [image] symbol to the left of the list entry.

4	If the list has sub-entries, click Yes or No to indicate whether you want the sub-entries to be active again.

See also

Hiding a list entry


Editing a list entry

1	Display the list that contains the entry you want to edit.

2	Select the entry.

3	In the list, choose Edit from the leftmost menu button.

This menu button always shows the name of the list. For example, to edit an entry on your Customer:Job list, you would choose Edit from the Customer:Job menu button.

4	Edit, as needed, the information shown for the entry.

5	Click OK.

See also

Merging two list entries

Deleting a list entry


Merging two list entries

Why merge list entries?

1	Display the list that has the entries you want to merge.

2	Select the list entry whose name you don't want to use.

3	Click Edit.

4	Change the list entry name to be the same as the entry you're combining with.

5	Click OK.

6	Click Yes to confirm that you want to merge the two list entries under the same name.

Limitations

You can entries only in these lists: Chart of Accounts, Item, Payroll Items, Customer:Job, Vendor, Employee, and Other Name.

Merging two list entries is an irreversible operation.

See also

Editing a list entry

Hiding a list entry

Deleting a list entry


In some of QuickBooks' lists, you can combine two list entries into one. For example, you may find that you've been using two customers (because of different spellings) when you really need only one on your Customer:Job list.


Deleting a list entry

1	Display the list that contains the entry you want to delete.

2	Select the entry.

3	From the Edit menu, choose Delete (or press Ctrl + D).

The Delete command changes to indicate the type of entry you are deleting. For example, if you are deleting a name from the Employee list, the command becomes Delete Employee.

4	If you delete an entry by mistake, choose Undo Delete immediately from the Edit menu.

What if . . .

QuickBooks won't let you delete the entry?

You want to delete an entry that has subentries?

See also

Merging two list entries

Hiding a list entry


If an entry is in use somewhere within your company file, QuickBooks will not let you delete the entry from the list. For example, if you have entered a shipping method on an invoice, QuickBooks will not let you delete that shipping method from the Ship Via list, until you remove it from the transaction.


If the entry you want to delete has subentries, either delete the subentries or move them to another part of the list. QuickBooks does not allow you to delete a list item that has subentries.

See also

Reorganizing a list


Alphabetising a list
Alphabetizing a list

How can a list get out of alphabetic order?

1	From the Lists menu, choose the list you want to alphabetize.

2	Choose Re-sort List from the leftmost menu button.

This menu button always shows the name of the list. For example, to alphabetize your chart of accounts, you would choose Re-sort List from the Account menu button.

3	Click OK to confirm that you want QuickBooks to re-sort the list alphabetically.

See also

Reorganizing a list

Merging two list entries


Some lists let you move entries in the list by using the mouse. These include your Chart of accounts and the Customer:Job, Class, Customer Type, Item, Job Type, Memorized Transaction, and Vendor Type lists. You can resort these lists so that their entries appear in alphabetic order again.


Reorganising a list
Reorganizing a list

Which lists can you reorganize?

1	From the Lists menu, choose the list you want to reorganize.

2	Move the mouse pointer so that it touches the small diamond in front of the entry you want to move.

3	While holding down the mouse button, drag the entry up, down, left, or right to its new location:

To move an entry with all of its subentries, drag the main entry.

To make a subentry a main entry, drag it to the left.

To make a main entry a subentry, drag it to the right.

4	Repeat the previous step for any other entries you want to move.

See also

Alphabetizing a list

Merging two list entries


You can use the mouse to reorganize these lists:

Chart of accounts

Class

Customer:Job

Customer Type

Item

Job Type

Memorized Transaction

Vendor type.


Performing an activity from a list

What kinds of activities can you perform?

1	Display the list.

2	If the activity involves an entry in the list, select the entry.

3	At the bottom of the list, click the menu button that lists the activity you want to perform.

Click . . .	To do this
The list name	Perform an activity that affects the status of the list and its items. This button has choices like, New, Edit, Make Inactive, Delete, etc.
Activities	Perform an activity that uses an entry in the list. For example, to receive a payment from a customer, choose Receive Payments from the list.
Reports	Create a report about the entries in the list.
4	Choose the activity from the drop-down menu that appears.

See also

Using an entry from a list


You can perform activities related to a list by using the menu buttons at the bottom of the list. Here are some of the things you can do:

Customer:Job list. Write an invoice, prepare an estimate for a customer, receive a payment from a customer, write a refund cheque to a customer, assess finance charges for a late payment, prepare a billing statement, open a customer register.

 Vendor list. Write a cheque, enter a bill from a vendor, pay your bills, enter a credit card charge, write a purchase order.

 Employee list. Record employee time on a weekly timesheet or single activity form, pay your employees, pay your payroll liabilities, set up year-to-date amounts for an employee, process your T4 forms.

Item list. Write an invoice, enter a cash sale, change your prices, write a purchase order, receive items on order, enter a bill for items previously received, make inventory adjustments.

 Chart of accounts. Write a cheque, make a deposit, enter a credit card charge, transfer money between accounts, reconcile an account with your bank or credit card statement, open an account register.


Creating a report from a list

What can you do with list-based reports?

1	Do one of the following:

From the Report menu, choose List Reports. Then choose the name of the list and the type of report you want to create.

or

Display the list about which you want to create a report. Click the Reports menu button and choose the first entry in the drop-down list.

2	(Optional) Click Filters to change the scope of the report.

3	(Optional) Click Customize to change the appearance of the report.

4	(Optional) Click Memorize to make it easier to recreate the report in the future.

See also

Changing the scope of a report (filtering)

Customizing a report

Printing a report

Memorizing a report for reuse


Your company lists contain a lot of useful information about your business. With QuickBooks 5.0, you create reports from the data on your lists.

Here are some examples of what you can do:

Create phone lists of your customers, vendors, or employees.

Create a report that shows payroll withholding information for each employee.

Create a price list of the items or services you sell.

As with other kinds of QuickBooks reports, when you create a list report you can apply filters to restrict the content of the report, add or delete columns of information, change the formatting and appearance of the report, print copies of the report, memorize the report for future use, or save the report to a file for editing in another program.

Restrictions. List reporting is available for these lists only: Chart of accounts, Customer:Job, Employee, Item, Memorized Transaction, Other Name, Payroll Item, Terms, To Do, Vendor.


Adding a customer

If you're new to QuickBooks

1	Display the Customer:Job list.

2	Choose New from the Customer:Job menu button.

3	In the Customer field, enter the name of the customer as you'd like it to appear on your Customer:Job list.

For example, if the customer is Margaret Rutherford and you want the list to show last names first, you would enter Rutherford, Margaret.

4	Complete the Address Info and Additional Info tabs:

5	Record the information you entered by doing one of the following:

Click Next to add another customer to the list.

Click OK to close the window.

What if . . .

Someone is both a customer and a vendor?

You make a lot of cash sales and you want to keep your Customer:Job list short?

See also

Adding a vendor

Printing a list

Merging similar list entries

Keeping notes about a customer or job

Using names and addresses in a form letter


Before you begin adding customers, you may want to keep in mind the following:

Do you track sales by employee?

QuickBooks allows you to associate each customer with an employee. If you do this, you can create sales reports that break down your sales by employee. If you want to associate customers with employees, you may want to set up your Employee list first.


In this case, you need to add the person's name to both your customer and vendor lists, but you need to vary the name slightly on one of the lists. You may want to do something like adding a "_v" to the person's name on the vendor list.

When you vary the name in the New Vendor or New Customer window, enter the person's real name in the Bill to field or the Print on Cheque as field, respectively, so that the correct name prints on invoices or cheques.


QuickBooks does not require you to enter the name of a customer on a cash sales receipt. If cash sales are a big part of your business, you may not want to put all of your cash customers on your Customer:Job list (if you did, the list could get extremely long). A good rule of thumb is: keep only your most important customers on the list. Doing that gives you the ability to create reports that show sales to those customers, prepare special mailings to those customers, etc.

Tip. If you make a cash sale to a customer who is not on the list, you can still enter the name in the Sold To field. That way, the customer's name will appear on the printed receipt.


The Address Info tab

The Address Info tab holds contact information about the customer. To enter the information, these fields as needed:

Mr./Ms./

First name, M.I., Last name

Bill to

Ship to

Phone

FAX

Alt. Ph.

Alt. contact

For help on what to enter, click the name of the field.

See also

The Additional Info tab

The Job Info tab


The Additional Info tab

The Additional Info tab holds credit, sales tax, and other information about the customer. To enter the information, complete, as needed, these fields:

Account

Type

Terms

Rep

Credit limit

Opening balance . . . as of

Use customer tax code

Custom fields

For help on what to enter, click the name of the field.

See also

The Address Info tab

The Job Info tab


The Job Info tab

The Job Info tab lets you enter job-related information when you are performing a single job for a customer. Use the Job Info tab when you don't want [image] or need [image] to set up multiple jobs a customer in your Customer:Job list.

Job status

Start date

Projected end

End date

Job description

Job type

For help on what to enter, click the name of the field.

See also

The Address Info tab

The Additional Info tab


Account

Enter the name or number of the account you want to associate with this customer.


Company name

If applicable, fill in the customer's/vendor's company name.


Mr./Mrs./

Enter the customer's salutation or title (Mr., Ms., Dr., etc.) here. For a married couple, you can enter "Mr. and Mrs."


First name
M.I.
Last name

Enter the first name, middle initial, and last name of the person who is your main contact when you do business with this customer.


Bill to

Complete the customer's billing address (QuickBooks has partially filled in the address on the basis of what you've entered so far). Enter the address as you want it to appear on printed invoices, cheques, and other forms.

The address information you enter can be exported for mail merge.


Ship to

If the customer has a separate shipping address, enter the address as you'd like it to appear on printed invoices and other forms. If the shipping address is the same as the billing address, click Copy to copy the billing address to the Ship To field.


Phone
FAX
Alt. Ph.
Alt. contact

Enter, as needed, the customer's phone number, FAX number, alternate phone number, and the name of an alternate contact person.


Type

This is a word or phase that categorises this customer for your reports. You can choose a customer type you have already set up from the drop-down list, or you can enter a new customer type and have QuickBooks add it to the list.

Examples

A commercial photographer might use customer types to record a customer's primary interest: graduation, portraiture, weddings, etc.

A building contractor might use customer types to record a client's market segment: residential, commercial, industrial, etc.

A doctor, dentist, or other health professional might use customer types to record a patient's insurance company.

Once you have assigned a customer type to each customer, you can create reports that provide useful information about the customers you serve. For example, if you have categorized your customers by market segment, you can create a separate sales report for each segment.


Terms

This field lets you associate a specific set of payment terms with the customer. When you write an invoice to the customer, QuickBooks uses the terms to calculate when the invoice is due, and, if you specified a discount for early payment, when the customer is entitled to the discount.

Example

2% 10 Net 30

means "2% discount if paid within 10 days, net due in 30 days" if the terms are standard terms, or "2% discount if paid by the 10th of the month, net due by the 30th of the month" if the terms are date-driven terms.

See also

Setting up payment terms


Rep

Enter the initials of the sales representative who deals with this customer on a regular basis. When you write an invoice to this customer, QuickBooks automatically enters the initials into the Rep field of the invoice if you are using the product invoice  format or if you have added the Rep field to a custom invoice format.

If your invoices don't have the Rep field

QuickBooks automatically associates the sales representative with every invoice you send to the customer, regardless of whether the Rep field appears on your invoices. This gives you the ability to create sales reports that are subtotaled by sales representative.


Credit limit

(Optional) Enter the credit limit that the customer has with your company. QuickBooks remembers the limit and warns you when the customer is about to exceed the limit.


Opening balance . . . as of

These two fields apply only if you are setting up records for a new QuickBooks company. They help you establish a correct accounts receivable balance as of the  start date you chose for your QuickBooks records.

To enter the opening balance

1	In the Opening Balance field, enter the amount this customer owed as of your start date.

2	In the "as of" field, enter your QuickBooks start date.

Important. Leave these fields blank if you are planning to set up one or more jobs for this customer. QuickBooks will calculate the overall balance for this customer from the balances you enter for the individual jobs.

What's next . . .

To keep your records up to date, you must enter all historical transactions from the day after your start date through today. For example, if you wrote invoices to this customer between your start date and today, you must enter those invoices into your QuickBooks records. This gives QuickBooks the ability to provide full financial reports for your company for any period of time after your start date.


Use customer tax code

To assign this customer a tax code, click the "Use customer tax code" button and select the tax code from the list.

See also

 	GST and sales tax in QuickBooks


Custom fields

If you have set up any custom fields for the customer, they appear on the Additional Info tab. You can fill in any or all of these fields that apply to the customer.

See also

Why use custom fields?

Adding new custom fields for names


Job status

From the drop-down list, choose the status (Pending, Awarded, etc.) that best applies to this job.

Job status information is for your records [image] it gives you a way to keep track of each job. When you create a job administration report, QuickBooks includes the status of each job on the report. You can also see the status of each job on the Customer:Job list.

When a job's status changes. You must edit the job record and change the status yourself. QuickBooks does not do this for you.

See also

Editing or changing job information


Start date

Enter the date you started the job.

The start date (along with the projected end and end dates) helps you track how long each job takes, and how well you estimated the length of a job. When you create a job administration report, you can add to the report columns that show the start date, your projected end date, and the actual end date for each job.

When the date changes. You must edit the job record and change the date yourself. QuickBooks cannot change the date for you.

See also

Editing or changing job information


Projected end

Enter your projected completion date for the job.

The projected end date (along with the start and end dates) helps you track how long each job takes and how well you estimated the length of a job. When you create a job administration report, you can add to the report columns that show the start date, your projected end date, and the actual end date for each job.

When the date changes. You must edit the job record and change the date yourself. QuickBooks cannot change the date for you.

See also

Editing or changing job information


End date

If you've completed the job, enter the date of completion.

The end date (along with the start and projected end dates) helps you track how long each job takes, and how well you estimated the length of a job. When you create a job administration report, you can add to the report columns that show the start date, your projected end date, and the actual end date for each job.

When the date changes. You must edit the job record and change the date yourself. QuickBooks cannot change the date for you.

See also

Editing or changing job information


Job description

Enter a short description of the job.

Job descriptions appear on job administration reports. When you enter a job description, enter information that will be useful to you when you see the job listed among other jobs in the report. For example, if you have performed several jobs for the same customer, you could use the job descriptions to help you distinguish the jobs from each other.

 If you need more room to describe the job. The Job Description field has room for only a short phrase or sentence. If you want to write a longer description of the job, or if you want to jot down notes while the job progresses, use the job's Notepad.

See also

Keeping notes about a job


Job type

Enter a word or short phrase to classify the job.

Job types give you a way to classify your jobs so you can group and subtotal similar jobs on your reports. By using them, you'll be able to determine which kinds of jobs are the most profitable for your business.

What should your job types be? It's up to you to decide. Here are a few examples:

In construction: Decks, Kitchens, Bathrooms

In graphic arts: Logos, Brochures, PR

In real estate: Brokerage, Property Management.

How do customer types fit in? Customer types let you categorise your customers independently of the types of jobs you do. They are useful for grouping your customers into categories that are meaningful to your business. Some examples: Wholesale and Retail; Commercial, Residential, and Industrial; From Advertisement, By Referral. You can use customer types in addition to job types. You can also use job types without customer types, customer types without job types, or neither.


Adding a job

Can you track job information without adding a job?

1	Display the Customer:Job list.

2	Select the customer for whom you are doing this job.

3	Choose Add Job from the Customer:Job menu button.

4	Fill in the New Job window:

5	Record the information you entered by doing one of the following:

Click Next to add another job.

Click OK to close the window.

See also

Adding a customer


Yes. You do not need to add jobs to the Customer:Job list if your company never does more than one job or project per customer. Jobs in QuickBooks are optional. If you often perform multiple jobs for the same customer, you can use jobs in QuickBooks to track the activity for each job separately. That way, you can create reports that show the income and expenses for each job.

If you don't use jobs if QuickBooks, you can still associate job-related information with each customer. Simply click the Job Info tab when you enter, or edit, the customer's record on your Customer:Job list.


The Job Info tab

The Job Info tab shows information you can use to track the progress of the job. To enter the information, fill in these fields:

Job status

Start date

Projected end

End date

Job description

Job type

For help on what to enter, click the name of the field.


Adding a vendor

1	Display the Vendor list.

2	Choose New from the Vendor menu button.

3	In the Vendor field, enter the name of the vendor as you'd like it to appear on your Vendor list.

For example, if the vendor is an individual and you list individuals last name first, that's how you should enter the name.

4	Complete the Address Info and Additional Info tabs:

5	Record the information you entered by doing one of the following:

Click Next to add another vendor to the list.

Click OK to close the window.

What if . . .

Someone is both a customer and a vendor?

See also

Adding a customer

Printing a list

Merging similar list entries

Keeping notes about a vendor, employee, or  "other" name

Using names and addresses in a form letter


QuickBooks uses the Vendor list to hold information about the people and companies you do business with. You can select a vendor from the list when writing purchase orders, entering bills you've received, writing cheques, or recording credit card purchases. You can add new vendors to the list at any time.


The Address Info tab

The Address Info tab holds contact information about the vendor. To enter the information, complete, as needed, these fields:

Company name

Mr./Ms./

First name, M.I., Last name

Address

Phone

FAX

Alt. Ph.

Alt. contact

Print on cheque as

For help on what to enter, click the name of the field.

See also

The Additional Info tab


The Additional Info tab

The Additional Info tab holds credit, tax-related, and other information about the vendor. To enter the information, complete, as needed, these fields:

Account

Type

Terms

Credit limit

Use customer tax code

Opening balance . . . as of

Custom fields

For help on what to enter, click the name of the field.

See also

The Address Info tab


Mr./Ms./

Enter the vendor's salutation or title (Mr., Ms., Dr., etc.) here. For a married couple, you can enter "Mr. and Mrs."


First name
M.I.
Last name

Enter the first name, middle initial (M.I.), and last name of the person who is your main contact when you do business with this vendor. If the vendor is a large corporation (for example, your utility company), you can leave these fields blank.


Address

Complete the vendor's address (QuickBooks has partially filled in the Address field on the basis of what you've entered so far). Enter the address as you want it to appear on printed cheques to the vendor.


Phone
FAX
Alt. PH.
Alt. contact

Enter, as needed, the vendor's phone number, fax number, and alternate phone number; and the name of an alternate contact person.


Print on cheque as

This is the vendor's name as it will appear on printed cheques you send to the vendor. QuickBooks prefills this field with the vendor's company name, but you can edit the name if you want it to print differently on your cheques.


Account

Enter any information that you want QuickBooks to print in the Memo field on cheques that you send to the vendor. For example, if you enter your company's account number with the vendor, QuickBooks automatically adds the account number to the Memo field on each bill payment cheque that goes to that vendor. (You can also enter a short note or message instead of an account number.)


Type

This is a word or phrase that categorises this vendor for your reports. You can choose a vendor type you have already set up from the drop-down list, or you can enter a new vendor type and have QuickBooks add it to the list.

Examples

Many different types of businesses might use vendor types to categorise vendors by the types of products or services they provide.

A building contractor might use vendor types to keep track of where subcontractors are located, for example, by county.

Once you have assigned a vendor type to each vendor, you can create reports that provide useful information about your vendors. For example, if you have categorized your vendors by location, you can create reports that show your expenses for each geographic area.


Terms

This field lets you associate a specific set of payment terms with the vendor. When you enter a bill from the vendor, QuickBooks uses the terms to calculate when the bill is due.

Example

2% 10 Net 30

means "2% discount if paid within 10 days, net due in 30 days" if the terms are standard terms, or "2% discount if paid by the 10th of the month, net due by the 30th of the month" if the terms are date-driven terms.


Credit limit

Enter the credit limit that your company has with this vendor. QuickBooks remembers the limit and warns you when you are about to exceed the limit.


Opening balance . . . as of

These two fields apply only if you are setting up records for a new QuickBooks company. They help you establish a correct accounts payable balance as of the  start date you chose for your QuickBooks records.

To enter the opening balance

1	In the Opening Balance field, enter the amount that you owed to this vendor on your start date.

2	In the "as of" field, enter your QuickBooks start date.

What's next . . .

To keep your records up to date, you must enter all historical transactions from the day after your start date through today. For example, if you paid bills to this vendor between your start date and today, you must enter those bills and record your payments in QuickBooks. This gives QuickBooks the ability to provide full financial reports for your company for any period of time after your start date.


Use customer tax code

To assign this customer a tax code, click the "Use customer tax code" button and select the tax code from the list.


Custom fields

If you have set up any custom fields for the vendor, they appear on the Additional Info tab. You can fill in any or all of these fields that apply to the vendor.

See also

Why use custom fields?

Adding new custom fields for names


Adding an employee

1	Display the Employee list.

2	Choose New from the Employee menu button.

3	Complete the Address Info tab. If you use QuickBooks payroll, also complete the Payroll Info tab:

4	(Optional) Click the Additional Info tab. Fill in any custom fields that apply to this employee.

5	Record the information you entered by doing one of the following:

Click Next to add another employee to the list.

Click OK to close the window.

See also

Printing a list

Merging similar list entries

Keeping notes about a vendor, employee, or  "other" name

Using names and addresses in a form letter


The Address Info tab

The Address Info tab holds address and Social Insurance Number information about the employee. To enter the information, complete, as needed, these fields:

Mr./Ms./

First name, M.I., Last name

Initials

Address

Phone

SIN. No.

Hired

For help on what to enter, click the name of the field.


The Payroll Info tab

The Payroll Info tab holds the following payroll information about the employee:

Earnings

Use time data to create pay cheques

Additions, deductions, and company contributions

Pay period

Class

 	Sick/Holiday

 	Payroll Tax Details

For help on what to enter, click the name of the field or button.


Mr./Ms./

Enter the employee's salutation or title (Mr., Ms., Dr., etc.) here.


First name
M.I.
Last name

Enter the employee's first name, middle initial (M.I.), and last name.


Initials

QuickBooks fills in the employee's initials as you fill in the employee's name. Normally, you do not have to enter anything into this field.

If your employees earn commissions for sales, you can select an employee's initials from a drop-down list in the Rep field when you write an invoice or a sales receipt. Entering the initials gives you the ability to create reports and graphs that show sales for each employee.

If QuickBooks tells you that another employee has the same set of initials, you must change the initials to give QuickBooks a way to distinguish the two sets. For example, you could delete the middle initial for this employee.


Address

Complete the employee's address (QuickBooks has partially filled in the Address field on the basis of what you've entered so far). Enter the address as you want it to appear on the employee's pay cheques.

The address information you enter can be exported for mail merge..


Phone

Enter the employee's phone number.


SIN. No

(Payroll only) Enter the employee's social insurance number.


Hired

(For payroll only) Enter the date you hired the employee.


Earnings

This table holds the employee's wage and salary information. You must fill in the appropriate amounts so that QuickBooks can calculate the employee's pay cheques correctly.

For a salaried employee . . .

1	In the Name column, enter the name of the salary payroll item that applies to the employee.

2	In the Hour/Annual Rate column, enter the employee's annual salary.

For an hourly employee . . .

1	In the Name column, enter the name of the hourly wage payroll item that applies to the employee's base pay.

2	In the Hour/Annual Rate column, enter the hourly rate for the employee's base pay.

3	Repeat the first two steps for any other hourly rates (for example, overtime) that apply to the employee. You can enter up to eight hourly rates for each employee.

Don't enter sick or holiday time rates

QuickBooks gives you an opportunity to enter sick hours and vacation pay each time you write a pay cheque to the employee.


Use time data to create pay cheques

Select this checkbox if:

You use QuickBooks to track your employees' time.

and

You want QuickBooks to use the hours you enter to calculate wages for pay cheques.

If there is no checkbox . . .

You need to turn on time tracking:

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences.

2	In the Preferences window, select Time Tracking from the scroll box.

3	Click "Yes" in response to the question "Do you track time?"


Additions, deductions, and company contributions

This table holds adjustments to the employee's gross or net pay. Such adjustments can include union dues, tips, commissions, and company-paid expenses.

To enter the adjustments

1	In the Name column, choose, or type in, the name of the payroll item for the first adjustment.

You may not need to change the amount or limit that QuickBooks fills in. (You can change either, if you need to.)

2	As needed, enter other payroll items on additional lines of the table.

If any of the payroll items are based on a percentage of gross pay, the order in which you enter them in the table is important.

See also

Entering other adjustments and company expenses

How QuickBooks calculates gross pay


Pay period

If the pay period shown is incorrect for the employee, choose the correct pay period from the drop-down list.


Class

You can use this field to choose or enter the name of a QuickBooks class. Entering a class here gives you another way to track employee payroll expenses. For example, you can use classes to separate employees by location or by department.

If there is no Class field . . .

You need to turn on class tracking for your company:

1	From the file menu, choose Preferences.

2	In the Preferences window, select Accounting from the scroll box.

3	Select the "Use class tracking" checkbox.


Sick/Vacation

Click this button to enter the sick hours and vacation time accrual rates for the employee. QuickBooks uses this information to keep track of the employee's sick and vacation time balances.

See also

Entering sick hours and vacation pay information


Adding a class

Classes are another method that you can use to track and classify your income and expenses (the first method is by customer and job). When class tracking is on in the Accounting Preferences window, QuickBooks adds a Class field to the windows where you enter transactions. You can fill in this field by choosing a class from your Class list.

Instructions

1	From the Lists menu, choose Class.

2	Choose New from the Class menu button.

3	Enter a name for the class.

4	(Optional) If you want the class to be a subclass of another class, select the "Subclass of" checkbox and enter the name of the parent class.

5	Click Next to enter another new class, or click OK to close the window.


Customer:Job list

This list shows information about your customers and the individual jobs or projects you are performing for them. (If you have set up jobs for a customer, they appear indented under the customer's name.) You can see at a glance each customer's balance, whether or not you've entered notes about a customer, the current status of each job, and if you sent an estimate to a customer, the estimate total.

What you can do from here

Add a customer to the list

Add a job to the list

Edit information about a customer or job on the list

Start an activity from the list

Create reports from the list

Enter notes about a customer or job

See also

Printing a list

Hiding a list entry

Deleting a list entry

Reorganizing a list

Alphabetizing a list

Merging two list entries


Vendor list

This list shows information about the people or companies from whom you buy goods and services. You can see at a glance the amount you currently owe each vendor.

What you can do from here

Add a new vendor to the list

Edit information about a vendor on the list

Start an activity from the list

Create reports from the list

See also

Printing a list

Hiding a list entry

Deleting a list entry

Merging two list entries


Employee list

This list contains payroll information about the employees in your company. You can select a name from this list when you write payroll cheques or need to enter the initials of a sales representative on an invoice, credit memo, or sales receipt.

What you can do from here

Add a new employee to the list

Edit information about an employee on the list

Start an activity from the list

Create reports from the list

See also

Printing a list

Hiding a list entry

Deleting a list entry

Merging two list entries


Other Names list

This lists contains names that don't appear on your Customer:Job, Vendor, or Employee lists. If you converted Quicken data, QuickBooks sometimes cannot determine whether a name is a customer, vendor, or employee. When this happens, QuickBooks puts the name on the Other Names list.

You can move a name from the Other Names list to any of the other three lists. You can also select names from the Other Names list when you write cheques or enter credit card charges.

What you can do from here

Add a new name to the list

Edit information about a name on the list

Start an activity from the list

Create reports from the list

See also

Printing a list

Hiding a list entry

Deleting a list entry

Merging two list entries


Item list

This list shows the line items you have set up for entry on sales forms and purchase forms. The line items include the services and goods you buy and sell as well as special items that perform calculations (subtotals, discounts, and tax at specific rates).

What you can do from here

Edit information about an item on the list

Start an activity from the list

Create a report from the list

See also

Printing a list

Hiding a list entry

Deleting a list entry

Merging two list entries


Payroll Item list

This list shows the payroll items that are currently set up for your payroll records.

What you can do from here

Add a payroll item to the list

Edit information about a payroll item

Start an activity from the list

Create reports from the list

See also

Printing a list

Hiding a list entry

Deleting a list entry


Terms list

This list shows the different payment terms you have set up. You can apply terms from this list to both invoices you send to customers and bills you receive from vendors. QuickBooks uses the terms to determine when an invoice or bill is overdue.

What you can do from here

Add new payment terms to the list

Edit an entry on the list

Start an activity from the list

Create a report from the list

See also

Printing a list

Hiding a list entry

Deleting a list entry


Class list

This list shows the classes that you have set up. In QuickBooks, classes provide you with a second way to track income and expenses (the first way is by customer and job).

What you can do from here

Add a new class to the list

Rename a class on the list

Start an activity from the list

Create a report from the list

See also

Printing a list

Hiding a list entry

Deleting a list entry

Reorganizing a list

Alphabetizing a list


Customer Type list

This list shows the customer types you have set up. In QuickBooks, you use customer types to categorise customers and jobs in ways that are meaningful to your business.

What you can do from here

Add a new customer type to the list

Rename a customer type on the list

Start an activity from the list

Create a report from the list

See also

Printing a list

Hiding a list entry

Deleting a list entry

Reorganizing a list

Alphabetizing a list


Vendor Type list

This list shows the vendor types you have set up. In QuickBooks, you use vendor types to categorise vendors in ways that are meaningful to your business.

What you can do from here

Add a new vendor type to the list

Rename a vendor type on the list

Start an activity from the list

Create a report from the list

See also

Printing a list

Hiding a list entry

Deleting a list entry

Reorganizing a list

Alphabetizing a list


Job Type list

This list shows the job types you have set up for grouping and categorizing your jobs on reports. You can add new job types to this list whenever you need them.

The Job Type list is automatically available to you when you are setting up a job (in the New/Edit Job window), or entering job information about a customer (in the Job Information window). When you are in the Job Type field of either of these windows, you can choose one of the job types from this list to categorise the job.

What you can do from here

Add a new job type to the list

Rename a job type on the list

Start an activity from the list

Create a report from the list

See also

Printing a list

Hiding a list entry

Deleting a list entry

Reorganizing a list

Alphabetizing a list


Payment Method list

This list shows the different ways you receive payments from your customers (cash, cheque, Master Card, Visa, American Express, etc.). You can select a payment method from this list when you enter a customer payment. This allows you to sort your deposits by payment method and create reports based on payment method.

What you can do from here

Add a new payment method to the list

Rename a payment method on the list

Start an activity from the list

See also

Printing a list

Hiding a list entry

Deleting a list entry


Ship Via list

This list shows the different shipping methods you use to send products to your customers. You can select a shipping method from this list when you write an invoice or a sales receipt.

What you can do from here

Add a new shipping method to the list

Rename a shipping method on the list

Start an activity from the list

See also

Printing a list

Hiding a list entry

Deleting a list entry


Customer Message list

This list shows standard messages that you can include at the bottom of a printed sales form.

What you can do from here

Add a new customer message to the list

Edit a message on the list

Start an activity from the list

See also

Printing a list

Hiding a list entry

Deleting a list entry


Memorized Transaction list

This list shows the transactions you have memorized and the memorized transaction groups you have created. Individual transactions appear in normal font. The names of groups appear in bold; transactions within a group appear indented immediately below the group name.

What you can do from here

Enter one of the listed transactions

Reschedule one of the listed transactions

Create a new memorized transaction group

See also

Printing a list

Deleting a list entry

Reorganizing a list

Alphabetizing a list


Reminders list

This list shows you which transactions you need to take care of [image] either now or in the near future.

To . . .	Do this
Summarize the list	Click Summary. For each section of the list, QuickBooks displays the total amount of the transactions due.
See details for each section	Click Detail. For each section of the list, QuickBooks lists the individual transactions due together with their amounts.
Display a transaction	Double-click the transaction in the list.
See also

Setting reminders for yourself

Printing a list

Deleting a list entry


 Purchase Order list

This list shows the vendor, date, and number for all purchase orders that are currently open.

What you can do from here

Write a new purchase order

Edit a purchase order

Start an activity from the list

Create a report from the list

See also

Printing a list

Deleting a list entry


Memorized Report list

This list shows the titles of the reports that you have memorized. You can create a report by selecting it from the list.

What you can do from here

Generate a report

Change the name of a report

See also

Printing a list

Deleting a list entry


New, Edit Class window

You use this window to add new classes to your Class list and to change the information for classes that are already on the list.

To add a new class

1	Enter the class name as you would like it to appear on the Class list.

2	(Optional) If you want the class to be a subclass of another class, select the "Subclass of" checkbox.

To change information about a class

To rename the class, select its current name. Then enter the new name for the class.

To make the class a subclass of another class, select the "Subclass of" checkbox. Then choose a "parent" class from the drop-down list.

To turn the class from a subclass back to a "main" class, clear the "Subclass of" checkbox.


Templates list

This list shows:

The standard business form templates that come with QuickBooks.

Any custom templates you have created for business forms.

What you can do from here

Duplicate a template

See also

Printing a list

Hiding a list entry

Deleting a list entry


New, Edit Item window

You use this window to add new items to your Item list, and to change information about items already on the list.

To set up a new item

For more detail, click the type of item in the diagram.

To change information about an item

Edit, as needed, the information shown for the item. Then click OK.


New, Edit Customer window

You use this window to add new customers to your Customer:Job list and to change information about customers who are already on the list.

To add a new customer

To change information about a customer

Edit, as needed, the information shown on the Address Info and Additional Info tabs. Then click OK.


New, Edit Job window

You use this window to add new jobs to your Customer:Job list and to change the information about the jobs that are already on the list.

To add a new job

To change information about a job

Edit, as needed, the information shown for the job. Then click OK.


New, Edit Vendor window

You use this window to add new vendors to your Vendor list and to change information about vendors who are already on the list.

To add a new vendor

To change information about a vendor

Edit, as needed, the information shown on the Address Info and Additional Info tabs. Then click OK.


New, Edit Employee window

You use this window to add and edit information about the employees on your Employee list. If you are using payroll, you can also use the window to set up and edit the payroll record for an employee.

To add a new employee

To change information about an employee

Edit, as needed, the information shown on the Address Info, Additional Info, and Payroll tabs. Then click OK.


New, Edit Payment Method window

You use this window to add new payment methods to your Payment Method list and to rename payment methods that are already on the list.

To add a new payment method

Enter a name for the payment method and click OK.

To rename a payment method

Edit, as needed, the name of the payment method. Then click OK.


New, Edit Terms window

You use this window add new payment terms to your Terms list and to change the specifics for terms that are already on the list.

To set up payment terms

1	In the Terms field, enter a word or phrase that will help you recognize the terms when you use the Terms list (what you enter here appears on the list).

Example

2	Indicate the type of terms you want to use:

Click . . .	If you want
Standard	Customers to pay within a certain number of days.
Date Driven	Customers to pay by a certain date.
3	Fill in the fields for "Net due . . .," "Discount percentage . . .," and "Discount if paid . . ."

More detail

4	Record the payment terms:

To record the terms and then enter another, click Next.

To record the terms and close the window, click OK.


New, Edit Shipping Method window

You use this window to add new shipping methods to your Ship Via list and to rename shipping methods that are already on the list.

To add a new shipping method

Enter a name for the shipping method and click OK.

To rename a shipping method

Edit, as needed, the name shown for the shipping method. Then click OK.


New, Edit Customer Message window

You use this window to add new messages to your Customer Message list and to edit the text of messages that are already on the list.

To add a new message

Enter the text of the message and click OK.

To change a message

Edit the message as needed. Then click OK.


New, Edit Vendor Type window

You use this window to add new vendor types to your Vendor Type list and to change the information for vendor types that are already on the list.

To add a new vendor type

1	Enter the vendor type as you would like it to appear on the Vendor Type list.

2	(Optional) If you want the vendor type to be a subtype of another vendor type, select the "Subtype of" checkbox and choose the vendor type that will be the "parent" from the drop-down list.

To change information about a vendor type

To rename the vendor type, select the current name. Then enter the new name for the vendor type.

To make the vendor type a subtype of another vendor type, select the "Subtype of" checkbox. Then choose a "parent" vendor type from the drop-down list.

To turn the vendor type from a subtype back to a "main" type, clear the "Subtype of" checkbox.


New, Edit Customer Type window

You use this window to add new customer types to your Customer Type list and to change the information for customer types that are already on the list.

To add a new customer type

1	Enter the customer type as you would like it to appear on the Customer Type list.

2	(Optional) If you want the customer type to be a subtype of another customer type, select the "Subtype of" checkbox and choose the customer type that will be the "parent" from the drop-down list.

To change information about a customer type

To rename the customer type, select the current name. Then enter the new name for the customer type.

To make the customer type a subtype of another customer type, select the "Subtype of" checkbox. Then choose a "parent" customer type from the drop-down list.

To turn the customer type from a subtype back to a "main" type, clear the "Subtype of" checkbox.


Memorized Transaction window
Schedule Memorized Transaction window

When this window is titled "Memorized Transaction," you use it to set up a new memorized transaction. When the title is "Schedule Memorized Transaction," you use it to change the schedule for a transaction you have already memorized.

To set up a new memoriszd transaction

Complete, as needed, the following fields. Then click OK.

Name

Remind me

Don't remind me

Automatically enter

With transactions in group

For details, click the field.

To change the schedule for a transaction

Edit, as needed, the information shown about the transaction. Then click OK.


Name

This can be any word or phrase that describes the transaction. As a suggestion, QuickBooks puts the name of the recipient of the transaction in this field. You can change the name if you want the transaction to be listed differently on the Memorized Transaction list.


Remind me

This option causes QuickBooks to add the transaction to the "Memorized Transactions" section of your Reminders list.

To set up a reminder

1	Click Remind Me.

2	From the "How often" list, choose how often you want QuickBooks to remind you about the transaction.


Don't remind me

Click this option if you don't want QuickBooks to add the transaction to the "Memorized Transactions" section of your Reminders list.


Automatically enter

This option causes QuickBooks to automatically enter the transaction when it is due.

To set up for automatic entry

1	Click Automatically Enter.

2	From the "How often" list, choose how often you want QuickBooks to enter the transaction.

3	In the Next Date field, enter the next date the transaction is due.

4	(Optional) If you want QuickBooks to enter this transaction on a regular basis, enter in the "Number remaining" field the number of entries you want QuickBooks to make. For example, if the transaction is a loan, you would enter the number of payments you have left on the loan.

5	(Optional) If you want QuickBooks to enter the transaction before it is due, enter the number of days in advance that you want QuickBooks to enter the transaction.


With transactions in group

This option adds the transaction to one of your memorized transaction groups. When a memorized transaction is part of a group, QuickBooks enters all the transactions in the group in a single operation.

To add the transaction to a group

1	Click "With transactions in group."

2	From the "Group name" list, choose the group you want to add the transaction to.


New Memorized Transaction Group window
Schedule Transaction Group window

When this window is titled "New Memorized Transaction Group," you use it to set up a new memorized transaction group. When the title is "Schedule Transaction Group," you use it to change the schedule for a transaction group.

To set up a new memorized transaction group

Complete, as needed, the following fields. Then click OK.

Name

Remind me

Don't remind me

Automatically enter

For details, click the field.

To change the schedule for a group

Edit, as needed, the information shown about the group. Then click OK.


Name

This can be any word or phrase that describes the transactions in the group ("Payroll, "Monthly Bills," etc.). QuickBooks adds your name for the group to the Memorized Transactions list. Transactions in the group appear, indented, immediately below the group name.


Remind me

This option causes QuickBooks to add the group to the "Memorized Transactions" section of your Reminders list.

To set up a reminder

1	Click Remind Me.

2	From the "How often" list, choose how often you want QuickBooks to remind you about the transaction group.


Don't remind me

Click this option if you don't want QuickBooks to add the group to the "Memorized Transactions" section of your Reminders list.


Automatically enter

This option causes QuickBooks to automatically enter the transactions in the group when they are due.

To set up for automatic entry

1	Click Automatically Enter.

2	From the "How often" list, choose how often you want QuickBooks to enter the transactions in the group.

3	In the Next Date field, enter the next date the group of transactions is due.

4	(Optional) If you want QuickBooks to enter the group of transactions on a regular basis, enter in the "Number remaining" field the number of entries you want QuickBooks to make.

5	(Optional) If you want QuickBooks to enter the group of transactions before it is due, enter the number of days in advance that you want QuickBooks to enter the transactions.


New, Edit Name window

You use this window to add new names to your Other Names list and to change information about names already on the list.

To add a new name

Complete, as needed, the following fields. Then click OK.

Name

Address

Phone

Fax

Alt phone

Contact

Account

For details, click the field.

To change information about a name

Edit, as needed, the information shown for the name. Then click OK.


Account

Enter the name or number of the account you want to associate with this payee.


Name

Enter the name of this person or business as you would like it to appear on the Other Names list.


Address

Enter the address for this person or business as you would like it to appear on printed cheques.

Tip. When you enter the name in the Name field, QuickBooks automatically puts the name on the first line of the Address field. If you entered a person's last name first, you can edit the first line of the Address field so that the address begins with the person's first name.


Phone (optional)

Enter the phone number for this person or business.


Fax (optional)

If this person or business has a FAX number, enter the FAX number in this field.


Alt phone (optional)

If this person or business has an alternate phone number, enter the phone number in this field.


Contact (optional)

Enter the name of the person who is your main contact at this business.


Using Group window

This window shows the date that QuickBooks suggests for the transactions in the group.

To . . .	Do this
Use the date as shown	Click OK.
Use a different date	Enter the date you want over the date shown. Shortcuts


Employee Initials window

QuickBooks needs to know the initials of the person you are adding to the Employee list. If your employees earn commissions for sales, you can select an employee's initials from a list in the Rep field when you write an invoice or a sales receipt. Entering the initials gives the employee credit for the sale [image] and gives you the ability to create reports and graphs that show sales for each employee.

To . . .	Do this
Use the initials as shown	Click OK.
Use different initials	Enter the initials you want over the initials shown. Then click OK.


Select Name Type window

You use this window to move the name you are editing to another list. You can move the name to the Vendor, Customer:Job, or Employee list.

To . . .	Do this
Move the name to another list	Choose the list you want (Vendor, Customer, or Employee). Then click OK.
Keep the name on the Other Names list.	Click Cancel.
Restriction. Once you move a name from the Other Names list, you can't move it back.


Change Name Types window

You use this window to transfer names from your Other Names list to your Customer:Job, Vendor, or Employees lists. If you have many names to transfer, you can transfer them all in a single operation.

To transfer names

1	For each name, click in the column for the list where you want the name to appear.

For example, to transfer a name to the Customer:Job list, click in the Customer:Job column.

2	Check your selections. Once you transfer a name you cannot transfer it back.

Tip. If you need to start over, click Revert.

3	To make the transfer, click OK.


Using names and addresses in a form letter

Overview

1	From the File menu, choose Mail Merge.

2	In the Select Names for Mail Merge window, choose the names you want to merge:

3	(Optional) Select the "Include jobs" checkbox to include the jobs associated with the customers you selected.

Select this checkbox only if there is a different name or address for each job. If the customer name and address are the same for each job, leave the checkbox clear (otherwise, you'll end up with duplicate form letters to the same name and address).

4	Click OK.

5	Enter a filename for the names and addresses you selected.

The file is a tab-delimited file that contains name and address information for the names you selected. You can use this file as a data file for merging into a document you create with a word processor.

What if . . .

You use WordPerfect for Windows?

See also

What a mail merge data file contains


You can export names and addresses from your QuickBooks lists for inclusion in documents you create with a word processor or spreadsheet program. You can export from all QuickBooks lists of names: Customer:Job, Vendor, Employee, and Other Names.

Example

Your company is moving and you want to send a letter to your customers and vendors about your new address. In your word processor, you create a form letter with mail merge fields where names and addresses will appear. Then in QuickBooks you select the names you want to merge with the form letter. This gives you a tab-delimited file that contains name and address information for the names you selected. When you merge the form letter with the file, the names and addresses automatically appear in the form letter.

For additional information

See the section on how to perform a mail merge in the manual that came with your word processor or spreadsheet program.


What a mail merge data file contains

Each piece of information in a mail merge data file has a field name that you can use in a form letter. For example, the First Name field inserts the first name of each person when you print copies of the letter.

This field . . .	Is used for
Salutation	The person's salutation or title (Mr., Ms., Dr., etc.).
First Name	The person's first name.
M.I.	The person's middle initial.
Last Name	The person's last name.
Company Name	The name of the person's company. Applies to customers and vendors only.
City	The city name in the address. For a customer, the city name comes from the customer's billing address.
County	The county in the address. For a customer, the county comes from the customer's billing address.
Postal code	The postal code in the address. For a customer, the postal code comes from the customer's billing address.
Country	The name of the country where your business is located.
Contact	The name of your main contact person with a customer or vendor.
Alt Contact	The name of an alternate contact person with a customer or vendor.
Address <n>	A line in the person's or company's address. QuickBooks provides a separate field [image] Address 1 through Address 5 [image] for each line in the address. For a customer, the address lines come from the customer's billing address.
Shipping Address <n>	A line in the customer's shipping address. QuickBooks provides a separate field [image] Shipping Address 1 through Shipping Address 5 [image] for each line in the address.
Shipping City	The city in the customer's shipping address.
Shipping County	The county in the customer's shipping address.
Shipping Postal code	The postal code in the customer's shipping address.
Shipping Country	If applicable, the country in the customer's shipping address.
A note about addresses

Some of the fields let you use parts of an address instead of the entire address. For example, you can use the City field to mention a person's city within a sentence. QuickBooks also provides fields for placing the full block address at the beginning of a letter.


Using mail merge with WordPerfect

If you use WordPerfect for Windows, follow these instructions after you create a mail merge data file. These instructions apply to WordPerfect 6.1.

Instructions

1	Start WordPerfect for Windows.

2	Open your the mail merge data file you created in QuickBooks.

3	When WordPerfect asks you which file format to convert from, choose "ANSI (Windows) Delimited Text" from the drop-down list and click OK.

4	Specify the import format for the file:

Select Table from the "Import As" list.

Select the Field delimiter and delete it. Then click the small button to the right of that field and select [TAB].

If the Record delimiter is not set to [CR][LF], select the Record delimiter and delete it. Then click the small button to the right of that field and select [CR]. Click the small button a second time and select [LF].

Click OK when you are finished.

5	Save the file under a different filename:

From the File menu, choose Save.

When asked for a Save Format, choose the default (WordPerfect 6.0/6.1) and click OK.

Enter a new, different name for the file.

6	Close the file.

7	To associate your data with a form letter:

Choose Merge from the Tools menu.

Click Form.

Choose to either use the file in the active window or create a new document window. This will be your form letter template. Click OK.

Enter the name of the file which you saved in Step 5 (not the original filename which you specified in QuickBooks).

To insert a mail merge field into your form letter, click Insert Field on the toolbar. In the window that appear, choose the name of the field you want to insert.

For further instructions, see your WordPerfect manual.


Select Names for Mail Merge window

You use this window to select the names and addresses you want to merge with a word processor document. The names can come from your Customer:Job, Vendor, Employee, or Other Names lists [image] or any combination of these lists.

Instructions

1	In the Select Names for Mail Merge window, choose the names you want to merge.

How to choose the names

2	(Optional) Select the "Include jobs" checkbox to include the jobs associated with the customers you selected.

Select this checkbox only if there is a different name or address for each job. If the customer name and address are the same for each job, leave the checkbox clear (otherwise, you'll end up with duplicate form letters to the same name and address).

3	Click OK.

4	Enter a filename for the names and addresses you selected.

The file is a tab-delimited file that contains name and address information for the names you selected. You can use this file as a data file for merging into a document you create with a word processor.

See also

What a mail merge data file contains


To select . . .	Do This
Two or more specific names	Choose Selected from the Name list. Then click each name you want to include.
An entire category of names	Choose the category from the Name list. For example, to limit the report to vendors only, choose All Vendors from the list.
One name only	Choose the customer, job, vendor, or employee from the last section of the Name list.


Save Mail Merge Data File window

QuickBooks is about to create the data file you'll use to merge the names and addresses with your word processor document. But first, QuickBooks needs to know the name and location of the file.

1	If you're putting the file on a floppy disk, insert the disk into your floppy disk drive.

2	Enter the name of the file in the File Name field.

Tip. Keep the .TXT extension.

3	Do one of the following:

If the file is to be on your hard disk, select the directory where you want the file to reside.

If the file is to be on a floppy disk, select the letter of your floppy drive from the Drives list.

4	Click OK.


Using the Navigator

The Navigator is your starting point for finding lists, forms, registers, or reports. Unless you hide the Navigator, the Navigator always appears in the centre of the main QuickBooks window.

To . . .	Do this
Go to an area of QuickBooks	Click the appropriate tab on the left side of the Navigator. For example, to display the icons for purchases, click Purchases and Vendors.
Display a list	In the upper part of the Navigator window, click the icon for the list you need:
Display the window for a major activity	Click one of the icons in the flowchart:
Display a report	Choose the type of report you want from the Reports tab:
What if . . .

You don't see the Navigator on your screen?

The iconbar overlaps the top of the Navigator?


If you don't see the Navigator, click the QB Navigator button in the upper right corner of the QuickBooks window.


Making room for the Navigator

If your screen is set to 640 x 480 resolution, you may not have enough room to display the Navigator together with the full iconbar. You can solve this problem by reducing the size of the iconbar.

To create more room for the Navigator

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences.

2	In the Preferences window, select Iconbar from the scroll box.

3	Do one of the following:

If you have Windows95. Select "Don't show iconbar" if you keep your Windows95 taskbar at the bottom of your screen. Otherwise, select Show text only" or "Show icons only."

If you have Windows 3.1. Select "Show text only" or "Show icons only."


Tax Code List

When you set up a QuickBooks company, QuickBooks automatically sets up a Tax Code list with the most common Tax codes. The Tax Code list shows the tax percentage rates and the related Tax code. There are currently five classifications: Tax Exempt, GST Only, PST Only, Standard and Zero Rated.

What you can do from here

Add a new Tax Code

Edit a Tax Code

Delete a Tax Code

Make a Tax Code inactive

For more detail, click the task.


Adding a new Tax Code

To add a new Tax Code, do the following:

1	Click the Tax Code button (at the bottom of the Tax Code list), then choose New.

2	Enter the new code, rate, and description.

You enter the Tax Code in bills, invoices, and other transactions that include tax.

The rate is the percentage that is applied to the price of an item.

You can enter up to 31 characters to describe the tax rate.

3	When you've finished setting up the new code, click OK.

See also

Editing a Tax Code

Deleting a Tax Code

Making a Tax Code inactive

For more detail, click the task.


Editing a Tax Code

To edit an existing Tax Code, do the following:

1	Highlight the Tax Code you wish to edit.

2	Click the Tax Code button (at the bottom of the Tax Code list), then choose Edit.

3	Enter the new code, rate, or description.

4	When you've finished editing the code, click OK.

See also

Adding a new Tax Code

Deleting a Tax Code

Making a Tax Code inactive

For more detail, click the task.


Deleting a Tax Code

To delete an existing Tax Code, do the following:

1	Highlight the Tax Code you wish to delete.

2	Click the Tax Code button (at the bottom of the Tax Code list), then choose Delete.

Note: You cannot delete a Tax Code that is being used in a transaction.

3	Click OK to comfirm that you whish to delete the code.

4	Click OK.

See also

Adding a new Tax Code

Editing a Tax Code

Making a Tax Code inactive

For more detail, click the task.


Making a Tax Code inactive

To make an existing Tax Code inactive, do the following:

1	Highlight the Tax Code you wish to make inactive.

2	Click the Tax Code button (at the bottom of the Tax Code list), then choose Make Inactive.

3	When you've finished setting up the new code, click OK.

See also

Adding a new Tax Code

Editing a Tax Code

Deleting a Tax Code

For more detail, click the task.


Keeping notes about a customer or job

Each customer or job you set up has its own notepad where you can keep miscellaneous notes to yourself about the customer or job. For example, you can jot down important dates and information about the work you are performing.

You can also keep notes about vendors, employees, and "other" names. For details, see:

Keeping notes about a vendor, employee, or "other" name

To enter your first note

1	From the Lists menu, choose Customers:Jobs.

2	Double-click in the Notes column next to the customer or job you're interested in.

If the job doesn't exist yet

3	(Optional) Click Date Stamp to add the current date to the note.

Tip. QuickBooks enters the date at the insertion point. If you've already entered some text, click at the beginning of the text if you want the date to appear before the text.

4	In the notepad, enter the text of the note:

Type the text in the notepad area of the window. When you reach the end of a line, you do not need to press Enter. Text wraps automatically to the next line.

To start a new paragraph, press Enter twice.

5	(Optional) Add a reminder note to your To Do list:

Click New To Do.

Enter the text of the reminder note.

How to use the clipboard to enter the text

In the "Remind me on" field, enter the date you want the note to appear on your Reminders list.

Click OK.

6	(Optional) Click Print to print your notes.

7	Click OK.

To append a new note

1	From the Lists menu, choose Customers:Jobs.

2	In the Notes column, double-click the [image] icon for the customer or job.

3	Press Ctrl + End to go to the end of the note. Then press Enter twice to start a new paragraph.

4	(Optional) Click Date Stamp to add the current date to the note.

5	Enter the text of the note.

How to move back and forth between your notes

To edit a note

Insert, replace, or delete text just as you would if you were using a word processor. You can also copy text to and paste text from the clipboard.

How to edit text

To view your notes

From the Customer:Job list, double-click the [image] icon next to the customer or job name.

or

When you are using the customer or job in a transaction, choose Notepad from the Edit menu.

When you are editing the information about the customer or job, click Notes in the Edit Customer or Edit Job window.


Keeping notes about a vendor, employee, or "other" name

Each entry on your Vendor, Employee, and Other Names lists has its own notepad where you can keep miscellaneous notes to yourself about that vendor, employee, or name. For example, you can use a vendor's notepad to jot down notes about items you've ordered from the vendor.

You can also keep notes about customers and jobs. For details, see:

Keeping notes about a customer or job

To enter your first note

1	From the Lists menu, choose Vendors, Employees, or Other Names.

2	Select the name you're interested in.

3	From the leftmost menu button, choose Edit.

This menu button always shows the name of the list. For example, to enter a note about a vendor, you would select the name of the vendor and choose Edit from the Vendor menu button.

4	Click Notes.

5	In the notepad, enter the text of the note:

Type the text in the notepad area of the window. When you reach the end of a line, you do not need to press Enter. Text wraps automatically to the next line.

To start a new paragraph, press Enter twice.

6	Click OK.

To append a new note

1	From the Lists menu, choose Vendors, Employees, or Other Names.

2	Select the name you're interested in.

3	From the leftmost menu button, choose Edit.

This menu button always shows the name of the list. For example, to add to a note about a vendor, you would select the name of the vendor and choose Edit from the Vendor menu button.

4	Click Notes.

5	Press Ctrl + Home to go to the end of the note. Then press Enter twice to start a new paragraph.

6	Enter the text of the note.

How to move back and forth between your notes

To edit a note

Insert, replace, or delete text just as you would if you were using a word processor. You can also copy text to and paste text from the clipboard.

How to edit text

To view your notes

When you are using the name (vendor, employee, etc.) in a transaction, choose Notepad from the Edit menu.

When you are editing the information about the name, click Notes in the Edit Vendor, Edit Employee, or Edit Name window.


Notepad window (for customers)
Notepad window

This window contains a notepad on which you can enter notes about a customer or job. QuickBooks maintains a separate notepad for each customer, or if you are tracking multiple jobs for a customer, for each job. You can use the notepad to keep a running record of important dates and information relevant to the customer or the job. If you enter something you want to be reminded of at a later time, you can create a new entry for your To Do list.

To enter your first note

1	(Optional) Click Date Stamp to add the current date to the note.

Tip. QuickBooks enters the date at the insertion point. If you've already entered some text, click at the beginning of the text if you want the date to appear before the text.

2	Enter the text of the note:

Type the text in the notepad area of the window. When you reach the end of a line, you do not need to press Enter. Text wraps automatically to the next line.

To start a new paragraph, press Enter twice.

To append a new note

1	Press Ctrl + End to go to the end of the note. Then press Enter twice to start a new paragraph.

2	(Optional) Click Date Stamp to add the current date to the note.

3	Enter the text of the note.

How to move back and forth between your notes

To edit a note

Insert, replace, or delete text just as you would if you were using a word processor. You can also copy text to and paste text from the clipboard.

How to edit text

To add a reminder note to your To Do list

1	Click New To Do.

2	Enter the text of the reminder note.

How to use the clipboard to enter the text

3	In the "Remind me on" field, enter the date you want the note to appear on your Reminders list.

Shortcuts for entering dates

4	Click OK.

To print the notes

Click Print.

To view your notes

From the Customer:Job list, double-click the [image] icon next to the customer or job name.

or

When you are using the customer or job in a transaction, choose Notepad from the Edit menu.

When you are editing the information about the customer or job, click Notes in the Edit Customer or Edit Job window.


Each notepad can hold about 10 windows' worth of notes. You can use these keys to scroll back and forth between the notes.

Press . . .	To do this
	Scroll the notepad up one line at a time.
	Scroll the notepad down one line at a time.
Page Up	Scroll the notepad up one window's worth of text at a time.
Page Down	Scroll the notepad down one window's worth of text at a time.
Ctrl + Home	Go to the beginning of the first note.
Ctrl + End	Go to the end of the last note.


To . . .	Do this
Insert text	Click where you want the new text to appear. Then type the text.
Replace text	Select the text you want to replace. Then type the new text.
Delete text	Select the text you want to delete. Then press Del.
Copy text to the clipboard	Select the text you want to copy. Then press Ctrl + C. You can use the clipboard to transfer text from one notepad to another, or to a note on your To Do list.
Paste text from the clipboard	Click where you want the text to appear. Then press  Ctrl + V.


If you want the reminder note to contain part or all of the text you entered in the Notepad window, you can use the clipboard to copy the text to the reminder note.

1	In the Notepad window, select the text you want to copy.

2	Press Ctrl + C to copy the text to the clipboard.

3	Click New To Do.

4	In the New To Do window, press Ctrl + V to paste in the text.


Notepad window (for vendors and employees)
Notepad window

This window contains a notepad on which you can enter notes about a vendor or employee [image] or one of the names on your Other Names list. QuickBooks maintains a separate notepad for each vendor, employee, or name. You can use the notepad to keep a running record of important dates and information relevant to the vendor, employee, or name.

To enter your first note

Enter the text of the note:

Type the text in the notepad area of the window. When you reach the end of a line, you do not need to press Enter. Text wraps automatically to the next line.

To start a new paragraph, press Enter twice.

To append a new note

1	Press Ctrl + End to go to the end of the note. Then press Enter twice to start a new paragraph.

2	Enter the text of the note.

How to move back and forth between your notes

To edit a note

Insert, replace, or delete text just as you would if you were using a word processor. You can also copy text to and paste text from the clipboard.

How to edit text

To view your notes

When you are using the name (vendor, employee, etc.) in a transaction, choose Notepad from the Edit menu.

When you are editing the information about the name, click Notes in the Edit Vendor, Edit Employee, or Edit Name window.


Preview Pay Cheque window

This window shows what will appear on each employee's pay cheque. For hourly employees, you can enter or change the hours worked. For all employees, you can enter changes that apply to this pay period.

For more detail, click the diagram.


Shows the name of the employee who will receive the cheque you are reviewing. QuickBooks begins with the cheque for the first employee whose name you marked in the Select Employees to Pay window.

To . . .	Do this
Write the cheque as shown	Click Create. QuickBooks writes the cheque and then displays the cheque for the next employee whose name you marked in the Select Employees to Pay window.
Write the cheque with changes	Enter your corrections in the Preview Pay Cheque window. Then click Create.
Skip to the next cheque	Click Skip. QuickBooks displays the cheque for the next employee but does not write the current cheque.


Pay period

The beginning and end dates of the pay period. You can change the dates that QuickBooks inserts into this field.

Where the dates appear. QuickBooks prints the dates of the pay period on the voucher portion of the payroll cheques. If you want, you can also have QuickBooks print the dates on the Memo line of each cheque. To print the date on the Memo line, select the "Print pay period in cheque memo" checkbox in the Payroll & Employees Preferences window.

See also

Shortcuts for dates


Sick available

Shows the number of sick hours available to the employee. A negative number means that the employee owes hours to your company. You cannot edit this field; if you need to adjust the number of hours, you must go to the Employee's payroll record.

To adjust the number of hours

1	From the Lists menu, choose Employees.

2	Select the employee whose hours you want to adjust.

3	Choose Edit from the Employee menu button.

4	Click the Payroll Info tab.

5	Click Sick/Vacation.

6	Enter the number of hours in the "Hours available as of" field of the Sick section.


Vacation available

Shows the vacation pay available to the employee. You cannot edit this field; if you need to adjust the vacation pay, you must go to the Employee's payroll record.

To adjust the number of hours

1	From the Lists menu, choose Employees.

2	Select the employee whose vacation pay you want to adjust.

3	Choose Edit from the Employee menu button.

4	Click the Payroll Info tab.

5	Click Sick/Vacation.

6	Enter the amount in the "Pay available as of" field of the Vacation section.


Class
(appears only when class tracking is on)

You can use this field to choose or enter the name of a QuickBooks class. QuickBooks gives you two ways to use classes with payroll data. When the class field appears in the upper right corner of the Preview Pay Cheque window (as it does in the illustration), you can assign a single class to the entire pay cheque. This gives you the ability to group your pay cheques by specific categories on your reports. For example, you could group pay cheques by department.

By selecting an option in the Payroll & Employees Preferences window, you can have Class field appear as a column in the Earnings section of the Preview Pay Cheque window. When this is the case, you can assign a separate class to each payroll item listed in the Earnings section. This is helpful if an employee works in two different locations and you want to group the employee's time and/or wages by location on your reports.

To move the Class field to the Earnings section

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences.

2	In the Preferences window, select Payroll & Employees from the scroll box.

3	Click "Earnings item" for "Assign one class per."

4	Click OK.


Earnings

This part of the window shows the employee's earnings for the current pay period.

Salaried employees. The salary rate shown is the employee's annual salary divided by the number of pay periods in one year. You can change the rate for this pay cheque if you wish. You can also enter the number of hours worked, but QuickBooks will not use the number of hours to calculate pay. (QuickBooks includes the number of hours on the payroll summary by employee report.)

Hourly employees. The number of hours shown is the number of hours worked during the previous pay period. You can change the number hours (and the hourly rates) for this pay cheque if you wish. When you change either the hours or the rate, QuickBooks recalculates the net pay in the Employee Summary section of the window.

Tracking wage expenses by customer or job. You can assign hourly wage and salary expenses to a particular customer or job. To do this, choose a customer or job in the Customer:Job column.


Additions, Deductions, & Company Contributions

This part of the window shows the additions, deductions (other than taxes), and company contributions that appear on the employee's regular pay cheque.

Commissions. If the employee receives a commission that is based on quantity, enter the quantity in the Quantity column. For example, if a sales commission is 15% of sales volume, you would enter the volume on which you want QuickBooks to calculate the commission.

Other items based on quantity. If the employee has other additions or deductions based on quantity, enter the quantity for those items in the Quantity column.

Commissions, additions, deductions not shown. If the employee is to receive a commission, addition, or deduction not shown in the list, click the first blank line in the name column. Then choose the payroll item you want to use from the list or enter the name for a new payroll item. For new payroll items, follow the onscreen messages to set up the item.

Deleting a commission, addition, or deduction. If one of the payroll items shown doesn't apply to this pay cheque, you can delete it from the list. Click the item to select it and then press Ctrl + Del. If you want the year-to-date total for the item to show on the pay cheque, then leave the item on the list and enter a zero amount for it.


Company Summary

This part of the window shows company-paid taxes and contributions that do not affect the amount on the cheque. These include company-paid benefits. If you wish, you can change any of the amounts shown in the Amount column; you cannot change the YTD (year-to-date) amounts.

What about small discrepancies in tax amounts? Don't worry about small differences between QuickBooks' calculations and printed wage bracket tax tables. QuickBooks is more accurate than printed wage bracket tax tables because QuickBooks used annualized tables rather than weekly, biweekly, or monthly tables.


Employee Summary

This part of the window lists all of the amounts that determine the employee's net pay.

Changing amounts

With the exception of wage and salary items, you can change any of the amounts listed. Changing an amount recalculates the net cheque.

If you make a mistake, select the amount, press Delete to leave the amount blank, and then press Tab. This causes QuickBooks to recalculate the amount by taking into account its relationship to gross or net pay as well as other payroll items.

To change the sign of an amount, edit the amount (to make an amount negative, type a minus sign in front of the amount). This is the only way you can made a deduction positive or an addition negative. An example of when you might want to do this would be when you have been deducting or adding too much to previous pay cheques.


Skip

Displays the cheque amounts for the next employee without writing the current cheque.

If you want to write the current cheque before you go to the next cheque, click Create instead.


Create

Writes the cheque you are previewing and displays the cheque amounts for the next employee. If you have made any changes to amounts or rates, QuickBooks writes the cheque so that it reflects your changes.

If you want to go to the next cheque without writing the current cheque, click Skip instead.


Cancel

Closes the Preview Pay Cheque window and returns you to the Select Employees to Pay window. The cheque you are currently previewing is not written.


Adjust Quantity/Value on Hand window

You use this window to adjust the quantity on hand and the value for items in your inventory. Although QuickBooks automatically adjusts your inventory quantities after every purchase and sale, you may need to adjust them yourself to account for events like fire, theft, or breakage.

About this window

Adjustment Account	The name of the account where you track adjustments to inventory. For shortages and losses, the account is usually an expense account. If you discover inventory you didn't know you had, you may want to use an income account. You must enter the name of an account before you can record the adjustment.
Cancel	Closes the Adjust Quantity/Value on Hand window without recording your adjustments.
Class	(Optional) The class you want to assign to the adjustment transaction. This field appears only if you have selected the "Use class tracking" preference in the Accounting Preferences window.
Current Qty	Shows the current quantity on hand for each inventory item. You cannot enter information into this column.
Current Value	Shows the current value of each inventory item. You cannot enter information into this column. This column appears only when you select the "Value adjustment" checkbox.
Customer:Job	Allows you to assign the adjustment to a customer or job. You would use this field in cases where you sell an inventory item to a customer, but do not include the item on the invoice. For example, you might have entered a single line item to cover the cost of the entire job without listing separate line items for each inventory part you sold. By entering an adjustment here and assigning it to the customer (or job), you ensure that (1) QuickBooks is aware of the change to your inventory, and (2) the inventory item appears as a job-related cost in job profitability reports.
Date	The date of the adjustment transaction. QuickBooks automatically puts today's date into this field. You can change the date if you wish. Shortcuts for dates
Description	Shows the sales Description for each inventory item. You cannot enter information into this column.
Item	Shows the item codes for each inventory item. You cannot enter information into this column.
Memo	(Optional) A short phrase that describes the adjustment. The memo appears on reports that include the adjustment.
New Qty	Enter the new inventory quantities into this column. When you enter a number, QuickBooks automatically displays the quantity difference in the Qty Difference column. If you want, you can enter the quantity difference instead of the total quantity. See "Qty Difference" below.
New Value	Enter new values for your inventory into this column. Entering a new value changes the average cost of the items in inventory. This column appears only when you select the "Value Adjustment" checkbox.
Next	Records the current adjustment and displays the next adjustment. When you click Next, adjustments appear in date order. If you are at the most recent adjustment, click Next to display a blank adjustment form.
OK	Records your adjustments and closes the Adjust Quantity/Value on Hand window.
Prev	Displays the previous purchase adjustment.  When you click Prev, adjustments appear in reverse date order (most recent first, oldest last).
Qty Difference	Enter quantity differences into this column. To enter a difference that reduces the quantity, be sure to type a minus sign before the number (for example, - 25). If you want, you can enter the total quantity instead of the quantity difference. See "New Qty" above.
Ref No	The number of the adjustment transaction. The number shown is the number that QuickBooks provided [image] you can change the number if you wish.
Total Value of Adjustment	Shows the value of the adjustment. To calculate the value, QuickBooks multiplies the average cost of the item by the quantity difference.
Value Adjustment	Select this checkbox if you want to change the value of the inventory after you have adjusted the quantity.


  Pay cheques

How do I switch to using payroll in QuickBooks if I've been writing pay cheques manually?

There are four basic steps in switching from manual payroll to payroll in QuickBooks.

First, you need to set up your payroll items in QuickBooks.

Next, you need to set up your employee template.

You then need to customize each employee's payroll setup.

Lastly, you need to enter year-to-date amounts, including employee year-to-date amounts, prior liability payments, and liability balances from last year. You need to do this before you write pay cheques.

When you have set up, QuickBooks automatically updates year-to-date amounts on pay cheques and reports. It also tracks how much you owe for payroll taxes and other payroll liabilities.

Can I use the same payroll accounts that I used when I did payroll manually?

Yes. When you set up payroll items in QuickBooks, simply select the same accounts you used before. However, if you used an expense account, say for taxes, where QuickBooks usually uses a liability account, consider using the recommended accounts to provide more accurate reports of your payroll expenses and liabilities.

How do I expense wages to different jobs on a pay cheque?

You can expense hourly wages to different jobs by entering the hours for each job separately and then selecting the job for those hours in the Preview Pay Cheque window.

You can expense salary wages to different jobs by entering the employee's salary on multiple lines and entering the number of hours and the job for each line. QuickBooks allocates the employee's salary per job based on the number of hours.

When do I void a pay cheque rather than delete it?

You should void a pay cheque under the following circumstances:

•	You misprinted the cheque, need to reprint it, and want to track all cheque numbers.

•	You issued the cheque to the employee, the employee lost it, and you need to replace it.

How do I run two sets of cheque numbers from one  account, for example, one set for payroll and one set for other business expenses?

You can set up a subaccount called payroll under the main account and write all pay cheques from this subaccount. The pay cheques will appear in the main account, but each account will have its own cheque numbering sequence.

How do I provide pay cheque information to my employees without printing voucher cheques?

You can print a "pay stub" for each employee by printing a Paystub Detail report for each employee. To create a Paystub Detail report, select Print Forms from the File menu, and then select Print Paystub. In the Select Paystubs to Print window, select all the pay cheques for which you need paystubs. These reports provide detailed pay cheque information, and you can print them on blank paper.

How can I change the sick hours or vacation pay an employee has available?

Choose Employees from the Lists menu, select the employee you want to change details for, and choose Edit from the Employee menu button. In the Edit Employee window, display the Payroll tab and click Sick/Vacation. In either the Sick or Vacation section of the Sick & Vacation window, change the information as appropriate.

Can I use more than one class for a pay cheque?

Yes, you can assign each earnings item on a pay cheque to a different class. Choose Payroll from the Preferences menu. In the Payroll Preferences window, select Earnings item for Assign one class per. You can assign only hourly or salary amounts to classes.


Order entry. When you receive an order from a customer, enter the order as a pending sale.When the customer pays for the order, mark the sale as final.

Draft approval. When you need approval for a billing draft before you permanently enter it into QuickBooks, enter the draft as a pending sale. When the draft is approved, mark the sale as final.

Tracking time spent on a job. Each time you work on the job, enter the hours on the same pending sale form. When it's time to bill your customer for the hours, mark the sale as final.


You must first set up the job before you can enter notes about it. The Notes button appears only in the Edit Customer and Edit Job windows, not in the New Customer and New Job windows.

See also

Setting up a new job for a customer


Creating items for non-inventory sales or purchases

QuickBooks provides three different item types for sales or purchases you do not track as inventory. These are: Service, Non-inventory Part, and Other Charge. Which type you use depends on what you want the item to represent.

These instructions do not apply to: services you subcontract for; job-related expenses you pass on to your customer.

Instructions

1	Before you begin, decide whether the new item will represent purchases or sales. It cannot represent both.

Purchases. You'll be able to use the item on purchase orders and create purchase reports that show units purchased and amounts spent by item.

Sales. You'll be able to use the item on sales forms and create sales reports that show units sold and sales by item.

What if you need the item to represent both?

2	From the Lists menu, choose Items.

3	Choose New from the Item menu button.

4	From the Type drop-down list in the New Item window, choose one of these item types:

Service

Non-inventory Part

Other Charge

For details about when to use a specific type, click the type.

5	Enter an item name or number.

What you enter here appears on the drop-down list of items when you are filling out a sales form or purchase order. Enter a name or number that will help you distinguish this item from all the others on the list.

6	Enter a description of the item.

The description prefills on sales forms or purchase orders when you use the item. Enter the description as you would like your customers [image] or vendors [image] to see it.

7	Enter the rate, price, or amount:

For a . . .	Enter
Service	The rate for the service. The amount can be either a flat fee or an hourly rate. If you purchase this service, enter the vendor's rate. If you sell this service, enter the rate you charge your customers.
Non-inventory part	The price of the part. If you purchase this part, enter the vendor's price. If you sell this part, enter the price you charge your customers.
Other charge	The amount of the charge. You can enter either a dollar amount or a percentage. If the amount is a percentage, be sure to include a % sign.
8	Enter an account for the item:

If the item is for . . .	Enter
Sales	The name of the income account you use to track income from this item
Purchases	The name of the expense account you use to track purchases of this item.
9	(Optional) Fill in any custom fields that apply to this item:

Click Custom fields.

Fill in the fields and click OK.

Why use custom fields?

How to create custom fields

10	Record the item:

To record the item and then enter another, click Next.

To record the item and close the window, click OK.

See also

Setting up items to track both costs and revenues


Inventory. If the item is something you purchase, hold in inventory, and then resell, you must set it up as an inventory part item.

Subcontracted services. If the item is a service you subcontract for and then charge to your customers, you can set up the item for use in both purchase and sale transactions. This gives you the ability to track the profitability of your subcontracted services.

Reimbursable expenses. If the item represents materials you buy to finish a specific job and then charge your customer for, you can set up the item for use in both purchase and sale transactions. This gives you the ability to include the item on reports that show the profitability of your jobs.

See also

Creating items for inventory

Setting up items to track both costs and revenues

Setting up items to track both costs and revenues


You use service items to represent the specific kinds of work or services. These can include:

General labour hours

Specialized labour hours, such as framing, plumbing, and finish carpentry in construction; layout, paste up, and photocopies in graphic arts

Consulting hours.


Payroll change contents
Changing . . .

Payroll items

Your employee template

Payroll information for an employee

Tax changes

Updating tax tables

Saving time

Using the QuickMath calculator


Changing payroll items

You can change the information for existing payroll items at any time. You can also merge two items together if they are the same item type, and you can delete items provided that they are not currently in use.

To change a payroll item

1	From the Lists menu, choose Payroll Items.

2	Select the item you want to change.

3	Choose Edit from the Payroll Item menu button.

4	Make any changes you want to make.

You can't change the type of the item.

5	Click OK to record your changes.

To merge two items together

1	Make sure you know which of the two items contains the most current information.

When you merge two items, you rename one of the items so that it has the same name as the other. QuickBooks assumes that the item you rename is the one whose information is out-of-date.

2	From the Lists menu, choose Payroll Items.

3	Select the item whose information is out-of-date.

4	Choose Edit from the Payroll Item menu button.

5	Change the item's name to the name of the second item.

6	Click OK to record your changes.

To delete a payroll item

1	From the Lists menu, choose Payroll Items.

2	Select the item you want to delete.

If the item is currently in use, you must first remove or replace it everywhere you used it before you can delete it from your Payroll items list. This includes your employee template, individual employee records, and payroll transactions.

You cannot delete the payroll items QuickBooks initially provides for you.

3	Choose Delete from the Payroll Item menu button.

4	Click OK when QuickBooks asks whether you want to delete this item.


Changing your employee template

When you change your employee template, you change the information that QuickBooks prefills the next time you add an employee. Under some circumstances, you can apply the change to existing employees.

Instructions

1	From the Lists menu, choose Employees.

2	Choose Template from the Employee menu button.

3	In the Employee Template window, make any changes you want to make.

To add another payroll item, click the first blank line in the Name field, and select a name from the drop-down list or type a new name.

To change the default amount, default percentage, or annual limit for a payroll item, edit the Amount or Limit field.

To remove a payroll item, select the item name and press Delete.

To replace a payroll item, click the item name and then select a different name from the drop-down list.

4	Click OK to record your changes.

5	Click Yes or No as appropriate when QuickBooks asks whether you want to apply changes to all matching employees.

If you click Yes, QuickBooks applies your changes to existing employees as follows:

If you added a payroll item, QuickBooks adds the item to employees that don't have the item.

If you changed the amount or limit of a payroll item, QuickBooks changes this information for an employee only if the employee has the item and both the Amount field and the Limit field exactly match those on the template before the change.

If you deleted a payroll item, QuickBooks changes this information only if the employee has the item and both the Amount field and the Limit field exactly match those on the template before the deletion.

QuickBooks never changes employee pay period, salary, wages, class, or taxes.

If you click No, QuickBooks makes no changes to existing employees.


Changing payroll information for an employee

You can change employee information at any time. Changing the employee's name updates the employee's name on all payroll transactions where the employee's name appears. Other changes you make only affect future payroll payments [image] not payments you've already made.

Instructions

1	From the Lists menu, choose Employees.

2	Select the employee for whom you want to change information.

3	Choose Edit from the Employee menu button.

4	Make any general information changes to the fields on the Address Info tab.

5	Make any payroll changes to the fields on the Payroll Info tab.

To add another payroll item, click the first blank line in the Name field, and select a name from the drop-down list or type a new name.

To change the amount, percentage, or annual limit for a payroll item, edit the Amount or Limit field.

To insert a payroll item above another item, click the item name and then select Insert Line from the Edit menu.

To remove a payroll item, select the item name and then select Delete Line from the Edit menu.

6	Click OK to record your changes.


Select Payroll Item Type window

You use this window to tell QuickBooks what you want your new payroll item to be (an hourly wage, a deduction, etc.). The window lists the different types of payroll items you can create.

To choose the type of payroll item, click the type you want in the list. Then click OK.


New, Edit Payroll Item window

You use this window to enter information about a new payroll item, or to edit information about a payroll item you have already set up. The window title indicates the type of payroll item you are working with. For example, if you are setting up a new deduction payroll item, the window title is "New Deduction Payroll Item."

To set up a new item

Choose one of these payroll item types from the drop-down list:

Yearly Salary

Hourly Wage

Deduction

Addition

Commission

Company Contribution

For further instructions, click the item type.

To edit an existing item

Edit, as needed, the information shown for the item. Then click OK.


Select Employees to Pay window

This window is the first step in creating payroll cheques. You use this window to select the employees who are to receive a pay cheque for the current pay period.

1. To select who is to be paid

The window lists all the employees currently on your payroll. The list includes each employee's pay period, hourly rate or salary, hours worked for the last pay period, and last pay cheque date.

To select one employee, click in the [image] column next to the employee's name.

To select all employees, click Mark All.

To "unselect" the employees you have selected, click Unmark All.

2. To change the setup for the cheques

The window also shows certain assumptions that QuickBooks makes about this batch of pay cheques. You can change any or all of these assumptions.

To ensure that QuickBooks will print the cheques, make sure the "To be printed" checkbox is selected. (If you write your pay cheques by hand, then click the checkbox to clear it.)

To write the cheques from a different account, choose a different bank account from the drop-down list in the Bank Account field.

To change the cheque date, enter a different date in the Cheque Date field. If you leave this field unchanged, QuickBooks prints today's date on the cheques.

To change the pay period ending date, enter a different date in the Pay Period Ends field.

3. To create the cheques

If some employees have variations from pay period to pay period, you can preview (and edit) each pay cheque before QuickBooks creates it. On the other hand, if all your employees receive the same pay cheque every time, you can skip the intermediate step of previewing the pay cheques.

To preview the cheques first, click "Enter hours and preview cheque before creating." Then click Create.

To create the cheques without previewing, click "Use last hours and quantities to create cheque without preview." Then click Create.


Setting Up Payroll window

If your business has a payroll, QuickBooks can write your company's payroll cheques, track your company's payroll-related liabilities, generate payroll reports to help you fill in tax forms, and track year-to-date totals for all employees.

Click . . .	If you
Yes	You want to use QuickBooks to handle your payroll. QuickBooks' payroll will save you time even if you have only one employee.
No	You don't have employees, or you don't want to use payroll in QuickBooks.
If you answer "No", you can always turn on payroll at a later time.


Period for YTD Adjustments window

You use this window to tell QuickBooks how you would like to enter year-to-date summaries of earnings, taxes, and other payroll-related amounts for your employees.

Click . . .	If your employee totals are
Year to date	For the current year [image] from January 1 through your last pay cheque.
by Quarter	Subtotalled by quarter [image] from January 1 through your last pay cheque.
by Month	Subtotalled by month [image] from January 1 through your last pay cheque.


YTD Adjustment for . . . window

Important: Entering correct year to date figures for earnings and taxes withheld is essential for QuickBooks to correctly calculate future payroll payments.

You use this window to enter year-to-date summaries of each employee's earnings, taxes withheld, and other payroll-related amounts, including sick hours and vacation pay used. This enables QuickBooks to print correct year-to-date amounts on each pay cheque.

If you enter year-to-date figures as opposed to having QuickBooks re-create all of your historical pay cheques for this payroll tax year, QuickBooks will not have enough information to complete the T4s for each employee correctly. Be sure to review each T4 at the year-end and adjust the figures onscreen as appropriate.

To enter the year-to-date amounts

1	For each payroll item, enter the cumulative amount through the date shown at the top of the window. Type the amounts directly in the Period Amount column. Observe these guidelines:

In general. Enter anything that affected compensation or payroll taxes during this period, even one-time only items such as bonuses. If the amount for a particular item was $0.00 during the period, enter the item but leave the Period Amount field blank.

Salary or wages. Enter the gross amount, not the net amount.

Employment Insurance and CPP (QPP). Be sure to enter separate amounts for the employee and company-paid portions of these items.

Company paid taxes. Enter all tax liabilities created because of the compensation paid, even if you paid the taxes later and even if they were company expenses.

2	(Optional) If you want your time reports to include the hours worked during this period, enter the number of hours in the Hours for Period column.

Sick hours and vacation pay. Enter the number of sick hours and vacation pay the employee used from the beginning of the period through their last pay cheque before you began using QuickBooks payroll. When you make an entry, be sure to associate the hours or pay with the correct payroll item.

After you enter the totals for the sick hours or vacation pay used, you may also need to specify the accrual rates for sick hours and vacation pay, and the maximum number of hours/pay available to the employee.

3	If you are entering the amounts on a monthly or quarterly basis, click Next and enter the amounts for the next period of time. Repeat this process until you cover all the months or quarters up to the present.

To have QuickBooks adjust your accounts

Click Accounts Affected.

Guidelines

See also

Entering sick and vacation information

More info on wage bases


If you want, you can have QuickBooks enter an adjusting transaction in your payroll accounts and in the bank account from which you write payroll cheques. The transaction changes the balance of the accounts.

You don't need adjustments if

You've been using Quicken and tracking payroll as recommended in the manual.

You've already set up your QuickBooks accounts with correct balances.

You are just now setting up your QuickBooks company.

You do need adjustments if

You started with Quicken data, but you did not track payroll liabilities in Quicken liability accounts as suggested in the manual.

You have not entered prior payroll transactions for this year, but you want your accounts to have entries that represent those transactions.


Set Up YTD Amounts window

This window is where you start the process of summarizing your payroll-related transactions from January 1 of this year to your QuickBooks start date. Entering accurate year-to-date information is an important step in setting up your payroll records in QuickBooks.

Important. The year-to-date windows are for initial payroll setup only. QuickBooks does not update these windows after you start using payroll. To see current year-to-date information, use the payroll reports.

Instructions

1	Change the date shown at the top of the window to your QuickBooks start date.

2	Click the button for the type of year-to-date information you want to enter.

Click . . .	To enter
Employee YTD	Year-to-date earnings and taxes for employees you paid between January 1 of this year and your QuickBooks start date.
Prior Payments	Payroll taxes and liabilities your company paid between January 1 of this year and your QuickBooks start date.
Unpaid Carryover	Taxes and liabilities that were unpaid at the end of last year
Note. You return to this window after entering amounts for employees, after entering prior payments of payroll taxes and liabilities, and after entering unpaid carryover from last year.


Liability Adjustment window

If you find that you have been entering incorrect amounts for a particular payroll item, you can use this window to make an adjusting entry for your payroll items. The adjustment changes the amounts that QuickBooks reports in your payroll reports. If you want, you can also have QuickBooks enter the adjustment in the appropriate payroll accounts.

To make an adjusting entry

1	In the Item Name column, select the payroll item.

2	In the Amount column, enter the amount of the adjustment. If the adjustment reduces your company's liability for a payroll tax, include a minus sign with the amount.

3	(Optional) In the Memo column, enter a note to yourself about the adjustment.

The note will appear on any payroll reports that include this transaction.

To leave the account balances unchanged

If you wish, you can enter a record of the adjustment, but leave your account balances unchanged. The adjustment will still appear on your payroll reports.

1	Follow the steps above to enter the over or underpayment.

2	Click Accounts Affected.

3	In the Affect Accounts window, click "Do not affect accounts."


Prior Payments of Taxes and Liabilities window

You use this window to summarize the payments you've already made for taxes and other payroll liabilities from January 1 of this year until your QuickBooks start date.

Important. Do not use this window to enter payments you made after your QuickBooks start date. Instead, use the Pay Liabilities/Taxes command.

To summarize your prior payments

1	In the Payment Date field, enter the date you made the liability payments.

2	In the "For period ending" field, enter the end date for the periods you are summarizing.

When you process tax forms for a particular tax period, QuickBooks uses this date to determine the amount of tax you have paid. For example, if you are entering a tax payment you made on 2/10/97 for tax you owed as of 1/31/97, enter 1/31/97.

3	In the Item Name column, choose the first payroll item you want to summarize.

4	In the Amount column, enter the total amount you paid for the payroll item during the time period.

5	(Optional) In the Memo column, enter a note to yourself about the payment.

The note will appear on any payroll reports that include the payment.

6	On additional lines, choose payroll items for the other liabilities you want to summarize. Enter the amount you paid for each.

Employment Insurance and CPP (QPP). Be sure to enter the company-paid and employee-paid amounts separately. Usually, the company-paid amount and the employee-paid amount are the same.

7	To continue, click one of these buttons:

Click . . .	To do this
Accounts Affected	Specify which accounts QuickBooks should affect. When to use this option
OK	Record your entries and close the window without affecting any accounts.
Next	Record your entries and clear the window so you can enter summaries for another period of time or another group of payroll items.


Click Accounts Affected when:

Only your chequing account balance is correct. This would be the case if you started with Quicken data, but you did not track payroll liabilities in Quicken liability accounts as suggested in the manual.

None of the account balances are correct. This would be the case if you have not entered prior payroll transactions for this year, but you want your accounts to have entries that represent those transactions.


Liability Carryover from Last Year window

You use this window to summarize what you owed for payroll taxes and other liabilities as of the end of last year. This enables you to create accurate liabilities by payroll item reports.

To summarize your unpaid liabilities

1	In the Item Name column, choose the first payroll item you want to summarize.

2	In the Amount column, enter the total amount you owed for that item as of the end of last year.

3	(Optional) In the Memo column, enter a note to yourself about the unpaid carryover.

The note will appear on any payroll reports that include the unpaid carryover.

4	On additional lines, choose payroll items for the other taxes and liabilities you want to summarize. Enter the amount you owed for each.

Employment Insurance and CPP (QPP). Be sure to enter the company-paid and employee-paid amounts separately. Usually, the company-paid amount and the employee-paid amount are the same.

Credit balances. If you had a credit balance as of the end of last year, enter a minus sign before the amount.

5	To continue, click one of these buttons:

Click . . .	To do this
Accounts Affected	Specify which accounts QuickBooks should affect. When to use this option
OK	Record your entries and close the window without affecting any accounts.


Affect accounts? (liability adjustments)
Affect accounts?

QuickBooks normally enters an adjusting transaction in the liability and expense accounts that track the payroll item. If you wish, you can enter a record of the adjustment, but leave your account balances unchanged. The adjustment will change the year-to-date amounts on your payroll reports, even if you decide to leave your account balances unchanged.

To leave the account balances unchanged

Click "Do not affect accounts."


Affect Accounts? (YTD employee adjustments)
Affect accounts?

If you want, you can have QuickBooks enter an adjusting transaction in your payroll accounts and in the bank account from which you write payroll cheques. The transaction changes the balance of the accounts. The year-to-date amounts on payroll reports will change even if you decide to leave your account balances unchanged.

Choose . . .	If this applies
Do not affect accounts	Your account balances are already correct. This would be the case if you have already set up your QuickBooks accounts with correct balances, or if you have been using Quicken and tracking payroll as suggested in the Quicken manual.
Affect liability and expense accounts but not the bank account	Only your chequing account balance is correct. This would be the case if you started with Quicken data, but you did not track payroll liabilities in Quicken liability accounts as suggested in the manual.
Affect liability, expense, and bank accounts	None of the account balances are correct. This would be the case if you have not entered prior payroll transactions for this year, but you want your accounts to have entries that represent those transactions.


Affect Accounts? (prior payments of taxes)
Affect accounts?

If you want, you can have QuickBooks enter an adjusting transaction in your payroll liability accounts and in the bank account from which you write payroll cheques. The transaction changes the balance of the accounts. The year-to-date amounts on payroll reports will change even if you decide to leave your account balances unchanged.

Choose . . .	If this applies
Do not affect accounts	Your account balances are already correct. This would be the case if you have already set up your QuickBooks accounts with correct balances, or if you have been using Quicken and tracking payroll as suggested in the Quicken manual.
Affect liability accounts but not the bank account	Only your chequing account balance is correct. This would be the case if you started with Quicken data, but you did not track payroll liabilities in Quicken liability accounts as suggested in the manual.
Affect liability and bank accounts	None of the account balances are correct. This would be the case if you have not entered prior payroll transactions for this year, but you want your accounts to have entries that represent those transactions.


Affect Accounts? (carryover from previous year)
Affect accounts?

If you want, you can have QuickBooks enter an adjusting transaction in your payroll liability and expense accounts. The transaction changes the balance of the accounts. The year-to-date amounts on payroll reports will change even if you decide to leave your account balances unchanged.

Choose . . .	If this applies
Do not affect accounts	Your account balances are already correct. This would be the case if you have already set up your QuickBooks accounts with correct balances, or if you have been using Quicken and tracking payroll as suggested in the Quicken manual.
Affect liability and bank accounts	The account balances are incorrect. This would be the case if you want your account balances to reflect carryover balances from the previous year.


Expense Account for Employee Liabilities window

QuickBooks needs to know which  account you want to use to track the employee withholding and deduction amounts you are carrying over from last year. QuickBooks automatically inserts "Payroll Expenses" as the account name, but you can change the name of the account if you wish.

New accounts. If you enter the name of an account that doesn't exist, follow the onscreen messages to set up the account. Be sure to choose "Expense" as the account type.

Effect on reports. The expense that QuickBooks enters in the account is dated December 31 of last year. The expense will not appear on a payroll summary report for the current calendar year (it will appear on a payroll liabilities report). On a balance sheet report, the transaction amount will change the figure for retained earnings.


Employee Template window

You use this window to set up the payroll information that most of your employees have in common. QuickBooks saves the information so that you won't have to re-enter it when you set up the payroll record for an individual employee.

What you can do here

Enter wage and salary information

Enter sick and vacation information

For details, click the task.


Process T4s window

You use this window to select the employees whose T4 forms you want to review, and to print T4 forms after you've reviewed them.

To review T4s

1	If the year shown in the Year field is not the tax year for which you want to Process T4s, choose the correct tax year from the drop-down list.

2	Mark the employees whose T4s you want to review:

Click . . .	To do this
Mark all	Mark all the employees.
in the [image] column	Mark an individual employee.
3	Click Review T4.

To print T4s

1	Verify that all of the T4s you want to print have been checked off in the Reviewed column. If there are any you have not yet reviewed, review them now. (QuickBooks only prints T4 forms you have reviewed.)

2	Click Print T4s.


T4 Adjustment window

You use this window to enter adjustments to the amount you double-clicked on an employee's T4 form. T4 adjustments affect only the amount on the form, not the employee's pay cheques.

To enter adjustments

1	In the Description column, enter a description of the adjustment.

2	In the Amount column, enter the amount of the adjustment. If the adjustment is a negative amount, enter a minus sign before the amount.

3	Repeat Steps 1 and 2 for any additional adjustments you want to make.

4	Click OK to record the adjustments.

Note: Adjustments made to boxes 30 through 42 will not be automatically entered into box 14 (Employment Income). If necessary, adjust the total in box 14 to account for any adjustments you make to boxes 30 through 42.


Employee T4 window

You use this window to review the T4s for the employees you selected. If you need to adjust an amount, double-click it.

You can edit some of the information on this form. To find out which fields can be edited, move your mouse over the form. If the cursor changes to an magnifying glass, the field can be edited. To edit the field, double-click it and enter your information.

The following items contain information on what to enter into the boxes on the T4 form. They appear in the same order as displayed on the T4 form.

For detailed information on what should be entered into the boxes of a T4 form, see the Revenue Canada document Employers' Guide to Payroll Deductions (T4001(E)).

Box 14 - Employment income before deductions

Box 16 - Employee's CPP contributions

Box 17 - Employee's QPP contributions

Box 18 - Employee's EI premiums

Box 20 - Registered pension plan contributions

Box 22 - Income tax deducted

Box 24 - EI insurable earnings

Box 26 - CPP/QPP pensionable earnings

Box 28 - Exempt

Box 30 - housing, board, and lodging

Box 32 - Travel in designated area

Box 34 - personal use of employer's auto

Box 36 - Interest-free and low-interest loan

Box 38 - Stock option benefits

Box 40 - other taxable allowences and benefits

Box 42 - Employment commissions

Box 44 - Union dues

Box 46 - Charitable donations

Box 50 - Pension plan or DPSP registration number

Box 52 - Pension adjustment

Box 10 - Province of employment

Box 12 - Social insurance number

Employee's name and address

Employer's name

Box 56 - Employee no.

Box 54 - Account Number

Footnotes - Notes

For details, click the field.


Box 14 - Employment income before deductions

This box displays employment income before deductions. It includes any amounts of income shown separately in boxes 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, and 42. QuickBooks automatically fills in this box for you.

To enter an adjustment

Double-click the amount.

If you are uncertain about how to report this amount, consult your accountant or federal tax guidelines. Your adjustments affect only the amount recorded on the T4 form, not the employee's pay cheques.


Box 16 - Employee's CPP contributions

This box displays employee's CPP (Canada Pension Plan) contributions. QuickBooks automatically fills in this box for you.

To enter an adjustment

Double-click the amount.

If you are uncertain about how to report this amount, consult your accountant or federal tax guidelines. Your adjustments affect only the amount recorded on the T4 form, not the employee's pay cheques.


Box 17 - Employee's QPP contributions

This box displays employee's QPP (Quebec Pension Plan) contributions. QuickBooks automatically fills in this box for you.

To enter an adjustment

Double-click the amount.

If you are uncertain about how to report this amount, consult your accountant or federal tax guidelines. Your adjustments affect only the amount recorded on the T4 form, not the employee's pay cheques.


Box 18 - Employee's UI premiums
Box 18 - Employee's Employment Insurance premiums

This box displays employee's Employment Insurance (formerly Unemployment Insurance) contributions. QuickBooks automatically fills in this box for you.

To enter an adjustment

Double-click the amount.

If you are uncertain about how to report this amount, consult your accountant or federal tax guidelines. Your adjustments affect only the amount recorded on the T4 form, not the employee's pay cheques.


Box 20 - Registered pension plan contributions

This box displays the amount of employee contributions to a  registered pension plan. QuickBooks automatically fills in this box for you.

To enter an adjustment

Double-click the amount.

If you are uncertain about how to report this amount, consult your accountant or federal tax guidelines. Your adjustments affect only the amount recorded on the T4 form, not the employee's pay cheques.


Box 22 - Income tax deducted

This box displays the total federal, provincial (except for Quebec), and territorial income tax deducted from an employee during the year. QuickBooks automatically fills in this box for you.

To enter an adjustment

Double-click the amount.

If you are uncertain about how to report this amount, consult your accountant or federal tax guidelines. Your adjustments affect only the amount recorded on the T4 form, not the employee's pay cheques.


Box 24 - UI insurable earnings
Box 24 - EI insurable earnings

This box displays the employee's insurable earnings. Quickbooks uses the insurable earnings to calculate Employment Insurance premiums. QuickBooks automatically fills in this box for you.

To enter an adjustment

Double-click the amount.

If you are uncertain about how to report this amount, consult your accountant or federal tax guidelines. Your adjustments affect only the amount recorded on the T4 form, not the employee's pay cheques.


Box 26 - CPP/QPP pensionable earnings

This box displays an employee's CPP (Canada Pension Plan) or QPP (Quebec Pension Plans) pensionable earnings. QuickBooks automatically fills in this box for you.

To enter an adjustment

Double-click the amount.

If you are uncertain about how to report this amount, consult your accountant or federal tax guidelines. Your adjustments affect only the amount recorded on the T4 form, not the employee's pay cheques.


Box 28 - Exempt

This box will contain an X under CPP/QPP or EI if an employee's earnings were exempt for the entire period of employment. QuickBooks automatically fills in this box for you.


Box 30 - housing, board, and lodging

This box displays the amount of free or subsidized housing, meals, or board and lodging provided to the employee. This amount is added to Box 14.

To enter an adjustment

Double-click the amount.

If you are uncertain about how to report this amount, consult your accountant or federal tax guidelines. Your adjustments affect only the amount recorded on the T4 form, not the employee's pay cheques.

Note: Adjustments made to boxes 30 through 42 will not be automatically entered into box 14 (Employment Income). If necessary, adjust the total in box 14 to account for any adjustments you make to boxes 30 through 42.


Box 32 - Travel in designated area

This box displays the amount of travel assistance provided to employee's living in designated areas. This amount is added to Box 14.

To enter an adjustment

Double-click the amount.

If you are uncertain about how to report this amount, consult your accountant or federal tax guidelines. Your adjustments affect only the amount recorded on the T4 form, not the employee's pay cheques.

Note: Adjustments made to boxes 30 through 42 will not be automatically entered into box 14 (Employment Income). If necessary, adjust the total in box 14 to account for any adjustments you make to boxes 30 through 42.


Box 34 - Personal use of employer's auto

This box displays the amount of beneift to an employee for use of an employer provided automobile.This amount is added to Box 14.

To enter an adjustment

Double-click the amount.

If you are uncertain about how to report this amount, consult your accountant or federal tax guidelines. Your adjustments affect only the amount recorded on the T4 form, not the employee's pay cheques.

Note: Adjustments made to boxes 30 through 42 will not be automatically entered into box 14 (Employment Income). If necessary, adjust the total in box 14 to account for any adjustments you make to boxes 30 through 42.


Box 36 - Interest-free and low-interest loan

This box displays the amount of beneift to an employee from an employer provided loan. This amount is added to Box 14.

To enter an adjustment

Double-click the amount.

If you are uncertain about how to report this amount, consult your accountant or federal tax guidelines. Your adjustments affect only the amount recorded on the T4 form, not the employee's pay cheques.

Note: Adjustments made to boxes 30 through 42 will not be automatically entered into box 14 (Employment Income). If necessary, adjust the total in box 14 to account for any adjustments you make to boxes 30 through 42.


Box 38 - Stock option benefits

This box displays the amount of beneift to an employee from shares issued by the employer. This amount is added to Box 14.

To enter an adjustment

Double-click the amount.

If you are uncertain about how to report this amount, consult your accountant or federal tax guidelines. Your adjustments affect only the amount recorded on the T4 form, not the employee's pay cheques.

Note: Adjustments made to boxes 30 through 42 will not be automatically entered into box 14 (Employment Income). If necessary, adjust the total in box 14 to account for any adjustments you make to boxes 30 through 42.


Box 40 - Other taxable allowences and benefits

This box displays any other taxable benefits provided to the employee and not reported elseware on the T4 form. This amount is added to Box 14.

To enter an adjustment

Double-click the amount.

If you are uncertain about how to report this amount, consult your accountant or federal tax guidelines. Your adjustments affect only the amount recorded on the T4 form, not the employee's pay cheques.

Note: Adjustments made to boxes 30 through 42 will not be automatically entered into box 14 (Employment Income). If necessary, adjust the total in box 14 to account for any adjustments you make to boxes 30 through 42.


Box 42 - Employment commissions

This box displays the amount of commissions paid to an employee. QuickBooks automatically fills in this box for you.

To enter an adjustment

Double-click the amount.

If you are uncertain about how to report this amount, consult your accountant or federal tax guidelines. Your adjustments affect only the amount recorded on the T4 form, not the employee's pay cheques.

Note: Adjustments made to boxes 30 through 42 will not be automatically entered into box 14 (Employment Income). If necessary, adjust the total in box 14 to account for any adjustments you make to boxes 30 through 42.


Box 44 - Union dues

This box contains the amount of union dues deducted from an employee's income.

To enter an adjustment

Double-click the amount.

If you are uncertain about how to report this amount, consult your accountant or federal tax guidelines. Your adjustments affect only the amount recorded on the T4 form, not the employee's pay cheques.


Box 46 - Charitable donations

This box displays the amount deducted from employees for contributions made to registered charities in Canada.

To enter an adjustment

Double-click the amount.

If you are uncertain about how to report this amount, consult your accountant or federal tax guidelines. Your adjustments affect only the amount recorded on the T4 form, not the employee's pay cheques.


Box 50 - Pension plan or DPSP registration number

This box displays the seven-digit registration number issued by Revenue Canada.


Box 52 - Pension adjustment

This box displays the amount of the employee's pension adjustment for the year.

To enter an adjustment

Double-click the amount.

If you are uncertain about how to report this amount, consult your accountant or federal tax guidelines. Your adjustments affect only the amount recorded on the T4 form, not the employee's pay cheques.


Box 10 - Province of employment

This box displays the province in which the employee was employed. QuickBooks automatically fills in this box for you.


Box 12 - Social insurance number

This box displays the employee's social insurance number (SIN). QuickBooks automatically fills in this box for you.

If the social insurance number is incorrect

1	Click Cancel to close the Employee T4 window.

2	From the Lists menu, choose Employees.

3	Select the employee and click Edit.

4	On the Address Info tab, edit the social insurance number. Click OK to record the change.

5	In the Process T4s window, click Review T4 to return to the T4 form.


Employee's name and address

This box displays the employee's name and address. QuickBooks automatically fills in this box for you.

If the employee's name or address has changed

1	Click Cancel to close the Employee T4 window.

2	From the Lists menu, choose Employees.

3	Select the employee and click Edit.

4	On the Address Info tab, edit the employee's address. Click OK to record the change.

5	In the Process T4s window, click Review T4 to return to the T4 form.


Employer's name

This box displays the the employer's name. QuickBooks automatically fills in this box for you.

If your name has changed

1	Click Cancel to close the Employee T4 window.

2	From the File menu, choose Company Info.

3	In the Company Information window, enter your company's new address. Click OK.

4	In the Process T4s window, click Review T4 to return to the T4 form.


Box 56 - Employee no.

This box displays an employee number, department, unit, or employee payroll number (if applicable).


Account number
Box 54 - Account number

This box displays the Business Number issued to you by Revenue Canada. QuickBooks automatically fills in this box for you. If you have not yet applied for a Business Number, enter your Revenue Canada Payroll Number.

Note:	QuickBooks will print this number on all copies of the T4 form. If you are using a laser printer to print T4 forms, you may want to clear the number from Box 54 before printing the first three copies. (Revenue Canada reccommends that the Business Number be printed on only the fourth copy of the T4 form)

If your Business Number has changed (or if you have just received one)

1	Click Cancel to close the Employee T4 window.

2	From the File menu, choose Company Info.

3	In the Company Information window, enter your company's new Business Number. Click OK.

4	In the Process T4s window, click Review T4 to return to the T4 form.


Footnotes - Notes

This box is used to describe in detail items entered into Box 40.

To make an entry

1	Click the box.

2	Type in your entry.


Type Caption for New Topic Right Here
Prev

Records any changes you made to the current T4 form and displays the previous T4 form. Clicking Prev displays, in succession, all the T4 forms you have reviewed up to now.


Next

Records any changes you made to the current T4 form and displays the form for the next employee whose name you checked in the Process T4s window.


Cancel

Cancels any changes you made to the current T4 form and closes the Employee T4 window. This does not affect changes to previous T4 forms -- QuickBooks preserves those changes when you click Cancel.


OK

Records the changes you made to the current T4 form and closes the Employee T4 window.


Sick and Vacation Template window

You use this window to set up the accrual rates and limits for sick hours and vacation pay in your employee template.

Sick

To . . .	Do this
Set the method sick hours accrue	-- Select "Beginning of year" if you want the hours to accrue on the first pay cheque of the year. -- Select "Every pay period" if you want the hours to accrue with each pay cheque. -- In the "Hours accrued per accrual period" field, enter the number of hours you want to accrue during the period you selected. Note. If you choose "Beginning of year," QuickBooks resets the accrual period only when you run your payroll for the first time in the new year.
Reset hours to zero when a new year begins	Select the "Reset hours each new year?" checkbox.
Limit how many hours can accrue	Enter the maximum number of sick hours that an employee can accrue in the "Maximum number of hours" field.

Vacation

To . . .	Do this
To set the way vacation pay is paid out	-- Select "Retain" if you want the vacation pay to accumulate each pay period without being paid out. -- Select "Pay every period" if you want the vacation pay to be paid to employees each pay period.
To set the rate at which vacation pay is calculated	In the "Percentage" field, enter the percentage at which vacation pay will be calculated (usually 4.0% or 6%).
To choose the payroll item from which vacation pay is calculated	Click the item in the "Payroll Item" list. A check ( [image]) appears to the left of the selected item. For example, if you select the Salary item, vacation pay will be calculated on the employee's salary.


Sick and Vacation window (individual employees)
Sick and Vacation window

You use this window to set up the accrual rates and limits for sick and vacation information for the employee whose name appears in the Window title. You can also enter (or change) the number of hours available to the employee.

Sick

To . . .	Do this
Change the number of hours available to the employee	Edit the number shown in "Hours available as of" field. This is useful when the employee has accrued and used sick hours since the beginning of the year, but you began using QuickBooks after the beginning of the year and you want the accrued hours for the employee to be correct in your QuickBooks records.
Set the method sick hours accrue	-- Select "Beginning of year" if you want the hours to accrue on the first pay cheque of the year. -- Select "Every pay period" if you want the hours to accrue with each pay cheque. -- In the "Hours accrued per accrual period" field, enter the number of hours you want to accrue during the period you selected. Note. If you choose "Beginning of year," QuickBooks resets the accrual period only when you run your payroll for the first time in the new year.
Limit how many hours can accrue	Enter the maximum number of sick hours that an employee can accrue in the "Maximum number of hours" field.
Reset hours to zero when a new year begins	Select the "Reset hours each new year?" checkbox.

Vacation

To . . .	Do this
Change the amount of vacation pay available to the employee	Edit the number shown in "Pay ($) available as of" field. This is useful when the employee has accrued vacation pay since the beginning of the year, but you began using QuickBooks after the beginning of the year and you want the accrued amount for the employee to be correct in your QuickBooks records.
To set the way vacation pay is paid out	-- Select "Retain" if you want the vacation pay to accumulate each pay period without being paid out. -- Select "Pay every period" if you want the vacation pay to be paid to employees each pay period.
To set the rate at which vacation pay is calculated	In the "Percentage" field, enter the percentage at which vacation pay will be calculated (usually 4.0% or 6%).
To choose the payroll item from which vacation pay is calculated	Click the item in the "Payroll Item" list. A check ( [image]) appears to the left of the selected item. For example, if you select the Salary item, vacation pay will be calculated on the employee's salary.


Payroll Information window

If you are not using the full features of QuickBooks payroll, you use this window to set up accounts for tracking payroll-related expenses, liabilities, and taxes. These accounts become the data source for your payroll reports.

To set up the accounts

1	In the Employee Wage accounts column, enter the name of each account you use to track the wages and bonuses you pay your employees. These accounts should be expense accounts.

2	In the Employee Withholding Accounts column, enter the names of the accounts you use to track money deducted from employee wages. These accounts should be liability accounts.

Examples of what to track include:

Federal Income Tax

Canada Pension Plan (CPP)

Employment Insurance (EI), (formally Unemployment Insurance)

RRSP

3	In the Employer Tax Accounts column, enter the names of the accounts you use to track the taxes and employer-paid expenses you incur with each pay cheque. These accounts should be expense accounts.

Examples of what to track include:

CPP - company portion

EI

RPP - company portion

4	Click OK to record the information.


Customize Report window (payroll summary by employee report)
Customize Report window

You use this window to customize the payroll summary by employee report you just created.

To . . .	Do this
Change the date range of the report	Choose one of the preset date ranges (This Month-to-date, etc.) from the Report Dates list. Or, if you want the report to cover a period of time not specified on the list, enter the beginning and end dates in the To and From fields.
Show subtotals for intervals of time	Choose the interval you want from the Columns list. For example, if you want the report to show subtotals for each week, you would choose Week from the list.
Add other columns to the report	Select the checkboxes for the columns you want to add.
Display more customizing options	Click Advanced. This displays a window where you can exclude rows and columns that show no activity during the period of the report, and change the calendar basis of the report.
Filter the report	Click Filters. Filtering lets you restrict the report to time entries that meet specific criteria.


Customize Report window (payroll liabilities by item report)
Customize Report window

You use this window to customize the payroll liabilities by item report you just created.

To . . .	Do this
Change the date range of the report	Choose one of the preset date ranges (This Month-to-date, etc.) from the Report Dates list. Or, if you want the report to cover a period of time not specified on the list, enter the beginning and end dates in the To and From fields.
Show subtotals for intervals of time	Choose the interval you want from the Columns list. For example, if you want the report to subtotals for each week, you would choose Week from the list.
Add other columns to the report	Select the checkboxes for the columns you want to add.
Display more customizing options	Click Advanced. This displays a window where you can exclude rows and columns that show no activity during the period of the report, and change the calendar basis of the report.
Filter the report	Click Filters. Filtering lets you restrict the report to time entries that meet specific criteria.


Pay Liabilities window

You use this window to pay payroll taxes and liabilities. The window lists all of your current payroll liabilities. You can choose which liabilities you want to pay at this time. Once you've chosen the liabilities to pay, QuickBooks creates the cheques to pay them.

To select the liabilities

1	Make sure the list shows all the liabilities you want to pay.

If you want the list to show your liabilities as of a date other than the last day of the previous month, enter a different date in the "Show liabilities as of" field.

If you want QuickBooks to sort your list of liabilities in a different way, choose another option from the Sort By drop-down list. You can sort the list alphabetically by payee name, alphabetically by payroll item, or by amount (largest first).

2	Mark the liabilities you want to pay now.

To mark liabilities one by one, click the [image] field next to the liability to add or remove a [image].

To mark all liabilities, click the Pay All button. QuickBooks changes the button name to Clear Payments and places a [image] next to every liability.

To unmark all liabilities, click the Unmark All. QuickBooks changes the button name to Pay All and clears the [image] next to every liability.

To set up the cheques for payment

1	If you have more than one chequing account, select the account from which you want to write the cheques.

2	If you want a date other than today's date to appear on the cheques, enter a different date in the Payment Date field.

Shortcuts for dates

3	Indicate whether you want to print the cheques you create.

To print the cheques later, select the "To be printed" checkbox.

If you're transmitting this request by phone or you're writing the cheques by hand, clear the "To be printed" checkbox.

4	(Optional) If you want to pay less than the full amount of a liability you marked, enter the amount you want to pay in the Amt To Pay field.

5	Choose whether to preview the cheques before QuickBooks creates them:

Click "Create liability cheque without previewing" if you want QuickBooks to write cheques for all marked liabilities as soon as you click OK. This option saves time if you do not need to preview the cheques to enter penalties or expenses.

Click "Preview liability cheque to enter expenses/penalties" if you need to add expenses or penalties to one or more of the cheques you are creating.

6	Click OK.


Employee YTD Adjustments window

This window is your starting point for summarizing the earnings, taxes, and other payroll-related amounts for each employee you paid between January 1 of this year through your QuickBooks start date.


You must enter summary information for each employee whom you have already paid during the current year.

You can skip any employees who are new to your company and have not received any pay cheques.

You must enter information for former employees who received pay cheques during the current year.


T4 tracking and company contribution items

If you have a company-paid benefit that affects the employee's taxable earnings and that must be reported on the T4 form, we recommend that you do the following:

1	Set up two payroll items, a taxable addition and a nontaxable deduction, to represent the company-paid benefit.

2	Use both items on the employee's pay cheque.


Payroll paycheck contents
Creating pay cheques

Entering pay cheques

Previewing and adjusting pay cheques

Printing pay cheques

Printing paystubs

Maintaining your records

Reviewing and correcting pay cheques

Verifying sick hours or vacation pay

Voiding pay cheques

Deleting pay cheques

Saving time

Using the QuickMath calculator


Entering pay cheques

After you've entered payroll information for each of your employees, QuickBooks can create pay cheques. QuickBooks displays a list of your employees [image] all you have to do is mark the employees you are going to pay this pay period. QuickBooks then creates accurate pay cheques ready to print.

Instructions

1	From the Activities menu, choose Payroll and then Pay Employees. Or click the Payroll button on the iconbar.

2	Mark the employees you want to pay.

To mark (or unmark) employees individually, click in the [image] column next to the employee's name.

To mark (or unmark) all employees, click the Mark All button or the Unmark All button respectively.

3	If you print your pay cheques, be certain that the "To be printed" checkbox is selected. If you write pay cheques by hand, clear this checkbox (no checkmark should be in the box).

4	In the Bank Account field, choose the account from which you'd like to write your pay cheques.

5	(Optional) If needed, change the dates shown in the "Cheque Date" and "Pay Period Ends" fields.

6	(Optional) If needed, select filters to view only employees with a certain payment method or pay frequency.

7	Indicate whether you want to preview the payment before QuickBooks creates them:

Click "Enter hours and preview cheque before creating" if you are writing the first pay cheques for hourly employees, or if you need to enter or change the number of hours worked, enter the basis for commissions, or enter any miscellaneous additions or deductions. For further details, see:

Click "Use last hours and quantities to create cheque without preview" if you want QuickBooks to write the pay cheques without your previewing them first.

8	Click Create.

Tips

Hourly wages. For employees who receive an hourly wage, QuickBooks automatically bases the current pay cheque on the number of hours from the previous pay cheque. If an employee worked a different number of hours this pay period, you can change the number of hours by previewing the employee's pay cheque.

Payroll items based on quantity. QuickBooks assumes that the quantity is the same from pay period to pay period and enters the quantity for you automatically each time you create pay cheques. If you don't want QuickBooks to do this, clear the "Recall quantity field on pay cheques" checkbox in the Payroll & Employees Preferences window.

Previewing some cheques and not others. If you need to preview only some of your pay cheques, you can save time by marking only the employees whose cheques you need to preview. After previewing and creating those cheques, you can then mark the remaining employees and create their cheques without previewing.

See also

Previewing and adjusting pay cheques


Previewing and adjusting pay cheques

Before you create a pay cheque, you can preview it and, if needed, adjust the amounts on it. When you preview a pay cheque, you can do the following:

View the amounts QuickBooks calculated for each item on the payment.

Enter or edit the number of hours worked.

Enter or edit the amount or rate for any payroll item.

Enter the base quantities on which to calculate commissions and other additions and deductions.

Add or delete wage, commission, addition, or deduction payroll items.

View the amount of sick hours and vacation pay available to the employee.

Instructions

1	From the Activities menu, choose Payroll and then Pay Employees. Or click the Payroll button on the iconbar.

2	Mark the employee(s) whose pay cheque(s) you want to preview.

To mark (or unmark) employees individually, click in the [image] column next to the employee's name.

To mark (or unmark) all employees, click the Mark All button or the Unmark All button respectively.

3	In the Select Employees To Pay window, click "Enter hours and preview payment before creating." Then click Create to display the Preview Payment window.

4	For an hourly employee, preview, enter, or change the rates or hours in the Earnings section.

When you enter or change these numbers, QuickBooks calculates or recalculates the amount for this hourly rate in the Employee Summary section.

5	For a salaried employee, preview, enter, or change the hours worked in the Earnings section.

The salary rate equals the annual salary divided by the number of annual pay periods. QuickBooks reports hours worked in the Payroll Summary report but doesn't base the salary amount on the hours worked.

6	If appropriate, enter sick hours or vacation pay for the employee:

Click the first blank line in the Name column of the Earnings section.

Choose the appropriate payroll item from the list and enter the number of sick hours or vacation pay in the Hours column.

Decrease, by an equivalent amount, the number of hours for the employee's salary or hourly wage payroll items. For example, if you enter eight sick hours for a salaried employee, you would reduce the employee's salary payroll item by eight hours.

7	To track wage or salary expenses against different customers or jobs, choose a customer or job in the Customer:Job field. By choosing a customer or job, you'll be able to invoice your customer for the work done by the employee.

How to assign wages or salary to multiple jobs

If the Customer:Job column is already filled in

8	Review the Additions, Deductions, & Company Contributions section of the window. Enter the quantity for any payroll items that are based on quantity.

QuickBooks uses a minus sign for deductions.

When you change numbers in this section, QuickBooks recalculates the appropriate amount in the Employee Summary section.

9	To add a commission, addition, or deduction not shown, click the Name field in the first blank line in the Additions, Deductions, & Company Contributions section. Then choose the payroll item from the list, or enter the name for a new payroll item you want to set up.

QuickBooks asks you if you want to add this item to the employee's payroll record. If you answer Yes, the item appears automatically on future pay cheques for the employee.

10	To delete a commission, addition, or deduction shown, click the item to select it, and then press Ctrl + Del.

QuickBooks asks you if you want to delete this item from the employee's payroll record. If you answer Yes, the item does not appear on future pay cheques for the employee.

11	Review the amounts shown in the Employee Summary section.

This section lists all of the amounts that determine the employee's net pay, including any, or all, of the following:

Salary	Additions
Hourly wages	Deductions
Commissions	Company Contributions
Sick salary	Federal Income Tax
Vacation salary	CPP
Sick hourly rate	Employment Insurance
Vacation Reg rate	Quebec Income Tax QPP
With the exception of wage and salary items, you can change any of the amounts listed. Changing an amount recalculates the net cheque.

12	Review the Company Summary section.

If you want to add or delete any item in this section, do so in the Edit Employee window.

13	To create the payment for the amounts shown, click Create.


If the employee worked on multiple jobs during the pay period, you can prorate the employee's salary [image] or hourly wages [image] by the hours worked on each job.

1	For the first job, enter the name of the payroll item, the number of hours worked, and the name of the customer or job.

2	Press Tab to move to the next line of the Earnings section.

3	For the second job, enter the name of the payroll item, the number of hours worked, and the name of the customer or job. It's OK to reuse the payroll item you entered for the previous job [image] the payroll item indicates the type of pay the employee received (salary, hourly pay, vacation pay, etc.)

4	Repeat Steps 2 and 3 until you have entered the hours for all the jobs the employee worked on during the pay period.

Note about salaried employees. You do not need to enter the salary received for each job. QuickBooks uses the hours worked to calculate this for you. The totals appear in the Rate column.


It means that QuickBooks transferred the customer and job names from the employee's weekly time sheet.

Editing a prefilled name. If you change any of the customer or job names on the pay cheque, QuickBooks does not update the time sheet [image] the time sheet will continue to show the names as you originally entered them. This has important implications for time reports, which are based on time sheets, not payments. If you want your time reports to reflect a customer or job change you make on a pay cheque, you must also change the name on the employee's time sheet.


QuickBooks calculates salary by using the rate shown in the Earnings section.


QuickBooks calculates hourly wages by using the rate and hours shown in the Earnings section.


QuickBooks calculates commissions by multiplying the rate and quantity shown in the Additions, Deductions & Company Contributions section.


QuickBooks calculates sick salary by prorating the employee's salary for the pay period. For example, if the employee's salary is $2000.00, and if the employee was sick for 20 hours out of an 80 hour pay period, QuickBooks calculates the regular salary as $1500.00 ($2000.00 X 60/80), and the sick salary as $500.00 ($2000.00 X 20/80).


QuickBooks calculates vacation salary by prorating the employee's salary for the pay period. For example, if the employee's salary is $2000.00, and if the employee was on vacation for 32 hours out of an 80 hour pay period, QuickBooks calculates the regular salary as $1200.00 ($2000.00 X 48/80), and the vacation salary as $800.00 ($2000.00 X 32/80).


QuickBooks calculates sick wages by multiplying the rate and number of hours shown in the Earnings section.


QuickBooks calculates vacation pay by using the rate and number of hours shown in the Earnings section.


QuickBooks calculates additions by using the rate shown in the Additions, Deductions & Company Contributions section and (depending on how the payroll item was set up) gross wages, net pay, or quantity.


QuickBooks calculates deductions by using the rate shown in the Additions, Deductions & Company Contributions section and (depending on how the payroll item was set up) gross wages, net pay, or quantity.


QuickBooks calculates withholding taxes by using QuickBooks' tax table. # POPUP_PREVIEWPAY_7

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QuickBooks calculates company contributions by using the rate shown in the Additions, Deductions & Company Contributions section and (depending on how the payroll item was set up) gross wages, net pay, or quantity.


QuickBooks calculates federal taxes by using QuickBooks' tax table and the information in the employee's Payroll Taxes window.


QuickBooks calculates Employment Insurance by using QuickBooks' tax table and the information in the employee's Payroll Taxes window.


QuickBooks calculates Canada Pension Plan (CPP) by using QuickBooks' tax table and the information in the employee's Payroll Taxes window.


QuickBooks calculates Quebec Pension Plan (QPP) by using QuickBooks' tax table and the information in the employee's Payroll Taxes window.


QuickBooks calculates Quebec taxes by using QuickBooks' tax table and the information in the employee's Payroll Taxes window.


Reviewing and correcting pay cheques

After you create your pay cheques, you can review them and, if needed, make changes to them. To display a pay cheque, you can start either from your payroll chequing account register, or from a report that lists the payment.

To change a cheque listed in your payroll register

1	From the Lists menu, choose Chart of Accounts.

2	Select the chequing account on which you write payroll cheques. Choose Use Register from the Activities menu button.

3	Locate the cheque in the register.

4	Select the cheque and click the Edit button at the bottom of the register.

QuickBooks displays the Pay Cheque window. In this window, you can change the cheque number, cheque date, or employee's address.

5	To make other changes, click Pay Cheque Detail.

QuickBooks displays the Review Pay Cheque window. In this window, you can make any changes, just as when you were creating the pay cheque.

6	Click OK to record any changes.

To change a cheque listed in a report

1	From the Lists menu, choose Employee.

2	Select the employee whose pay cheque you want to change.

3	Choose QuickReport from the Reports menu button.

4	In the report, double-click the pay cheque you want to change.

QuickBooks displays the Pay Cheque window. In this window, you can change the cheque number, cheque date, or employee's address.

5	To make other changes, click Pay Cheque Detail.

QuickBooks displays the Review Pay cheque window. In this window, you can make any changes, just as when you were creating the pay cheque.

6	Click OK to record any changes.

How changes affect year-to-date amounts

If you change the most recent pay cheque for an employee, QuickBooks updates the year-to-date figures to agree with your changes. If you change an earlier pay cheque, the year-to-date figures on subsequent recorded pay cheques will be incorrect. The year-to-date figures for pay cheques you create in the future will be correct.


Verifying sick hours or vacation pay

If you need to, you can find out how much sick hours or vacation pay an employee has used.

Instructions

1	From the Reports menu, choose Payroll Reports and then Summary by Employee.

2	In the report window, choose from the Dates list the period of time you want the report to cover. For example, to cover the period from the beginning of the year to today, choose This Year-to-date.


Voiding pay cheques

After you create a pay cheque, you may want to void it under certain circumstances. For example, you may have misprinted the cheque and need to reprint it, but you don't want your cheque numbers to be out of sequence.

Instructions

1	From the Lists menu, choose Chart of Accounts.

2	Select the chequing account on which you write payroll cheques.

3	Choose Use Register from the Activities menu button.

4	Select the cheque in the register.

5	From the Edit menu, choose Void Pay Cheque.

How voiding affects year-to-date amounts

If you void the most recent pay cheque for an employee, QuickBooks updates the year-to-date figures to agree with your changes. If you void an earlier pay cheque, the year-to-date figures on subsequent recorded pay cheques will be incorrect. The year-to-date figures for pay cheques you write in the future will be correct.


Deleting pay cheques

After you create a pay cheque, you may want to delete it under certain circumstances. For example, you may have recorded a payment on the wrong date.

You can only delete the latest payment to an employee. If you need to delete an earlier payment, you must delete all subsequent payments first.

Instructions

1	From the Lists menu, choose Chart of Accounts.

2	Select the chequing account on which you write payroll cheques.

3	Choose Use Register from the Activities menu button.

4	Select the cheque in the register.

5	From the Edit menu, choose Delete Pay Cheque.


Payroll report contents
Creating a . . .

Payroll summary by employee report

Payroll liabilities report

Working with a report

Viewing more of a report on your screen

Printing a report


Creating a payroll summary by employee report

The Payroll Summary by Employee Report lists totals of the following amounts by employee and for the company:

Gross pay (including salary, wages, commissions, additions).

Deductions from gross pay.

Adjusted gross pay (after deductions).

Taxes withheld.

Deductions from net pay.

Additions to net pay.

Net pay (after taxes and deductions).

Employer-paid taxes and contributions.

Instructions

1	From the Reports menu, choose Payroll, then Summary by Employee.

2	When QuickBooks displays the report, choose a different period in the Dates field if you wish.

3	Customize the report as needed:

Restricting the report. You can restrict what appears in the report by clicking Filters and filling in the Filter Transactions window. This is useful if you want the report to show only the information for certain employees, or if you need to create separate reports for each department.

Hiding and adding columns. You can hide the Rate column, or both the Hours and Rate column, so that more employees fit in the report window. To hide the columns, click Customize. Then, clear the Hours checkbox to hide both columns or the Rate checkbox to hide the Rate column only. Click OK to display the customized report.

You can also add other standard report columns to the report. Click Customize and then select the checkbox for each column you want to display.

Changing fonts. To change the fonts in the report, click Format, select the element whose font you want to change (column labels, row labels, etc.), click Change Font, and then fill in the Select Font window. Changing to a smaller font is another way to fit more employees on a page.

You can further customize this report in the same ways you customize other QuickBooks reports.


Creating a payroll liabilities report

The Liabilities by Payroll Item Report lists your company's outstanding payroll liabilities as of the date you specify. This report helps you accurately figure your taxes and other liabilities as they accrue.

Instructions

1	From the Reports menu, choose Payroll, then Liabilities by Item.

2	When QuickBooks displays the report, choose a different date in the Date field if you wish.

You can further customize this report in the same ways you customize other QuickBooks reports.

What the report covers

The amounts are always year-to-date amounts as of the date shown on the report. If you started using QuickBooks' payroll in the middle of the current year, the amounts shown will be accurate only if you also entered summaries of your prior payroll transactions from the beginning of the year up to the date you began using payroll in QuickBooks.

When it's time to pay taxes

You can limit the report to specific types of payroll items, such as federal tax items. To do this, click Filters. In the Filter Transactions window, select the items you want from the drop-down list in the Payroll Item field, and then click OK.

See also

Entering employee year-to-date amounts

Entering prior liability payments


Payroll setup contents
Getting started

Turning on payroll

Flowchart for setting up

What you need to set up payroll

Adding payroll items

Setting up your employee records

Setting up your employee template

Customizing the payroll record for each employee

Summarizing year-to-date transactions

Which amounts do you need to summarize?

Entering employee year-to-date amounts

Entering prior liability payments

Entering liability balances from last year

Saving time

Using the QuickMath calculator


What you need to set up payroll

This is the information you need to set up payroll in QuickBooks.

Required information

Payroll taxes. Have handy a list of all payroll taxes that apply to your company. This includes both employee withholdings and company contributions.

Employee personal data. For each employee, you need at a minimum the employee's, filing status, number of exemptions, and pay rate or salary. (If you don't happen to have all your employees' social insurance numbers, you can enter the other information and then add the social insurance numbers at a later time.)

Employee payroll totals for the current calendar year. These should include gross salary or hourly pay, taxes withheld, other deductions, and any additions such as commissions or bonuses.

Company payroll totals for the current calendar year. These should include contributions to employment insurance (formally unemployment insurance), and any other company-paid taxes or payroll expenses.

Other information you may need

A list of other deductions from your employees' pay. For each benefit, you need to know the amount or percentage for each employee; the annual limit if any; and whether the deduction affects each of the payroll taxes.

A list of other benefits your company pays on your employees' behalf. An example would be a private medical plan.


Adding payroll items

Although QuickBooks automatically gives you certain payroll items, (such as employment insurance) you may need to add other payroll items to your Payroll Item list. The other types of payroll items you can add are:

Yearly Salary

Hourly Wage

Deduction

Addition

Commission

Company Contribution

For details, click the item type.


Setting up a yearly salary
Setting up a salary

When do you need a salary payroll item?

1	From the Lists menu, choose Payroll Items.

2	From the Payroll Item menu button, choose New.

3	From the Type list, choose Salary.

4	In the Item Name field, enter a name for this salary.

The item name prints on payroll cheques and reports.

5	In the Expense Account field, accept the prefilled expense account or change to a different account.

If you change the account, use an expense account or subaccount.

6	Specify whether this yearly salary item is for regular, sick, or vacation pay.

Click . . .	If . . .
Regular Pay	The salary item does not affect the number of hours of sick or vacation pay allotted to the employee.
Sick Pay	The salary item affects the number of hours of sick pay allotted to the employee.
Vacation Pay	The salary item affects vacation pay allotted to the employee.
7	Click OK.


You need a salary payroll item for each type of salary you want to list on a payroll payment. Although QuickBooks automatically provides one regular salary, one sick salary, and one vacation salary item, you may want to set up additional salary payroll items so that you can track particular types of salaries in separate expense accounts. For example, for tax purposes you may need to track the salaries of company officers separately from the salaries of regular employees.

When you set up a salary payroll item, you do not specify the salary amount. Instead, you enter the amount each time you set up an employee or add the item to a payroll payment. That way, you can apply the same salary payroll item to many employees even though you pay them different salaries.


Setting up an hourly wage

When do you need an hourly wage payroll item?

1	From the Lists menu, choose Payroll Items.

2	From the Payroll Item menu button, choose New.

3	From the Type list, choose Hourly Wage.

4	In the Item Name field, enter a name for this hourly pay.

The item name prints on payroll cheques and reports.

5	In the Expense Account field, accept the prefilled expense account or change to a different account.

If you change the account, use an expense account or subaccount.

6	Specify whether this hourly wage item is for regular, sick, or vacation pay.

Click . . .	If . . .
Regular Pay	The hourly pay item does not affect the number of hours of sick or holiday pay allotted to the employee.
Sick Pay	The hourly pay item affects the number of hours of sick pay allotted to the employee.
Holiday Pay	The hourly pay item affects the number of hours of holiday pay allotted to the employee.
7	Click OK.


You need an hourly pay payroll item for each type of hourly pay you want to list on a payroll payment. Although QuickBooks automatically provides one sick and one holiday hour pay item, you may want to set up additional hourly pay items. For example, you may need hourly pay items for regular, overtime, or holiday pay.

When you set up an hourly pay item, you do not specify the pay rate. Instead, you enter the rate each time you set up an employee or add the item to a payroll payment. That way, you can apply the same hourly pay item to many employees even though they receive different rates of pay.

QuickBooks taxes hourly wages according to each employee's tax setup and reports them as employment earnings on the T4 form.


Setting up a payroll deduction

You must create a separate payroll item for each payroll deduction from gross or net pay. Examples of payroll deductions include union dues, loan repayments, and employee-paid insurance.

You can also set up deductions that are based on something other than gross wages (for example, number of hours).

Instructions

1	From the Lists menu, choose Payroll Items.

2	From the Payroll Item menu button, choose New.

3	From the Type list, choose Deduction.

4	In the Item Name field, enter a name for this deduction.

The item name prints on payroll cheques and reports.

5	(Optional) To have QuickBooks to calculate the deduction by multiplying the amount or percentage by a quantity you specify when you use the deduction, select the "Based on Quantity" checkbox. For example, if the deduction is based on the number of hours worked, select the checkbox.

How "based on quantity" works

6	(Optional) Enter an amount or percentage for the deduction.

To enter a percentage, type a percent sign (%) after the number.

Unless you specify that this deduction is based on quantity, a flat amount is deducted. A percentage deduction is based on either gross pay or net pay, depending on the option you choose in Step 11.

7	(Optional) Enter an annual limit for the deduction.

Enter the maximum amount that should be deducted in one year, not the maximum earnings on which the deduction is based.

If the limit is different for each employee, leave the amount blank. You can customize the limit for each employee when you set up your employee payroll records.

8	In the Account field, accept the prefilled liability account or change to a different liability account.

If you change the account, use a liability account or subaccount.

9	If you report this deduction on T4 forms, choose one of the reporting options from the T4 Tracking drop-down list.

10	Specify whether this deduction should be deducted from gross pay or net pay:

Click Gross Pay if you want QuickBooks to apply the deduction before taxes or other deductions are withheld. Then clear the checkbox for any tax that you want QuickBooks to calculate on the gross pay before taking this deduction.

Click Net Pay if you want QuickBooks to apply the deduction after taxes and other deductions are withheld.

11	Click OK.


QuickBooks normally uses gross pay or net pay as the base for calculating a payroll item. If you want, you can have QuickBooks use a quantity other than gross or net pay when it calculates the item.

Example. You set up an additional payroll item to reimburse employees for mileage. Your reimbursement rate is $0.29 per mile. If you did not select "Based on quantity" when you set up the item, QuickBooks would simply add $0.29 to each employee's gross or net pay. By selecting "Based on quantity," you can then enter the actual number of miles [image] and have QuickBooks calculate the correct amount [image] when you create payroll payments.

If the quantity is always the same. You can have QuickBooks automatically fill in the quantity when you write pay cheques. To do this, select the "Recall quantity field on pay cheques" checkbox in the Payroll & Employees Preferences window.


Setting up a payroll addition

You must set up a separate payroll item for each addition your company makes to gross or net pay. Examples of payroll additions include bonuses, tips, expense reimbursements, travel advances, or other additions to gross or after-tax pay.

Instructions

1	From the Lists menu, choose Payroll Items.

2	From the Payroll Item menu button, choose New.

3	From the Type list, choose Addition.

4	In the Item Name field, enter a name for this addition.

The item name prints on payroll cheques and reports.

5	To have QuickBooks calculate the addition by multiplying the amount or percentage by a quantity you specify when you use the addition, select the "Based on Quantity" checkbox. For example, if the addition is a reimbursement for mileage, select the checkbox.

How "based on quantity" works

6	(Optional) To track your expenses for this addition by customer or job, select the "Track expenses by job" checkbox.

What this option does

7	(Optional) Enter an amount or percentage for the addition.

To enter a percentage, type a percent sign (%) after the number.

Unless you specify that this addition is based on quantity, a flat amount is added. A percentage addition is based on either gross pay or net pay, depending on the option you choose in Step 10.

8	(Optional) Enter an annual limit for this addition.

If the limit is different for each employee, leave the amount blank. You can customize the limit for each employee when you set up your employee payroll records.

9	In the Expense Account field, accept the prefilled expense account or change to a different expense account.

10	If you report this deduction on T4 forms, choose one of the reporting options from the T4 Tracking drop-down list.

11	Specify whether you want QuickBooks to make this addition to gross pay or net pay.

If the addition is taxable, select Gross Pay. Then clear the checkbox for any tax that you want QuickBooks to calculate on the gross pay before making this addition.

If the addition is a percentage of gross pay calculated before taxes or deductions are withheld, select Gross Pay. Then clear the checkbox for any tax that you want QuickBooks to calculate on the gross pay before making this addition.

If the addition is a percentage of net pay calculated after taxes or deductions are withheld, select Net Pay.

If the addition is a flat amount and has no effect on taxes, select Net Pay.

12	Click OK.


When you select this option, you can create profit and loss by job reports that include this addition in a breakdown of your job-related expenses. For an employee who worked on a job, QuickBooks prorates the addition according to the total amount of pay you paid for that job. For example, if an employee received $10,000 in pay for job A, $20,000 for job B, and a payment addition of $600 during that time period, the profit and loss report allocates $200 of the addition to job A and $400 to job B.

Important. To use this option, you must also have the preference for reporting payroll expenses turned on at the time you create the payroll payment.

See also

Setting preferences for payroll


Setting up a commission

If you pay your employees commissions, you can set up one or more payroll items to track the commissions you pay.

How many commission items do you need? Once you have created a commission item, you can apply it to all of your employees, even if the amount (or rate) of the commission is different for each employee (you can set the actual amount or rate on each employee's payroll record, or when you create a payroll payment). If you have different types of commissions that you want to track separately in your reports, we recommend using a separate payroll item for each commission type.

Instructions

1	From the Lists menu, choose Payroll Items.

2	From the Payroll Item menu button, choose New.

3	From the Type list, choose Commission.

4	In the Item Name field, enter a name for this commission.

The item name prints on payroll cheques and reports.

5	(Optional) Enter an amount or percentage for QuickBooks to prefill whenever you use this commission.

To enter a percentage, type a percent sign (%) after the number.

6	In the Expense Account field, accept the prefilled expense account or change to a different expense account.

7	If you report this expense on T4 forms, choose one of the reporting options from the T4 Tracking drop-down list.

8	(Optional) To track your expenses for this comission by customer or job, select the "Track expenses by job" checkbox.

What this option does

9	Click OK.


When you select this option, you can create profit and loss by job reports that include this comission in a breakdown of your job-related expenses. For an employee who worked on a job, QuickBooks prorates the comission according to the total amount of pay you paid for that job. For example, if an employee received $10,000 in pay for job A, $20,000 for job B, and a total comissions of $600 during that time period, the profit and loss report allocates $200 of the comission to job A and $400 to job B.

Important. To use this option, you must also have the preference for reporting payroll expenses turned on at the time you make the payroll payment.

See also

Setting preferences for payroll


Setting up a company contribution
Setting up an employer contribution

You must create a separate payroll item for each employer-paid contribution you list on the voucher area of your employee's pay cheques. Examples of employer contributions include life insurance paid by the employer, contributions to a pension plan, etc.

Instructions

1	From the Lists menu, choose Payroll Items.

2	From the Payroll Item menu button, choose New.

3	From the Type drop-down list, choose Company Contribution.

4	In the Item Name field, enter a name for this company contribution.

The item name prints on payroll cheques and reports.

5	(Optional) Enter the amount or percentage that you want QuickBooks to prefill when you use this company contribution.

To enter a percentage, type a percent sign (%) after the number. If you enter a percentage, QuickBooks calculates the percentage of gross pay (never net pay).

6	If this company contribution has an annual limit, enter the dollar amount of the limit.

If the limit is different for each employee, leave the amount blank. You can customize the limit for each employee when you set up your employee payroll records.

7	In the Expense Account field, accept the prefilled expense account or change to a different expense account.

8	In the Account field, accept the prefilled liability account or change to a different liability account.

If you change the account, use a liability account or subaccount.

9	In the Payable To field, choose the vendor this item is payable to.

10	Click OK.


When you select this option, you can create profit and loss by job reports that include this company contribution in a breakdown of your job-related expenses. For an employee who worked on a job, QuickBooks prorates the employer contribution according to the total amount of pay you paid for that job. For example, if an employee received $10,000 in pay for job A, $20,000 for job B, and a total company contribution of $600 during that time period, the profit and loss report allocates $200 of the company contribution to job A and $400 to job B.

Important. To use this option, you must also have the preference for reporting payroll expenses turned on at the time you create the payroll payment.

See also

Setting preferences for payroll


Setting up your employee template

Your employee template is where you enter payroll information that most employees have in common, such as deductions for taxes, health insurance, or union dues.

Overview

You begin by choosing Employees from the Lists menu and then choosing Template from the Employee menu button. These are the main tasks you perform:

Wage and salary information

Enter sick hours and vacation pay information

For details, click the task.


Entering wage and salary information (employee template)
Entering wage and salary information

1	Display the Employee List.

2	Choose Template from the Employee menu button.

3	Fill in the Earnings section of the Employee Template window:

If you pay . . .	Do this
By the hour	Choose the hourly payroll item you use the most often from the drop-down list in the Name field.
Salaries	Choose the salary payroll item you use the most often from the drop-down list in the Name field.
Important

Do not enter an hourly wage or an annual salary unless you pay most employees at the same wage or salary.

Do not enter sick or vacation payroll items in the Earnings section.

4	In the Pay Frequency field, choose the pay period that applies to most or all employees.

5	(Optional) To track payroll expenses for your employees by class, choose the class you want from the drop-down list in the Class field. Do this only if the class applies to most (or all) of your employees.

If the class field doesn't appear

6	(Optional) Select the "Use time data to create payments" checkbox if you want QuickBooks to base employee payments on the hours you've entered on weekly timesheets or single activity forms.

How this affects pay cheques

See also

Entering sick hours and vacation pay information

# POPUP_SETUPSTATETAXITEM


Entering sick hours and vacation pay (employee template)
Entering sick hours and vacation pay information

If most of your employees accrue sick hours and vacation pay at the same rate, you can add sick and vacation accrual information to the employee template. QuickBooks then prefills this information when you set up the payroll records for individual employees.

Instructions

1	In the Employee Template window, click Sick/Vacation.

2	In the top half of the Sick & Vacation Template window, select one of these accrual periods for sick time:

Click . . .	If hours accrue
Beginning of year	Once a year, at the beginning of the year. (If you choose this option, QuickBooks resets the accrual period only when you run your payroll for the first time in the new year.)
Every pay period	At the end of each new pay period.
3	In the "Hours accrued per accrual period" field, enter the number of sick hours that accrue during the accrual period you selected.

4	If you want sick hours to reset to zero when a new year begins, select the "Reset hours each new year" checkbox.

5	(Optional) in the "Maximum number of hours" field, enter the maximum number of sick hours that employees may ever accrue.

6	In the bottom half of the Sick & Vacation Template window, select one of these pay periods for vacation pay:

Click . . .	For vacation pay
Retain	To accumulate each pay period without being paid out.
Pay every period	To be paid to employees each pay period..
7	In the "Percentage" field, enter the percentage at which the vacation pay will be calculated (usually 4% or 6%).

8	From the "Earnings that accrue vacation" list, choose the payroll item from which vacation pay will be calculated.

9	Click OK to record your selections.

See also

Entering hourly pay and salary information


Entering other adjustments and company expenses (employee template)
Entering other adjustments and company expenses

In the employee template, you can enter other adjustments and payroll-related expenses that affect most (or all) of your employees. Such adjustments can include the following:

Deductions such as health insurance, payments to a retirement plan, union dues, etc.

Company contributions such as health or life insurance paid by the company.

Additions such as bonuses, reimbursed travel expenses, or advances against salary.

Commissions.

Instructions

1	In the Employee Template window, go to the Additions, Deductions and Company Contributions table.

2	In the first line of the table, click the Name field.

3	Enter the first payroll item.

If the amount and limit are different for each employee, leave them blank. You can customize the amount and limit for each employee when you set up your employee records.

If the "Payroll item not found" message appears, it means that you have not yet set up a payroll item for that particular adjustment. To proceed, click Set Up.

4	As needed, enter other payroll items on additional lines of the table.

If any of the payroll items are based on a percentage of gross pay, the order in which you enter them in the table is important.

How QuickBooks calculates gross pay

5	Click OK to record your employee template.


QuickBooks calculates gross pay as follows:

gross =	salary + hourly wages + commissions + additions to gross (in the order you add them to the table)
In general, the position that an addition to gross has in the table affects how QuickBooks calculates deductions based on a percentage of gross.

Example

An employee has a salary of $1000, an addition to gross of $100, and a 2% deduction from gross.

If you enter the addition ahead of the deduction, QuickBooks calculates the 2% deduction on a gross of $1000 + $100, or $1100. The net salary is $1078 ($1000 + $100 -$22).

If you enter the deduction ahead of the addition, QuickBooks calculates the 2% deduction on a gross of $1000. The net salary is $1080 ($1000 - $20 + $100).


Customizing the payroll record for each employee

After you complete your employee template, you still need to customize each employee's payroll record. If you have already been using QuickBooks and have set up your Employee list, all you need to do is enter the appropriate payroll information for each employee. If you haven't set up your Employee list yet, you'll also have to create an entry for each employee on the list.

Overview

You begin by choosing Employees from the Lists menu to display the Employee list. These are the main steps you perform to customize the payroll setup for an individual employee:

 	1. Enter sick hours and vacation pay information

2. Enter Payroll Tax detail information

For details, click the step.


Entering wage and salary information (individual employees)
Entering wage and salary information

Regardless of how you have set up your employee template, you can further customize the hourly pay and salary information for each employee. QuickBooks then prefills the information when you write a pay cheque for the employee.

Instructions

1	Display the Employee List.

2	From the Employee menu button, choose New.

If the employee is already on the list, select the employee's name and choose Edit from the Employee menu button.

3	(New employees only) Enter the employee's name, address, social insurance number, etc.

4	Click the Payroll Info tab to bring it to the top.

5	(Hourly employees only) In the Earnings section, enter an hourly pay payroll item for each type of hourly pay the employee receives:

Enter the payroll item for regular hourly wage first. Enter the name of the payroll item in the Name column and the employee's hourly wage in the Hour/Annual Rate column. You can enter up to eight payroll items for hourly wages.

Do not enter payroll items for sick hours or vacation pay here.

6	(Salaried employees only) In the Earnings section, enter a salary payroll item for the employee:

Enter the name of the salary payroll item in the Name column and the employee's annual salary in the Hour/Annual Rate column.

Do not enter payroll items for sick hours or vacation pay here.

How QuickBooks calculates salary

7	If the pay period is not correct, choose the correct pay period from the drop-down list in the Pay Frequency field.

8	(Optional) Select the "Use time data to create pay cheques" checkbox if you want QuickBooks to base this employee's pay cheques on the hours you've entered on weekly timesheets or single activity forms.

How this affects pay cheques

See also

Sick/Vacation

Payroll Tax Details


To calculate the gross salary for the employee's payroll payment, QuickBooks divides the annual salary by the number of pay periods in one year. The salary is always the same, no matter how many hours the employee works.

Example

Annual salary: $40,000

Pay periods per year: 26 (biweekly)

Gross salary: $1538.46 ($40,000 divided by 26)


If you select this option, QuickBooks automatically prefills the number of hours worked during the current pay period when you write a pay cheque to the employee. The hours appear in the Hours column of the Earnings section of the Preview Pay Cheque window.

Hourly employees. QuickBooks prefills the number of hours worked and multiplies the number of hours by the hourly wage to determine gross pay.

Salaried employees. QuickBooks prefills the number of hours worked, but bases the pay cheque on the annual pay you entered when you set up the employee's payroll record. The number of hours worked does not effect how QuickBooks calculates payment for salaried employees.

If you don't want the hours to prefill when you write pay cheques, select the checkbox to remove the check mark.


Entering sick hours and vacation pay information (individual employees)
Entering sick hours and vacation pay information

Regardless of how you have set up your employee template, you can further customize the sick hours and vacation pay information for each employee. QuickBooks then prefills the information when you write a pay cheque for the employee.

Instructions

1	In the New or Edit Employee window, click the Payroll Info tab. Then click Sick/Vacation.

2	In the "Hours available as of ..." field, check the number of sick hours that are available to this employee. If either number is incorrect, change it.

When should you adjust the hours?

3	Make sure that the other information shown for sick time is correct for this employee. If necessary, you can change:

When hours accrue (at the beginning of the year or at the beginning of each new pay period).

The number of hours that accrue each period.

Whether hours accrued reset to zero when a new year begins.

The maximum number of hours the employee can accrue.

4	In the "Pay ($) available as of ..." field, check the amount of vacation pay available to this employee. If the number is incorrect, change it.

5	Make sure that the other information shown for vacation pay is correct for this employee. If necessary, you can change:

Whether vacation pay is retained or paid out every period.

The percentage at which vacation pay is calculated.

The payroll item from which the vacation pay is calculated.

6	Click OK to record your changes.

See also

Payroll Tax details


You need to adjust the available hours when the year-to-date hours are incorrect. This situation occurs when the employee has accrued and used sick hours since the beginning of the year, but you began using QuickBooks after the beginning of the year.


Entering other adjustments and company expenses (individual employees)
Entering other adjustments and company expenses

Regardless of how you have set up your employee template, you can customize adjustments to gross or net pay for each employee. Such adjustments can include the following:

Deductions such as health insurance, payments to a retirement plan, or union dues.

Company contributions such as health or life insurance paid by the company.

Additions such as bonuses, reimbursed travel expenses, or advances against salary.

Commissions.

Instructions

1	In the New or Edit Employee window, click the Payroll Info tab.

2	Enter all commissions, additions, deductions, and company contributions that apply to this employee.

To enter any of these items, click in the Name field and choose the item from the drop-down list.

If needed, change the amount or limit that QuickBooks fills in for an item. If the amount for an item varies between pay cheques, you can leave the Amount field blank and fill in the field in the Preview Pay cheque window when you are paying the employee.

If the "Payroll item not found" message appears, it means that you have not yet set up a payroll item for that particular adjustment. To proceed, click Set Up.

If any of the payroll items are based on a percentage of gross pay, the order in which you enter them in the table is important.

How QuickBooks calculates gross pay

3	Click OK to record the adjustments.

See also

Entering hourly wage and salary information

Sick/Vacation

Payroll Taxes


Which amounts do you need to summarize?

When you're setting up payroll in QuickBooks, you need to enter summarized payroll amounts if:

You're just beginning to use QuickBooks but you've already written pay cheques earlier in the calendar year. The summarized amounts ensure correct year-to-date totals on the pay cheques you write for the rest of this year.

You ran a payroll last year. In this case, you need to enter tax and liabilities amounts that were outstanding as of the end of last year.

You don't need to enter summarized payroll amounts if you haven't run payroll before.

Overview

These are the basic types of information you must enter:

Year-to-date summaries for each employee

Year-to-date summaries of payroll liability payments

Taxes and liabilities that were unpaid as of last year


Entering employee year-to-date amounts

You need to enter summaries of earnings, taxes, and other amounts for each current or former employee you paid during the current payroll year through your QuickBooks start date. You can skip any employees who are new to your company and have not received any pay cheques, but you must include former employees who received pay cheques during the current year.

Instructions

1	From the Activities menu, choose Payroll and then choose Set Up YTD Amounts.

2	Change the date at the top of the window to be your QuickBooks start date.

3	Click Employee YTD.

4	If you have not yet entered any year-to-date information for your employees, choose the adjustment period you want QuickBooks to use when it summarizes employee year-to-date information from your current records.

Click	If you want to enter
Year to date	A single summary total for the entire year from January 1 through your QuickBooks start date. (This is the simplest option because you enter only one set of numbers for each employee.)
Quarterly	Quarterly totals from January 1 through your QuickBooks start date. (This option is useful if you need accurate quarterly records.)
Monthly	Monthly totals from January 1 through your QuickBooks start date. (This option puts the most detail into QuickBooks.)
5	Select an employee from the Employee Column and click Edit.

6	In the YTD Adjustment window for this employee, enter the total amount for each payroll item for the period of time covered by the window. (For example, if you chose Quarterly as the adjustment period, you would enter totals for the quarter ending on the date shown in the window.)

Guidelines

Salary and hourly wages. In this area of the window, enter totals for gross salary or hourly wages paid during this period. Do not enter net salary or pay.

Enter hours worked during the period if you want hourly totals to appear on reports.

Enter sick and holiday time taken during this period. Enter the number of sick and holiday hours used, and the corresponding pay amounts. Be sure to associate the hours and amounts with the correct payroll item (Sick Salary or Vacation Salary for a salaried employee; Sick Hourly or Vacation Hourly Rate for an hourly employee).

After you enter the totals for the hours used, you may also need to specify the accrual rates for sick and vacation hours, and the maximum number of hours available to the employee.

Other employee and company payroll items. In this area of the window, enter totals for all other earnings, withholdings, and company-paid taxes or payroll expenses for this employee for this period. Include taxes regardless of whether you have paid them.

Enter separate amounts for the employee and company-paid portions the payroll items. QuickBooks uses the separate amounts to track totals for employee withholding; it uses both portions to track your total tax liability.

Add payroll items for one-time only payroll amounts, such as bonuses, that occurred during this period. You must enter anything that affects compensation or payroll taxes.

You must enter all tax liabilities created because of the compensation paid, even if the taxes were paid later and even if they were company expenses.

Important. If the amount for a payroll item was $0.00 during the period, enter the item but leave the Amount field blank (don't enter $0.00).

7	After you've entered all amounts, click Next Period if there are remaining periods you need to enter amounts for, or click OK if you're finished.

When you click Next Period or OK for the first time, QuickBooks asks what accounts, if any, you want to affect. Select one of these options:

Do not affect accounts (applies to most situations)

Affect liability and expense accounts, but not the bank account

Affect liability, expense, and bank accounts

For details, click the option.

8	If you're entering amounts by month or quarter, repeat Step 6 for this employee until you have completed all periods through your start date.

9	In the Employee YTD Adjustments window, choose the next employee from the Employee column and click Edit.

Repeat the procedure for this employee.

After setting up year-to-date amounts for all employees, enter prior liability payments.

See also

Entering sick hours and vacation pay information


Most people should choose this option at setup. It applies to you if:

You entered all your account opening balances as of your start date and you do not want the summary amounts to change the balance of your accounts.

or

You entered an adjustment for income and expense accounts (because your start date is midyear) and you do not want the summary amounts to affect that adjustment.

What QuickBooks does

Adjusts year-to-date amounts to print on pay cheques; to display in payroll reports; and to observe for annual limits that apply to taxes, deductions, and additions.

Leaves your balance sheet and expense accounts unchanged.


You may want to choose this option at setup if you have never used a payroll liability account before and you want a correct balance in the account. This option is also appropriate after you start using payroll if you need to adjust the amount owed for a payroll item.

What QuickBooks does

Enters an increase in each liability account associated with a payroll item used during the period.

Tracks an expense for each expense account associated with a payroll item used during the period.

Enters a decrease in the Opening Bal Equity account for the net amount paid the employee during the period. (This adjustment keeps your books in balance.)


You are unlikely to want to choose this option at setup since it affects your bank account balance.

What QuickBooks does

Enters a payment in the designated bank account for the net amount paid the employee during the period.

Enters an increase in each liability account associated with a payroll item used during the period.

Tracks an expense for each expense account associated with a payroll item used during the period.


Summarizing prior liability payments

You need to enter summaries of payments made during the current calendar year for the following:

For this adjustment, you'll need to know how much you paid from January 1 of this year through your QuickBooks start date for each of the following:

Each payroll tax (paid by either the company or employee).

Each deduction you withheld and then paid (for example, employee-paid dental insurance).

Each company contribution you tracked by payroll period and then paid (for example, company-paid health insurance).

Note that this adjustment is just for payroll liabilities that you paid. It isn't for outright expenses for amounts paid directly to employees.

Instructions

1	From the Activities menu, choose Payroll and then choose Set Up YTD Amounts.

2	Click Prior Payments.

3	In the Payment Date field, enter the date you made the liability payment.

4	In the For Period Ending field, enter the end date for the payments you are summarizing.

When you process tax forms for a particular tax period, QuickBooks uses this date to determine the amount of tax you have paid. For example, if you are entering a tax payment you made on 2/10/97 for tax you owed as of 1/31/97, enter 1/31/97.

5	In the Item Name field, choose a payroll item. In the Amount field, enter the amount that you paid for that item during the time period.

6	On additional lines, choose payroll items for other liabilities and enter the amount that you paid for each.

7	Click OK or click Next.

To close this window, click OK.

To summarize payments for another period or for another group of payroll items, click Next. Change the date to the end date for the new period and fill in the window.

QuickBooks affects accounts similarly to the way you specified when you entered summaries for employees. You'll probably want to affect accounts in the same way for both procedures. If you need to make a change, display the Prior Payments of Taxes and Liabilities window that has your data, and click Accounts Affected.


Entering unpaid balances from last year

If your company had employees last year, you need to enter the outstanding liabilities (or credits) as of as of December 31 of last year. Note that this adjustment is just for payroll liabilities that your company pays. It isn't for outright expenses for amounts your company pays directly to employees.

Instructions

1	From the Activities menu, choose Payroll and then choose Set Up YTD Amounts.

2	Click Unpaid Carryover.

3	In the Item Name field, choose a payroll item. In the Amount field, enter the amount that you owed for that item at the end of last year.

4	On additional lines, choose payroll items for other liabilities and enter the amount that you owed (or the credit) for each.

To enter a credit balance as of the end of last year, enter a minus sign before the amount.

5	Click Accounts Affected and choose the appropriate option:

If you have chosen "Do not affect accounts" for all your previous year-to-date adjustments, choose it again here and click OK. You do not need to go on to Step 6.

Otherwise, click "Affect liability and expense accounts."

6	If the payroll item tracks a tax your employees pay, check the name of the account shown in the Liability Carryover from Last Year window:

QuickBooks uses this account to offset the amounts you are carrying over from last year. To accept this prefilled account, click OK.

If you want to use a different account, enter the name of an expense account and click OK.


Payroll taxes contents
Paying payroll taxes and liabilities

Paying payroll taxes

T4 forms

T4 forms - an overview

Saving time

Using the QuickMath calculator


Paying payroll taxes and other liabilities

When it's time to pay payroll taxes and other payroll-related liabilities, QuickBooks shows you all of your current liabilities, lets you choose all or just some of them to pay, and creates cheques to pay them. You can also add penalties and expenses to these cheques.

Important. Before you can pay these liabilities, you must have a payee name associated with each liability. Usually these names are those of tax agencies, but they may be a bank or an insurance company or another name. To set up the payee names, fill in the Payable field for the payroll items you use to track payroll liabilities.

Instructions

1	From the Activities menu, choose Payroll and then Pay Liabilities/Taxes.

2	If you have more than one chequing account, select the chequing account on which you want to write the cheques to pay your liabilities.

3	If you want a date other than today's date to appear on your liability payment cheques, enter a different date in the Payment Date field.

4	Indicate whether you want to print the cheques you create.

To print the cheques later, select the "To be printed" checkbox.

If you're transmitting this request by phone or you're writing the cheques by hand, clear the "To be printed" checkbox.

5	If you want to view your liabilities as of a date other than the last day of the previous month, enter a different date in the "Show liabilities as of" field.

6	If you want QuickBooks to sort your list of liabilities in a different way, choose another option from the Sort By drop-down list. You can sort the list alphabetically by payee name, alphabetically by payroll item, or by amount (largest first).

7	Mark the liabilities you want to pay now.

To mark liabilities one by one, click the [image] field next to the liability to add or remove a [image].

To mark all liabilities, click the Mark All button. QuickBooks changes the button name to Clear Payments and places a [image] next to every liability.

To unmark all liabilities, click the Unmark All. QuickBooks changes the button name to Mark All and clears the [image] next to every liability.

If you mark one of two related liabilities, QuickBooks automatically marks the other liability. For example, if you mark company-paid CPP, QuickBooks marks employee-paid CPP.

Tip. QuickBooks writes a single cheque for all liabilities to the same vendor name. If you want to write different cheques to the same vendor, give the vendor more than one name in your vendor list.

8	(Optional) If you want to pay less than the full amount of a liability you marked, enter the amount you want to pay in the Amt To Pay field.

9	Choose whether to preview the cheques before QuickBooks creates them:

Click "Create liability cheque without previewing" if you want QuickBooks to write cheques for all marked liabilities as soon as you click OK. This option saves time if you do not need to preview the cheques to enter penalties or expenses.

Click "Preview liability cheque to enter expenses/penalties, if you need to add expenses or penalties to one or more of the cheques you are creating.

10	Click OK.

If you chose to preview the liability cheque, you can enter expenses or penalties on the Expenses tab of the Liability Cheque window. After you enter the expenses or penalties, you can click Next to enter expenses or penalties on other cheques. When you have no more expenses or penalties to enter, click OK.

Entering a penalty or interest in another way

If you owe a penalty or interest, you can enter it on the Expenses tab of the Liability Cheque window or in the following way:

Adjust your liability balance when you learn of the additional charge. If the penalty or interest is for several taxes, you can increase the balance for one tax or distribute it among all the taxes. Then pay the entire amount you owe when you write your liability cheque.


Payroll T4 contents
Preparing T4 forms

Overview

Reviewing and editing T4 forms

Printing T4 forms

Saving time

Using the QuickMath calculator


T4s: an overview

QuickBooks prints T4 forms on a blank form. You can review and edit each T4 form onscreen before you print it.

Overview

This is a summary of what you need to do to prepare your T4 forms:

1. Review, for completeness, each employee's T4 form.

2. Print all your T4 forms.

For details, click the step.


Reviewing T4 forms for completeness

Before T4 forms can be printed, they must be reviewed. If you notice that an item is missing, or if you need to adjust for something you don't track on pay cheques, you can edit the form.

Important. If you are uncertain about how to report a specific benefit or amount on the T4 form, consult your accountant or Revenue Canada.

Instructions

1	From the Activities menu, choose Payroll and then choose Process T4s.

2	If the year shown in the Year field is not the tax year for which you want to process T4s, choose the correct tax year from the drop-down list.

Note. From January 1 to February 28, QuickBooks assumes that you want to review T4s for the previous year and displays the previous year in the Year field. From March 1 on, QuickBooks displays the current year in the Year field.

3	Mark the employees whose T4 forms you plan to review now.

Click . . .	To do this
Mark all	Mark all the employees.
in the [image] column	Mark an individual employee.
4	Click Review T4.

QuickBooks displays the T4 form for the first employee whose name you marked.

5	Review the company and employee information on the T4 form. If anything is incorrect, click Cancel to stop the review process. You cannot change company and employee information directly on the T4 form (with the exception of Box 54 - Account Number).

To change. . .	Go to this window
Employer's name	Company Information. (From the File menu, choose Company Info.)
Employer's name, address, and Postal Code	Company Information
Employee' social insurance number	Edit Employee. (From the Lists menu choose Employees, select the employee, and then choose Edit from the Employee menu button.)
Employee's name	Edit Employee
Employee's address Employee No	Edit Employee Edit Employee
6	To adjust an amount in any of the numbered boxes, double-click the amount:

In the window that appears, enter the amount of each adjustment in the Amount column. You can also enter a short memo in the Description column to remind you what each adjustment was for.

To reduce the total, enter a minus sign before the amount.

7	Click Next to record your approval (with changes, if any).

8	Repeat Steps 5 through 8 to review the T4s for the other employees you marked.


Making fine adjustments

This method is available for all types of printers. If you have a continuous printer, we recommend that you first make a coarse adjustment to see if that solves the problem. For details, see:

Instructions

1	Do one of the following:

If you are in the T4 Printer Setup window, click Align.

If you have just made a coarse adjustment, click Fine.

2	Click Print Sample.

3	Examine the alignment grid that QuickBooks printed on the sample.

What the grid shows

4	In the Vertical and Horizontal fields, tell QuickBooks by how much and in what direction the printed text is misaligned.

Guidelines

5	(Optional) Click Print Sample to test whether you have corrected the alignment problem.

6	When the alignment is correct, click OK.

See also

Making coarse adjustments


Printing T4 forms

QuickBooks prints T4 information for each employee on standard T4 forms.

Before you begin

You must review your T4 forms before you print them.

It's a good idea to test how your printer prints T4 forms. If the T4 information doesn't align properly with the boxes on the form, you can adjust the alignment.

Instructions

1	Make sure your blank T4 forms are loaded correctly in your printer:

If you have a continuous printer, you may need to adjust for additional thickness due to the copies.

2	From the Activities menu, choose Payroll and then choose Process T4's.

3	Mark all the employees whose T4 forms you want to print.

Click . . .	To do this
Mark all	Mark all the employees.
in the [image] column	Mark an individual employee.
4	Click Print T4s.

5	For sheet-fed forms, load the forms for the next copy and click Print T4s again, until you have printed all the copies you need.

Note:	QuickBooks will print this number on all copies of the T4 form. If you are using a laser printer to print T4 forms, you may want to clear the number from Box 54 before printing the first three copies. (Revenue Canada reccommends that the Business Number be printed on only the fourth copy of the T4 form)

T4 subtotal forms

If you print 42 or more T4 forms, QuickBooks automatically prints a T4 subtotal form after the forty-second T4 form. You do not have to prepare T4 subtotal forms.

See also

Reviewing and editing T4 forms


Payments contents
Overview

Sales and invoicing

Receiving payments

Setting up payment terms

Recording an invoice payment

Applying a discount for early payment

Correcting the application of a payment

Handling down payments and overpayments

Handling American Express charges

Handling returns

Recording a return

Writing a refund cheque

Finance charges and statements

Setting up for finance charges

Assessing finance charges

Setting a reminder for overdue invoices

Viewing and printing statements

Making deposits

Depositing customer payments

Editing or deleting a deposited payment


Setting up payment terms

Payment terms indicate when you expect to receive payment from a customer or when your vendors expect payment from you. For example, if you expect payment from a customer within 30 days, and you give a discount of 2% if payment is received in 10 days, the terms are 2% 10 Net 30.

QuickBooks supplies a list of often-used payment terms. You can easily add new terms to the list. Because QuickBooks uses terms in both accounts payable and accounts receivable, you only need to add a particular set of terms once to the list.

To set up payment terms

1	Display the Terms list.

2	Choose New from the Terms menu button.

3	In the Terms field, enter a word or phrase that will help you recognize the terms when you use the Terms list (what you enter here appears on the list).

Examples

4	Indicate the type of terms you want to use:

Click . . .	To set up terms for
Standard	Payment within a certain number of days.
Date Driven	Payment by a certain day of the month .
5	Fill in the fields for "Net due . . .," "Discount percentage . . .," and "Discount if paid . . ."

More detail

6	Record the payment terms:

To record the terms and then enter another, click Next.

To record the terms and close the window, click OK.

To associate terms with a customer

1	Display the Customer:Job list.

2	Select the customer you want to apply the terms to.

3	Choose Edit from the Customer:Job menu button.

4	On the Additional Info tab, enter the terms you want to apply.

To associate terms with a vendor

1	Display the Vendor list.

2	Select the vendor you want to associate the terms with.

3	Choose Edit from the Vendor menu button.

4	On the Additional Info tab, enter the terms you want to apply.

To apply terms to a particular transaction

Select the terms you want from the Terms list when you are creating an invoice or entering a bill.


Let's say your invoices are due in 25 days of receipt, and you give your customers a 1% discount if they pay within 10 days. These terms would be standard terms because payment is due within a specific number of days from the invoice date. In the New Terms window, you would click Standard and enter the following:

1% 10 Net 25

Suppose instead that your invoices are due on the 25th day of the month and you give your customers a 1% discount if they pay within 10 days. To let QuickBooks know that "25" means the "25th day of the month" and not "25 days after the invoice date," you would click Date Driven in the New Terms window and still enter:

1% 10 Net 25


These three fields set the specifics of the payment terms.

Net due . . .	For standard terms, enter the number of days in which payments from customers or bills to vendors are due. For date-driven terms, enter the day of the month by which payment is due.
Discount percentage . . .	Enter the discount percentage a customer earns for early payment of an invoice, or that your business earns for early payment of a bill. If there is a discount, you must also complete the next field ("Discount if paid . . ."). If there is no discount, enter zero.
Discount if paid . . .	Enter the number of days within which a customer or your business can pay and receive a discount for early payment. Be sure to enter the discount percentage in the previous field ("Discount percentage . . .").


Recording an invoice payment

When your company receives a payment for an invoice you've sent to a customer, you use the Receive Payments window to apply the payment to the invoice.

When not to use the Receive Payments window

When the customer pays in full at the time of the sale (enter a sales receipt instead).

When you receive a partial payment at the time you write an invoice (enter a payment item on the invoice).

Instructions

1	From the Activities menu, choose Receive Payments.

2	Complete the fields in the top half of the window. If the payment is for a particular job on your Customer:Job list, make sure you choose the job as well as the customer's name in the Customer:Job field.

How to fill in the fields

3	If this is the first time you are entering a customer payment, indicate how you want QuickBooks to deposit customer payments:

Grouped with other payments. Click "Group with other undeposited funds."

Directly to a bank account. Click "Deposit to" and enter the name of the bank account where you would like QuickBooks to deposit the payment.

Which method is best for you?

4	(Optional) Change how QuickBooks applies the payment.

How to redistribute the payment

5	Record the payment:

To record the payment and then enter another, click Next.

To record the payment and close the window, click OK.

What happens

If you chose "Group with other undeposited funds," QuickBooks holds the payment in your Undeposited Funds account. To deposit the payment, you must choose Make Deposit from the Activities menu and select the payment. When you record the deposit, QuickBooks transfers the payment amount from Undeposited Funds to your QuickBooks bank account.

If you chose "Directly to a bank account," QuickBooks bypasses Undeposited Funds and deposits the payment directly in the bank account you specified.


Required fields. At a minimum, you must fill in these fields:

Customer:Job. When you enter the customer's name (and job, if any), QuickBooks lists the open invoices for the customer or job.

Amount. When you enter the amount, QuickBooks applies the amount to the invoices listed, beginning with the oldest invoice. The amounts QuickBooks applies appear in the Payment column. (Note: You can set QuickBooks so that it does not apply the payment automatically. To do this, clear the "Automatically apply payments" checkbox in the Sales & Customers Preferences window.)

Optional fields. Fill in these fields as needed:

Date. QuickBooks automatically enters today's date. You can enter a different date if needed.

Pmt Method. Enter the method (cheque, Visa, etc.) the customer used to pay the invoice.

Cheque No. If the customer paid by cheque, enter the cheque number.

Memo. Enter a note [image] up to 4095 characters in length [image] about the transaction here. The beginning of the memo appears on reports that include this transaction.


Normally, QuickBooks is set to apply the payment to the oldest invoice first, then to the next oldest, and so on. If you want to distribute the amount of the payment differently, do the following:

1	Click Clear Payments

2	In the [image] column, click next to each invoice to which you want to apply the payment.

Each time you select an invoice, QuickBooks automatically inserts the amount to be applied to the invoice in the Payment column. When the undistributed amount of the customer's payment is greater than the amount due, QuickBooks pays the invoice in full. When the undistributed amount is less than amount due, QuickBooks applies the entire amount to the invoice, leaving a balance due on the invoice.


Correcting the application of a payment

If you apply a payment to the wrong invoice, you can correct the error by editing the payment transaction.

Instructions

1	Open the accounts receivable register.

2	Select the payment transaction you want to change.

3	Click Edit.

4	Correct the error in the Receive Payments window.

5	Click OK.


Handling down payments and overpayments

If a customer sends you more money than he or she owes, there will be an amount left over at the Receive Payments window after you have applied the payment to invoices. QuickBooks keeps track of the credit amount so you can apply it the next time the customer owes you money.

Instructions

1	Enter the payment in the Receive payments window.

Caution. If you're recording a down payment, and you are doing more than one job for the customer, be sure to specify both the customer name and the job name in the Customer:Job field. This ensures that QuickBooks will apply the down payment to invoices for the correct job.

2	For an overpayment, apply as much of the payment as you can to outstanding invoices.

3	Note the leftover amount in the Unapplied Amount field.

If the payment is a down payment and there is no invoice yet, the entire payment amount is displayed in the Unapplied Amount field. QuickBooks holds the unapplied amount with this customer's name so that when you do have an invoice for this customer, you can apply the down payment amount.

4	(Optional) Click Print Cred Memo to give the customer a receipt for the down payment or overpayment.

The credit memo is for your customer only. It does not become part of your financial records in QuickBooks.

5	Click OK.


Recording a return

When a customer returns merchandise or cancels an order, record the transaction in QuickBooks by writing a credit memo. If you wish, you can also write a refund cheque to the customer.

Instructions

1	From the Activities menu, choose Create Credit Memos/Refunds.

2	Fill in the window, entering the returned items in the line item area.

3	(Optional) Enter a customer message if you plan to print the credit memo for your customer.

4	Record the credit memo:

To record the credit memo and then enter another, click Next.

To record the credit memo and close the window, click OK.


Writing a refund cheque

When you record a return from a customer, click the Refund button in the Create Credit Memos/Refunds window to write a refund cheque.

Instructions

1	Display the credit memo for the amount you'd like to refund.

2	Click Refund to create the refund cheque.

3	Make sure all the information on the cheque is correct.

Caution. Leave Accounts Receivable as the account in the detail area of the refund cheque. This ensures that QuickBooks will account for the credit and refund correctly.

4	(Optional) Select the "To be printed" checkbox to print this cheque later, or click Print to print the cheque now.

5	Click OK.

6	From the Activities menu, choose Receive Payments.

Although you have recorded both the credit memo and the cheque, you still need to connect the cheque to the credit memo so that QuickBooks can track the transaction correctly. You use the Receive Payments window to connect the two.

7	Choose the customer to whom you just wrote the refund cheque.

8	On the Refund Chk line, enter the cheque amount in the Payment column. Then press tab.

9	Click OK.


Assessing finance charges

When you assess finance charges, QuickBooks creates an invoice for each charge.

Instructions

1	From the Activities menu, choose Assess Finance Charges.

2	Select the customers and jobs for which you want to assess finance charges.

To . . .	Do this
Select an individual customer or job	Click in the Assess column opposite the customer or job name.
Select all the customers and jobs listed	Click Mark All.
"Unselect" everything you've selected	Click Unmark All.
Important. Customers and jobs marked with an asterisk (*) have credits in the form of payments or credit memos that you have not yet applied to any invoice. The overdue balance shown in the Assess Finance Charges window does not reflect these credits.

3	(Optional) Change any finance charge amounts by typing over the amounts shown in the Fin. Charge column.

To change the interest rate, click Settings and enter the new rate.

4	(Optional) If you plan to print the finance charge invoices to send to customers, select the "Mark invoices To be printed" checkbox.

If you send statements. Leave this checkbox cleared.

5	Click OK.

See also

Recording a bad debt

Setting up for finance charges


Recording a bad debt

QuickBooks allows you to write off customer balances that become uncollectable.

1  From the Lists menu, select Chart of Accounts and create a new current asset account called Recoverable tax and an expense account called Bad Debt.

If you have been using a bad debt liability account, continue to use it here.

2  From the Activities menu, select Enter Special Transaction.

Credit the Accounts Receivable account for the gross amount on the invoice.

Enter the customer's name in the Name field.

Debit the Bad Debt account for the net amount of the invoice.

Debit the Recoverable tax account for the tax amount of the invoice.

3  Click OK.

4  From the Activities menu, select Receive Payments.  Enter the Customer:job and apply the existing credit to the bad invoice.

5  On the last day of the tax quarter, select the Reports menu, then choose Transaction, by Date.

6  Customize the report so that the date range is All, and the only columns are Date, Name, Memo, Clr and Amount.  Filter the report so that the Recoverable tax account appears in the account field and Cleared is set to No.

7  Scan the memo column of the report to see if any tax recoverable dates have passed.  If any dates have passed, continue with step 8.

8  From the Activities menu, select Enter Special Transaction.

Debit the Bad Debt account for the net amount of the invoice. ·  Enter the correct tax code and tax amount as on the invoice. ·  Click the Output button below "Show On tax Reports As".

Enter a memo that you are recovering tax from an invoice.

Credit the Bad Debt account with the net amount of the invoice.

Credit the Recoverable tax account with the tax amount of the invoice.

9  Click OK.

10 From the Lists menu, select Chart of Accounts.  Open the register for your Recoverable tax account.  Find the original general journal entry and the one you just entered and place a tick in the  column for each transaction."

See also

Assessing finance charges


Receive Payments window

This window lists the outstanding invoices for the customer you have selected. If you have received a payment from that customer, you can apply the payment to any or all of the invoices listed.

For more detail about any part of the window, click the diagram.


Customer:Job

Choose the customer who sent you the payment. If you track jobs for this customer, be sure to choose the job name as well as the customer name.

If you type in the name. Enter the customer name first, then a colon (:), then the job name. For example:

Margaret Rutherford:Kitchen Remodel


Date

The date of the payment. QuickBooks automatically inserts today's date. You can enter a different date if you wish.

See also

Tips for entering dates


Balance

Shows the customer's current balance with your company.


Amount

Enter the amount of the payment.


Memo

Enter a note about the payment here. You can enter up to 4095 characters.

The beginning of the memo appears in reports that show the details of this payment.


Account

If you want QuickBooks to record the sale in a different A/R (accounts receivable) account, enter the account name in this field.


Pmt. Method (Payment Method)

Enter the method of payment (cash, cheque, Visa, etc.) your customer used. This gives you the ability to group your deposits by payment method. For example, you can include all the cheques you received in one deposit, all the Visa transactions in a second deposit, etc. Grouping deposits by payment method makes reconciling easier.


Cheque No.

If the customer paid by cheque, enter the cheque number here. QuickBooks displays the cheque number on reports that show the details of this payment.


Group with other undeposited funds

If you choose this option, QuickBooks "holds" all your customer payments in a special account named Undeposited Funds. To move the payments to your bank account, you must use the Make Deposits window to group the payments into one deposit.

This option works best when your bank statement shows a lump sum for each deposit instead of listing each cheque individually. If this is the case, you'll find it easier to reconcile your QuickBooks account with your bank statement because the account will show the same deposit amounts as the statement.

If your statements show each cheque you deposited, or if you're depositing only a single payment, select "Deposit to" instead of this option.


Deposit to

If you choose this option, QuickBooks deposits the payment in the bank account of your choice when you record the payment. The payment does not go into the Undeposited Funds account, and you do not have to use the Make Deposits window to deposit the payment.

This option works best when your bank statement shows each cheque you deposited. If this is the case, you'll find it easier to reconcile your QuickBooks account with your bank statement because the account will show the same deposit amounts as the statement.

If your statements show lump sum deposits instead of individual cheques, select "Group with other undeposited funds" instead of this option.


Existing Credits

This is the customer's credit balance with your company. The total includes all amounts that resulted in credit to the customer, including overpayments, down payments, returns of merchandise, or cancellation of orders after paying.

The amount shown is always the customer's credit balance as of today. If you are viewing a previous customer payment to which you applied a credit, you won't see the amount that you applied.  For example, if the payment was $702.00 and the customer had a balance of $902.00 and an existing credit of $200.00 that you applied to the payment, when you view the payment at a later time, you'll see the $902.00 balance and the $702.00 payment, but not the $200.00 credit.


Apply existing credits ?

Select this checkbox if you want QuickBooks to apply the customer's existing credits, along with this payment, to the invoices listed in the window.


Total to Apply

This is the amount you can apply to the invoices listed in the window.  It is the sum of the current payment and the customer's credit balance. QuickBooks calculates this for you when you fill in the amount of the current payment.

If the customer has no existing credit with your company, then the "total to apply" amount equals the amount of the customer's payment.


Unapplied Amount

This is the portion of the "total to apply" amount that you have not yet applied to outstanding invoices. QuickBooks recalculates this amount as you apply the customer's payment (and credit) to the listed invoices. When you have completely applied the "total to apply" amount, the "unapplied amount" becomes 0.00.

Overpayments. If the customer has sent more than he or she owes, there will be an amount left over after you apply the customer's payment to all the invoices. QuickBooks remembers this amount and adds it to the customer's existing credit the next time you enter a payment from that customer.

To create a receipt for overpayment

Click Print Cred Memo.


List of outstanding invoices

This list shows the outstanding invoices the customer has with your company. Invoices with a check mark are the ones QuickBooks will apply the payment to. The Payment column shows how much of the payment QuickBooks will apply to each invoice. Invoices that show less than the amount due in the Payment column will have an outstanding balance after you record the payment.

To . . .	Do this
Change the amount applied to an invoice	Enter the amount you want to apply in the Payment column. (If QuickBooks has filled in an amount, you can edit it.)
Unselect an invoice	Click the check mark next to the invoice's entry in the list.
Unselect all invoices	Click Clear Payments.
Apply the payment by oldest invoice first	Click Auto Apply.
See also

Example


When QuickBooks applies the customer's payment automatically, it begins with the oldest invoice first. For example, if a customer has these outstanding invoices

	Date	Amt. Due	Payment
	5/1	$100.00
	5/17	$200.00
	6/2	$300.00
and you receive a payment of $500.00, QuickBooks applies the payment as follows:

	Date	Amt. Due	Payment
	5/1	$100.00	$100.00
	5/17	$200.00	$200.00
	6/2	$300.00	$100.00
Note that the 6/2 invoice has a balance of $200.00 after application of the payment. The next time the customer sends in a payment, the Receive Payments window will show a balance of $200.00 due for the 6/2 invoice.


Next

Records the current payment and displays the next payment.

When you click Next, payments appear in date order. If you are at the most recent payment, clicking Next displays a blank form so you can enter a new payment.


Prev

Displays the previous customer payment. When you click Prev, payments appear in reverse date order (most recent first, oldest last).

If a previous credit seems to be "missing." When you are viewing a customer payment you previously recorded, credit amounts shown for the customer are current as of today, not as of the date you recorded the payment. For example, if the payment was $702.00 and the customer had a balance of $902.00 and an existing credit of $200.00 that you applied to the payment, when you view the payment at a later time, you'll see the $902.00 balance and the $702.00 payment, but not the $200.00 credit.


OK

Records the payment and closes the window.

If you want to keep the window open to enter another payment, click Next instead.


Cancel

Cancels what you have entered and closes the window. If you are entering a new payment, the payment is not recorded. If you are editing a payment you entered previously, your changes are not saved.


Discount Info

Displays a window where you can have QuickBooks calculate and apply a discount to the invoice you have selected. QuickBooks bases its calculation on the payment terms you have set up with the customer.

To apply a discount

1	Click the entry for the invoice to which you want to apply a discount. The Disc.Date column shows the last date each invoice would be eligible for a discount under your payment terms with the customer.

2	Click Discount Info.


Auto Apply
Clear Payments

Automatically applies the customer's payment to the invoices listed, beginning with the oldest invoice first. The amounts that QuickBooks applies appear in the Payment column. Once you have applied the payment, the name of the button changes to Clear Payments.

To reverse the application of a payment

Click Clear Payments. The amounts in the Payment column revert to 0.00.


Print Cred Memo (Print Credit Memo)

Prints a credit memo that you can give to your customer as a receipt. The amount of the credit memo is the unapplied amount of the customer's payment, less any existing credits that the customer has with your company.

This button does not record a new credit memo in the Create Credit Memos/Refunds window.


Discount Information window (A/R)
Discount Information window

You use this window to apply a discount to the invoice you have selected. The window shows a suggested discount that QuickBooks has calculated based on the customer's payment terms with your company. You can accept the suggested discount or enter a different amount.

To apply a discount

1	If necessary, change the amount shown in the "Amount of Discount" field.

2	In the Discount Account field, enter the name of the account you use to track discounts given to customers. (This is required.)

3	Click OK.


Assess Finance Charges window

This window lists all the customers who have an overdue balance with your company. You can assess finances charges to any or all of the customers listed.

For more detail about any part of the window, click the diagram.


Assessment Date

This is the date for the overdue balances shown in the Assess Finance Charges window. QuickBooks prints this date on the finance charge invoices. You can enter a different date if you wish.

See also

Short cuts for dates


A/R (Accounts Receivable)
(Appears when you have more than one A/R account)

If you want QuickBooks to record the finance charges in a different accounts receivable account, enter the account name in this field.


List of overdue customers

This list shows the customers (and jobs) who have an overdue balance. For each customer or job, the list shows both the overdue balance and the finance charge QuickBooks has calculated on the overdue balance.

To . . .	Do this
Assess finance charges for an individual customer or job	Click in the Assess column so that a checkmark appears next to the customer or job name.
Assess finance charges for all the customers and jobs listed	Click Mark All.
Change the finance charge for a customer or job	Edit the amount shown in the Fin. Charge column.
Important. Customers and jobs marked with an asterisk (*) have credits in the form of payments or credit memos that you have not yet applied to any invoice. The overdue balance shown in the Assess Finance Charges window does not reflect these credits.


OK

Records the finance charges and creates the finance charge invoices.


Cancel

Closes the Assess Finance Charges window without recording any finance charges or creating any invoices.


Collection History

Displays a collections report for the customer or job you have selected. The report shows the open balance for all outstanding invoices for that customer or job.

To create the report

1	In the list of customers, click the customer for whom you want a report.

2	Click Collection History.


Mark All

Checks off all the customers listed in the window. Click Mark All when you want to assess finances charges for everyone listed.


Unmark All

Erases the check marks for all of the customers whom you have checked.


Settings

Displays the Finance Charge Preferences window. Use this window to change the interest rate you charge, specify a minimum finance charge, set up a grace period for late payment, or change the account you use to track finance charges.


Mark invoices 'To be printed'

If you intend to print the finance charge invoices, make sure this checkbox is selected. This lets you print all the invoices at once by choosing Print Forms and then Print Invoices from the File Menu.

If you send statements, leave this checkbox cleared.

Note. You can have QuickBooks select this checkbox automatically by selecting the "Mark finance charge invoices To be printed" checkbox in the Finance Charges Preferences window. To display this window, click Settings.


Transaction History window (customer payments)

This window lists all the transactions related to the current customer payment.

To . . .	Do this
Go to a transaction	Select the transaction and click Go To. The transactions listed can include invoices you applied the payment to, or a deposit (if you have already deposited the payment).
Display the payment	Click Edit Payment.


Transaction History window (customer discounts)

This window shows the invoice to which QuickBooks applied the current discount.

To . . .	Do this
Go to the invoice	Select the invoice and click Go To.
Display the payment that you applied the discount to	Click Edit Discount.


Purchase order contents
Overview

Expenses and bills

Entering purchase orders

When to use purchase orders

Customizing the purchase order form

Filling in a purchase order

Editing a purchase order

Deleting a purchase order

Printing purchase orders

Setting a reminder to print purchase orders

Printing purchase orders

Receiving what you've ordered

Receiving items against a purchase order

Listing your open purchase orders

Closing a purchase order

Saving time

Memorizing a purchase order

Reusing a memorized purchase order

Using the QuickMath calculator


When to use purchase orders

The basic rule of thumb is: Use a purchase order when you're ordering items. Use other QuickBooks forms when you buy or receive items that you never had on order.

Use this form . . .	When you are
Purchase order	Ordering items that you'll receive and pay for later.
Item receipt	Receiving items with the bill to arrive later.
Bill	Receiving items and a bill together with no initial purchase order.
Cheque or credit card	Paying for and receiving items at the same time, such as for an over-the-counter purchase.


Filling in a purchase order

When you use purchase orders to buy inventory items, QuickBooks keeps track of which items are on order so you'll know when they're due to be received. You can also use purchase orders for non-inventory items [image] for example, to order office supplies for your business.

Instructions

1	Display the purchase order form:

From . . .	Do this
The Activities menu	Choose Create Purchase Orders.
The Purchase Orders list	Choose New from the Purchase Orders menu button.
The Navigator	Click the Purchases and Vendors tab. Then click Purchase Orders in the flowchart.
2	In the top part of the form, enter the vendor, date, PO number, vendor's address, and your Ship To address.

3	(Optional) Enter a class for this transaction.

4	Fill in the line item area by entering the items you're ordering.

How to enter line items

Using non-inventory items

In the Tax column, enter or change the tax code.

5	(Optional) Document the purchase order:

Enter a brief message in the Message field.

Fill in the Memo field at the bottom of the window. You can enter up to 4095 characters.

6	Record the purchase order:

To record the purchase order and then write another, click Next.

To record the purchase order and close the window, click OK.

What if . . .

If there is no class field?


Class tracking is currently off. The Class field only appears when class tracking is on.

To display the Class field

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences.

2	In the Preferences window, select Accounting from the scroll box.

3	Select the "Use class tracking" checkbox.


You can use a purchase order for items you don't stock or even resell. When you write a purchase order for non-inventory items, you can include these types of items on the PO form:

Non-inventory Part

Service

Other Charge.

When you write purchase orders for non-inventory items, you can still track your open POs to see what you have and have not received. Note, however, that QuickBooks excludes non-inventory items from reports that show items on order.


Editing a purchase order

You can edit a purchase order in the same window where you created it. This is handy when you forget a line item or discover an error when you see the printed form. You can also close out individual line items on the form, or close the entire PO.

Instructions

1	From the Lists menu, choose Purchase Orders.

2	Select the PO you want to edit.

3	Choose Edit from the Ourchase Orders menu button.

4	Edit, as needed, the information on the form.

To close the PO

5	Click OK.


If you have not received all the items you ordered, you can close either part or all of the purchase order manually so that QuickBooks doesn't show the items as "on order" anymore. When you close a PO manually, QuickBooks marks the PO as "Closed."

To . . .	Do this
Close out a line item	Click in the Clsd column on the right end of the line item area.
Close the entire PO	Select the Closed checkbox in the upper right corner of the Create Purchase Orders window.


Finding out what's on order

QuickBooks offers three reports specifically set up to help you track the items you have on order.

Instructions

1	From the Reports menu, choose Inventory Reports.

2	Choose one of these reports:

Choose . . .	To get a report that shows
Stock Status by Item	For each inventory item: your preferred vendor, reorder point, quantity on hand, quantity on order, date items on order are due, quantity sold per week. This report is designed to help with reordering of stock.
Stock Status by Vendor	For each vendor: the reorder point of each inventory item, quantity on hand, quantity on order, date items on order are due, quantity sold per week. This report is designed to help with reordering of stock.
Open Purchase Orders	For each open PO: the date, vendor, PO number, date items are due to be received, total amount of PO.


Receiving items against a purchase order.
Receiving items against a purchase order

When you receive items against a purchase order, the form you use depends on when you pay for the items.

Use this form . . .	If you
Item receipt	Receive the items now but won't get the bill until later.
Bill	Receive the items and the bill at the same time.
Cheque or Credit card	Receive the items and pay for them at the same time.
For details on how to fill out a form, click the form.


Closing a purchase order

When you receive all the items against a purchase order, QuickBooks marks the PO as "Received in Full." In the event that you do not expect to receive all the items you ordered, you can close either part or all of the PO manually so that QuickBooks doesn't show the items as "on order" anymore. When you close a PO manually, QuickBooks marks the PO as "Closed."

To close a line of a purchase order

1	From the Lists menu, choose Purchase Orders.

2	Select the purchase order you want to close items on.

3	Choose Edit from the Purchase Orders menu button.

4	For each item you want to close, click in the Clsd column on the right end of the line item area.

Note. The purchase order remains open as long as it contains at least one line item that is still "open." A line item is open when it has no check mark in the Clsd column.

To close an entire purchase order

1	From the Lists menu, choose Purchase Orders.

2	Select the purchase order you want to close

3	Choose Edit from the Purchase Orders menu button.

4	Select the Closed checkbox in the upper right corner of the Create Purchase Orders window.


Create Purchase Orders window

You use this window to write new purchase orders, and to view and edit previous purchase orders.

For more detail about part of the form, click the diagram.


Amount

This column shows the total value of each line item. QuickBooks automatically inserts an amount each time you enter an item name. The initial amount always assumes a quantity of 1.

When the quantity is more than 1

Enter the correct quantity in the Quantity column.

QuickBooks recalculates the amount based on the new quantity.


Cancel

Cancels what you have entered and closes the Create Purchase Orders window. If you are writing a new purchase order, the purchase order is not recorded. If you are editing a previous purchase order, your changes are not saved.


Class
(Appears only when class tracking is on)

Enter the class name that you want to assign to the purchase order. Classes give you another way to categorize your financial transactions. For example, a general contractor could use classes to distinguish residential from commercial business. When you create reports, you can have QuickBooks group and subtotal transactions by their class.

To add the Class field

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences.

2	In the Preferences window, select Accounting from the scroll box.

3	Select the "Use class tracking" checkbox.


Closed
(Previously recorded purchase orders only)

A checkmark here indicates that the purchase order is closed. When a purchase order is closed you can no longer receive against it.

"Received in full"

This appears across the purchase order when you have received the full quantity of every item listed. QuickBooks automatically selects the Closed checkbox and stamps the purchase order.

To close an open purchase order.

Select the Closed checkbox.

This removes the purchase order from the list of open purchase orders and stamps "CLOSED" across the purchase order. For each item listed, QuickBooks subtracts the unreceived quantity from the quantity on order.

To reopen a purchase order you have closed manually, click the Closed box again.


Clsd (closed)
(Previously recorded purchase orders only)

When a checkmark appears in this column, it means that you have received the full quantity of a particular line item. That line item is now closed, and you can no longer receive against it.

In this example, the first line item is closed, the second is still open:

To close an open line item

Click in the Clsd column of that line item.

When you close a line item for which you still have an unreceived quantity, QuickBooks subtracts the unreceived quantity from the quantity on order.


Date

The date of the purchase order. QuickBooks automatically inserts today's date into this field.

You can enter a different date if you wish.

See also

Shortcuts for dates


Description

This column shows the description of each item on order. QuickBooks fills in the description automatically when you enter an item name. The description comes from your Items list.

To change the description of an item

Enter a new description in place of the one QuickBooks inserted.

This does not change the original description on the Items list.


Expected

The date you expect delivery of your order. QuickBooks automatically inserts today's date into this field.

You can enter a different date if you wish.

See also

Shortcuts for dates


FOB

On an invoice, FOB (which stands for "free on board") refers to the site from which you usually ship your invoiced products. On a purchase order, you can use the FOB field to indicate to the vendor how you want your order to be shipped.

QuickBooks normally leaves this field blank. It does not enter the FOB site you specified in the Sales & Customers Preferences window.


Item

In this column, enter the names of the items you are ordering. As you enter each item, QuickBooks fills in the description of the item and its rate. This information comes from your Item list.

"Item not found."

QuickBooks displays this message if the item name you enter is not on the Item list. To add the new item to the list, click Set Up.


Memo

Enter a note about the purchase order here. You can enter up to 4095 characters.

The beginning of the memo appears on reports that include the purchase order.


Message

You can add a message to the vendor here. The message appears on the purchase order when you print it.


Next

Records the current purchase order and displays the next purchase order.

When you click Next, purchase orders appear in date order. If you are at the most recent purchase order, click Next to display a blank purchase order form.


OK

Records the purchase order and closes the Create Purchase Orders window.

If you want to keep the window open to write another purchase order, click Next instead.


PO Number

The number of your purchase order. For each new purchase order, QuickBooks automatically increments the number by one.

To change the number

Enter a new number in place of the one QuickBooks entered.

QuickBooks then picks up the numbering sequence from the new number. For example if you enter 100, QuickBooks numbers the next purchase order as 101.


Prev

Displays the previous purchase order. When you click Prev, purchase orders appear in reverse date order (most recent first, oldest last).


Preview

Displays a window that shows what the purchase order will look like when you print it.


Print

Prints the current purchase order.

To print all the purchase orders you have not yet printed, choose Print Forms and then Print Purchase Orders from the File menu.


Quantity

Enter the number of units you are ordering into this column. When you enter the quantity, QuickBooks automatically recalculates the amount for the line item.

If you don't enter the quantity, QuickBooks assumes a quantity of 1.


Rate

This column shows the price per unit for each item you are ordering. QuickBooks fills in the rate automatically when you enter an item name. The rate comes from your Items list.

To change the rate

If you want a different rate to appear on the purchase order, enter the new rate in place of the one QuickBooks inserted.

This does not change the original rate on the Items list.


Rcv'd (Received)
(Previously recorded purchase orders only)

This column shows the number of units you have received to date against the purchase order.

Example 1

You write a purchase order for 1000 T-shirts.

The vendor sends you 600 and puts the remaining 400 on backorder.

The Rcv'd column shows 600 (1000 minus 400).

Example 2

200 of the backordered T-shirts come in.

Now the Rcv'd column shows 800 (600 plus the 200 from this shipment).


Receipts

Displays a list of all the transactions that receive against the current purchase order. If you need to see the details of a particular transaction, you can open it directly from the list.


Ship To

Enter your shipping address.


To be printed

A checkmark here indicates that you have not yet printed the purchase order. When you print the purchase order, QuickBooks clears the checkmark.

To print just this purchase order by itself, click Print. To print all the purchase orders you have not yet printed, choose Print Forms and then Print Purchase Orders from the File menu.


Vendor

The vendor's address. If you already have the vendor's address in your QuickBooks records, QuickBooks fills in the address for you when you enter the vendor's name in the Vendor field.


Vendor

Enter the name of the vendor who will receive the purchase order.

When you enter the vendor name, QuickBooks uses what it knows about the vendor to fill in the top half of the purchase order.


Open Purchase Orders window

This window lists the open purchase orders that your company has with a given vendor. From this list, you can select the purchase orders you want to receive against. When you make your selection, QuickBooks enters the line items from the purchase orders in the detail area of the purchase form you are filling out.

To select purchase orders

1	If the Vendor field is blank, enter the name of the vendor from whom you received the merchandise.

2	In the list or purchase orders, click each purchase order you want to receive against.

3	Click OK.


Transaction history window (purchase orders)

This window lists all the transactions that receive against the current purchase order. These could be bills, cheques, item receipts, or credit card receipts.

To . . .	Do this
Go to a transaction	Select the transaction and click Go To.
Go to the purchase order	Click Edit Purch Order.


Setting preferences

What can you do with preferences?

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences.

2	Fill in the Preferences window:

3	Click OK when you have entered all of your changes.

See also

Customizing a business form

Changing the layout of a business form


You use preferences to customize QuickBooks in various ways. Here are a few examples of what you can do through preferences:

Turn payroll off or on.

Change the accounting basis for your reports.

Set your interest rate for finance charges.

Create iconbar buttons to display your most-used reports.

Shorten the Activities and Lists menus.


In the Preferences window, you can set preferences for:

Accounting	Purchases & vendors
Cheques	Reminders
Finance charges	Reports & graphs
General	Sales & customers
Iconbar	GST/PST
Jobs & estimates	Time tracking
Menus
Payroll & employees
Click the area you want to know more about.


Setting accounting preferences

1	In the Preferences window, select Accounting from the scroll box.

2	Select, as needed, one or more of these preferences:

Use account numbers

Show lowest subaccount only

Require accounts

Use class tracking

Use audit trail

For details, click the preference.

3	Click OK.

See also

Setting general preferences


Use account numbers

Gives you the ability to assign numbers to your accounts. When this preference is in effect, a Number field appears in the New Account and Edit Account windows. QuickBooks includes your account numbers in the chart of accounts, in all Account fields, and on reports and graphs.

Scope

This preference affects only the company file you're currently working with. To change this preference for another company file, close the current file and open the other file.


Show lowest subaccount only

This preference is available only if you select Use Account Numbers. It controls how QuickBooks displays subaccounts when you choose a subaccount in the Account field of a transaction.

When this preference is in effect, QuickBooks displays only the lowest subaccount. For example, if the account you select is

5400·Rent:5410·Office:5411·Main

QuickBooks displays

5411·Main

When this preference is off

QuickBooks displays the parent accounts along with the subaccount.

Scope

This preference affects only the company file you're currently working with. To change this preference for another company file, close the current file and open the other file.


Require accounts

Prevents you from recording a transaction unless you have assigned it to an account.

When this preference is off

QuickBooks allows you to record transactions that have no assigned accounts. QuickBooks automatically assigns these transactions to Uncategorized Income or Uncategorized Expense.

Scope

This preference affects only the company file you're currently working with. To change this preference for another company file, close the current file and open the other file.


Use class tracking

Lets you categorize transactions by assigning them to the classes on your Class list.

In QuickBooks, classes give you a way to classify your transactions. You can use QuickBooks' classes to classify your income and expenses by department, business office or location, separate properties you own, or any other meaningful breakdown of the business you do.

For example, a general contractor might classify all income and expenses as relating to either residential or commercial work. A farmer might create a class for each enterprise [image] for example, "Corn," "Pigs," and "Soybeans." At the end of an accounting period, the contractor could create separate reports for the residential and commercial parts of the business. Likewise, the farmer could create separate reports for each farm enterprise.

When this preference is on

QuickBooks includes a Class field on all transactions.

Scope

This preference affects only the company file you're currently working with. To change this preference for another company file, close the current file and open the other file.


Use audit trail

Automatically logs all transaction changes in the audit trail report. This gives you a running account of how each transaction has changed.

When this preference is off

QuickBooks logs only the most recent version of each transaction in the audit trail report.

Scope

This preference affects only the company file you're currently working with. To change this preference for another company file, close the current file and open the other file.


Using account numbers

What can you do with account numbers?

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences.

2	In the Preferences window, select Accounting from the scroll box.

3	Select the "Use account numbers" checkbox.

4	(Optional) Select the "Show lowest subaccount only" checkbox.

What this does

5	Click OK.

See also

Setting accounting preferences


If you're accustomed to using account numbers in your chart of accounts, you can set up QuickBooks so that your chart of accounts shows an account number next to each account name, like this:

2000 Accounts Payable

2100 Payroll Liabilities

etc.

When you assign an account number to a new account, QuickBooks inserts the number before the account name in the chart of accounts. The account number also appears in Account fields, in reports that list the account, and on graphs.


"Show lowest subaccount only" suppresses the display of parent accounts when you enter an account name in a transaction. You see only the accounts you are working with, not the higher level accounts.

Example. You write a cheque and assign the expense to this account:

5400·Rent: 5410·Office: 5411·Main

QuickBooks shortens the account path so that you see only the following:

5411·Main


Setting up class tracking

What is class tracking?

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences.

2	In the Preferences window, select Accounting from the scroll box.

3	Select the "Use class tracking" checkbox.

4	Click OK.

See also

Setting accounting preferences


In QuickBooks, classes give you a way to classify your transactions. You can use QuickBooks' classes to classify your income and expenses by department, business office or location, separate properties you own, or any other meaningful breakdown of the business you do.

For example, a general contractor might classify all income and expenses as relating to either residential or commercial work. A farmer might create a class for each enterprise [image] for example, "Corn," "Pigs," and "Soybeans." At the end of an accounting period, the contractor could create separate reports for the residential and commercial parts of the business. Likewise, the farmer could create separate reports for each farm enterprise.


Setting checking preferences
Setting cheque preferences

1	In the Preferences window, select Cheques from the scroll box.

2	Select, as needed, one or more of these options:

Print account names on voucher

Change cheque date when cheque is printed

Start with payee field on cheque

Warn about duplicate cheque numbers

3	Click OK.

See also

Setting general preferences


Print account names on voucher
(voucher and payroll cheques only)

Prints the following information on the voucher portion of each cheque:

Payee

Date

Account name (first 16 lines). Exceptions: QuickBooks prints the name of the payroll item on payroll cheques, and the name of the inventory item on cheques for inventory purchases.

Memo (first 16 lines)

Amount (first 16 lines)

Total amount

When this preference is off

QuickBooks omits the account (or item) names but prints all of the other information listed above.

Scope

This preference affects only the company file you're currently working with. To change this preference for another company file, close the current file and open the other file.


Change cheque date when cheque is printed

Changes the date on a cheque to today's date when you print the cheque.

Example

You write a cheque on March 15, but do not print it yet.

The date on the cheque is March 15.

You print the cheque on March 20.

Now the date on the cheque is March 20.

When this preference is off

QuickBooks retains the date you wrote the cheque.

Scope

This preference affects only the company file you're currently working with. To change this preference for another company file, close the current file and open the other file.


Start with payee field on cheque

Positions the text cursor so that the name of the payee is the first item you enter when you write a cheque, enter a bill, or enter a credit card charge.

For . .	The cursor starts in the
Cheques	Payee field.
Bills	Vendor field.
Credit card charges	"Purchased from" field.
When this preference is off

The cursor starts in the Bank Account field when you write cheques and the Credit Card field when you enter credit card charges. For bills, if you have more than one accounts payable account, the cursor starts in the A/P Account field; otherwise, it starts in the Vendor field.

Scope

This preference affects only the company file you're currently working with. To change this preference for another company file, close the current file and open the other file.


Warn about duplicate cheque numbers

Causes QuickBooks to warn you when you try to record a cheque that has the same number as a previous cheque.

The warning causes QuickBooks to take more time to record a cheque. If you are not concerned about duplicate cheque numbers, do not select this preference.

Scope

This preference affects only the company file you're currently working with. To change this preference for another company file, close the current file and open the other file.


Setting up for finance charges

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences.

2	In the Preferences window, select Finance Charges from the scroll box.

3	Enter your annual interest rate, minimum finance charge, and grace period.

What to enter

4	Enter the name of the account you use to track income from finance charges. Usually, this is an income account.

5	(Optional) If you don't want QuickBooks to assess finance charges on overdue finance charges, clear the checkbox for assessing overdue finance charges.

6	Indicate the date (due date or invoice/billed date) you want QuickBooks to calculate finance charges from.

What these two dates mean

7	(Optional) If you want to be able to print all your finance charge invoices in a single operation, select the "Mark finance charge invoices as 'To be printed'" checkbox.

If you send statements. Leave this checkbox unselected.

8	Click OK.

See also

Assessing finance charges

Setting preferences for sales and customers

Setting general preferences


Annual interest rate. This is the interest rate QuickBooks will use to calculate finance charges. QuickBooks assumes the rate is a percentage. For example, you would type 12.5 if your rate is 12.5%.

Minimum finance charge. If you want QuickBooks to apply a minimum finance charge regardless of the amount overdue, enter the minimum charge here.

Grace period (days). If you want to give your customers a grace period before finance charges apply, enter the length of the grace period in days. This delays the application of finance charges. For example, if the starting date is June 1st and the grace period is 3 days, QuickBooks waits until June 4th to assess finance charges.

Scope

This preference affects only the company file you're currently working with. To change this preference for another company file, close the current file and open the other file.


Select . . .	If you want the charges to start
Due date	The day the invoice or statement is due. For example, if a customer is 5 days overdue on an invoice that was due in 30 days, QuickBooks assesses finance charges on the 5 overdue days, but not the original 30 days.
Transaction date	The day you wrote the invoice or statement. For example, if a customer is 5 days overdue on an invoice that was due in 30 days, QuickBooks assesses finance charges on the full 35 days (the 30 days to pay plus the 5 overdue days).
Scope

This preference affects only the company file you're currently working with. To change this preference for another company file, close the current file and open the other file.


Setting general preferences

1	In the Preferences window, select General from the scroll box.

2	(Optional) Select whether you want QuickBooks to display portions of an hour in a decimal format or a minutes format.

Examples

3	Choose which windows you want to be open on your QuickBooks desktop when you open your company file.

What the desktop options do

4	(Optional) Select, as needed, one or more of these preferences:

Pressing Enter moves between fields

Automatically place decimal point

Automatically recall last transaction for this name

Warn when editing a transaction

Warn when deleting a transaction or unused list item

Beep when recording a transaction

Never update name information when saving transactions

Turn on all one time messages

5	Click OK.

See also

Setting reminders for yourself

Moving menu items


Decimal format

When you select this format, QuickBooks automatically interprets all time entries as decimal fractions. For example, if you enter 4:30, QuickBooks converts your entry to 4.5, that is 4 and one half hours.

Minutes format

When you select this format, QuickBooks automatically interprets all time entries as hours and minutes. For example, if you enter 4.5, QuickBooks converts your entry to 4:30, that is 4 hours and 30 minutes.

Scope

This preference affects all the company files you use with QuickBooks.


Select . . .	When you want . . .
Save when closing company	The desktop to appear like it was in when you closed your company file. When you return to the file, the windows you were using reopen in the same position as before on your QuickBooks desktop.
Save current desktop	The windows that are currently open to be the ones that appear when you return to your company file. Use this option when you want to ensure that the same windows will always open, regardless of which windows were open when you closed the file.
Don't save the desktop	No QuickBooks windows to open when you return to your company file.
Keep previously saved desktop	You want to go back to the desktop you saved prior to the current desktop. This option appears only when "Save current desktop is selected."
Scope

This preference affects all the company files you use with QuickBooks.


Pressing enter moves between fields

Causes QuickBooks to move the text cursor to the next field when you press Enter.

When this preference is off

QuickBooks records the current transaction when you press Enter.

Scope

This preference affects all the company files you use with QuickBooks.


Automatically place decimal point

Automatically inserts a decimal point between the second and third digit from the right when you enter a number with no decimal point. For example, if you type 4995, the number becomes 49.95.

When this preference is off

QuickBooks places a decimal point at the end when you enter a number with no decimal point.  For example, if you type 4995, the number becomes 4995.00.

Scope

This preference affects all the company files you use with QuickBooks.


Automatically recall last transaction for this name

Turns on AutoRecall, QuickBooks' automatic data entry feature. When you enter a name, QuickBooks automatically completes the transaction by filling in what you entered in the last transaction of that type for that person. For example, if you enter a vendor's name on a bill and press Tab, QuickBooks fills in the entire bill, just like the last one you entered for that vendor. If you have more than one previous bill from the vendor, QuickBooks bases the new bill on the bill with the most recent date.

Restrictions. AutoRecall works only with bills, cheques, or credit card charges. You cannot use AutoRecall with purchase orders, invoices, cash sales receipts, payroll liability cheques, or credit memos. Also, you cannot AutoRecall a transaction from one account to another. For example, if you have two chequing accounts, you cannot write a cheque in one account, go to the other account, and then AutoRecall the cheque in the other account.

When AutoRecall is off. QuickBooks does not complete transactions automatically. You still have the ability to use a transaction from the Memorized Transaction list, however.

Scope. This preference affects all the company files you use with QuickBooks.


Warn when editing a transaction

Causes QuickBooks to ask you if you want to record a transaction when you make changes to the transaction and then click Next or Prev.

When this preference is not in effect, QuickBooks automatically records your changes to a transaction when you click Next or Prev [image] provided that the transaction has no links to any other transaction. If the transaction has links, QuickBooks asks you if you want to record the changes.

Scope

This preference affects all the company files you use with QuickBooks.


Warn when deleting a transaction or unused list item

Causes QuickBooks to display a warning message when you try to delete a transaction or a list item not currently in use.

Scope

This preference affects all the company files you use with QuickBooks.


Beep when recording a transaction

Causes QuickBooks to beep each time you record a transaction.

Scope

This preference affects all the company files you use with QuickBooks.


Never update name information when saving transactions

If you select this preference, QuickBooks does not update name information (recorded in your lists) when you enter new information about that name in a transaction. For example, if you enter a new billing address for a customer on an invoice, QuickBooks won't update your Customer:Job list with the new address.

If you clear this preference, QuickBooks asks you if you want to update the information for a name after you change the information in a transaction.

Scope

This preference affects only the company file you're currently working with. To change this preference for another company file, close the current file and open the other file.


Turn on all one time messages

One time messages provide helpful information on how to use QuickBooks. When one of these messages appears, you can turn it off so that it doesn't appear again.

This preference restores all one time messages that you have turned off.

Scope

This preference affects all the company files you use with QuickBooks.


Hide Qcards for all windows

Removes Qcards from all QuickBooks windows.

When this preference is off

You can still remove the Qcards from a specific window by clicking the Qcard icon when you are in that window.

Scope

This preference affects all the company files you use with QuickBooks.


Saving your desktop arrangement
Changing how QuickBooks saves your desktop

QuickBooks saves your desktop arrangement when you close your company file. When you return to the file, the same windows are open in the same position as when you closed the file. If you want, you can change what QuickBooks does when you close the file.

Instructions

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences.

2	In the Preferences window, select General in the scroll box.

3	Under Desktop, select the display option you want:

Select . . .	To do this
Save current desktop	Have the windows that are open now always be there when you reopen your company file.
Don't save desktop	Have no windows open when you reopen your company file.
4	Click OK.


Turning the Qcards off and on

If you don't need assistance from the Qcards, you can turn them off so that they don't appear while you are using QuickBooks.

To turn the Qcards off

Click the Qcard icon. To show you that the Qcards are off, QuickBooks removes the yellow Qcard symbol from the icon.

To turn the Qcards on again

Click the Qcard icon again.


Setting up the iconbar

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences.

2	In the Preferences window, select Iconbar from the scroll box.

3	Select one of these options to indicate how much of the iconbar you want to display:

Show icons and text

Show icons only

Show text only

Don't show iconbar

For details, click the option.

4	Do, as needed, any or all of the following:

Add a new command

Add a space between two buttons

Edit a button

Move a button to a different position

Delete a button

For details, click the task.

5	Click OK.

See also

Adding a button to the iconbar

Setting general preferences


Show icons and text

Displays the iconbar, showing both the picture and name for each button.

Scope

This preference affects all the company files you use with QuickBooks.


Show icons only

Remove the names of the buttons from the iconbar. This option slightly reduces the height of the iconbar on your screen.

If your screen is set to 640 x 480 resolution, you may not have enough room to display the Navigator together with the full iconbar. You can solve this problem by using this preference to reduce the size of the iconbar.

Scope

This preference affects all the company files you use with QuickBooks.


Show text only

Remove the pictures from the buttons on the iconbar. With this option, the iconbar occupies as little space as possible on your screen.

If your screen is set to 640 x 480 resolution, you may not have enough room to display the Navigator together with the full iconbar. You can solve this problem by using this preference to reduce the size of the iconbar.

Scope

This preference affects all the company files you use with QuickBooks.


Don't show iconbar

Removes the iconbar from your screen.

To display the iconbar again, click one of the other three options ("Show icons and text," "Show icons only," or "Show text only.")

Scope

This preference affects all the company files you use with QuickBooks.


Adding a button to the iconbar

What can you do with iconbar buttons?

1	Display the register, list, business form, report, or graph you want the new button to display.

For example, if you want the button to display your chequing account register, open that register.

2	From the Window menu, choose Add To Iconbar.

3	From the list of pictures, select the picture you want to appear on the button.

4	In the Name field, enter a name for the button.

Tip. Keep the name short [image] the button is only wide enough to show seven or eight letters.

5	(Optional) Enter a description of the button's task in the Description field.

The description is purely for your information. It does not appear on the button.

6	Click OK to save your changes.

What if . . .

The new button displays your report incorrectly?

What you want the button to do doesn't involve a register, list, form, report, or graph?

See also

Setting up the iconbar


You can add buttons to the iconbar as shortcuts for activities you repeat often. Here are some examples of what you can do:

Add a button that displays your chequing account register.

Add a button that displays your monthly sales report.

Add a button that displays your Employee list.

You can associate a button with any account register, list, business form, report, or graph.


When you created the button, you may have had the wrong settings in effect for the report. The new button uses those settings to create the report.

To solve this problem, do the following:

1	Delete the button.

2	Display the report again.

3	If needed, click Filters to change the scope of the report.

4	If needed, click Customize to change the appearance of the report.

5	From the Window menu, choose Add To Iconbar.

See also

Deleting a button from the iconbar

Changing the scope of a report

Customizing a report


For certain tasks, you must go to the Preferences window to add the task to the iconbar. These tasks are:

Backing up your company data

Displaying the Windows calculator

Displaying online Help

Selecting names for mail merge

Opening a company file

Opening the current register

Showing/hiding Qcards

Displaying a transaction history or journal report.

See also

Adding a command to the iconbar


Adding a command to the iconbar

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences.

2	In the Preferences window, select Iconbar from the scroll box.

3	Click Add.

4	In the Add Iconbar Item window, select the task you want to add to the iconbar.

5	From the list of pictures, select the picture you want to appear on the button.

6	In the Name field, enter a name for the button.

Tip. Keep the name short [image] the button is only wide enough to show seven or eight letters.

7	(Optional) Enter a description of the button's task in the Description field.

The description is purely for your information. It does not appear on the button.

8	Click OK to save your changes.

What if . . .

You want the button to display a particular list, register, report, business form or graph


You can add the button by first displaying the list, register, report, business form. or graph and then choosing Add to Iconbar from the Window menu.

See also

Adding a button to the iconbar


Add Window to Iconbar window

You use this window to create an iconbar button that displays the window you just came from. For example, if you had just created a report, the new button re-creates the report.

To create the button

1	From the list of pictures, select a picture for the button.

2	In the Name field, enter a name for the button.

Tip. Keep the name short [image] the button is only wide enough to show seven or eight letters.

3	(Optional) Enter a description of the button's task in the Description field.

The description is purely for your information. It does not appear on the button.

See also

Setting up the iconbar


Add/Edit Iconbar Item window
Add Iconbar Item window

You use this window to add a new button to the iconbar.

To add a new button

1	From the list of tasks on the far left, select the task you want the button to perform.

2	From the list icons, select the picture you want to appear on the button.

3	In the Name field, enter a name for the button.

Tip. Keep the name short [image] the button is only wide enough to show seven or eight letters.

4	(Optional) Enter a description of the button's task in the Description field.

The description is purely for your information. It does not appear on the button.

See also

Setting up the iconbar


Editing an iconbar button

1	In the Preferences window, select Iconbar from the scroll box.

2	In the list of buttons, select the button you want to edit.

3	Click Edit.

4	(Optional) From the list of pictures, select a new picture for the button.

5	(Optional) In the Name field, change the name of the button.

Tip. Keep the name short [image] the button is only wide enough to show seven or eight letters.

6	Click OK to save your changes.

See also

Setting up the iconbar


Edit Iconbar Item window

You use this window to change the picture, name, or description for the iconbar button you've selected.

To edit a button

Change, as needed, the information shown about the button:

To change the. . .	Do this
Picture	Choose the new picture from the list of icons.
Name	Enter the new name in the Name field. To fit on the button, keep the name to seven characters or less.
Description	Enter the new description in the Description field. This is for your information only [image] the description does not appear on the button.
See also

Setting up the iconbar


Moving a button on the iconbar

1	In the Preferences window, select Iconbar from the scroll box.

2	In the list of buttons, drag the button you want to move to its new location:

Click the diamond next to the button.

While holding down the left mouse button, drag the diamond up or down in the list.

When you reach the position where you want the button to appear, release the mouse button.

3	Repeat Step 2 for any other buttons you want to move.

4	Click OK.

See also

Setting up the iconbar


Adding a space between two iconbar buttons

1	In the Preferences window, select Iconbar from the scroll box.

2	Select the button after which you want the space to appear.

3	Click Space.

The amount of space is equal to 1/3 of the width of a button. To create a wider gap, simply add more units of space.

4	Click OK.

See also

Setting up the iconbar


Deleting a button from the iconbar

1	In the Preferences window, select Iconbar from the scroll box.

2	Select the button you want to delete.

3	Click Delete.

This is not a permanent change. You can add the button back anytime.

4	Click OK.

See also

Setting up the iconbar


Setting up for job tracking and estimates

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences.

2	In the Preferences window, select Jobs & Estimates from the scroll box.

3	(Optional) Change the text of any or all of the five job status descriptions.

What are job status descriptions? How are they used?

4	If you create estimates:

Make sure that Yes is selected in response to the question "Do you create estimates?"

If you want to be warned when you try to record an estimate that has the same number as an existing estimate, select the "Warn about duplicate estimate numbers" checkbox.

5	If you do progress invoicing:

Make sure that Yes is selected in response to the question "Do you do progress invoicing?"

Choose the template you want to use as your default form for creating progress invoices.

Specify whether you want line items that have zero amounts to print on your progress invoices.

6	Click OK.

See also

Setting preferences for sales and customers

Setting preferences for time tracking


The job status descriptions give you a way to record the progress of a job. If any of the descriptions are inappropriate for your business, you can change them. For example, you could change "Pending" to "Submitted," or "Awarded" to "Accepted."

How to use the descriptions

When you are setting up a job (in the New Job window), editing information about a job (in the Edit Job window), or entering job information (in the Job Information window), you can choose one of the status descriptions and apply it to the job. The status you assign to a job appears in the Customer:Job list and in job administration reports.

If a job's status changes, you must edit the job information and assign a new status description to the job. QuickBooks Pro will not do this for you.

Scope

This preference affects only the company file you're currently working with. To change this preference for another company file, close the current file and open the other file.


Progress invoicing

Progress invoicing, also called progress billing or partial billing, is invoicing from an estimate in stages instead of for the full estimate.

When you turn progress invoicing on in QuickBooks, you can create an estimate for part of an invoice. QuickBooks gives you the choice of invoicing either for a fixed percentage of the entire estimate, or for different percentages of each line item on the estimate. You can also show on the invoice how much of the estimate you have previously billed to the customer.

If you decide to turn progress invoicing off in QuickBooks, you can still create an invoice from an entire estimate and then edit the invoice. The invoice, however, will not include previous totals billed for the job or comparisons to the estimate.


Progress invoice template

As with other business forms, QuickBooks provides a standard form you can use when you invoice for part of an estimate. The form [image] or template [image] is called Progress Invoice.

In addition the standard columns for line items (Item, Description, Quantity, Rate, and Amount), the Progress Invoice provides these additional columns:

Est Amt  (Estimated amount for each item).

Prior %  (Percentage of each estimated amount you billed on prior invoices).

Curr %  (Percentage of each estimated amount you are billing on the current invoice.)

Total %  (Combined percentages of the Prior% and Curr % columns).

If the Progress Invoice doesn't meet your business needs, you can create your own custom template and use it as the default form for progress invoicing.

Scope

This preference affects only the company file you're currently working with. To change this preference for another company file, close the current file and open the other file.

See also

Customizing a business form

Laying out a business form


Moving menu items

What can you move? To where?

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences.

2	In the Preferences window, select Menus from the scroll box.

3	Select the checkbox of each menu item you want to move from the Activities menu or the Lists menu to the Other submenu..

Items you do not select remain on either the Activities menu or the Lists menu.

4	Click OK.

See also

Setting general preference


Because the Activities and the Lists menu are both rather long, QuickBooks allows you to move some of the choices on each menu to an Other submenu that appears at the end of the Activities menu and the end of the Lists menu. In this example, several lists have been moved to the Other submenu of the Lists menu:

If there are certain activities you rarely perform, or lists you rarely use, you can move those menu items out of your way.


Setting preferences for payroll

When do you need to set preferences for payroll?

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences.

2	In the Preferences window, select Payroll & Employees from the scroll box.

3	If you need to turn on payroll, select one of these preferences:

Full payroll features

Payroll reports only

For more detail, click the preference.

4	In the Tax Office name field, enter the tax office.

5	In the Tax Office number and Reference field, enter the number and reference of the Tax Office.

6	Select the printing preferences you want to be in effect when you print pay cheques:

Print employee address on cheque voucher

Print sick information on cheque voucher

Print vacation information on cheque voucher

Print pay period in cheque memo

For details, click the preference.

7	Among these preferences, select the ones you want to be in effect when you use payroll:

Hide pay rate on Select Employees to Pay window

Recall quantity field on pay cheques

Print Employee List one per page

Report all payroll taxes by Customer:Job

For details, click the preference.

8	If you use classes to categorize your expenses, specify whether to assign one class to an entire pay cheque, or a separate class to each earnings item on the pay cheque.

What these preferences do

9	Choose how you want QuickBooks to sort your Employee list.

10	(Optional) If you want to set up your employee template now, click Employee Template.

11	Click OK.

See also

Setting up your employee template

Setting general preferences


If you answered "No" to the question about using QuickBooks for payroll, you must use the Payroll & Employees section of the Preferences window to turn on Payroll.

If you are already using QuickBooks payroll, you can use the Payroll & Employees section of the Preferences window to do the following:

Choose what QuickBooks prints in the voucher area and on the memo line of your payroll cheques.

Remove salary information from the Select Employees to Pay window.

Change how QuickBooks sorts and prints your payroll list.

Scope

This preference affects only the company file you're currently working with. To change this preference for another company file, close the current file and open the other file.


Full payroll features

This preference gives you access to all the payroll features in QuickBooks. You'll be able to:

Write and print pay cheques.

Create payroll reports.

Track and pay your payroll-related liabilities.

Print T4s and create and print PD7A forms.

When Payroll is off

You will not see any of the payroll-related commands or the payroll button on the iconbar. Your records, however, will still contain any payroll information you have entered.

Scope

This preference affects only the company file you're currently working with. To change this preference for another company file, close the current file and open the other file.


Payroll reports only

This preference turns off the main features of QuickBooks payroll, but gives you the ability to create payroll reports. You may find this preference useful if you don't use QuickBooks payroll to pay your employees, but you still need to track payroll-related expenses.

When you select this preference, QuickBooks does the following:

Adds a Payroll Info command to the File Menu. You use this command to identify the accounts you use to track payroll-related expenses.

Adds a report [image] the payroll report [image] to the Other Reports submenu of the Reports menu. This report summarizes all the transactions related to the accounts listed in the Payroll Information window.

Scope

This preference affects only the company file you're currently working with. To change this preference for another company file, close the current file and open the other file.


Print employee address on cheque voucher

This preference lets you control whether the employee's address prints on the voucher portion of each pay cheque.

Scope

This preference affects only the company file you're currently working with. To change this preference for another company file, close the current file and open the other file.


Print sick information on cheque voucher

This preference lets you specify whether employees' available sick hours print on paystubs and the voucher portion of pay cheques.

Scope

This preference affects only the company file you're currently working with. To change this preference for another company file, close the current file and open the other file.


Print vacation information on cheque voucher

This preference lets you specify whether an employee's available vacation hours print on paystubs and the voucher portion of pay cheques.

Scope

This preference affects only the company file you're currently working with. To change this preference for another company file, close the current file and open the other file.


Print pay period in cheque memo

This preference lets you control whether the pay period dates print on the Memo line of each payroll cheque. (The date always prints on the voucher portion of the cheque.)

Scope

This preference affects only the company file you're currently working with. To change this preference for another company file, close the current file and open the other file.


Hide pay rate on Select Employees to Pay window

This preference lets you choose whether the salaries and hourly rates for employees appears in the Select Employees to Pay window. (If you're concerned about unauthorised access to payroll information, you can also set up a password to restrict editing and viewing of payroll transactions.)

Scope

This preference affects only the company file you're currently working with. To change this preference for another company file, close the current file and open the other file.


Recall quantity field on pay cheques

When this preference is in effect, QuickBooks automatically carries forward quantities from last pay period's pay cheques. QuickBooks carries forward quantities for all payroll items that are based on quantity, and part of the employee's payroll record.

Use this preference when you have a fixed quantity that recurs from pay cheque to pay cheque. Examples include tiered commissions where the commission is a flat amount for each tier, and some types of workers' compensation insurance where the premium is based on the number of hours worked (if your employees typically work the same number of hours each pay period, the premium would always be the same).

Restriction. If you add a payroll item to a pay cheque and answer "No" when QuickBooks asks you if you want to add the item to the employee's record, QuickBooks does not carry the quantity forward to the next pay cheque.

Scope

This preference affects only the company file you're currently working with. To change this preference for another company file, close the current file and open the other file.


Print Employee List one per page

This preference prints each employee's payroll information on a separate page when you print your Employee list. You can then file each employee's page with your other paper records for the employee.

Scope

This preference affects only the company file you're currently working with. To change this preference for another company file, close the current file and open the other file.


Report all payroll taxes by Customer:Job, service item, and class

The wording of this preference varies according to whether you have turned on class tracking, time tracking, or both.

If you select this preference, reports of expenses by job, item, or class break down company-paid payroll expenses not only for salaries and hourly wages, but also for the following:

Company-paid payroll taxes

Additions, commissions, and company contributions if the "Track expenses by job" checkbox is selected in the setup window for the individual payroll items.

QuickBooks prorates the company-paid expenses for an employee in the same proportions as you prorated the dollar amounts of the employee's earnings.

Scope

This preference affects only the company file you're currently working with. To change this preference for another company file, close the current file and open the other file.


QuickBooks gives you two ways to use classes with payroll data. You can either assign a single class to each pay cheque you write, or you can assign a separate class to each payroll item that appears in the Earnings section of a pay cheque.

Entire pay cheque. If you select this preference, when you assign a class to an employee's pay cheque, QuickBooks assigns the class to all payroll expenses, including company-paid taxes, on the cheque. If you use time tracking you will not be able to assign classes to activities performed by employees whose time data you transfer directly to payroll. (This restriction doesn't apply to vendors, people on the Other Names list, and employees whose time data you don't transfer.)

Earnings item. If you select this preference, QuickBooks adds a Class column to the Earnings section of the Preview Payment window, giving you the ability to assign a separate class to each payroll item listed in the Earnings section. If you use time tracking, you can assign classes to activities performed by anyone.


Setting preferences for purchases and vendors

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences.

2	In the Preferences window, select Purchases & Vendors from the scroll box.

3	For purchase orders and inventory, select, as needed, one or more of these preferences:

Inventory and purchase orders are active

Warn if not enough inventory to sell

Warn about duplicate purchase order numbers

4	For bills, enter the number of days you want QuickBooks to use when it calculates the due date of your bills.

How QuickBooks uses the date

5	Indicate whether you want QuickBooks to warn you try to record a bill that has the same number as an existing bill.

The bills do not have to be from the same vendor for the warning to occur.

6	Click OK.

See also

Setting preferences for sales and customers

Setting general preferences


Inventory and purchase orders are active

Gives you access to the inventory-related features of QuickBooks. When this preference is in effect, you can create inventory part items, write purchase orders, and create inventory-related reports.

When you created your company, QuickBooks asked whether you tracked inventory. If you answered "Yes," QuickBooks turned this preference on for you.

Scope

This preference affects only the company file you're currently working with. To change this preference for another company file, close the current file and open the other file.


Warn if not enough inventory to sell

Causes QuickBooks to warn you when you try to sell more of an item than you currently have in inventory.

Scope

This preference affects only the company file you're currently working with. To change this preference for another company file, close the current file and open the other file.


Warn about duplicate purchase order numbers

Causes QuickBooks to warn you when you try to record a purchase order that has the same number as a previous purchase order.

The warning causes QuickBooks to take more time to record a purchase order. If you are not concerned about duplicate purchase order numbers, do not select this preference.

Scope

This preference affects only the company file you're currently working with. To change this preference for another company file, close the current file and open the other file.


QuickBooks initially assumes that bills are due 10 days after receipt. This means that if you enter a bill dated January 1, QuickBooks will show January 11th as the due date. QuickBooks uses the due date to determine when to add the bill to the "Bills to pay" section of your Reminders list.


Setting reminders for yourself

How reminders work in QuickBooks

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences.

2	In the Preferences window, select Reminders from the scroll box.

3	For each type of event listed, choose how much detail you would like the Reminders list to show.

What the choices mean

4	For the date-driven events, enter the number of days in advance that you would like QuickBooks to add a reminder to the list.

5	(Optional) If you want to see the Reminders list each time you start QuickBooks, select the "Show Reminders list when QuickBooks starts" checkbox.

6	Click OK.

See also

Setting general preferences


You can have QuickBooks remind you when it's time to pay bills, print forms such as invoices and purchase orders, print cheques, deposit money in the bank, enter memorized transactions, act on overdue invoices, or act on To Do notes you've created for yourself. These reminders appear on your Reminders list.


Click . . .	If you want the list to show
Show Summary	A one line summary that shows the total amount of the transactions due. For To Do notes, QuickBooks displays the total number of notes due and past due as of the current date.
Show List	A list of all the transactions due with their individual amounts. For To Do notes, QuickBooks lists the text of each note.
Don't Remind Me	No information at all.
Scope

This preference affects all the company files you use with QuickBooks.


Setting preferences for reports and graphs

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences.

2	In the Preferences window, select Reports & Graphs from the scroll box.

3	Indicate whether you want QuickBooks to create your reports and graphs on an accrual or a cash basis.

Which basis should you choose?

Select whether reports and graphs should show tax on a Net or Gross basis.

4	Indicate whether you want reports and graphs to show aging from the due date or the transaction date.

What the difference is

5	Select the type of account information to show in reports.

You can have QuickBooks print just the account description on reports, or the account name together with the description.

6	(Optional) Click Format to change how QuickBooks formats and displays your reports.

What you can change

7	(Optional) Select "Display Customize Report window automatically."

What this preference does

8	(Optional) For graphs, select one or both of these preferences:

Draw graphs in 2D

Use patterns

For details, click the preference.

9	Click OK.

See also

Setting general preferences


Select . . .	If you
Accrual	You regard income occurring as of your invoice dates and expenses as of your bill dates
Cash	You regard income occurring as of the dates you receive payments from customers and expenses as of the dates you make payments to vendors.
Which reports are affected?

This preference affects most summary reports (reports that summarize amounts and do not list transactions).

Scope

This preference affects all the company files you use with QuickBooks.


Aging refers to the tracking of outstanding invoices and unpaid bills. For both A/R (accounts receivable) and A/P (accounts payable), QuickBooks offers preset aging reports that show how much is currently due, and how much is overdue. For example, an A/R aging summary report breaks down what your customers owe so that you can see how much is

Currently due.

31 to 60 days overdue.

61 to 90 days overdue.

Over 90 days overdue.

This preference sets the starting point for counting the number of overdue days. You can have QuickBooks start from either the due date that appears on an invoice, statement, or bill, or from the date you wrote an invoice, wrote a statement, or received a bill.

Scope

This preference affects all the company files you use with QuickBooks.

Which reports are affected?

This preference affects all aging reports and graphs for accounts receivable and accounts payable.


Age from transaction date

Uses the transaction date as the starting point for tracking unpaid invoices and bills. This preference affects A/R and A/P aging reports.

Scope

This preference affects all the company files you use with QuickBooks.


This preference opens the Customize Report window automatically when you create a report.

You can use this window to change the date range of the report, add or delete columns, or go to another window where you select which transactions and accounts appear in the report.

When this preference is off

The Customize Report window doesn't appear. To display it, you must click Customize on the report's buttonbar after you create the report.

Scope

This preference affects all the company files you use with QuickBooks.


The Format button displays a window where you can:

Change the fonts for your reports.

Choose how QuickBooks displays negative amounts in a report.

Show all report amounts as thousands of pouns ($ x 1000).

Eliminate pennies from all report amounts.

Eliminate all zero amounts from reports.

The changes you make affect all of your reports. You can also customize your reports on an individual basis when you create them.

Scope

This preference affects all the company files you use with QuickBooks.


Draw graphs in 2D

This preference draws graphs in two dimensions instead of three, like this:

Because there is one less dimension to draw, QuickBooks draws the graphs faster.

When this preference is off

QuickBooks draws graphs in three dimensions.

Scope

This preference affects only the company file you're currently working with. To change this preference for another company file, close the current file and open the other file.


Use patterns

This preference draws graphs by using patterns to differentiate the bars, pie segments, and legend entries, like this:

When this preference is off

QuickBooks uses colour to differentiate the bars, pie segments, and legend entries in graphs.  (If you do not have a colour monitor, QuickBooks uses shades of grey.)

Scope

This preference affects only the company file you're currently working with. To change this preference for another company file, close the current file and open the other file.


Putting your reports and graphs on a cash or accrual basis

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences.

2	In the Preferences window, select Reports & Graphs from the scroll box.

3	Under "Summary Report Basis," select the accounting basis that you want for reports and graphs.

Which basis should you choose?

4	Click OK.

What if . . .

You want to change the basis of transaction reports?

See also

Setting preferences for reports and graphs


When you create a transaction detail report, QuickBooks displays the report on an accrual basis, regardless of the preference you selected. However, you can customize the report to be on a cash basis. Transaction reports, in contrast to transaction detail reports, are always on an accrual basis and cannot be changed to a cash basis.

Accrual-basis transaction and transaction detail reports show a single amount for each transaction. QuickBooks displays this amount in the Amount column.

Cash-basis transaction detail reports have two amount columns for each transaction. A sale transaction can be composed of an invoice amount and a payment. A purchase transaction can be composed of a bill amount and a bill payment. QuickBooks displays these amounts in the Original Amount column and the Paid Amount column, respectively.

Cash-basis transaction detail reports are quite complex, especially when they include transactions with items that affect balance sheet accounts. These items include inventory items associated with an other current asset account for inventory. Although the reports may seem confusing, they are correct.


Setting preferences for sales and customers

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences.

2	In the Preferences window, select Sales & Customers from the scroll box.

3	(Optional) Enter the shipping method you use most often.

When you specify a shipping method, QuickBooks automatically fills in the Ship Via field on each sales form where the field appears.

4	(Optional) Change the default markup percentage.

How QuickBooks uses the markup percentage

5	(Optional) Enter the FOB location you use most often.

When you specify an FOB site, QuickBooks automatically fills in the FOB field on each sales form where the field appears.

6	Select, as needed, one or more of these preferences:

Track reimbursed expenses as income

Automatically apply payments

Warn about duplicate invoice numbers

For details, click the preference.

7	Click OK.

See also

Setting up for finance charges

Setting preferences for purchases and vendors

Setting general preferences


FOB, which stands for "free on board," refers to the site from which you usually ship your invoiced products. It has no accounting implications within QuickBooks.

When you specify an FOB site, QuickBooks automatically fills in the FOB field on each sales form where the field appears.


QuickBooks uses the percentage you enter to calculate the sales price of items that have both a cost and a sales price.

You'll see the effect of the default markup percentage when you create inventory part, non-inventory part, service, and other charge items. When you enter the item's cost, QuickBooks automatically calculates the sales price and enters it in the Sales price field. For example, entering a cost of $10.00 when the markup is 25% causes QuickBooks to fill in the sales price as $12.50. If you don't want to use the default markup for a particular item, simply change the sales price that QuickBooks fills in.


Track reimbursable expenses as income

This preference lets you track an expense and your customer's reimbursement for the expense in separate accounts.

When this preference is on, QuickBooks adds this checkbox and field to the New and Edit Account windows for expense accounts:

This lets you select an income account to track reimbursable income. When you bill a customer for this type of expense, QuickBooks records the customer's payment in the income account.  This is useful when you charge sales tax on reimbursement income.

When this preference is off

QuickBooks does not let you track customer reimbursements in a separate income account. The income you receive for reimbursable expenses posts to the expense account, thus canceling the original expense.

Scope

This preference affects only the company file you're currently working with. To change this preference for another company file, close the current file and open the other file.


Automatically apply payments

This preference causes QuickBooks to automatically apply a customer's payment to the outstanding invoices for that customer. If the amount received is less than the customer's outstanding balance, QuickBooks applies the payment to the oldest invoices first.

When this preference is off

QuickBooks does not automatically apply customer payments. You must specify how to apply a payment when you are in the Receive Payments window.

Scope

This preference affects only the company file you're currently working with. To change this preference for another company file, close the current file and open the other file.


Warn about duplicate invoice numbers

This preference causes QuickBooks to warn you when you try to record a invoice that has the same number as a previous invoice.

The warning causes QuickBooks to take more time to record a invoice. If you are not concerned about duplicate invoice numbers, do not select this preference.

Scope

This preference affects only the company file you're currently working with. To change this preference for another company file, close the current file and open the other file.


Setting preferences for time tracking

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences.

2	In the Preferences window, select Time Tracking from the scroll box.

3	Make sure that "Yes" is selected under the question "Do you track time?"

If you are turning on time tracking for the first time

4	If the first day of your work week is a day other than Monday, choose that day from the "First day of work week" list.

Why this information is important

5	Click OK to record your time preferences.

What if . . .

You are turning time tracking off?

See also

Setting preferences for jobs and estimates

Setting preferences for sales and customers

Setting general preferences


What time tracking does for you. When time tracking is on, you'll be able to track your time and/or your employee's time by entering hours worked on weekly timesheets or single activity entry forms (you can use the two forms interchangeably). You'll also be able to assign time to particular customers or jobs, bill hours back to your customers, have timesheet data automatically appear on the pay cheques for hourly employees, and create time reports that show how your company allocates and uses time.

How QuickBooks Pro changes. You'll see a Time Tracking sub-menu on the Activities menu, a Time button on the iconbar, and four time-related reports on the Project Reports sub-menu of the Reports menu.


When time tracking is off, the Time Tracking sub-menu does not appear on the Activities menu, the Time button does not appear on the iconbar, and the time-related reports do not appear on the Project Reports sub-menu of the Reports menu. You won't be able to enter hours worked or create time reports.

You retain your time records. You do not lose your single activity entries or weekly timesheets; QuickBooks Pro retains all time data even though you've turned time tracking off. To get access to your time data again [image] and to regain the ability to create time-reports [image] click Yes to turn time tracking back on.

Scope

This preference affects only the company file you're currently working with. To change this preference for another company file, close the current file and open the other file.


QuickBooks adjusts your timesheets so that each weekly period begins with the day of the week you select. If a timesheet happens to be open when you make this change, the change does not occur in the timesheet until you close and reopen it.

Scope

This preference affects only the company file you're currently working with. To change this preference for another company file, close the current file and open the other file.


Tax Preferences window

These preferences establish federal (GST) and provincial (PST) tax information for your QuickBooks company.

When you first open the GST/PST Preferences window, it shows the tax information you entered when you set up your company file.

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences.

2	In the Preferences window, select GST/PST from the scroll box.

3	Make sure that "Yes" is selected under the question "Do you wish to set up QuickBooks to handle the GST or provincial sales taxes?"

4	In the Goods and Services Tax Preferences area:

Select whether you are registered for the GST.

If you are not registered for the GST, select whether you want to track the GST you pay on purchases separately.

If you are registered for the GST, enter your Business Number.

If you are registered for the GST, select your Government Tax Agency.

If you are registered for the GST, indicate how often you pay GST so that QuickBooks knows how to set up your reports.

5	In the Provincial Sales Tax area:

Select whether you are registered for the PST.

If you are not registered for PST, select whether you want to track PST you pay on purchases separately.

If you are registered for the PST, enter your Registration Number.

If you are registered for the PST, select your Government Tax Agency.

If you are registered for the PST, indicate how often you pay PST so that QuickBooks knows how to set up your PST reports.

6	If you want QuickBooks to display a "T" beside taxable items on invoices, select the "mark taxable amounts when printing" checkbox.

7	Select a default tax code for your items and services.

You can override a default tax code for individual items from the New Item or Edit Item window.

8	If you will be assigning tax codes to customers, select the "Allow customer tax codes" checkbox.

If you selected the "Allow customer tax codes" checkbox, select a tax code from the "Default customer tax code" drop-down list.

You can change the default customer tax code for each customer. The default code can also be overriden at the line item level (e.g. when you are creating an invoice).

9	Click OK to record your GST/PST preferences.


Printing a cheque
Printing cheques

1	Be sure your printer is turned on and is online. Also make sure the cheques are inserted correctly in the printer.

2	From the File menu, choose Print Forms, then Print Cheques.

3	In the Bank Account field, choose the current account that contains the cheques you want to print.

4	Be sure the number in the "First Cheque Number" field matches the first number on your cheques in the printer.

5	Make sure that all the cheques you want to print are selected.

If you don't want to print a particular cheque, click its entry in the list. QuickBooks removes the check mark next to the cheque to indicate that it will not print the cheque.

If you only want to print a few of the cheques, click Select None. Then click, individually, the cheques you want to print.

6	Click OK.

7	In the window that appears, check the assumptions QuickBooks has made about your printing job. Make any changes needed.

What you can do

8	(Page-oriented printers only). If you want to print duplicate copies of voucher cheques, enter 2 in the "Copies" field.

9	Click Print.

What if …

You want to reprint a cheque?

You also want to print your pay cheques?

Some voucher lines don't print on the cheque?

See also

Printing a partial first page of cheques

Printing pay cheques


To reprint cheques

If you just have a single cheque to reprint, display the cheque in the Write Cheques window and click Print. (You may find it easier to locate the cheque in your register first and then click Edit to display it.)

If you have several cheques to reprint, locate them in your register. For each cheque, type T in the Num field and then click Record (this reselects the "To be printed" checkbox on the cheques). To reprint the cheques, choose Print Forms from the File menu, and then choose Print Cheques.


You must print pay cheques separately from your other cheques. To print your pay cheques, choose Print Forms and then Print Pay Cheques from the File menu.

See also

Printing pay cheques


If the cheque contains more than 16 voucher lines, only the first 16 print on the cheque. The net amount of the printed lines won't add up to the cheque total.


Select a different printer

Select a different cheque style

Print your company name and address on the cheques

Print your company logo on the cheques

Print a partial first page of cheques

Change the fonts on the printed cheques

Correct misaligned text

For details, click the task.


Printing a partial first page of cheques

1	Make sure the cheques are inserted correctly in the printer:

Load the one or two cheques in your envelope feeder or casette. For wallet cheques, leave the half inch strip attached to the bottom of the page.

Load the remaining full pages of cheques in the tray you normally use for printing cheques.

2	From the File menu, choose Print Forms, then Print Cheques.

3	In the Bank Account field, choose the current account that contains the cheques you want to print.

4	Be sure the number in the "First Cheque Number" field matches the first number on your cheques in the printer.

5	Make sure that all the cheques you want to print are selected.

If you don't want to print a particular cheque, click its entry in the list. QuickBooks removes the check mark next to the cheque to indicate that it will not print the cheque.

If you only want to print a few of the cheques, click Select None. Then click, individually, the cheques you want to print.

6	Click OK.

7	In the Print Cheques window, enter the number of cheques that remain on the first page.

8	Click the Partial Page tab. Indicate how you feed envelopes to your printer (you use the envelope feeder when you print a partial page of cheques):

Click . . .	If
	Your envelope feeder feeds cheques sideways into the left or right side of the printer. This type of feeder has one adjustable guide.
	Your envelope feeder feeds cheques into the center of the printer. This type of feeder has two adjustable guides.
	Your printer doesn't have an envelope feeder. Use a forms leader to feed in the partial page from your printer's paper tray.
9	Click Print to start printing the cheques.

What if . . .

You want to reprint a cheque?

You also want to print your pay cheques?

See also

Printing cheques


Select Cheques to Print window

This window lists all the cheques marked as to be printed in the bank account shown at the top of the window. QuickBooks assumes you want to print all of the cheques at this time [image] that's why each cheque is "checked off" in the list. If you don't want to print a particular cheque now, you can unmark it.

To . . .	Do this
Not print a cheque	Click the cheque's entry in the list. This unmarks the cheque. (If you decide you want to print the cheque after all, simply click its entry in the list again.)
Print only a few of the cheques	Click Select None to unmark all the cheques. Then click, individually, the cheques you want to print.
Verify your cheque numbers	Look at the number of the first cheque in your printer. If it is different than the number in the First Cheque Field, change the number in the First Cheque Number field.
List the cheques from a different bank account	Choose the account from the Bank Account list. (This list appears only if you have more than one bank account.)


Printing pay cheques

1	Make certain that your printer is on and loaded with cheques.

2	From the File menu, choose Print Forms and then Print Pay Cheques.

3	In the Bank Account field, choose the payroll account that contains the cheques you want to print.

4	Be sure the number in the "First Cheque Number" field matches the first number on your cheques in the printer.

5	Make sure that all the cheques you want to print are selected.

If you don't want to print a particular cheque, click its entry in the list. QuickBooks removes the check mark next to the cheque to indicate that it will not print the cheque.

If you only want to print a few of the cheques, click Select None. Then click, individually, the cheques you want to print.

6	Click OK.

7	In the window that appears, check the assumptions QuickBooks has made about your printing job. Make any changes needed.

What you can do

8	(Voucher cheques only) If you need more than one copy of the cheques, enter the number of copies in the "Number of copies" field.

Restriction. The "Number of copies" field appears only if you have a page-oriented printer. If you have a continuous-feed printer, you can print additional copies by using multiple-part cheque stock.

9	Click Print.

What if . . .

You want your company address to appear on the cheque voucher?

You want the employee's address to appear on the cheque voucher?

See also . . .

Printing cheques


Select a different printer

Select a different cheque style

Print your company name and address on the cheques

Print a partial first page of cheques

Change the fonts on the printed cheques

Correct misaligned text

For details, click the task.


You can control whether QuickBooks prints the employee address or the company address on the voucher area of pay cheques. You can also print the pay period end date on the cheque itself.

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences

2	In the Preferences window, select Payroll & Employees from the scroll box.

3	Select any or all of these options:

Print employee address on cheque voucher

Print company address on cheque voucher

Print pay period end date in cheque memo.


Select Pay Cheques to Print window

This window lists all the pay cheques marked as to be printed in the bank account shown at the top of the window. QuickBooks assumes you want to print all of the cheques at this time [image] that's why each cheque is "checked off" in the list. If you don't want to print a particular cheque now, you can unmark it.

To . . .	Do this
Not print a cheque	Click the cheque's entry in the list. This unmarks the cheque. (If you decide you want to print the cheque after all, simply click its entry in the list again.)
Print only a few of the cheques	Click Select None to unmark all the cheques. Then click, individually, the cheques you want to print.
Verify your cheque numbers	Look at the number of the first cheque in your printer. If it is different than the number in the First Cheque Field, change the number in the First Cheque Number field.
List the cheques from a different bank account	Choose the account from the Bank Account list. (This list appears only if you have more than one bank account.)


Printing paystubs

When to print paystubs

1	From the File menu, choose Print Forms and then Print Paystubs.

2	Review the list of pay cheques and their dates:

If you want to list the pay cheques from a different payroll account, choose that account from the Bank Account list.

If you want to list pay cheques from a different payroll period, enter the beginning and end dates of that period in the Dated and Thru fields.

3	Make sure that all the pay cheques for which you need paystubs are selected.

If you don't want to print a paystubs for a particular pay cheque, click the pay cheque to remove its check mark from the list. QuickBooks will not print a paystubs for that cheque.

If you only want to print paystubs for a few of the cheques, click Select None. Then click, individually, the pay cheques for which you want paystubs.

4	Click OK.


If you don't print your pay cheques on voucher cheques, you can still provide your employees with paystubs information by printing paystubs. QuickBooks always prints paystubs in a landscape orientation.


Select Paystubs to Print window

This window lists all the pay cheques you wrote from the payroll account shown in the account field, and between the dates shown in the "Dated" and "Thru" fields. QuickBooks assumes that you want to print a paystubs for each cheque, that's why all the cheques are "checked off" in the list. If you don't want to print a paystubs for a particular cheque, you can unmark it.

To . . .	Do this
Not print a paystub for a pay cheque	Click the pay cheque's entry in the list. This unmarks the cheque. (If you decide you want to print a paystub for the pay cheque after all, simply click its entry in the list again.)
Print paystubs for only a few of the pay cheques cheques	Click Select None to unmark all the pay cheques. Then click, individually, the pay cheques for which you want to print paystubs.
List pay cheques from a different pay period	Enter the beginning and end dates of the pay period in the "Dated" and "Thru" fields.
List pay cheques written from a different account	Choose the account from the Bank Account list. (This list appears only if you have more than one bank account.)


Printing an estimate

1	Display the estimate.

2	Click Print.

3	In the window that appears, check the assumptions QuickBooks has made about your printing job. Make any needed changes.

What you can do

4	Click Print.


Select a different printer

Select the type of paper you print on

Print lines around fields

Print multiple copies of the estimate

Correct misaligned text

For details, click the task.


Printing sales forms

1	Be sure your printer has enough forms or paper to print the sales forms.

2	From the File menu, choose Print Forms and then choose the type of sales form you want to print.

For example, to print invoices, choose Invoice.

3	In the list that appears, make sure that all the sales forms you want to print are selected.

If you don't want to print a particular sales form, click its entry in the list. QuickBooks removes the check mark next to the sales form to indicate that it will not print the form.

If you only want to print a few of the sales forms, click Select None. Then click, individually, the sales forms you want to print.

4	(Invoices only) Click Print Mailing Labels to print mailing labels for the invoices you selected.

How to print the mailing labels

5	Click OK to print the sales forms.

6	In the window that appears, check the assumptions QuickBooks has made about your printing job. Make any changes needed.

What you can do

7	Click Print.


To print mailing labels for the invoices

1	Click Print Mailing Labels.

2	The customer names you selected in the Select Invoices to Print window are also selected in the Select Mailing Labels to Print window. You do not need to select the names a second time.

3	(Optional) From the Sort By list, choose Postal Code to sort the address labels.

4	(Optional) Select the "Print ship to addresses where available" checkbox to print each customer's shipping address (instead of the billing address) on the address labels.

5	Click OK to print the mailing labels.

Restrictions

You must print the mailing labels before you print the invoices. If you have selected several invoices for the same customer, QuickBooks prints one mailing label for that customer.


Select a different printer

Select the type of paper you print on

Print lines around fields

Print multiple copies of each sales form

Correct misaligned text

For details, click the task.


Select Invoices to Print window

This window lists all the invoices marked as to be printed in the A/R account shown at the top of the window. QuickBooks assumes you want to print all of the invoices at this time [image] that's why each invoice is "checked off" in the list. If you don't want to print a particular invoice now, you can unmark it.

To . . .	Do this
Not print an invoice	Click the invoice's entry in the list. This unmarks the invoice. (If you decide you want to print the invoice after all, simply click its entry in the list again.)
Print only a few of the invoices	Click Select None to unmark all the invoices. Then click, individually, the invoices you want to print.
List the invoices from a different A/R account	Choose the account from the A/R Account list. (This list appears only if you have more than one A/R account.)
Print mailing labels for the invoices	Click Print Mailing Labels. This displays a window where you can preview or print mailing labels for the invoices you've selected. Restrictions. You must print the mailing labels before you print the invoices. If you have selected several invoices for the same customer, QuickBooks prints one mailing label for that customer.


Select Credit Memos to Print window

This window lists all the credit memos marked as to be printed in the A/R account shown at the top of the window. QuickBooks assumes you want to print all of the credit memos at this time [image] that's why each credit memo is "checked off" in the list. If you don't want to print a particular credit memo now, you can unmark it.

To . . .	Do this
Not print a credit memo	Click the credit memo's entry in the list. This "unmarks" the credit memo. (If you decide you want to print the credit memo after all, simply click its entry in the list again.)
Print only a few of the credit memos	Click Select None to unmark all the credit memos. Then click, individually, the credit memos you want to print.
List the credit memos from a different A/R account	Choose the account from the A/R Account list. (This list appears only if you have more than one A/R account.)


Select Receipts to Print window

This window lists all the sales receipts that are marked as to be printed. QuickBooks assumes you want to print all of the sales receipts at this time [image] that's why each sales receipt is "checked off" in the list. If you don't want to print a particular sales receipt now, you can unmark it.

To . . .	Do this
Not print a sales receipt	Click the sales receipt's entry in the list. This "unmarks" the sales receipt. (If you decide you want to print the sales receipt after all, simply click its entry in the list again.)
Print only a few of the sales receipts	Click Select None to unmark all the sales receipts. Then click, individually, the sales receipts you want to print.


Printing purchase orders

1	Be sure your printer has enough forms or paper to print the purchase orders.

2	From the File menu, choose Print Forms and then choose Print Purchase Orders.

3	In the list that appears, make sure that all the purchase orders you want to print are selected.

If you don't want to print a particular purchase order, click its entry in the list. QuickBooks removes the check mark next to the purchase order to indicate that it will not print the form.

If you only want to print a few of the purchase orders, click Select None. Then click, individually, the purchase orders you want to print.

4	Click OK.

5	In the Print Purchase Orders window, check the assumptions QuickBooks has made about your printing job. Make any changes needed.

What you can do

6	Click Print.


Select a different printer

Select the type of paper you print on

Print lines around fields

Print multiple copies of each purchase order

Correct misaligned text

For details, click the task.


Select Purchase Orders to Print window

This window lists all the purchase orders that are marked as to be printed. QuickBooks assumes you want to print all of the purchase orders at this time [image] that's why each purchase order is "checked off" in the list. If you don't want to print a particular purchase order now, you can unmark it.

To . . .	Do this
Not print a purchase order	Click the purchase order's entry in the list. This "unmarks" the purchase order. (If you decide you want to print the purchase order after all, simply click its entry in the list again.)
Print only a few of the purchase orders	Click Select None to unmark all the purchase orders. Then click, individually, the purchase orders you want to print.


Printing mailing labels

Which names and addresses can you print?

1	Be sure that:

Your printer is turned on and is online.

The sheets for the labels or cards are in the printer.

2	From the File menu, choose Print Forms and then Print Mailing Labels.

3	Choose the names you want to appear on the labels or cards.

How to choose the names

4	(Optional)  To have QuickBooks sort the labels or cards by Postal Code, choose Postal Code from the Sort By drop-down list.

Otherwise, QuickBooks sorts the labels or cards alphabetically by name.

5	If you're printing mailing labels for invoices and you want each customer's shipping address to appear on the labels, select the "Print ship to addresses where available" checkbox.

Otherwise, QuickBooks prints the billing address.

6	Click OK to go to the next window.

7	In the Print Labels window, check the assumptions QuickBooks has made about your printing job. Make any changes needed.

What you can do

8	Click Print.


You can print mailing labels from any or all of these lists:

Customer:Job

Vendor

Employee

Other Names.


Select a different printer

Change the fonts

Select a label format

Print a partial sheet of labels

Print the labels one column at a time

Print the labels one row at a time

Correct misaligned text

For details, click the task.


Click . . .	To do this
Name	Choose one or more lists of names, or individual names from a list. Note. You can print labels or cards for customer names on your Customer:Job list, but not for specific jobs on the list.
Customer Type	Choose only those customers who match a specific customer type.
Vendor Type	Choose only those vendors who match a specific vendor type.


Select Mailing Labels to Print window

You use this window to select the names and addresses you want QuickBooks to print on your mailing labels.

To . . .	Do this
Select names and addresses	Select the option you want in the "Print mailing labels for" section.
Sort the labels by postal code	Choose Postal Code from the Sort By list. Normally, QuickBooks sorts the labels or cards alphabetically by name.
Print shipping addresses instead of billing addresses	Select the "Print Ship To addresses where available" checkbox. (If a customer does not have a shipping address, QuickBooks prints the billing address.)
See what the printed labels or cards will look like	Click Preview.


Printing a report

1	Display the report.

2	When the report is onscreen, either choose Print Report from the File menu or click Print on the report buttonbar.

3	If you want to edit and then print the report from another application, click File to put a copy of the report in a disk file. From the drop-down list, choose the type of file you want to create.

More about the file types

4	In the Print Reports window, check the assumptions QuickBooks has made about your printing job. Make any changes needed.

What you can do

5	Click Print to start printing the report (or to specify a filename for the disk file).


Select a different printer

Print selected pages

Change the fonts

Change the margins

Change the printing orientation

Print one page wide

Print in colour

Print in draft mode

For details, click the task.


Printing a list

1	Display the list that you want to print.

2	From the Reports menu button, choose the report that shows the list as you would like to print it.

For example, to print a list of customer phone numbers from your Customer:Job list, you would choose Phone List from the Reports menu button.

3	(Optional) Click Customize to add other columns of information to the report, or to remove columns from the report.

For example, you could add to a phone list a column that shows each customer's billing address.

4	(Optional) Click Filters to change the scope of the report.

For example, you could filter a phone list to show the phone numbers of some customers and not others.

5	(Optional) Click Header/Footer to change what appears in the header or footer, or to change the report fonts.

6	Click Print.

7	If you want to edit and then print the list report from another application, click File to put a copy of the list report in a disk file. From the drop-down list, choose the type of file you want to create.

More about the file types

8	In the Print Report window, check the assumptions QuickBooks has made about your printing job. Make any changes needed.

What you can do

9	Click Print to start printing the list report (or to specify a filename for the disk file).

What if . . .

No report is available for the list you want to print?

See also

Customizing a report

Changing the scope of a report


You can print any QuickBooks list by choosing Print List from the File menu.

When you use this method, you can't control what appears in the printed list. You can't filter the content of the list, add other columns to the list, specify fonts for printing, or change the content of the header or footer like you can when you create a report from the list and then print the report.


Choose . . .	To create
ASCII text file	A file that you can edit in a word processor. In this format, spaces appear between columns of text.
Excel/Lotus 123 spreadsheet	A file you can edit in a spreadsheet program. In this format, commas appear between columns of text, and quotes appear around text but not around amounts.
Tab delimited file	A file you can edit easily in a spreadsheet program or a word processor. In this format, tab characters appear between columns of text.


Select a different printer

Print selected pages

Change the fonts

Change the margins

Change the printing orientation

Print in draft mode

Print in colour

For details, click the task.


Printing a register

1	Display the register you want to print.

2	From the File menu, choose Print Register.

3	Enter the date range of the transactions you'd like to print.

4	If you want QuickBooks to print the detail lines for each transaction, select the "Show transaction detail" checkbox. (The register itself does not show the detail lines.)

5	Click OK.

6	If you want to edit and then print the register from another application, click File to put a copy of the register in a disk file. From the drop-down list, choose the type of file you want to create.

More about the file types

7	In the Print Lists window, check the assumptions QuickBooks has made about your printing job. Make any changes needed.

What you can do

8	Click Print to start printing the register (or to specify a filename for the disk file).


Printing a deposit slip

What is a deposit slip?

1	Display the deposit in the Make Deposits window.

2	Click Print.

3	If you want to edit and then print the deposit slip from another application, click File to put a copy of the deposit slip in a disk file. From the drop-down list, choose the type of file you want to create.

More about the file types

4	In the Print Lists window, check the assumptions QuickBooks has made about your printing job. Make any changes needed.

What you can do

5	Click Print to start printing the deposit slip (or to specify a filename for the disk file).


A deposit slip is a listing of the payments in a single deposit. You can print a deposit slip when you are entering or viewing a deposit in the Make Deposits window.


Printing a graph

1	Make sure your printer is turned on and is online.

2	Display the graph.

3	Click Print on the Graph buttonbar. Or, choose Print Graph from the File menu.

4	In the Print Graphs window, check the assumptions QuickBooks has made about your printing job. Make any changes needed.

What you can do

5	Click Print.


Select a different printer

Change the fonts

Change the margins

Change the printing orientation

Print in colour

For details, click the task.


Printing statements

Can you view a statement without printing it?

1	Make sure your printer is turned on and is online.

2	Make sure that the correct paper is in the printer.

If you are printing onto statement forms, position the forms the same way you position invoice forms.

3	From the Activities menu, choose Create Statements.

4	If QuickBooks gives you a choice of accounts, choose the A/R account for the statements you want to print.

Note. QuickBooks displays the A/R Account field only when your chart of accounts contains more than one accounts receivable account.

5	From the Print Format drop-down list, choose the template you want to use to print the statements.

Tip. If you want to create a new template for this printing job, choose Customize from the list. When you finish setting up the template, QuickBooks selects it and lets you continue with printing.

6	Enter the beginning and end dates of your billing period.

What the dates mean

Shortcuts for entering dates

7	Enter the statement date.

This date appears on the top of the printed statements and in the "Billed Date" field of each customer's register.

8	Choose the customers you want to print statements for.

How to choose the customers

9	(Optional) If you performed more than one job for the customer(s) you selected and if you want QuickBooks to print a separate statement for each job, select "For each Job." Otherwise, QuickBooks prints a consolidated statement for each customer.

10	If you don't want QuickBooks to print statements that have a zero balance, select the "Don't print statements with a zero balance" checkbox.

11	(Optional) Click Preview to review the information that will appear on the statements.

How to use the Preview window

12	(Optional) Click Finance Charges to add finance charges to the statements.

13	Click OK.

14	In the Print window, check the assumptions QuickBooks has made about your printing job. Make any changes needed.

What you can do

15	(Optional) If you want to print more than one copy of the statements, enter the number of copies in the Copies field.

16	Click Print.

What if . . .

You want to change the statement form?

See also

How to assess finance charges


Yes. Although QuickBooks does not provide a window for statements like it does with other business forms, you can get an advance look at what will appear on each printed statement by clicking Preview in the Print Statements window.


Select a different printer

Print multiple copies of each statement

For details, click the task.


These dates determine which transactions appear on the statements. Transactions that occurred before the beginning date or beyond the ending date do not appear. Normally, QuickBooks sets the beginning date to the day after the ending date for the last statements you printed, and the ending date to today's date. You can change either date if you wish.


QuickBooks lets you customize the statement format. You can:

Rename any column or field.

Add or delete columns and fields.

Add your company logo to the form.

Use the Layout Designer to move and resize fields and columns.

See also

Customizing a business form

Changing the layout of a business form


Click . . .	To do this
All Customers	Select all your customers.
Selected Customers	Select only certain customers. Click Choose to choose the customers. Tip. To include all the invoices you sent to a particular customer, be sure to choose all the jobs you are performing for that customer.
One Customer	Select one customer. Use the list to select the customer.
Customers of Type	Select only those customers who match a specific customer type. Use the list to select the customer type.
Don't print statements that have a zero balance	Omit statements for customers who are paid up.


Select Statements to Print window

You use this window to enter the information QuickBooks needs to create the statements.

Instructions

1	If QuickBooks gives you a choice of accounts, choose the A/R account for the statements you want to print.

Note. QuickBooks displays the A/R Account field only when your chart of accounts contains more than one accounts receivable account.

2	From the Print Format drop-down list, choose the template you want to use to print the statements.

Tip. If you want to create a new template for this printing job, choose Customize from the list. When you finish setting up the template, QuickBooks selects it and lets you continue with printing.

3	Enter the beginning and end dates of your billing period.

What the dates mean

Shortcuts for entering dates

4	Enter the statement date.

This date appears on the top of the printed statements and in the "Billed Date" field of each customer's register.

5	Choose the customers you want to print statements for.

How to choose the customers

6	(Optional) If you performed more than one job for the customer(s) you selected and if you want QuickBooks to print a separate statement for each job, select "For each Job." Otherwise, QuickBooks prints a consolidated statement for each customer.

7	If you don't want QuickBooks to print statements that have a zero balance, select the "Don't print statements with a zero balance" checkbox.

8	(Optional) Click Preview to review the information that will appear on the statements.

How to use the Preview window

9	(Optional) Click Finance Charges to add finance charges to the statements.

10	When you're finished filling in the Select Statements to print window, click OK.

What if . . .

You want to change the statement form?


Printing timesheets

1	Make sure your printer is turned on and is online.

2	From the File menu, choose print Forms and then Print Timesheets.

3	(Optional) Change the date range for the timesheets by entering different dates in the Dated  and Thru fields.

QuickBooks initially assumes that you want to print timesheets for the current work week. By changing the dates, you can print timesheets for other weeks.

4	In the list of names, make sure that all the people for whom you want to print timesheets are selected.

If don't want to print a timesheet for someone, click the checkmark next to their name.

If the list is long and you only want to print timesheets for a few people, click Select None. In the first column, click next to the name of each person for whom you want to print a timesheet.

5	(Optional) To print the full text of your activity notes on each timesheet, select "Print full activity notes."

If you don't select this option, QuickBooks prints only the first line of each note.

6	(Optional) Click Preview to see on your screen what each timesheet will look like when printed.

7	To print the timesheets:

Click OK from the Print Timesheets window.

or

Click Print from the Print Preview window.

What if . . .

A name is missing from the list?


The Print Timesheets window lists only those individuals who have hours entered for at least one of the days within the date range. If you think a missing person should be shown, perhaps you have forgotten to enter (or import) time data for that person.


Print timesheets window

This window lists all the people for whom you entered (or imported) time data within the dates shown at the top of the window. QuickBooks assumes that you want to print a timesheet for each person listed [image] that's why each name is checked off in the list. If you don't want to print a timesheet for someone, you can uncheck their name and print their timesheet later.

To . . .	Do this
Not print a timesheet	Click the checkmark next to the person's name.
Print only a few of the timesheets	Click Select None. In the first column, click next to the name of each person for whom you want to print a timesheet.
Change the dates for the timesheets	Enter the dates you want in the Dated and Thru fields.
Include the full text of your activity notes	Select "Print full activity notes." If you don't select this option, QuickBooks prints only the first line of each note.
See the timesheets before they're printed	Click Preview.


Print Preview window

This window shows what the current document will look like when you print it.

Click . . .	To do this
Zoom In	Enlarge the upper part of the document. If you can no longer see the entire document after you click Zoom In, use the scroll bars at the right and bottom edges of the window to bring other parts of the document into view.
Anywhere in the document	Enlarge that part of the document.  If you can no longer see the entire document after you click, use the scroll bars at the right and bottom edges of the window to bring other parts of the document into view.
Zoom Out	See the entire page again.
Next Page	Display the next page. This button is active when the document is more than one page in length. (The top of the Print Preview window shows the current page number and the total number of pages in the document.)
Prev Page	Display the previous page. This button is active when the document is more than one page in length. (The top of the Print Preview window shows the current page number and the total number of pages in the document.)
Print	Print the document.
Close	Close the Print Preview window and return to the previous window.


Did Forms Print OK? (Statements only)
Did statements print OK?

Use this window to let QuickBooks know whether your statements printed correctly  If they did, QuickBooks sets the beginning date for your next set of statements to the day after the ending date for the statements you just printed.

What if . . .

Your printer omits vertical lines on the boxes around fields?

Your printer clips off the pennies from dollar amounts?

Your printer clips the bottom part of letters?


Did Forms Print OK? (Cheques, sales forms, purchase orders)
Did forms print OK?

Use this window to let QuickBooks know whether your cheques, invoices, credit memos, cash sales receipts, or purchase orders printed correctly. If they did, QuickBooks clears the "To be printed" checkbox for the forms you printed.

What if . . .

Your printer omits vertical lines on the boxes around fields?

Your printer clips off the pennies from dollar amounts?

Your printer clips the bottom part of letters?


This problem can happen when you are printing on either blank or letterhead paper and you selected the "Print lines around each field" option. If some of the vertical lines are missing from the boxes, you need to change the horizontal alignment for the form.

If . . .	Do this
The left side is missing	Increase the horizontal alignment.
The right side is missing,	Decrease the horizontal alignment.
See also

Testing and adjusting alignment for forms


If the pennies do not appear in dollar amounts, it's probably because QuickBooks is printing the amounts too far to the right on the form. To correct the problem, decrease the horizontal alignment for the form.

See also

Testing and adjusting alignment for forms


When the bottom part of letters are missing [image] for example, if a "Y" looks like a "V" [image] it could be because you are using too large a font. Try using a smaller font instead.

See also

Changing fonts


Tear-off Strip window

QuickBooks is asking whether you have torn off the thin strip of blank paper from the bottom of the page of cheques you have just inserted in your printer.

Instructions

If the strip is intact, click Yes.

or

If the strip is no longer attached to the cheque or cheques, click No.

Note. You will have better results if the strip is left on the cheques.


Setting up your printer

When do you need to set up your printer?

1	From the File menu, choose Printer Setup.

2	Fill in the Printer Setup window:

3	Click OK.

See also

Testing and adjusting alignment for forms


Although QuickBooks has a Printer Setup command, you do not have to use it to set up your printer to print from QuickBooks. Each time you print, QuickBooks displays the printer setup options that affect the type of form or document you are printing. You can make any needed changes immediately prior to the start of your printing job.

The Printer Setup command lets you set up your printer when you are not printing. Also, you have access to the printer settings for all business forms and documents, not just the one you happen to be printing. If you like to be systematic, you can use the Printer Setup command to do all of your printer setup in a single operation.

When you change a setting [image] whether through Printer Setup or at the time you are printing [image] QuickBooks remembers the change. For example, if you switch from standard cheques to voucher cheques, QuickBooks assumes that you are printing voucher cheques the next time you print cheques. Your choice remains in effect until you change it again.

If you change a setting used by other forms or documents, QuickBooks remembers the change only for the current form or document. For example, if you switch to a different printer for invoices, QuickBooks continues to use the previous printer for all other business forms and documents. If you also wanted to use the new printer for printing cheques, you would have to change the Printer Name setting for cheques in addition to invoices.


Select a different printer

Select the type of paper you print on

Select a different paper size

Print lines around fields

Change the fonts  (cheques, graphs, labels, lists, paystubs, reports)

Select a cheque style

Select a label format

Set margins  (reports, lists, graphs)

Print one page wide  (reports)

Print in draft mode (reports, lists)

Change page orientation  (sales and purchase forms)

Change page orientation  (reports, lists, graphs)

Print in colour  (reports, graphs)

Print your company name and address  (cheques)

Set up for printing a partial page of cheques

Add your company logo (cheques and pay cheques)

Test and adjust alignment for business forms

For details, click the task.


Selecting a different printer

1	In either the Print or the Printer Setup window, choose the printer you want to use from the Printer Name list.

2	Click OK.

What if . . .

The printer you want to use isn't on the list?

See also

Setting up your printer


To display the Print window

From . . .	Do this
A business Form	Click Print.
The File menu	Choose Print Forms and then choose the type of form you want to print. Enter the selection information QuickBooks asks for and click OK.


To display the Printer Setup window

1	From the File menu, choose Printer Setup.

2	From the Form Name list, choose the business form or type of document for which you want to set up your printer.


If you purchased the printer after you installed Windows, you may not have added the printer to Windows yet. QuickBooks is only aware of the printers you've added to Windows. For information on how to add a new printer, see the documentation that came with your copy of Windows.

When you add a new printer, Windows asks you to insert the disk that contains the driver for your printer (the "driver" is software that enables Windows to work with your printer). Your Windows installation disks contain drivers for many commonly-available printers. If there is no driver for your printer on the Windows installation disks, check the materials that came with your printer to see if the printer manufacturer provided a driver disk. In some cases, you can use a generic driver that emulates several different printers [image] see your printer manual for details.


Selecting the type of paper you print on

1	In either the Print or the Printer Setup window, select the type of paper you use when you print the form.

2	Click OK.

See also

Setting up your printer

Customizing a business form


Selecting a different paper size

1	In either the Print or the Printer Setup window, click Options.

2	Select the paper size you want to use.

3	Click OK.

See also

Setting up your printer

Customizing a business form


Changing page orientation
(sales and purchase forms)

What is page orientation?

1	In either the Print or the Printer Setup window, click Options.

2	Select the orientation that you want:

Click . . .	To print
Portrait	So that the short edges of the page are the top and bottom of the document.
Landscape	So that the long edges of the page are the top and bottom of the document.
Tip. Use the orientation your form was designed for. QuickBooks cannot adapt your form to a different page orientation.

3	Click OK.

See also

Changing page orientation (reports, lists, and graphs)

Customizing a business form

Setting up your printer


Changing page orientation
(reports, lists, and graphs)

What is page orientation?

1	In either the Print or the Printer Setup window, select the orientation that you want:

Click . . .	To print
Portrait	So that the short edges of the page are the top and bottom of the document.
Landscape	So that the long edges of the page are the top and bottom of the document.
2	Click OK.

See also

Changing page orientation (sales and purchase forms)

Setting up your printer


When you print a business form, report, or other kind of document, you can print in portrait orientation, like this:

or in landscape orientation, like this:


Printing lines around fields

When should you print lines around fields?

1	In either the Print or the Printer Setup window, select the "Print lines around each field" checkbox.

2	Click OK.

What if . . .

You want lines around some fields but not others?

See also

Setting up your printer


QuickBooks gives you the choice of printing [image] or not printing [image] the lines around the fields and columns on a business form. Which choice you make depends on the type of paper you use when you print the form.

Print the lines when . . .

You are printing on blank paper and you want the lines to appear.

You are printing on letterhead paper and you want the lines to appear.

Omit the lines when . . .

You are printing on a preprinted business form. (Because the lines are already printed on the form, you do not need to have QuickBooks print the lines.)


The "Print lines around each field" option affects all the fields and columns on the form. You cannot use this option to selectively print lines for some fields and columns and not others.

If you are creating a custom layout, you can use the Layout Designer to choose which fields and columns will have printed lines.

See also

Adding or removing field borders


Changing fonts (cheques, graphs, lists, paystubs, reports)
Changing fonts
(cheques, graphs, lists, paystubs, reports, timesheets)

1	In either the Print or the Printer Setup window, click the Fonts tab.

2	On the Fonts tab, click the button for the element whose font you want to change.

What each button changes

Example. To change the font used to print your company name and address on cheques, you would click Address Font.

3	Choose the font (for example, Arial); font style (for example, Bold); and size you want to use.

Tip. If you are not sure which font, style, and size to choose, the sample text in the lower part of the window changes to show what your selections will look like when printed.

4	(Optional) Select to strikeout or underline text.

5	(Optional) If you have a colour printer, choose the colour you want the font to print in.

Restriction. Colour printing is not available for cheques.

6	Click OK.

What if . . .

You want to change the font for a sales or purchase form?

You want to change the font for a tax form?

See also

Changing fonts (sales and purchase forms)

Setting up your printer


Click . . .	To change
Font	The font for all text on labels or Rolodex cards. The font for all text on graphs. The font for all text (except titles) on lists, registers, notes, and deposit slips). The font for all text (except titles) on cheques, pay cheques, or paystubs. The font for all text (except your company's name and address) on timesheets.
Title Font	The font for headings on lists, registers, notes, and deposit slips.
Address Font	The font for your company's name and address on cheques, pay cheques, or paystubs. The font for your company's name and address on timesheets.
Default Fonts	The base font for all reports. (You can also change the font for a particular report by clicking Format in the report window when you create the report.)


From the Print and the Printer Setup windows, you can change fonts for:

Cheques

Graphs

Lists

Paystubs

Reports

Timesheets.

To change the fonts for a sales form such as an invoice or a sales receipt, or a purchase form such as a purchase order, you must edit the template you use to print the form.

See also

Changing fonts (sales and purchase forms)


In progress


Choosing a format for mailing labels

Which label formats can you use with QuickBooks?

1	In either the Print or the Printer Setup window, choose the label format you use most often.

Important. To save space, the list omits some Avery label formats that are equivalent to the ones shown on the list. For a complete list of the Avery mailing labels you can use with QuickBooks, see the topic listed above.

2	Click OK.

See also

Setting up your printer


Label formats supported by QuickBooks

These two tables show all of the Avery labels you can use to print mailing labels in QuickBooks. Only the label numbers shown in bold appear on the drop-down list when you select a label format. The other label numbers listed below are equivalents to one of the bold label numbers. For example, if you use Avery label # 5160B, you would select 5260 when you set up your printer for printing mailing labels.

Avery labels for laser and inkjet printers

The following table shows which Avery laser and inkjet labels are equivalent to the label numbers shown on the drop-down list:

Number on list	Avery equivalents Laser Inkjet	Size in inches	Columns, # per page
5260	5160 8160 5160B 8660 5660	1 x 2 5/8	3 columns 30 labels
5261	5161 8161 5161B 8661 5661	1 x 4	2 columns 20 labels
5262	5162 8162 5162B 8662 5662	1 1/3 x 4	2 columns 14 labels
5163	5663 8163 8663	2 x 4	2 columns 10 labels
Label numbers 5661 and 8661 are equivalent to Intuit's standard mailing label, which you can order from the QuickBooks Supplies Catalog.

Avery labels for continuous-feed printers

The following table shows which Avery continuous-feed printer labels are equivalent to the label numbers shown on the drop-down list:

Number on list	Avery equivalents	Size in inches	Columns across
4145	4013, 4010	3 1/2 x 15/16	1
4146	4014, 4011	4 x 1 7/16	1
4143		4 x 15/16	2
4030	4602	3 1/2 x 15/16	2
Label number 4143 is equivalent to Intuit's standard mailing label, which you can order from the QuickBooks Supplies Catalog.

Avery and all Avery product code numbers are trademarks of the Avery Dennison Corporation.


Setting margins
(reports, graphs, lists)

1	In either the Print or the Printer Setup window, click the Margins tab.

2	Enter the margin sizes you want in the Left, Right, Top, and Bottom fields.

3	Click OK.

What if . . .

The margins print wider than you expect?

You want to change the unit of measure?

See also

Setting up your printer


If you get larger margins than you expected, it may be because your printer is unable to print outside a specific area. In your printer manual look up the minimum margin settings for your printer. Then, in the Print or Printer Setup window, set the left, right, top, and bottom margins so that they are equal to or greater than the minimum settings for the printer.

If you can't find the minimum margin settings for your printer, contact your printer manufacturer.


You can enter the margins in inches, millimeters, centimeters, picas, or points. To change to one of these units of measure, use one of these abbreviations when you enter the margin values:

in	for inches
mm	for millimeters
cm	for centimeters
pi	for picas
pt	for points.


Printing reports one page wide

What does it mean to print one page wide?

1	In either the Print or the Printer Setup window, select the "Fit report to one page wide" checkbox.

2	Click OK.

See also

Setting up your printer


When a report has too many columns to fit across the width of a single page of paper, QuickBooks normally prints the extra columns on an additional page. If you want, you can set up QuickBooks to scale reports so that all columns fit across a single page.


Printing reports and lists in draft mode

What is draft mode?

1	In either the Print or the Printer Setup window, select the "Print reports in draft mode" checkbox.

2	Click OK.

See also

Setting up your printer


When you print in draft mode, the printer uses its own built-in font to print the document. Any font selections you have made will be ignored. Draft mode printing is usually faster than printing with pre-selected fonts. If speed is more important to you than appearance, you may want to print in draft mode.

Restrictions. Draft mode printing is available for reports and lists only. When you print in draft mode, you cannot use the "Print reports in colour" or the "Fit report to one page wide" options.


Printing reports and graphs in colour

When can you print in colour?

1	In either the Print or the Printer Setup window, select the "Print reports in colour" checkbox.

If you leave the checkbox unselected, QuickBooks prints in black-and-white, regardless of whether your documents contain any colour.

2	Click OK.

See also

Setting up your printer


If you have a colour printer, you can select whether QuickBooks prints reports and graphs in colour or in black-and-white.


Printing your company name and address
(cheques)

When can you include your company name and address?

1	In either the Print or the Printer Setup window, select the "Print company name and address on cheques" checkbox.

2	Click OK.

See also

Changing fonts

Setting up your printer


You can have QuickBooks print your company name and address on:

Standard cheques.

Voucher cheques.

QuickBooks prints your company name and address by using the address font you specified on the Fonts tab of the Print or the Printer Setup window.


Selecting a style for printed cheques

1	In either the Print or the Printer Setup window, choose the style (Standard, Voucher, or Wallet) that you want to use.

2	Click OK.

See also

Setting up your printer


Setting up to print a partial page of cheques

When would you need to print a partial page?

1	In either the Print or the Printer Setup window, click the Partial Page tab.

2	Click the button that shows how envelopes feed into your printer:

Click . . .	If
	Your envelope feeder feeds cheques sideways into the left or right side of the printer. This type of feeder has one adjustable guide.
	Your envelope feeder feeds cheques into the center of the printer. This type of feeder has two adjustable guides.
	Your printer doesn't have an envelope feeder. Use a forms leader to feed in the partial page from your printer's paper tray.
3	Click OK.

See also

Setting up your printer


If you have a page of cheques that is not full size because you printed one or two of the cheques on the page in a previous session, you can print the rest of the page by making it the first page of cheques and inserting it in your printer's envelope feeder.


Printing multiple copies of a business form

1	In the Print window, enter the number of copies you want in the "Number of copies" field.

2	Click Print.

See also

Setting up your printer


Printing selected pages from a document

1	In the Print window, select Pages under "Page range."

2	In the From field, enter the number of the first page you want to print.

3	In the To field, enter the number of the last page you want to print.

4	Click Print.

See also

Setting up your printer


Printing labels by column

What does it mean to print labels by column?

1	In the Print Labels window, click Column by Column under "Printing direction."

2	Click Print.

See also

Setting up your printer


If you have a page oreiented printer, you can choose whether QuickBooks prints the labels one column at a time or one row at a time. When you print by column, QuickBooks prints the labels on each sheet in this order:


Printing labels by row

What does it mean to print labels by row?

1	In the Print Labels window, click Row by Row under "Printing direction."

2	Click Print.

See also

Setting up your printer


If you have a page oreiented printer, you can choose whether QuickBooks prints the labels one column at a time or one row at a time. When you print by row, QuickBooks prints the labels on each sheet in this order:


Printing a partial sheet of labels

When would you print a partial sheet?

1	Make the partial sheet of labels the first page that you print.

2	In the Print Labels window, click Begin At under "Label print range."

3	Enter the number of the row and column in which the first label appears.

4	Click Print.

See also

Setting up your printer


If you have a sheet of labels that is not full because you printed some of the labels in a previous session, you can print the remaining labels by making it the first sheet of labels that you print.


Adding your logo to cheques and pay cheques

1	In either the Print  or the Printer Setup  window, click Logo.

2	In the Cheque Logo window, click File.

3	In the Open Logo File window, enter the drive, directory path, and name filename of the file that contains the logo.

Tip. The logo must be a bitmap (.BMP) file. You can create bitmaps in programs like Paintbrush. For best results, use a bitmap file that has the same height and width.

4	Click OK.

5	Click OK to return to the Printer Setup window.

See also

Adding your logo to sales and purchase forms

Setting up your printer


Testing and adjusting alignment for forms

If the text is out of position when you print cheques, sales forms, purchase orders, labels, tax forms, or statements, you can have QuickBooks adjust the alignment of the text so that it prints correctly.

Overview

QuickBooks provides two types of adjustments (if you use a continuous-feed printer, we suggest you start with coarse adjustments first):

Coarse adjustments  (for continuous-feed printers only)

Fine adjustments  (for all types of printers)

For details, click the type of adjustment.


Making coarse alignment adjustments

When do you need to make coarse adjustments?

1	Is your printer ready?

Make sure your printer is turned on and online.

Make sure the forms you want to print are inserted into the printer's paper feed mechanism.

2	In either the Print or the Printer Setup window, do the following:

Choose the type of business form you are testing from the Form Name list.

Make sure that the "Printer name" field shows the name of your printer. If it does not, select your printer from the drop-down list.

3	Click Align.

4	(Business forms only) Select the template you want to use for alignment and click OK.

This step does not apply to cheques, pay cheques, or tax forms.

5	Click Coarse.

6	Click OK to print a sample form.

7	Look at the pointer line that QuickBooks printed across the middle of the sample.

8	Note the closest number that the arrows point to. Enter this number in the Pointer Line Position field and click OK.

If necessary, QuickBooks advances the paper and prints another sample.

9	If QuickBooks printed another sample, enter the new pointer line position from the sample and click OK.

If QuickBooks prints a third sample when you click OK, something has gone wrong. Check your printer settings and make sure you aren't adjusting the printer manually.

10	Note the correct position of the form for future positioning.

What to look for

11	(Optional) Click Fine to make further adjustments.


If you're printing on preprinted forms or cheques with a continuous-feed printer, we recommend that you make coarse alignment adjustments first and then make fine adjustments. If you are using a page-oriented printer, you need to make only fine adjustments.

You can make coarse adjustments only when you are using preprinted forms that have position numbers printed along the edges.

See also

Making fine alignment adjustments


The pointer line looks like this:

<==== POINTER LINE ==== POINTER LINE ====>

It points to a number along the edge of the sample.


Visually line up part of your printer, such as the sprocket cover or print head, with one of the position numbers along the edge of the form. Make a note of this spot for future reference. From now on, use this spot on the printer as an alignment cue to position your forms visually each time you insert them into your printer. That way, you won't have to test your alignment by printing more samples.


Making fine alignment adjustments

When do you need to make a fine adjustment?

1	Is your printer ready?

Make sure your printer is turned on and online.

Make sure the forms you want to print are inserted into the printer's paper feed mechanism.

2	In either the Print or the Printer Setup window, do the following:

Choose the type of business form you are testing from the Form Name list.

Make sure that the "Printer name" field shows the name of your printer. If it does not, select your printer from the drop-down list.

3	Click Align.

4	(Business forms only) Select the template you want to use for alignment and click OK.

This step does not apply to cheques, pay cheques, or tax forms.

5	(Continuous-feed printers only) Click Fine.

6	If you have a page-oriented printer and you are printing either standard or wallet style cheques, select the printing situation that applies to your cheques:

Click . . .	When . . .
Full page of cheques	There are three cheques per page (the normal situation).
Two cheques on page	You need an adjustment for when the first page has two cheques.
One cheque on page	You need an adjustment for when the first page has only one cheque.
You can save up to three sets of adjustments, one for each situation.

7	Click Print Sample.

8	Check the alignment grid that QuickBooks printed on the sample. The alignment grid helps you estimate how far to move the text.

How to use the grid

9	In the Vertical and Horizontal fields, tell QuickBooks by how much and in what direction to move the printed text.

How to enter the adjustments

10	(Optional) Click Print Sample to test whether you have corrected the alignment problem.

11	When the alignment is the way you want it to be, click OK.


If you have a page-oriented printer, you don't need to make coarse adjustments. If you have a continuous-feed printer, we recommend that you make a coarse adjustment before you make a fine adjustment.

See also

Making fine alignment adjustments


The alignment grid covers a portion of the text on the printed form. Each square in the grid represents 0.1 inch:

To use the grid

Check the horizontal alignment of the text inside the grid [image] is the text too far to the left or right? For example, if the text is 2 squares too far to the right, the horizontal alignment is off by 0.2 inches. you would enter -20.

Check the vertical alignment of the text inside the grid [image] is the text too high or too low? For example, if the text is 2 and a half squares too high, the vertical alignment is off by 0.25 inches. You would enter -25.

If no text appears inside the grid, make sure that paper is feeding correctly through the printer.


The numbers shown in the Vertical and Horizontal fields represent hundredths of an inch. For example, 25 means 0.25 inch (2.5 squares on the alignment grid).

If the text prints . . .	Do this
Too high	Decrease the number in the Vertical field. For example, if the text prints 2 squares too high, you would enter -20. (Note the minus sign.)
Too low	Increase the number in the Vertical field. For example, if the text prints 2 squares too low, you would enter 20.
Too far to the left	Increase the number in the Horizontal field. For example, if the text prints 1/2 square too far to the left, you would enter 5.
Too far to the right	Decrease the number in the horizontal field. For example, if the text prints 1/2 square too far to the right, you would enter - 5. (Note the minus sign.)


Cheque Logo window

You use this window to select the logo you want QuickBooks to print on cheques.

To select the logo

1	Click File.

2	Enter the name and location of the file that contains the logo.

3	Click OK.


Align Partial Page window

When you adjust how printed text aligns on your cheques, you can create separate alignment adjustments for:

Three cheques on a page (a full page of cheques)

Two cheques on a page (a partial page of cheques)

One cheque on a page (a partial page of cheques)

A partial page of cheques results when one or two blank cheques remains after you have finished printing. You can easily use that partial page the next time you print cheques.

Instructions

1	Click the button that is appropriate to the situation you want to correct (full page, two cheques on a page, etc.). This displays a window where you can enter the adjustments.

2	When QuickBooks returns you to this window, consider making adjustments for the other two situations. QuickBooks remembers all three sets of adjustments and applies them automatically when needed.


Fine Alignment window

Use this window to make fine adjustments to the position of printed text on your cheques, sales forms, purchase orders, statements, tax forms, or mailing labels.

To enter adjustments

1	Make sure you have inserted the correct type of sample form in your printer. For example, if you are correcting an alignment problem on your cheques, you should have a page of cheques in your printer.

2	Click Print Sample.

3	Examine the alignment grid that QuickBooks printed on the sample.

How to use the grid

4	In the Vertical and Horizontal fields, tell QuickBooks by how much and in what direction to move the printed text.

How to enter the adjustments


Do Not Adjust Your Printer window
Do not adjust your printer

To help you align the printing on your cheques, invoices, statements, or mailing labels, QuickBooks first prints a sample. Don't try to adjust the printing at this point. QuickBooks helps you correct misaligned text through a step-by-step process. Just follow the instructions provided.


Use coarse for big vertical adjustments

For continuous-feed printers such as dot matrix printers, QuickBooks provides two methods for adjusting printer alignment: coarse and fine.

Click . . .	When
Coarse	The printed text is off vertically by more than a line or two.
Fine	You need to make small horizontal or vertical adjustments to the position of the printed text. You can make fine adjustments after you've made a coarse adjustment.
For large horizontal adjustments on a continuous-feed printer, move the forms in the printer by releasing and adjusting the sprockets (also called "tractors"). For instructions, see your printer manual.


Type Position Number window

When you print a sample cheque, invoice, or statement, QuickBooks prints a pointer line like this on the sample:

<==== POINTER LINE ====== POINTER LINE ====>

Instructions

Enter the number that the pointer line is pointing to.


Please Note Position window
Please Note Position

Visually line up part of your printer, such as the sprocket cover or print head, with one of the position numbers along the edge of the form. Make a note of this spot for future reference. From now on, use this spot on the printer as an alignment cue to position your forms visually each time you insert them into your printer. That way, you won't have to test your alignment by printing more samples.


Select Font window

You use this window to select a printer font. The window title indicates the type of form font selection will affect. For example, if the window title is "Cheque Printing Font," the font you select applies to cheques.

The button you clicked determines what part of the form your font selection affects. If you clicked Addr Font, your font selection applies only to your company name and address. If you clicked Font, your font selection applies to all text on the form except your company name and address.

To . . .	Do this
Select a font	Choose the font, style, and size you want to use. If you are not sure which font, style, and size to choose, look at the sample shown in the lower right part of the window. When you make a choice, the sample changes to show you what your selection looks like.
Add special printing effects	Click the effects you want to use (Strikeout, Underline) These effects are not available for some types of printing.
Print the font in colour (colour printers only)	Choose the colour you want from the Colour list. Colour fonts are not available for some types of printing.


Register contents
How registers work

Opening a register

Scrolling through a register

Jumping to a transaction in a register

How to enter . . .

Cheques, bank deposits  (in a bank account register)

Credit card charges, credits  (in a bank account register)

Bills, vendor credits  (in an A/P register)

Split transactions

Other operations with registers

Editing a transaction in a register

Moving a transaction to a different account

Printing a register

Saving time

Using the QuickMath calculator

Reference information

Table of transaction type codes


Opening a register

Every balance sheet account in your chart of accounts has its own register that lists, in chronological order, all the transactions in the account. You can open an account's register at any time.

From the chart of accounts

Double-click the name of the balance sheet account whose register you'd like to open.

or

Select the account name and click Use Register.

What about income and expense accounts? These types of accounts do not have registers in QuickBooks. If you need to see a list a list of the year-to-date transactions for an income or expense account, select the name of the account and click QuickReport.

From a form (cheque, invoice, etc.)

Choose Use Register from the Activities menu.

or

Press Ctrl + R.

What happens. QuickBooks opens the register for the account where the cheque, invoice, bill, or credit card charge originated. For example, if you are viewing an invoice, QuickBooks opens the register for the accounts receivable account where the invoice was recorded.


Scrolling through a register

To review the transactions in a register, drag the scroll box on the right side of the window up or down. As you drag the scroll box, a pop-up date shows you the date of the transaction that would appear at the top of the register window if you released the mouse button.

You can also use these keys to move to different parts of a register:

Press . . .	To do this
	Move up one transaction at a time.
	Move down one transaction at a time.
PgUp	Move up one screenful at a time.
PgDn	Move down one screenful at a time.
Ctrl + Page Up	Go to the beginning of the current month.  (Press Ctrl + Page Up again to go to the beginning of previous months.)
Ctrl + Page Down	Go to the beginning of the next month.
Ctrl + Home	Go to the beginning of the register.
Ctrl + End	Go to the end of the register.


Jumping to a transaction in a register

When you are working in a register, you can use the Go To button to jump to a transaction if you know any of the following: exact amount of the transaction, the payee name, the transaction number, or a word or phrase that appears in the transaction's memo.

Limitations. Go To works only within the current register, and looks only for amounts, payee names, transaction numbers, or memo text. If you need to search across multiple accounts, or search for information that Go To can't find, use the Find command instead.

Instructions

1	In the register, click Go To.

2	From the Which Field drop-down list, choose the field that applies to what you're searching for.

For example, if you are searching for a name, you would choose Payee/Name from the list.

3	In the Search For field, enter one of the following:

The payee name (the name can be a customer, vendor, employee, or a name from your Other Names list).

An amount.

The transaction number.

The text from the Memo field.

4	Indicate the direction you want QuickBooks to perform the search:

Click . . .	To
Prev	Search above the current transaction.
Next	Search below the current transaction.
QuickBooks goes to the first transaction that contains the information you entered. If the transaction isn't the one you want, click Next or Prev again to go to the next matching transaction.

5	When you are through searching, click Cancel or press Esc to close the Go To window.

See also

Finding a transaction


Go To window

You use this window to go to a transaction in the current register.

To go to a transaction

1	From the Which Field drop-down list, choose the field that applies to what you're searching for.

For example, if you are searching for a name, choose Payee/Name from the list.

2	In the Search For field, enter one of the following:

The payee name (the name can be a customer, vendor, employee, or a name from your Other Names list).

An amount.

The transaction number.

The text from the Memo field.

3	Indicate the direction you want QuickBooks to perform the search:

Click . . .	To
Prev	Search above the current transaction.
Next	Search below the current transaction.
QuickBooks goes to the first transaction that contains the information you entered. If the transaction isn't the one you want, click Next or Prev again to go to the next matching transaction.

Limitations

Go To works only within the current register, and looks only for payee names, amounts, transaction numbers, or memo text. If you need to search across multiple accounts, or search for information that Go To can't find, you must use the Find command.

See also

Finding a transaction


Entering a transaction in a bank account register

You can enter cheques and deposits directly in a bank account register instead of using the Write Cheques window and the Make Deposits window to create the transactions. In QuickBooks, a bank account register can represent a chequing, savings, money market, or petty cash account.

Why use the register?

Instructions

1	Open the register for the account you want to use.

How to open a register

2	Click in the blank entry at the end of the register.

3	Enter the date, cheque or deposit number, and payee in these fields:

Date

Number

Payee

For further help about a field, click its name.

4	Enter the amount:

For cheques. Enter the amount in the Payment field.

For deposits. Enter the amount in the Deposit field.

5	(Cheques only) Enter the name of the account you use to track this type of expense.

If you are distributing the entire cheque to one account and you don't need to assign the amount to a customer, job, or class, choose the account from the drop-down list.

or

Click Splits.

How to enter split detail

6	(Deposits only) Enter the name of the account that is the source of the funds you are depositing.

For example, if you converted a short-term asset into cash and you now want to add the cash to your chequing account, you would enter the name of the short-term asset account.

7	(Optional) In the Memo field, enter a note about the transaction.

The memo appears on all reports that include the transaction, and, in the case of cheques, near the bottom of the cheque face.

8	Click Record.

Did the transaction disappear?

QuickBooks sorts transactions by date. If you dated your transaction earlier than today, it may disappear from your view because QuickBooks moves it to its correct chronological position in the register.


There are several reasons why you might prefer to work directly in a bank account register:

Speed. You can work more quickly in a register than you can if you fill out a separate cheque or deposit for each transaction. This is especially true if your cheques have relatively few distribution lines and you do not need to track the costs of specific items.

You see the entire record of the account. When you're filling out a form such as the Write Cheques window, the only transaction you see is the one you're entering. In contrast, a register shows you all the transactions in the account to date.

Petty cash withdrawals. The Write Cheques window works for any QuickBooks bank account, including accounts set up to handle petty cash. To record a petty cash withdrawal, you may find it easier to enter a withdrawal directly in the register instead of writing a "cheque" for the withdrawal in the Write Cheques window.


Enter split transactions
Entering split transactions

Sometimes you need to assign more than one account, customer, job, or class to a transaction. For example, you may want to write a cheque to a vendor to pay for materials you used on two different jobs.

When you are entering a transaction in a register, you can "split" the transaction to different accounts, customers, jobs, or classes, so that you can keep track of how much you're spending on each account, customer, job, or class. From the register, you can also view split transactions that you entered by using the Expenses tab in the Write Cheques, Enter Bills, Enter Credit Card Charges, or Create Item Receipts windows.

Restriction. From a register, you cannot view or enter a split transaction that tracks items.

Instructions

1	Select the transaction you want to split, or click in the blank entry at the end of the register.

2	Enter the payee, vendor, or name.

3	Enter the total amount of the transaction in the payment field.

If you don't know the total. Leave the Amount field blank. QuickBooks totals the amount as you fill in the splits and displays it in the Payment field.

4	Click Splits.

5	In the Account field, enter an account.

6	In the tax code field, select the appropriate tax code.

7	In the Net Amt field, enter the amount to be assigned to this account.

QuickBooks subtracts the amount entered from the total amount and displays the remainder on the next free line of the Splits window. If you left the transaction amount blank, QuickBooks adds the split amount to the transaction amount.

8	(Optional) Enter a note about the split amount in the Memo field.

9	(Optional) Enter the name of a customer or job in the Customer:Job field. In the [image] column, indicate whether the expense is billable to that customer:

If the expense is billable. Do not change the invoice icon next to the customer's name.

If it is not. Click the invoice icon next to the customer's name. This marks a "X" through the icon. (Clicking again removes the "X".)

10	(Optional) Enter a class in the Class field.

The class field appears only when you select the "Use Class Tracking" checkbox in the Accounting Preferences window.

11	Continue to add accounts and amounts (and customers, jobs, or classes if needed) until you have added one line for each part of the transaction.

12	Click Record to record the transaction.

What if . . .

If the split amounts don't add up?


As you enter amounts in the Splits window, QuickBooks enters the remainder on the next free line. Sometimes the total of the amounts entered in the Splits window doesn't equal the figure you originally entered in the register. This happens when you delete a splits line or change the total amount in the register.

To balance your transaction

Click the Recalc button in the Splits window.


Entering a transaction in an A/P register

You can enter bills and vendor credits directly in your accounts payable (A/P) register instead of using the Enter Bills window to create the transactions.

Why use the register?

Instructions

1	Open the register for your A/P account.

2	Click in the blank entry at the end of the register.

3	Enter the date, transaction number, and vendor in these fields:

Date

Number

Vendor

For further help about a field, click its name.

4	(Optional) Change the date that QuickBooks fills in the Due Date field.

How QuickBooks determines the due date

How to set up payment terms

5	Enter the amount of the bill or credit:

For bills. Enter the amount in the Billed field.

For credits. Enter the amount in the Paid field.

6	(Bills only) Enter the name of the account you use to track this type of expense.

If you are distributing the entire bill to one account and you don't need to assign the amount to a customer, job, or class, choose the account from the drop-down list.

or

Click Splits.

How to enter split detail

7	(Optional) In the Memo field, enter a note about the transaction.

The memo appears on all reports that include the transaction.

8	Click Record.

Did the transaction disappear?

QuickBooks sorts transactions by date. If you dated your transaction earlier than today, it may disappear from your view because QuickBooks moves it to its correct chronological position in the register.


If you entered payment terms on the vendor's record, QuickBooks uses the payment terms to determine the due date. For example, if the terms are Net 30 (which means, "balance due in 30 days") and the date of the bill is January 1st, QuickBooks enters the due date as January 31st.

If you did not specify payment terms for the vendor, QuickBooks calculates the due date by using the "Bills are due __ days after receipt" preference in the Purchases & Vendors Preferences window. For example if the preference is set to 10 days and the date of the bill is April 1st, QuickBooks enters April 10th as the due date.


There are several reasons why you might prefer to work directly in an A/P register:

Speed. You can work more quickly in a register than you can if you fill out a separate bill or vendor credit for each transaction. This is especially true if your bills have relatively few distribution lines and you do not need to track the costs of specific items.

You see the entire record of the account. When you're filling out a form such as the Enter Bills window, the only transaction you see is the one you're entering. In contrast, a register shows you all the transactions in the account to date.


Editing a transaction in a register

With some exceptions (see "Restrictions" below), you can go to a register to edit a transaction. This can save time if the transactions you want to edit have relatively few distribution lines and you do not need to track the costs of specific items.

Instructions

1	Open the register where the transaction appears.

2	Go to the transaction.

If you're not sure where the transaction is, you can either scroll the register to see if you can spot the transaction, or you can use the Go To button to jump to the first transaction that contains a particular payee name, amount, memo, or transaction number

3	In the transaction, edit the fields you want to change.

Restrictions. You can edit deposits (designated by DEP in the Type field) without restrictions. You can edit split amounts for cheques (CHQ), credit card charges (CC), credit card credits (CC CRED), bills (BILL), and vendor credits (BILLCRED) if all the amounts are assigned to expense accounts (if any amount is assigned to an item, you must select the transaction and click Edit to edit the split amounts). For all other kinds of transactions, only certain fields can be edited directly in the register. To edit one of these transactions without restrictions, select the transaction and click Edit to display the transaction in its complete form.

4	Click Record to save your changes.

See also

Scrolling through a register

Jumping to a transaction in a register


Table of transaction type codes

These are the transaction codes that can appear in an account register. They identify the type of transaction (bill, invoice, etc.). Purchase orders, pending invoices, and estimates (in QuickBooks Pro) do not have transaction codes because they never post to an account.

This code . . .	Represents
BILL	Bills from vendors. You enter bills in the Enter Bills window. You can also enter them directly in your A/P register.
BILLCRED	Credits from vendors. You enter vendor credits in the Enter Bills window.
BILLPMT	Payments to vendors. You enter the payments in the Pay Bills window.
CREDMEM	Credit memos to customers. You enter credit memos in the Create Credit Memos/Refunds window.
CC	Credit card charges. You enter credit card charges in the Enter Credit Card Charges window. You can also enter them directly in a credit card account register.
CC CRED	Credit card credits. You enter credits in the Enter Credit Card Charges window. You can also enter them directly in a credit card account register.
CHQ	Cheques. You enter cheques in the Write Cheques window. You can also enter them directly in a bank account register. Note that QuickBooks has separate codes for pay cheques (PAY CHQ), payroll liability cheques (LIAB CHQ), cheques automatically generated when you pay bills (BILLPMT), and cheques generated when you pay Tax (TAXPMT).
DEP	Bank deposits. You enter bank deposits in the Make Deposits window. You can also enter them directly in a bank account register.
DISC	Discounts. These can be to customers for early payment, or from vendors for early bill payment. QuickBooks automatically calculates discounts on the basis of the payment terms you have set up for the customer or vendor.
GENJRNL	General journal entries. These are debit and credit entries in the General Journal Entry window. You can also enter them directly in an asset, liability, or equity account register to make adjustments to these types of accounts (QuickBooks does not provide data entry forms for these types of accounts).
INV	Invoices. You enter invoices in the Create Invoices window.
ITEM RCPT	Item receipts. An item receipt indicates you have received items you ordered, but you have not yet received a bill from the vendor. You enter item receipts in the Create Item Receipts window.
LIAB CHQ	Cheques for payroll taxes and other payroll liabilities. You enter these cheques in the Liability Cheque window.
PAY CHQ	Pay cheques to employees. You enter pay cheques in the Select Employees to Pay and Preview Pay cheques windows.
PMT	Payments from customers. You enter customer payments in the Receive Payments window.
RCPT	Cash sales receipts. You enter sales receipts in the Enter Cash Sales window.


Moving a transaction to a different account

If you enter a transaction into the wrong account, you can easily correct your mistake without having to re-enter the transaction.

Instructions

1	Open the register where you mistakenly entered the transaction.

2	Select the transaction.

3	From the Edit menu, choose Copy Transaction.

In the menu, the word "Transaction" changes depending upon the type of transaction you have selected in the register. For example, if you have selected a cheque, the command is Copy Cheque. Do not choose the Copy command, which appears above the Copy Transaction command.

4	Open the register for the correct account. Click in the blank transaction at the bottom of the register.

Restriction. You can copy and paste a transaction only between registers that accept the same types of transactions. For example, all bank transactions and credit card transactions have similar fields, so you can copy and paste a bank transaction into a credit card register. On the other hand, you cannot not paste an A/R transaction (such as an invoice), or an A/P transaction (such as a bill) into a bank account register.

5	From the Edit menu, choose Paste.

6	Click Record to record the transaction in the new register.

7	Delete the transaction from the original register.


Account register

This window shows a chronological listing of the transactions in the bank, credit card, asset, liability, or equity account you selected.

What you can do. For bank accounts, you can enter new cheques and deposits; for credit card accounts, you can enter new charges and credits; and for asset, liability, and equity accounts you can enter adjustments to the account. You can also edit, with some restrictions, transactions that QuickBooks entered in the register.

Why use the register?

What the register shows

The register shows the following information for each transaction:

Date	Payment or Decrease
Number or Ref
Type	Deposit, Charge, or Increase
Payee or Vendor	Balance
Account	Ending balance
Memo
Buttons and options

You can use these buttons and options to perform specific actions in the register:

Click . . .	To
	Record the current transaction. QuickBooks saves the information in the transaction and adjusts the current balance.
	Cancel changes you made to a transaction. Click Restore if you make a mistake while entering or editing a transaction.
	Create a report that lists all transactions related to the name in the current transaction. For example, a QuickReport for a cheque lists all the cheques you have written to that payee.
	Display the current transaction in its original form. Use this button when you want to see the original transaction or make changes that you can't enter directly in the register.
	Jump to the next transaction in which a particular payee, amount, memo, or transaction number appears. Go To searches only in the current register. For details, see: Jumping to a transaction in a register
	Distribute the amount of the transaction to more than one account. You can assign each split amount to a specific customer or job if you track job-related expenses or charge costs back to your customers. You can also assign classes to the amounts to give yourself another way to track the costs on your reports. From a register, you can enter splits only for expenses on cheques, bills, or credit card charges. To enter split detail for items [image] or for other kinds of transactions such as customer payments, bill payments, deposits, pay cheques, etc.click Edit to display the transaction in its original form.
	Display each transaction on one line in the register. Select this checkbox when you want the register window to display more transactions (it will show twice as many as before).


Accounts payable register

This window shows a chronological listing of all the transactions in your accounts payable (A/P) register. These typically include bills, payments to vendors, and credits from vendors.

What you can do. You can enter new bills and credits from vendors directly in the register. You can also edit, with some restrictions, transactions that QuickBooks entered in the register.

Why use the register?

What the register shows

The register shows the following information for each transaction:

Date	Due
Number	Billed
Type	Paid
Vendor	Balance
Account	Ending balance
Memo
Buttons and options

You can use these buttons and options to perform specific actions in the register:

Click . . .	To
	Record the current transaction. QuickBooks saves the information in the transaction and adjusts the current balance.
	Cancel changes you made to a transaction. Click Restore if you make a mistake while entering or editing a transaction.
	Create a report that lists all transactions related to the name in the current transaction. For example, a QuickReport for a vendor lists bills (and credits) from the vendor, as well as payments you made to the vendor.
	Display the current transaction in its original form. Use this button when you want to see the original transaction or make changes that you can't enter directly in the register.
	Jump to the next transaction in which a particular payee, amount, memo, or transaction number appears. Go To searches only in the current register. For details, see: Jumping to a transaction in a register
	Distribute the amount of the transaction to more than one account. You can assign each split amount to a specific customer or job if you track job-related expenses or charge costs back to your customers. You can also assign classes to the amounts to give yourself another way to track the costs on your reports. From a register, you can enter splits only for expenses on cheques, bills, or credit card charges. To enter split detail for items [image] or for other kinds of transactions such as customer payments, bill payments, deposits, pay cheques, etc.click Edit to display the transaction in its original form.
	Change the Billed column so that it shows only the amount you still owe for each bill, and the unused amount for each credit. Normally, the column shows the full amount of each bill. For example, if you have paid $200 of a bill for $500, the amount shown in the Billed column would change to $300, the amount you still owe on the bill.
	Display each transaction on one line in the register. Select this checkbox when you want the register window to display more transactions (it will show twice as many as before).


Accounts receivable register
Customer register

This window shows a chronological listing of all the transactions in your accounts receivable (A/R) account, or [image] if you're working with a customer's register [image] all the A/R transactions related to that customer. A customer register is nothing more than a special view into your A/R registers. To provide this view, QuickBooks selectively omits all transactions not related to the customer.

What you can do. You can enter charges to appear on the next billing statement you send to the customer.

What the register shows

The register shows the following fields and information:

Date	Rate
Number	Charged
Type	Paid
Customer	Billed date
Item	Due date
Description	Ending balance
Qty
Buttons and options

You can use these buttons and options to perform specific actions in the register:

Click . . .	To
	Record the current statement charge. QuickBooks saves the statement charge and adjusts the current balance.
	Cancel changes you made to a statement charge. Click Restore if you make a mistake while entering or editing a statement charge.
	Create a report that lists all transactions related to the name in the current transaction.
	Display the current invoice or customer payment in its original form so you can edit it.
	A/R registers only. Jump to the next transaction in which a particular payee, amount, memo, or transaction number appears. Go To searches only in the current register. For details, see: Jumping to a transaction in a register
	Display a window that lists the current unbilled item purchases, expenses, and hours for this customer or job. You can bill your customer for any or all of the entries listed. Each entry you select becomes a new statement charge in the customer's register.
	Change the Charged column so that it shows only the amount your customer still owes. Normally, the field shows the full amount of the invoice or statement charge. For example, if you wrote an invoice for $550 and then received a $200 payment that you applied to the invoice, the amount shown in the Charged column would change to $350, the amount your customer still owes.
	Display each transaction on one line in the register. Select this checkbox when you want the register window to display more transactions (it will show twice as many as before).


Date

The transaction date. You can use these shortcut keys when you enter or change the date:

Press . . .	To change the date to
+	Next day
-	Previous day
w  (for week)	1st day of the current week, then the 1st day of previous weeks
k  (for week)	Last day of the current week, then the last day of subsequent weeks
m  (for month)	1st day of the current month, then the 1st day of previous months
h  (for month)	Last day of the current month, then the last day of subsequent months
y  (for year)	1st day of the current year, then the 1st day of previous years
r  (for year)	Last day of the current year, then the last day of subsequent years
t  (for today)	Today's date


Number
(For credit card, asset, and liability accounts, this field is Ref.)

The number of the transaction. If you are entering a new cheque, QuickBooks increments the number for you automatically. For example, if your last cheque was #345, the new cheque will be #346.

To print. When the words "To print" appear in place of a cheque number, it means that the cheque is marked as "to be printed" in the Write Cheques window. When you print the cheque, QuickBooks replaces "To print" with the cheque number. By scrolling the register, you can see at a glance which cheques you've printed.

If you are entering a cheque directly in the register, you'll have to enter "To print" over the cheque number if you want QuickBooks to track whether you've printed the cheque. Don't worry about deleting the number; it will reappear when you print the cheque.


Number

The number of the transaction. This field is optional.


Number

The number of the transaction. This field is optional.


Type

A code that identifies the type of transaction (cheque, deposit, etc.). You cannot enter transaction type codes yourself. If you are entering a new transaction, QuickBooks determines the appropriate code and enters it as follows:

This code . . .	Appears when you enter . . .
CHK	Cheques and withdrawals in bank accounts.
DEP	Deposits in bank accounts.
CC	Credit card charges in credit card accounts.
CC CRED	Credit card credits in credit card accounts.
GENJRNL	Increases or decreases in asset, liability, or equity accounts.
You'll also see codes for other types of transactions [image] for example, BILLPMT for bill payments. QuickBooks adds these transactions to the register when you record them by filling out the appropriate form.

See also

Transaction type codes in QuickBooks


Type

A code that identifies the type of transaction (bill, vendor credit, etc.). You cannot enter transaction type codes yourself. If you are entering a new transaction, QuickBooks determines the appropriate code and enters it as follows:

This code . . .	Appears when you enter . . .
BILL	Bills from vendors. A bill increases the balance of the account.
BILLCRED	Credits from vendors. A credit decreases the balance of the account.
You'll also see codes for other types of transactions [image] for example, BILLPMT for bill payments. QuickBooks adds these transactions to the register when you record them by filling out the appropriate form.

See also

Transaction type codes in QuickBooks


Type

A code that identifies the type of transaction (invoice, statement charge, customer payment etc.). You cannot enter transaction type codes yourself. If you are entering a transaction in the register, QuickBooks automatically enters the transaction code as STMTCHG.

You'll also see codes for other types of transactions [image] for example, INV for invoices, CREDMEM for credit memos, or PMT for customer payments. QuickBooks adds these transactions to the register when you record them by filling out the appropriate form.

See also

Transaction type codes in QuickBooks


Payee
(For credit card accounts, this field is Vendor.)

The name of the person or company who received the transaction.

To enter the name. Choose the name from the drop-down list. If the name is not on the list, type the name in the Payee or Vendor field and press Tab. When QuickBooks informs you that the payee is not on any of your lists, click one of these buttons:

Click . . .	To do this
Quick Add	Add only the payee's name to your QuickBooks records.
Set Up	Add additional information about the payee (address, phone number, etc.) to your QuickBooks records.
Deposits. QuickBooks does not require that you enter a "payee" for bank deposits. If you want, you can use the Payee field to enter information for your own use. For example, you could enter the name of the bank where you made the deposit. What you enter appears on all reports that include the deposit.


Vendor

The name of the vendor.

To enter the name. Choose the vendor from the drop-down list. If the name is not on the list, type the name in the Vendor field and press Tab. When QuickBooks informs you that the vendor is not on your Vendor list, click one of these buttons:

Click . . .	To do this
Quick Add	Add only the vendor's name to your QuickBooks records.
Set Up	Add additional information about the vendor (address, phone number, etc.) to your QuickBooks records.


Customer

The name of the customer.

To enter the name. Choose the customer from the drop-down list. If the name is not on the list, type the name in the Customer field and press Tab. When QuickBooks informs you that the customer is not on your Customer:Job list, click one of these buttons:

Click . . .	To do this
Quick Add	Add only the customer's name to your QuickBooks records.
Set Up	Add additional information about the customer (address, phone number, etc.) to your QuickBooks records.


Account

The name of an account. If the transaction originated in this register, the account is the account to which you distributed the funds (if you distributed to more than one account, the word "Split" appears in place of an account name). If the transaction originated in another register, the account is the account for that register.

For cheques, credit card charges. Choose the account you use to track that kind of expenditure from the drop-down list. Typically, you would choose one of your expense accounts.

For deposits. Choose the account that currently holds the money you are depositing. For example, if you converted a short-term asset into cash and you now want to add the cash to your chequing account, you would enter the name of the asset account that tracks the value of the asset.

To enter a split. Click Splits. When you enter a split, you can distribute the amount of the transaction to more than one account. You can assign each split amount to a specific customer or job if you track job-related expenses or charge costs back to your customers. You can also assign classes to the amounts to give yourself another way to track the costs on your reports.

From a register, you can enter splits only for expenses on cheques, bills, or credit card charges. To enter split detail for items [image] or for other kinds of transactions such as customer payments, bill payments, deposits, pay cheques, etc.click Edit instead.


Account

The name of an account. If the transaction originated in this register, the account is the account to which you distributed the funds (if you distributed to more than one account, the word "Split" appears in place of an account name). If the transaction originated in another register, the account is the account for that register.

For bills. Choose the account you use to track that kind of expenditure from the drop-down list. Typically, you would choose one of your expense accounts.

To enter a split. Click Splits. When you enter a split, you can distribute the amount of the transaction to more than one account. You can assign each split amount to a specific customer or job if you track job-related expenses or charge costs back to your customers. You can also assign classes to the amounts to give yourself another way to track the costs on your reports.

From a register, you can enter splits only for expenses on cheques, bills, or credit card charges. To enter split detail for items [image] or for other kinds of transactions such as bill payments [image] click Edit to display the transaction in its original form.


Memo

A short note about the transaction. The memo appears on all reports that include the transaction. For cheques, the memo also appears near the bottom of the cheque.


Due

The due date of the bill. QuickBooks calculates the due date and enters it for you. To calculate the date, QuickBooks uses the number of days specified for the "Bills are due __ days after receipt" preference in the Purchases & Vendors Preferences window.

Example. If the "Bills are due __ days after receipt" preference is set to 10 days and the date of the bill is April 1st, QuickBooks enters April 10th as the due date.

When you pay the bill. QuickBooks replaces the due date with the word "Paid." When you scroll the register, you can see at a glance which bills you've paid and which bills you haven't.


Due date

The due date of the invoice or statement charge. For invoices, QuickBooks enters the date when you record the invoice.

Where the date comes from. To calculate the date, QuickBooks uses the payment terms you specified on the Additional Info tab of the customer's record and the date of the invoice or the statement.

Example. If the payment terms are "Net 30" (balance due in 30 days) and the date of the invoice or statement is December 15th, QuickBooks enters January 14th as the due date.

When the customer pays. QuickBooks replaces the due date with the word "Paid." When you scroll the register, you can see at a glance which invoices are paid and which ones are not.


Billed date

The billing date of the invoice:

For invoices, this is the date that appears on the invoice.


Payment (bank and credit card accounts)
Decrease (asset, liability, and equity accounts)

The cheque, credit card charge, or adjusting transaction. Amounts in this column of the register decrease the balance of the account.


Deposit (bank  accounts)
Charge (credit card accounts)
Increase (asset, liability, and equity accounts)

The amount of the deposit, credit card credit, or adjusting transaction. Amounts in this column of the register increase the balance of the account.


Billed

The amount of the bill. Amounts in this column of the register increase the balance of the account.


Paid

The amount of the vendor credit or bill payment. Amounts in this column of the register decrease the amount of the account.


Charged

The amount of the invoice. Amounts in this column of the register increase the balance of the account.


Paid

The amount of the customer payment. Amounts in this column of the register decrease the balance of the account.


Balance

This column shows a running balance for the account. QuickBooks automatically fills in this field when you enter a new transaction or change the amount of an existing transaction.


Ending balance

This amount shows how much money you have in the account. QuickBooks recalculates the balance each time you enter a new transaction, or change the amount of an existing transaction.


 (cleared)

A [image] in this column means that you marked the transaction as cleared when you reconciled the account with your bank statement.

An asterisk (*) in this column means that you marked the transaction as cleared, but you did not finish reconciling the account with your bank statement.


Print Register window

You use this window to tell QuickBooks how much of the current register you want to print.

To . . .	Do this
Print the transactions for a specific date range	Enter the beginning date in the From field and the ending date in the To field.
Include detail lines for transactions in the printed copy.	Select the "Show Transaction Detail" checkbox. By selecting this checkbox, you can add the detail lines to the printed copy even though you cannot see the detail lines in the register.


Types of reports

QuickBooks lets you choose from dozens of different preset reports. The Reports menu groups the reports into these major groups:

Profit and loss reports

Balance sheet reports

A/R (accounts receivable) reports

Sales reports

Purchase reports

Inventory reports

A/P (accounts payable) reports

GST/PST reports

Budget reports

Transaction reports

Transaction detail reports

Payroll reports

Project reports

Other reports

For details about a specific group, click the group.


Profit and loss reports

Profit and loss reports give you a global view of your company's income, expenses, and net profit or loss over a specific period of time.

Report type	Description
Standard	Summarizes your income and expenses, subtotalled by income or expense account, so you can tell whether you're operating at a profit or a loss. Some people call this type of report an income statement.
YTD comparison	Like the standard profit and loss statement, but with columns for this year to date, $ change, and % change.
Prev year comparison	Like the standard profit and loss statement, but with one column for this month to date and a second column for this year to date.
By job	Like the standard profit and loss statement, but with columns for each job. Amounts are for this year to date.
By class	Like the standard profit and loss statement, but with columns for each class. Amounts are for this year to date.
Itemized	Shows year to date transactions (instead of totals only) for each income and expense account.
Income by customer summary	Summarizes year to date sales income by customer and job.
Income by customer detail	Lists year to date sales (or return) transactions, grouped and subtotalled by customer and job.
Expenses by vendor summary	Summarizes year to date net expenses by vendor.
Expenses by vendor detail	Lists year to date expense (or credit) transactions, grouped and subtotalled by vendor.
See also

Creating a report


Balance sheet reports

Balance sheet reports show the financial position of your business by listing assets, liabilities, and equity.

Report type	Description
Standard	Shows [image] as of today [image] the balance in each balance sheet account, with subtotals for assets, liabilities, and equity.
Comparison	Has columns for today, a year ago, $ change, and % change.
Summary	Shows amounts for each account type but not for individual accounts.
Itemized	Shows balances as of last month and today, and shows transactions for each account for this month.
See also

Creating a report


A/R reports

A/R reports give you information about the "receivables" side of your business [image] which invoices are due (or overdue), how much each customer owes your company, etc.

Report type	Description
Aging summary	Shows when invoice payments are or were due, subtotalled by customer.
Aging detail	Lists each unpaid invoice, and open credit memo, grouped and subtotalled by days overdue (aging period).  Tells how many days an invoice is overdue.
Open invoices	Lists each unpaid invoice, grouped and subtotalled by customer.
Collections report	When you specify a number of days, this report displays which invoices are overdue by that number of days, along with customer names and phone numbers so you can contact delinquent customers.
Customer balance summary	Shows balances for customers with unpaid balances, as of the ending date.
Customer balance detail	Lists each invoice, credit memo, payment, cash sale, and general journal entry, subtotalled by customer.  Total for customer equals customer's unpaid balance.
See also

Creating a report


Sales reports

Sales reports give you information about what you have sold and to whom.

Report type	Description
By item summary	Summarizes your month to date unit and dollar sales, subtotalled by invoice item (for parts, services, discounts, or other charges).
By item detail	Like the item summary report, but with sales transactions listed for each line item for this month.
By customer summary	Summarizes your sales income (for parts, services, discounts, or other charges) by customer for this month.
By customer detail	Like the customer summary report, but with sales transactions listed for each customer.
By rep summary	Summarizes your sales income (for parts, services, discounts, or other charges) by employee for this month.
By rep detail	Like the employee summary report, but with sales transactions listed for each employee.
Pending sales	Lists all invoices, cash sales, and credit memos that are marked as pending. Shows the account that is affected when the sale is marked as final.
See also

Creating a report


Purchase reports

Purchase reports give you information about your purchases.

Report type	Description
By Item Summary	Summarizes your unit and dollar purchases for this month, subtotalled by item.
By Item Detail	Like the previous report, but with credit card charges, bills, vendor credits, and cheques listed for each item.
By Vendor Summary	Summarizes your purchasing expenses by vendor for this month.
By Vendor detail	Like the previous report, but with credit card charges, bills, vendor credits, and cheques listed for each vendor.
Open Purchase Orders	Shows all open purchase orders, including the vendor, PO number, and expected receipt date.
See also

Creating a report


Inventory reports

Inventory reports give you information about the status (such as the quantities you have on hand or on order) and the value of your stock.

Report type	Description
Stock status by item	For each inventory item, shows quantity on hand, quantity on order, date of next order receipt, and average quantity sold per week. Period of time covered is this month to date.
Stock status by vendor	For each inventory item, shows quantity on hand, quantity on order, date of next order receipt, and average sales per week. This report is designed to help you in reordering items.
Valuation summary	For each inventory item, shows the quantity on hand, average cost, asset value, sales price, retail value, % of total asset value, and % of retail value. Period of time covered is this month to date.
Valuation detail	For each inventory item, shows all transactions for this month to date that affect the value of the item. This report has the same columns as the valuation summary report.
Physical inventory worksheet	For each inventory item, shows the preferred vendor and quantity on hand. An empty column lets you write in the actual quantity as you make a physical count of your stock.
See also

Creating a report


A/P reports

A/P reports give you information about the "payables" side of your business, including which bills are due, your sales tax liability, and your current balance with each vendor.

Report type	Description
Aging summary	Shows the aging status of your unpaid bills in your accounts payable account, subtotalled by vendor.
Aging detail	Lists each unpaid bill, subtotalled by aging period.  Tells how many days a bill is overdue.
Unpaid bills detail	Lists each unpaid bill, subtotalled by vendor.
Vendor balance summary	Shows balances for vendors with unpaid balances, as of the report's ending date.
Vendor balance detail	Lists all vendor-related transactions, subtotalled by vendor. The total for a vendor equals the vendor's unpaid balance.
See also

Creating a report


GST/PST reports

QuickBooks provides two ways to find out how much tax liability you are accruing. These are: PST and GST summary reports.

Report type	Description
GST Summary	The GST summary report provides complete information about the GST your company has collected and owes (or will be reimbursed) for a particular period.
PST Summaryl	The PST/QST summary report provides complete information about the PST/QST your company has collected and owes (or in Quebec, will be reimbursed) for a particular period.


Budget reports

Budget reports show how your income and expenses compare to the budgets you have set up.

Report type	Description
P&L budget overview	Shows budgeted amounts by month for each income and expense account for which you have set up a budget.
P&L budget vs. actual	Compares budgeted amounts for income and expense accounts with actual income and expenses. Shows the difference in dollars and as a percentage of budgeted amount.
P&L budget by job overview	Shows budgeted amounts by month and by job for each income and expense account for which you have set up a budget for a job.
P&L budget vs. actual by job	Compares budgeted amounts for income and expense accounts for each job with actual income and expenses. Shows difference in dollars and as a percentage of budgeted amount.
Balance sheet budget overview	Shows annual income and expense budgeted amounts by job. The period of time covered is the financial year to date.
Balance sheet budget vs. actual	Compares budgeted balances for balance sheet accounts with actual balances. Shows the difference in dollars and as a percentage of budgeted balance.
See also

Creating a report


Transaction reports

Transaction reports list transactions that occurred within a specific period of time and that match specific criteria.

Report type	Description
By date	Lists all individual transactions for this month by date.
By customer	Lists individual transactions for this month to date, but grouped and subtotalled by customer.
By vendor	Lists individual transactions for this month to date, but grouped and subtotalled by vendor.
See also

Creating a report


Transaction detail reports

Transaction detail reports list the details of transactions that occurred within a specific period of time and that match specific criteria.

Report type	Description
By account	Lists the details of individual transactions for this month to date, subtotalled by each account on your chart of accounts.
By date	Lists individual the details of transactions for this month to date. Each account involved in a transaction appears on a separate line. Displays the open balance and the original amount of each transaction.
See also

Creating a report

Cash basis transaction report examples


Payroll reports

To create one of these reports, choose Payroll Reports from the Reports menu and then choose the report you want. These reports are available only when payroll is turned on.

Report type	Description
Summary by employee	Summarizes the amount for each payroll item paid or withheld from each employee. Also summarizes payroll expenses for taxes and benefits.
Employee journal	Shows the same information as the summary by employee report, but in a different layout. The report has a row for each employee and a column for each payroll item.
Liabilities by item	Shows the amount you currently owe for each payroll item that creates a liability for your company.
See also

Creating a report


Project reports

To create one of these reports, choose Project Reports from the Reports menu and then choose the report you want.

Report type	Description
Job profitability summary	Compares the actual cost to the actual revenue for all customers and jobs. The report subtotals the data first by customer and then by job.
Job profitability detail	For a particular customer or job, compares actual costs to actual revenues and shows the difference between the two amounts. The report subtotals the data first by item type and then by item.
Job estimates vs. actuals summary	Compares estimated cost to actual cost and estimated revenue to actual revenue for all customers and jobs showing, in each case, the difference between the two amounts. The report subtotals the data first by customer and then by job.
Job estimates vs. actuals detail	For a particular customer or job, compares estimated costs to actual costs and estimated revenues to actual revenues showing, in each case, the difference between the two amounts. The report subtotals the data first by item type and then by item.
Job progress invoices vs. estimates	Compares each estimate with progress invoices based on the estimate. For each customer or job shows job status, estimate total, total invoiced from the estimate on progress invoices, and the percentage of the estimate already invoiced on progress invoices.
Item profitability	For each item, compares the actual cost to actual revenue and shows the difference between the two amounts. The report subtotals the data first by item type and then by item.
Item estimates vs. actuals	For each item, compares estimated cost to actual cost and estimated revenue to actual revenue showing, in each case, the difference between the two amounts. The report subtotals the data first by item type and then by item.
Time by name	Shows hours worked (or tracked as sick or vacation time) subtotalled first by the name of the person who performed the work and then by the customer or job the person performed the work for.
Time by job	Shows hours worked subtotalled first by customer or job and then by service item.
Time by item	Shows hours worked subtotalled first by service item and then by customer or job.
Time activity detail	Lists each time activity (that is, work done by one person for a particular customer or job on a specific date) and shows whether the work is billed, unbilled, or not billable. The report groups and subtotals the activities first by customer and job and then by service item.
See also

Creating a report


Other reports

To create one of these reports, choose Other Reports from the Reports menu and then choose the report you want.

Report type	Description
Cash flow forecast	Shows expected cash inflows, expected cash disbursements, and expected bank account balances, so you can forecast how much cash you'll have.
Income tax summary	Shows the amount associated with each tax line for the tax form you specified in the Company Information window. You choose which account is associated with each tax line.
Income tax detail	Shows the transactions associated with each tax line for the tax form you specified in the Company Information window. You choose which account is associated with each tax line.
Cheque detail	Shows detailed information for each cheque, including which expense accounts the cheque affected (in the Account column) and how you allocated bill payments (in the Paid Amount column).
Missing cheques	Lists cheques in a bank account by cheque number, invoices in a receivables account by invoice number, or payments in a current asset account by number. Points out both missing and duplicate numbers.
Deposit detail	Shows detailed information for each bank deposit, including which customers contributed to the deposit (in the Name column) and how you allocated payments from customers (in the Amount column).
Payroll report	Summarizes all transactions related to payroll accounts, as defined in the Payroll Information window. This report is available only if you select "Payroll Reports only" in the Payroll & Employees Preferences window.
General ledger	Lists month to date transactions, grouped and subtotalled by each account on your chart of accounts. This report is similar to the transactions by account report.
Trial balance	Summarizes your debits and credits, subtotalled by each account on your chart of accounts, for people familiar with double-entry accounting.
Journal	Breaks down every transaction into debits and credits, showing how QuickBooks does double-entry accounting automatically.
Transaction journal	Breaks down the current transaction into debits and credits.
Transaction history	Lists transaction information in two forms: invoices and the payments against them, and payments and the invoices they are against.
Audit trail	For a date range that you specify, shows any transactions modified during that period and what the modifications were. Can also show deleted transactions. To create this report, you must first select "Use audit trail" in the Accounting Preferences window.
See also

Creating a report


Cash basis transaction report examples

A cash basis transaction report can look complicated when the report includes items that post to balance sheet accounts. This is because the report has to show a balancing entry for each amount. Without the balancing entries, your company finances would be out of balance.

Example 1: Payment in full for an invoice

You sell an item from your inventory to a customer on August 31st. The item's cost is $10.00; its sales price is $25.00. On September 1st, you receive a payment for the full $25.00. A cash basis transaction by date report represents the two transactions as follows:

When you recorded the invoice, you sold an item whole value as inventory was $10.00. Accordingly, your Inventory Asset account decreases by $10.00. To balance this amount, Accounts Receivable increases by $10.00:

When you applied the customer's payment to the invoice, you incur the cost of selling the item. Accordingly, your Cost of Goods Sold Account increases by $10.00. To balance this amount, Accounts Receivable decreases by $10.00:

Because the customer's payment was $25.00, the Sales account (where you track sales income) decreases by $25.00. (The account decreases because accounting conventions treat income as a negative number.) To balance this amount, Accounts Receivable increases temporarily by $25.00:

Finally, the Undeposited Funds account increases by $25.00, the amount that the customer paid. (Undeposited Funds is where QuickBooks "holds" money you receive until you deposit it in a bank account.) To balance this amount, Accounts Receivable decreases by $25.00:

The net effect on the accounts is as follows:

Inventory Asset decreases by $10.00.

Cost of Goods Sold increases by $10.00.

Sales decreases by $25.00.

Undeposited Funds increases by $25.00.

Accounts Receivable remains unchanged.

Note that the total of all the changes is $0.00. Your accounts are in balance.

Example 2: Partial payment of an invoice

What happens when you receive a partial payment for an invoice? Let's assume the same invoice as before, but this time you receive a payment of $12.50 [image] half of the invoice total. The cash basis transaction report now looks like this:

Notice that QuickBooks has reduced all of the September 1st amounts by one half to reflect that fact that you only received half of the invoice total:

Cost of Goods Sold increases by $5.00, not $10.00 as in the previous report. The cost of the sale is one half of the item's inventory value, not its full value.

Sales decreases by $12.50, not $25.00 as in the previous report.

Undeposited Funds increases by $12.50, not $25.00 as in the previous report.

Each of these entries corresponds to a balancing entry in Accounts Receivable. As in the previous report, the total of all the entries is $0.00.


Creating a report

What can reports do for you?

From . . .	Do this to create a report
The Navigator	Click the report category you want on the Reports tab. Then choose the specific report you want.
A list	Click the Reports button menu. Then choose the specific report you want.
The menu bar	Choose a report category (Profit and loss, Balance sheet, A/R, Sales, etc.) from the Reports menu. Then choose the specific report you want.
What if . . .

You don't know which report to choose

The report doesn't show what you expected

You'd like to know where an amount came from

See also

Viewing more of a report on your screen

Changing the scope of a report (filtering)

Customizing a report

Printing a report

Memorizing a report for reuse


Reports give you insight into your company finances. You can use reports to answer questions like these:

Which invoices are past due?

How profitable was that big job I completed last month?

What will my cash flow be for the next quarter?

Are my expenses within budget?

How much did my business grow this year?

QuickBooks provides over 60 different kinds of reports that cover all aspects of your business. If you create a report and it doesn't show exactly what you need, you can apply a filter to the report to change its scope. For example, you can filter a sales report to show only sales for a particular line of products in your inventory.


For a description of what each type of report provides, see:

Types of reports


Here are some things you can do:

If the report covers the wrong period of time, choose the period you want from the Dates list in the report window. Or: change the dates shown in the From and To fields.

If you want to limit the report to specific accounts, customers, vendors, types of transactions, etc., click Filters and select the filters you want to apply to the report.

If you suspect you created the wrong type of report for the information you want, try a different report. The report names indicate the content of each report.

See also

Changing the scope of a report (filtering)

Types of reports


Double-click the amount:

When you double-click an amount that summarizes a group of transactions, QuickBooks displays another report that lists the transactions contributing to that amount.

When you double-click a transaction, QuickBooks displays the transaction in its original form (invoice, bill, etc.).

 stands for QuickZoom. When the mouse pointer changes to the QuickZoom symbol, it means that you can double-click to get more information about an entry in a report.

If an amount is incorrect. Use QuickZoom to display the original transaction. If you make a change to the transaction, QuickBooks automatically updates the report.


Viewing more of a report on your screen

Click . . .	To do this
The scroll bars	Move the report text up or down, or left and right, in the report window.
Hide Header	Remove the report header (company name, report title, date range, today's date, etc.). This button does not affect the printed report.
Show Header	Display the report header again.
Collapse	Hide subaccounts, jobs, and subclasses; by summarizing their amounts under the main heading. This button affects both the onscreen and printed report.
Expand	Display subaccounts, jobs, and subclasses again.
See also

Creating a report

Changing the scope of a report (filtering)


Changing the scope of a report
Changing the scope of a report (filtering)

What can you do with filters?

1	In the Report window, click Filters.

2	Fill in the Filter Transactions window:

3	Click OK.

4	(Optional) Click Memorize to memorize the filter settings.

By memorizing the filter settings, you can create similar reports in the future without having to re-enter the settings each time.

What if . . .

You can't seem to find a filter for what you want to do?

See also

Customizing a report

Memorizing a report for future use

Printing a report

Filtering a time report


When you create a report, it may show more information than you need. For example, a sales by customer report initially shows your sales to all customers for the current month. This would be too much information if all you wanted was to see this month's sales to one of your customers.

Filters let you change the scope of a report. When you apply a filter to a report, you choose how you want QuickBooks to restrict the report [image] to certain customers, for example. QuickBooks then excludes from the report any transactions that don't meet your criteria.

You can apply filters either one at a time or in combination with each other. Each additional filter you apply further restricts the content of the report.

Example

For example, you would use the Date filter by itself to show last year's sales in a sales report. But to show last year's sales to a particular customer, you must use the Date filter in combination with the Name filter. Each additional filter further restricts the scope of the report.

QuickBooks provides many different types of filters for reports. The ones you'll probably want to use most often are: Account, Amount, Date, Item (for the goods or services you sell), Memo (for your memo notes on transactions), Name (for customer, job, vendor, or employee names), Number (for transaction numbers like cheque numbers), and Type (for specific types of transactions like bills or invoices).


Some filters represent more than one thing. This may be a little confusing if you've never used report filters in QuickBooks before.

Use . . .	To filter for
Item	Any kind of line item that appears on a purchase order or sales form. These include goods and services, discounts, and tax codes.
Name	Customers, jobs, vendors, employees, or any name on your Other Names list.
Trans type	Any type of transaction, including invoices, cash sales, statement charges, payments from customers, bank deposits, purchase orders, item receipts, bills, bill payments, credit card charges, cheques, pay cheques, and general journal entries.


Click the filter you want to know about

Account	FOB
Amount	Job Type
Date	Paid status
Item	Payment method
Memo	Payroll item
Name	Posting status
Number	Printed status
Transaction type	Received
Aging	Rep
Class	Ship date
Cleared	Ship via
Customer type	Template
Detail level	Terms
Due date	Vendor type
Entered/Modified	Tax Code
What if . . .

You use custom fields?

The report is from a list?

You can't seem to find a filter for what you want to do?


Account

Account refers to the account associated with a transaction. You can use this filter to include balance sheet accounts where transactions originate (for example, your current account), detail accounts (for example, the expense accounts assigned to detail lines on a cheque), or both. Including detail accounts shows you where your income came from and where your expenses went.

To limit the report to specific accounts

1	Choose the accounts you want from the Account list.

To include . . .	Do This
Two or more specific accounts	Choose Selected from the Account list. Then select each account you want to include.
An entire category of accounts	Choose the category from the middle of the Account list.
One account only	Choose the account name from the bottom of the Account list.
2	If you choose one or more balance sheet accounts, indicate whether you want the report to include detail accounts.

Click . . .	To do This
No	Exclude detail accounts from the report.
Yes	Include all detail accounts in the report.
For detail accounts matching	Include selected detail accounts in the report. Use the drop-down list to select the accounts.
Example


Account filter example

You'd like to know which travel-related expenses you paid from your current account. To limit the report to those transactions, you do the following:

1	Select Account in the list of filters.

2	Choose your current account from the Account list.

3	Select "For detail accounts matching".

4	Choose your travel expense account from the drop-down list.

5	Click OK.


Amount

The amount of a transaction is its total [image] for example, the total of an invoice or the amount billed by a vendor.

Click . . .	To show
Any	All transactions, regardless of amount.
=	Transactions exactly equal to a particular amount. For example, all bills for $100.00 exactly.
<	Transactions less than or equal to a specific amount. For example, all cheques for $25.00 or less.
>	Transactions equal to or greater than a specific amount. For example, all invoices for $500 or more.
Example. You're concerned that your business is making too many small purchases. To limit a report to purchases of $100.00 and under, you would click < and enter 100 in the last field (the one to the right of the > symbol).


Date

This is the date of a transaction [image] the date on a invoice for example.

To show transactions . . .	Do this
Dated within a standard period of time	Choose one of the time periods shown on the Date drop-down list.
Dated between two calendar dates	Enter the dates in the From and To fields. For example, enter 6/15/97 and 6/30/97 to show transactions dated between June 15th and June 30th 1997.
Tip. Some of the date ranges you can choose are based on your financial year or your tax year as specified in the Company Information window. For example, if your financial year begins July 1 and the current date is October 15, choosing Year-to-Date sets the date range from July 1 to October 15 (your financial year to date), and choosing Last Quarter sets the date range from July 1 to September 30 (the financial year quarter before the current quarter).

See also

Shortcuts for entering dates


Item

Items are the goods and services you buy and sell. You can limit a report to transactions related to a particular item. For example, a report can show how much money you make on one type of service you bill out to clients but not the other services you bill.

To include . . .	Do This
Two or more specific items	Choose Selected from the Item list. Then click the name of each item you want to include in the report.
An entire category of items	Choose the category from the Item list. For example, to limit the report to items from your inventory, choose All Inventory Items from the list.
One item only	Choose the item from the last section of the Item list.


Memo

A memo is a note to yourself that you enter in the Memo field of a transaction. You can limit a report to show only those transactions that have a specific memo.

To include . . .	Do This
One memo only	Enter the entire text of the memo.
Memos that share the same word or phrase	Enter the word or phrase.
Example. As a contractor you use the memos "Installation labour" and "Framing labour" on invoices. To limit a sales report to all invoices that include the word labour, you would select the Memo filter and enter "labour" in the Memo field.


Name

The name of the person or company that appears on a transaction. You can limit a report to transactions related to a particular customer, job, vendor, or employee [image] or to any of the names on your Other Names list.

To include . . .	Do This
Two or more specific names	Choose Selected from the Name list. Then click each name you want to include in the report.
An entire category of names	Choose the category from the Name list. For example, to limit the report to vendors only, choose All Vendors from the list.
One name only	Choose the customer, job, vendor, or employee from the last section of the Name list.
Example. Your business buys office supplies from three different vendors. To limit a report to purchases from those vendors, you would select the Name filter, choose Selected from the Name list, and then click the names of your office supply vendors.


Number

This is a transaction's number [image] for example, the cheque number on a cheque or the invoice number on an invoice.

To include	Do this
A range of numbers	Enter the beginning number in the first field and the ending number in the second field.
A single number	Enter the number in the first field. Leave the second field blank.
Example. To show invoices 500 through 675 in sales report, you would enter 500 in the first field and 675 in the second field.


Transaction type

A transaction's type indicates what the transaction is [image] a cheque, for example. You can limit a report so that it shows only invoices, only bills, only cheques, etc.

To include . . .	Do this
One type of transaction only	Choose the transaction type (cheque, invoice, etc.) from the Type list.
Two or more types of transactions	Choose Selected Transaction Types from the Transaction Type list. Then click each type of transaction you want to include in the search.
All transactions regardless of type	Leave All in the Type field.
Example. A sales by customer detail report shows both invoices and cash sales. To limit the report to cash sales only, you would select the Type filter and choose Cash Sale from the Type list.


Aging

This is the number of days an invoice or bill is past due.

Click . . .	To show
Any	All past due invoices or bills.
=	Invoices or bills that are past due by only by a specific number of days. For example, 30 days, but not 28 or 31.
<	Invoices or bills that are past due up to and including a specific number of days. For example, up to 30 days, but not over 30.
>	Invoices or bills that are past due by at least a specific number of days. For example 30 days and beyond, but not under 30.
Examples. To show invoices or bills that at least 60 days overdue, click > and enter 60 in the last field (the one to the right of the > symbol). To show invoices or bills that are overdue by 30 days or less, click < and enter 30.


Class

Classes let you group transactions in ways that are meaningful to your business. You can limit a report to transactions related to a particular class.

To include . . .	Do This
Two or more specific classes	Choose Selected from the Class list. Then click each class you want to include in the report.
One class only	Choose the class from the last section of the Class list.
Example. Your business uses classes to denote sales regions. To limit a sales report to sales in the Pacific and Southwest regions, you would select the Class filter, choose Selected from the Class list, and then click Pacific and Southwest. QuickBooks then excludes sales from all other regions from the report.


Cleared

Cleared refers to whether you have reconciled your QuickBooks records against your bank or credit card statement. QuickBooks marks cleared transactions with a [image] in a cheque, bank, or credit card register.

Click . . .	To include
Either	All transactions, regardless of whether they have cleared.
Yes	Cleared transactions only.
No	Uncleared transactions only.


Customer Type

Customer types let you group your customers in ways that are meaningful to your business. You can restrict a report to transactions related to a particular customer type.

To include . . .	Do This
Two or more customer types	Choose Selected from the Customer Type list. Then click each customer type you want to include in the report.
One customer type only	Choose the customer type from the last section of the Customer Type list.
Example. A construction business uses customer types to group their customers by location. To limit a profit and loss report to profits from Osgoldcross, you would select the Class filter, and choose Osgoldcross from the Class list. QuickBooks then excludes profits from all other areas from the report.


Detail level

Detail level refers to the detail lines in a transaction (for example, the line items on an invoice or the expense account detail on a cheque). When you create a transaction report, you can use this filter to show or suppress the detail lines for each transaction.

Click . . .	To do this
All	Include the detail lines for each transaction. For an invoice, for example, the report will show the amount of each line item as well as the invoice total.
Summary only	Exclude detail lines. The report will show only the total amount of each transaction.
All except summary	Include the detail lines for each transaction without the transaction totals.


Due date

Due date applies to both sales and expenses. It can be:

The date a customer owes payment on an invoice or statement charge.

The date your company owes payment on a bill.

To show what's due . . .	Do this
Within a standard period of time	Choose one of the time periods shown on the Due Date drop-down list. For example, choose "Last quarter" to show invoices or bills that were due during your last financial quarter.
Between two calendar dates	Enter the dates in the From and To fields.
See also

Shortcuts for entering dates


Entered/modified

These are the dates when a transaction was entered or modified.

To show entries made. . .	Do this
Within a standard period of time	Choose one of the time periods shown on the Entered/Modified drop-down list.
Between two calendar dates	Enter the dates in the From and To fields.
Example. To show [image] in an audit trail report [image] transactions that were entered or modified last quarter, select the Entered/Modified filter and then choose Last Quarter from the Entered/Modified list.


FOB

FOB (which stands for "free on board") is the location from which you ship a product. If you are using the FOB field on your sales forms, you can limit a report so that it only shows sales of products shipped from a particular location.

To use this filter

Enter the location in the FOB field.


Job type

Job types let you group your jobs in ways that are meaningful to your business. You can restrict a report to transactions related to a particular job type.

To include . . .	Do This
Two or more job types	Choose Selected from the Job Type list. Then click each job type you want to include in the report.
One job type only	Choose the job type from the last section of the Job Type list.
Example. As a general contractor, you use job types to group jobs by the type of construction [image] kitchen remodels, bathrooms, etc. To limit a job profitability report to profits from kitchen remodels, you would select the Class filter, and choose Kitchen Remodels from the Class list. QuickBooks then excludes profits from all other types of jobs from the report.


Paid Status

Paid status applies to both sales and expenses. It can indicate:

Whether a customer has paid an invoice.

Whether your company has paid a bill.

Click . . .	To show
Closed	Invoices or bills that have been paid in full.
Open	Invoices or bills that still have a balance due.
Either	All invoices or bills, regardless of whether they have been paid.
Example. For best results, we suggest using this filter in combination with the Transaction Type filter. For example, to limit the report to all invoices that have been paid, you would set the Transaction Type filter to "Invoice" and the Paid Status filter to "Closed."


Payment method

This is the way in which a customer pays you. You can limit a report so that it shows only the customer payments you received by cash, cheque, credit card, etc.

To include . . .	Do This
Two or more payment methods	Choose Selected from the Payment Method list. Then click each method you want to include in the report.
One payment method only	Choose the method from the last section of the Payment Method list.
Example. In a customer balance report, you want to see only the balances for customers who pay by credit card. To limit the report to those balances, you would select the Payment Method filter, choose Selected from the Payment Method list, and click the name of each credit card (VISA, Master Card, Discover, etc.).


Payroll item

Payroll items are the amounts that make up a payroll payment. They include the taxes and deductions that affect the payment total as well as company expenses related to payroll. You can limit a report to transactions that contain a particular payroll item.

To include . . .	Do This
Two or more specific payroll items	Choose Selected from the Payroll Item list. Then click the name of each payroll item you want to include in the report.
An entire category of payroll items	Choose the category from the Payroll Item list. For example, to limit the report to withholding taxes, choose All Taxes Withheld from the list.
One payroll item only	Choose the payroll item from the last section of the Payroll Item list.
Example. A payroll liabilities report normally shows all the payroll-related liabilities that your company owes to government agencies. To limit the report so that it showed only what you company owed to the federal government, you would select the Payroll Item filter, and choose All Federal from the Payroll Item list.


Posting status

Posting status refers to whether QuickBooks records a transaction in one of your registers. Most transactions post to a register; for example, when you create an invoice, QuickBooks records the amount in your accounts receivable register. A few types of transactions [image] estimates, pending sales, and purchase orders [image] are non-posting in that they never appear in a register.

Click . . .	To show
Either	All transactions, regardless of whether they post to a register.
Non-posting	Estimates, pending sales, and purchase orders only.
Posting	All transactions except estimates, pending sales, and purchase orders.


Printed status

Printed status indicates whether you have printed a cheque, pay cheque, sales form, or a pushes order.

Click . . .	To show
Either	All transactions, regardless of whether you have printed them yet.
Printed	Printed transactions only.
To be printed	Unprinted transactions only.
Example. For best results, we suggest using this filter in combination with the Transaction Type filter. For example, to limit a report to printed cheques only, you would set the Transaction Type filter to "Cheque" and the Printed Status filter to "Printed."


Received

Received indicates whether a purchase order is open or closed. A purchase order remains open as long as it lists at least one item that you haven't received from the vendor. QuickBooks automatically closes a purchase order when you receive all the items (you can also close a purchase order yourself if your vendor is out of an item that you ordered).

Click . . .	To include
Either	All purchase orders, regardless of their status.
No	Open purchase orders only.
Yes	Closed purchase orders only.
Example. For best results, we suggest using this filter in combination with the Transaction Type filter. For example, to limit a report to closed purchase orders, you would set the Transaction Type filter to "Purchase order" and the Received filter to "Yes."


Rep

Rep refers to the initials of the sales representative who made a sale. If you use the Rep field on your sales forms, you can limit a report so that it shows the sales for a particular sales representative.

To include sales by . . .	Do This
Two or more reps	Choose Selected from the Rep list. Then click the initials of each sales representative whose sales you want to include in the report.
One rep only	Choose the initials of the sales representative from the bottom section of the Rep list.


Ship date

This date is the shipping date entered on a sales form.

To show dates . . .	Do this
Within a standard period of time	Choose one of the time periods shown on the Date drop-down list. For example, choose "Last quarter" to show sales that had a ship date during your last financial quarter.
Between two calendar dates	Enter the dates in the From and To fields.
See also

Shortcuts for entering dates


Ship via

Ship via refers to the shipping method indicated on a sales form or a purchase order. If you use the Ship Via field on sales forms or purchase orders, you can limit a report so that it shows only the sales or purchases in which you used a particular shipping method [image] for example, UPS.

To include . . .	Do This
Two or more shipping methods	Choose Selected from the Ship Via list. Then click each shipping method you want to include in the report.
One shipping method only	Choose the shipping method from the bottom section of the Ship Via list.


Template

Template refers to version of the business form you used when you entered a transaction. If a particular business form in QuickBooks doesn't meet your needs, you can create your own version [image] called a template [image] in which the fields, columns, and text on the form appear exactly the way you want them to.

This filter is particularly useful when you use two or more templates of the same form and you want to limit the report to transactions that use a particular template.

To include . . .	Do This
All templates.	Choose All from the Template list.
Two or more particular templates	Choose Selected from the Template list. Then click each template whose transactions you want to include in the report.
One template only	Choose the template from the bottom section of the Template list.


Terms

Terms are the conditions under which:

A customer owes payment on an invoice or statement charge.

Your company owes payment on a bill.

QuickBooks uses a shorthand notation to express payment terms. For example, 1% 10 NET 30 means "payment due in 30 days, 1% discount if paid within 10 days."

To include . . .	Do This
Two or more sets of payment terms	Choose Selected from the Terms list. Then click each set of terms you want to include in the report.
One set of payment terms	Choose the payment terms from the bottom section of the Terms list.


Vendor Type

Vendor types let you group your vendors in ways that are meaningful to your business. You can restrict a report to transactions related to a particular vendor type.

To include . . .	Do This
Two or more vendor types	Choose Selected from the Vendor Type list. Then click each vendor type you want to include in the report.
One vendor type only	Choose the vendor type from the last section of the Vendor Type list.
Example. Your company uses vendor types to classify the vendors you do business with by location. In a purchase report, you need to see all the purchases you made in Vancouver (one of your vendor types). To limit the report to those purchases, you would select the Vendor Type filter and then choose Vancouver from the Vendor Type list.


If you've set up custom fields for your sales forms or purchase orders, the name of each custom field appears at the end of the Filter list. You can limit a report to transactions that show a particular entry in one of your custom fields.

Example. Your retail business uses a custom field named Colour on its sales forms. To limit a sales report to sales of blue mugs, you would first select the Items filter and choose Mugs from the Item list. Next, you would select the Colour filter and enter Blue.


If the data in the report comes from one of your lists, the list of filters shows the names of the fields available for that list. By choosing a field, you can restrict the report to list entries that contain a particular piece of information.

For example, if create a customer contact list, you can use the Credit Limit filter (Credit Limit is a field on the Customer:Job list) to narrow the contact list to customers who have a specific level of credit with your company.


 Tax Code

This field lets you restrict transactions on the basis of Tax codes that appear in the report. For example, if you wanted to see all the transactions with the Tax code "S", you would select "S" from the list of tax codes.

You can use either of these methods to select the Tax code:

•	Display the drop-down list and select a Tax code grouping such as "All Tax codes".

•	Display the drop-down list and click "Selected Tax codes". In the list, click the Tax codes for which you want to restrict the transactions that appear in the report. Then click OK.


Filtering a time report

1	In the Report window, click Filters.

2	Fill in the Filter Transactions window:

3	Click OK.

4	(Optional) Click Memorize to memorize the filter settings.

By memorizing the filter settings, you can create similar reports in the future without having to re-enter the settings each time.

See also

Customizing a report

Memorizing a report for future use

Printing a report


Click the filter you want to know about

Activity date	Class
Name	Billing status
Customer:Job	Import status
Item	Duration
Payroll item


Activity date

This is the date you entered the activity in QuickBooks Accounting & Payroll or the QuickBooks Timer.

To show activities . . .	Do this
Dated within a standard period of time	Choose one of the time periods shown on the Date drop-down list. For example, choose "Last quarter" to show activities entered within your last financial quarter.
Dated between two calendar dates	Enter the dates in the From and To fields. For example, enter 6/15/97 and 6/30/97 to show activities entered between June 15th and June 30th 1997.
See also

Shortcuts for entering dates


Name

The name of the person who performed the activity. You can limit a time report to activities performed by a particular person

To include . . .	Do This
Two or more specific names	Choose Selected from the Name list. Then click each name you want to include in the report.
An entire category of names	Choose the category from the Name list. For example, to limit the report to activities performed by subcontractors, choose All Vendors from the list.
One name only	Choose the name from the last section of the Name list.


Customer:Job

The name of the customer or job for whom your business performed the work. You can limit a time report to activities performed for a particular customer or job.

To include . . .	Do This
Two or more customers or jobs	Choose Selected Customer/Jobs from the list. Then click each customer or job you want to include in the report.
One customer or job only	Choose the name from the last section of the Name list.


Item

Items are the goods and services you buy and sell. You can limit a time report to activities related to a particular item.

To include . . .	Do This
Two or more specific items	Choose Selected from the Item list. Then click the name of each item you want to include in the report.
An entire category of items	Choose the category from the Item list. For example, to limit the report to the services your business performs, choose All Service Items from the list.
One item only	Choose the item from the last section of the Item list.


Payroll item

Payroll items are the amounts that make up a pay cheque. They include the taxes and deductions that affect the cheque total as well as company expenses related to payroll. You can limit a time report to activities that contain a particular payroll item.

To include . . .	Do This
Two or more specific payroll items	Choose Selected from the Payroll Item list. Then click the name of each payroll item you want to include in the report.
An entire category of payroll items	Choose the category from the Payroll Item list. For example, to limit the report to withholding taxes, choose All Taxes Withheld from the list.
One payroll item only	Choose the payroll item from the last section of the Payroll Item list.


Class

Classes let you group activities in ways that are meaningful to your business. You can limit a time report to activities related to a particular class.

To include . . .	Do This
Two or more specific classes	Choose Selected from the Class list. Then click each class you want to include in the report.
One class only	Choose the class from the last section of the Class list.


Billing status

Billing status refers to whether you have billed your customers for the activities listed in the report.

Choose . . .	To include . . .
All	All activities, regardless of their billing status.
Not billable	Activities you don't intend to bill for. Typically, these activities would be part of your overhead.
Unbilled	Activities you intend to bill for but haven't yet.
Billed	Activities you have already billed for.


Import status

Import status refers to whether you imported the activity data from the QuickBooks Timer.

Choose . . .	To include . . .
All	All activity data, whether you imported it from the Timer or entered it directly into QuickBooks.
All imported	All activity data imported from the Timer, regardless of when you imported it.
Last imported only	Only the activity data you brought in the last time you imported data from the Timer.


Duration

Duration is the amount of time spent to complete an activity.

Click . . .	To show
Any	All activities, regardless of duration.
=	Activities of a specific duration. For example, all activities exactly 8 hours in length.
<	Activities whose duration is less than or equal to a specific length. For example, all activities up to 8 hours in length.
>	Activities whose duration is at least a specific length. For example, all activities 8 hours or greater in length.


Customizing a report

When you create a report, you can change the following:

For details, click the name of the element you want to change.

See also

Changing the scope of a report (filtering)


Changing how numbers display in a report

1	On the report buttonbar, click Format.

2	Indicate how you want numbers to display:

Negative numbers. You can show negative numbers as follows:

To get . . .	Select
- 300.00	Normally
- 300.00	Normally; In Bright Red
(300.00)	In Parentheses
(300.00)	In Parentheses; In Bright Red
300.00 -	With a Trailing Minus
300.00 -	With a Trailing Minus; In Bright Red
All numbers. You can show all numbers except zero amounts, show all numbers divided by 1000, and show all numbers without cents. These choices act independently of each other [image] you can select them in any combination.

3	Click OK.

See also

Customizing a report

Changing the fonts in a report


Changing the fonts in a report

1	On the report buttonbar, click Format.

2	In the "Change font for" list, select the element whose font you want to change.

3	Click Change Font.

4	Select the font, font style, and size you want.

What the options mean

5	Click OK.

6	Repeat Steps 2 through 5 for any other items whose font you want to change.

See also

Customizing a report

Changing how numbers display in a report


Font and Font Style.  If you are not sure which font or font style you want to use, look at the sample shown in the lower right part of the window. When you select a font or font style, the sample changes to show you what your selection looks like.

Size. A larger number gives you larger text. Most people prefer a size between 9 and 12 points.

Effects. You can select one or both of these special effects:

Strikeout

Underline

Colour. If you have a colour printer and want the font to print in colour, select a colour from the list of colours.


Adding, deleting, and resizing report columns

To . . .	Do this
Widen a column	Drag the small diamond at the right of the column to the right.
Narrow a column	Drag the small diamond at the right of the column to the left.
Remove a column (transaction reports)	Drag the small diamond at the right of the column all the way to the small diamond at the left of the column. or Click Customize. In the Customize Report window, clear the checkbox for the column you want to remove.
Add a new column (transaction reports)	Click Customize. In the Customize Report window, select the checkbox for the column you want to include.
See also

Customizing a report


Changing the dates of a report

To change to . . .	Do this
A standard period of time	Choose one of the time periods shown on the Date drop-down list. For example, choose "Last quarter" to change the period covered by the report to your last financial quarter.
Different calendar dates	Change the dates shown in the From and To fields. For example, to change the period covered by the report to June 10. 1997 through June 30, 1997, you would change the dates to 6/10/97 and 6/30/97.
See also

Customizing a report

Changing the scope of a report (filtering)


Grouping and subtotalling data in a report

What kinds of subtotal groups can you create?

For a . . .	Do this
Summary report	In the report buttonbar, select the type of subtotal grouping you want from the Columns list.
Transaction detail report	In the report buttonbar, select the type of subtotal grouping you want from the Total By list.
See also

Customizing a report


In certain kinds of reports (summary reports, transaction detail reports), you can group the report data in specific ways and display subtotals for each group. You can subtotal by the following:

Time period (each day, week, month ,etc.).

Contribution to your company's balance sheet (assets, liabilities, equity, etc.).

Type of income or expense.

Each account on your chart of accounts.

The types of items or services you sell.

The types of payroll expenses you incur.

Customer, job, vendor, payee, or employee name.

The way you categorize transactions (class, customer type, vendor type, etc.).

Any of the other ways you use list information in a transaction (sales rep, terms, payment method, etc.).


Sorting transactions in a report

Pending sales reports and transaction detail by date reports normally list transactions in date order with the earliest date first. If you wish, you can sort the transactions by amount or document number.

Instructions

On the report buttonbar, choose the sorting option you want from the Sort By list.

Choose . . .	To list transactions
Date	Earliest date first.
Amount ascending	Smallest amount first.
Amount descending	Largest amount first.
Document number	Smallest number first.
Date/Transaction	Earliest date first, with all lines for the same transaction together.
What if . . .

The Sort By list isn't on the buttonbar?

See also

Customizing a report

Changing the scope of a report

Memorizing a report for reuse

Printing a report


If the Sort By field doesn't appear on the report buttonbar, you cannot sort entries in the report. QuickBooks allows sorting only on pending sales reports and transaction detail by date reports.

If you want your report to show a sorted list of transactions, try recreating the report as a transaction detail by date report. To get the transaction detail by date report to match your original report, you may need to apply one or more filters. For details, see:

Changing the scope of a report


Customizing a reporter: header and footer information
Changing the header or footer in a report

1	On the report buttonbar, click Header/Footer.

2	Change, as needed, the header information.

What you can change

3	Change, as needed, the footer information.

What you can change

4	(Optional) Choose a different layout (Left, Right, Centered, or Standard) from the Layout list.

Tip. To see how your choice affects the position of the header and footer, look at the illustration below the Layout list.

5	Click OK.

See also

Customizing a report


Memorizing a report for reuse

Why memorize a report?

1	After you have customized a report, click Memorize on the report buttonbar.

2	If you have recalled a memorized report and changed it, indicate whether you want QuickBooks to replace the earlier report (under the same name) or create a new memorized report (under a new name).

3	(New memorized reports only) In the Memorize Report window, enter a title for the report.

See also

Using a memorized report

Renaming a memorized report


Whenever you change the settings for a report, you can memorize the report with the new settings. Then when you want to create a similar report, you can recall it from your own list of memorized reports.

When QuickBooks memorizes a report, it memorizes your custom report settings, not the data in the report.  If you want to save actual data, print the report to disk as a text, tab-delimited, or comma-delimited file.


Using a memorized report

1	From the Reports menu, choose Memorized Reports.

2	In the Memorized Report List window, select the report you want.

3	Click Generate Report.

See also

Memorizing a report for reuse

Renaming a memorized report


When you recall a memorized report, it applies the settings you memorized. For example, if the report is set to cover "last month" and you memorize the report in September but recall it in December, the recalled report will have data for November, not August.


Renaming a memorized report

1	From the Reports menu, choose Memorized Reports.

2	In the Memorized Report List window, select the report you want to rename.

3	Choose Edit from the Memorized Reports button menu.

4	Enter the new name of the report.

5	Click OK.

See also

Using a memorized report


Report window

QuickBooks displays every report in a window similar to this one. You can use this window to customize the appearance of the report, restrict the report to specific accounts and transactions, and print the report.

The report buttonbar

The buttonbar at the top of the report window lets you make changes to the report's appearance or data. The buttons and fields on the buttonbar are as follows (which buttons and fields appear depends upon the type of report you created):

Customize	Collapse
Filters	Print
Format	Memorize
Header/Footer	Dates
Hide Header	Columns Across Top
For details, click the button or field you want to know more about.


Customize

When you click this button, QuickBooks displays the Customize Report window, where you can change a number of report settings at once (for example, the date range for the report, the columns included on the report, and other settings). The exact settings you can change in the Customize Report window vary according to the type of report you create.

From the Customize Report window, you can then click a button that lets you restrict the transactions QuickBooks includes in the report. (This does the same thing as clicking the Filters button on the report buttonbar.)


Filters

When you click Filters, QuickBooks displays the Filter Transactions window. At that window, you can restrict the transactions QuickBooks includes in the report. (For example, you may wish to see a report that shows only the items sold to one particular customer.)


Format

This button displays the Format Report window where you can adjust how numbers and fonts display in the report. For example, you can choose whether your report displays negative numbers with a leading or trailing minus sign, in parentheses, or in bright red. You can also have QuickBooks show all numbers except zero amounts, show all numbers divided by 1000, and show all numbers without cents. Finally, you can change the font size or typeface for various items in the report (for example, for column labels, row labels, or the data itself).

From the Format Report window, you can then click a button that lets you specify the header and footer information you want for the report. (This does the same thing as clicking the Header/Footer button on the report buttonbar.)


Header/Footer

This button displays the Format Header/Footer window where you can specify the header and footer information you want for the report. (For example, you may want your company name and the date to appear as a header on the first page of your report, with the page number and "Confidential" as a footer on every page.) You can also choose an orientation for the header and footer information (for example, centered).


Hide Header

When you click this button, QuickBooks hides everything in the report header (company name, report title, date range, today's date, or whatever is in the header). This button lets you see more of the report onscreen; it does not affect the printed report.

After you click Hide Header, the button name changes to Show Header. You can click Show Header to display the header that was previously hidden.


Collapse

When you click this button, QuickBooks hides subaccounts, jobs, or sub projects in the report and summarizes their amounts under the main heading. This button affects both the onscreen and the printed report.

After you choose the Collapse button, the button name changes to Expand. You can click Expand to display the subgroups that were previously hidden.


Print

Displays a window that you use to print the current report.


Memorize

To memorize your current report settings, click this button. QuickBooks asks you to title the memorized report so it can put it on your list of memorized reports. When you want to recall a memorized report, you can choose Memorized Reports from the Reports menu and select the report you want.


Dates

This part of the report buttonbar shows the date range covered by the report. Every report type has a default date range (for example, a profit and loss report covers this month to date). To change the date range covered by the report, click the arrow next to the drop-down list and choose a date range from the list. Alternatively, you can enter a different start date in the From field and a different end date in the To field.


Columns across top

If this field appears on your report (not all report types have it), the default setting is "Total only"; that is, the report displays a single column for totals, with no column subtotals. If you want to see subtotals in the report (for example, a profit and loss report with separate subtotal columns for each month), you can choose the columns you want to see from the drop-down list.


Customize Report window (summary reports)
Customize Report window

This window lets you customize the settings for the report you are working with. To do this, you use the following fields, options, and buttons:

Report Dates	OK
Report Basis	Cancel
Columns Across Top	Advanced
Other Columns	Filters
For details, click the button or field you want to know more about.

See also

Customizing a report


Customize Report window (transaction reports)
Customize Report window

This window lets you customize the settings for the report you are working with. To do this, you use the following fields, options, and buttons:

Report Dates	Sort by
Columns	OK
Include	Cancel
Open Balance and Aging	Filters
Total by
For details, click the button or field you want to know more about.

See also

Customizing a report


Customize Report window (cash flow reports)
Customize Report window

This window lets you customize the settings for the cash flow report you are working with. To do this, you use these fields and buttons:

Report Dates	OK
Reporting Periods	Cancel
Delay Receipts	Filters
For details, click the button or field you want to know more about.

See also

Customizing a report


Customize Report window (aging summary)
Customize Report window

This window lets you customize the settings for the aging summary report you are working with. To do this, you use the following fields, options, and buttons:

Report Dates	OK
Days per aging period?	Cancel
Age through how many days?	Filters
Open Balance and Aging
For details, click the button or field you want to know more about.

See also

Customizing a report


Customize Report window (aging detail)
Customize Report window

This window lets you customize the settings for the aging detail report you are working with. To do this, you use the following fields, options, and buttons:

Report Dates	OK
Columns	Cancel
Open Balance and Aging	Filters
For details, click the button or field you want to know more about.

See also

Customizing a report


Customize Report window (collections)
Customize Report window

This window lets you customize the settings for the collections report you are working with. To do this, you use the following fields, options, and buttons:

Report Dates	Days past due
Columns	OK
Include	Cancel
Open Balance and Aging	Filters
For details, click the button or field you want to know more about.

See also

Customizing a report


Customize Report window (trial balance report)
Customize Report window

This window lets you customize the settings for the report you are currently working with. To do this, you use the following fields, options, and buttons:

Report Dates	Cancel
Report Basis	Advanced
OK	Filters
For details, click the button or field you want to know more about.

See also

Customizing a report


Customize Report window (journal report)
Customize Report window

This window lets you customize the settings for the journal report you are working with.

Report Dates	OK
Columns	Cancel
For details, click the button or field you want to know more about.

See also

Customizing a report


Customize Report window (budgets)
Customize Report window

This window lets you customize the settings for the budget report you are working with. To do this, you use the following fields, options, and buttons:

Report Dates	Row Axis
Report Basis	OK
Show Actuals	Cancel
Columns Across Top	Advanced
For details, click the button or field you want to know more about.

See also

Customizing a report


Customize Report window (missing cheques)
Customize Report window

This window lets you customize the settings for the missing cheque report you are working with. To do this, you use these fields and buttons:

Report Dates	OK
Columns	Cancel
	Filters
For details, click the button or field you want to know more about.

See also

Customizing a report


Customize Report window (profit and loss)
Customize Report window

This window lets you customize the settings for the profit and loss report you are working with. To do this, you use the following fields, options, and buttons:

Report Dates	OK
Report Basis	Cancel
Columns Across Top	Advanced
Other Columns	Filters
For details, click the button or field you want to know more about.

See also

Customizing a report


Customize Report window (balance sheet)
Customize Report window

This window lets you customize the settings for the balance sheet report or the income taxc summary report you are working with. To do this, you use the following fields, options, and buttons:

Report Dates	OK
Report Basis	Cancel
Columns Across Top	Advanced
Other Columns	Filters
For details, click the button or field you want to know more about.

See also

Customizing a report


Customize Report window (sales tax)
Customize Report window

This window lets you customize the settings for the sales tax liability report you are working with. To do this, you use the following fields, options, and buttons:

Report Dates	Advanced
OK	Filters
Cancel
For details, click the button or field you want to know more about.

See also

Customizing a report


Customize Report window (sales by item)
Customize Report window

This window lets you customize the settings for the sales by item summary report you are working with. To do this, you use the following fields, options, and buttons:

Report Dates	Cancel
Report Basis	Advanced
Columns Across Top	Filters
OK
For details, click the button or field you want to know more about.

See also

Customizing a report


Customize Report window (inventory valuation reports)
Customize Report window

This window lets you change the date range of the inventory valuation report you are working with.

To change the date range

Choose the range you want from the Report Dates list.

or

Enter the beginning and ending dates in the From and To fields.

See also

Customizing a report


Customize Report window (audit trail reports)
Customize Report window

This window lets you customize the settings for the audit trail report you are working with. To do this, you use the following fields, options, and buttons:

Report Dates	Show deleted transactions
Date entered/last modified	OK
Columns	Cancel
See also

Customizing a report


Customize Report window (income tax summary report)
Customize Report window

This window lets you customize the settings for the income tax summary report you are working with. To do this, you use the following fields, options, and buttons:

Report Dates	OK
Report Basis	Cancel
Columns	Advanced
Other Columns	Filters
For details, click the button or field you want to know more about.

See also

Customizing a report


Customize Report window (income tax detail report)
Customize Report window

This window lets you customize the settings for the income tax detail report you are working with. To do this, you use the following fields, options, and buttons:

Report Dates	Report Basis
Columns	OK
Include	Cancel
Open Balance and Aging	Filters
For details, click the button or field you want to know more about.

See also

Customizing a report


Customize Report window (list reports)
Customize Report window

This window lists all the columns that can appear in the list report you are working with. The columns currently displayed in the report have a checkmark next to their names. You can add more columns to the report, remove columns from the report, or both.

To . . .	Do this
Add a column	Click the name of the column you want to.
Remove a column	Click the name of a checked column.
See also

Customizing a report


Advanced Options window

Use this window to specify additional restrictions for the report you are working with. To do this, you use these options and buttons:

Display Rows	OK
Display Columns	Cancel
Reporting Calendar
For details, click the item you want to know more about.


Advanced Options window (budget reports)
Advanced Options window

Use this window to specify additional restrictions for the budget report you are working with. To do this, you use these options and buttons:

Display Rows	Show only rows and columns with budgets
Display Columns	OK
Reporting Calendar	Cancel
For details, click the button or field you want to know more about.


Report basis

Choose whether you want this report to be based on an accrual or cash basis.

For an accrual-basis report, QuickBooks counts income as of the invoice date and expenses as of the bill date. For a cash-basis report, QuickBooks counts income as of the date you receive the payment and expenses as of the date you pay the bill.

Tip. To change the report basis for all reports, not just for this particular report, select either Accrual or Cash in the Reports & Graphs Preferences window. (Exception: reports that list transactions individually always appear as accrual-basis reports when you create them from the Reports menu. To change one of these reports to cash basis, click Customize in the Report window.)


Sort by

You can use this list to change how QuickBooks sorts the transactions on a report. Transactions normally appear in date order (earliest first) within a specified group. If you want, you can also sort the transactions by amount or by document number.


Total by

You can use this list to change how QuickBooks groups and subtotals the individual transactions on the report.


Reporting periods

Choose a time interval from the drop-down list that you want QuickBooks to use for this report. For example, if you have the reporting period set to one week, the report shows your cash flow at 7-day intervals for the date range you specify.


Delay receipts

This setting allows QuickBooks to produce a more conservative and realistic cash flow forecast by slowing down receipts. (Receipts are usually delayed for several days since customers typically do not pay until the due date.)  This also allows you to account for delays in funds availability that result from bank holds on deposits.

If you leave this field set to 0, the cash flow forecast includes all receipts where the due date falls within the date range for the report. If you type a number greater than 0, QuickBooks doesn't include a receipt until it is that number of days past its due date.


Aging status

This area of the window lets you restrict transactions included in the report according to their aging status. In the "Days per aging period" field, type the period of time you want each column to represent. For example, if you type 30, the column headings would be:  "Current," "1-30," "31-60," and so on.

In the "Age through how many days" field, type the maximum number of days for which you want a breakdown of aging intervals. For example, if you don't want the report to go past 90 days, type 90 in this field.


Include

This field affects subtotal headings in transaction detail reports. When you subtotal a transaction detail report, the report normally includes a subtotal heading only if there are transactions for the heading. If you want, you can include all the subtotal headings in the report regardless of whether they have transactions.

To include all subtotal headings

Click All.

To include only headings that have transactions

Click Active.


Open balance/aging

This option determines how QuickBooks calculates a customer's open balance on an aging report. You can choose one of two settings:

Current	Shows the customer's open balance as of today. All payments received through today's date are reflected in the open balances that the report shows.
As of report date	Shows the customer's open balance as of the ending date of the report. This setting lets you view your customers' open balances as of a date other than today. Payments received after the ending date of the report are not reflected in the open balances that the report shows.


Days past due

You can limit a collections report so that it only shows invoices that are past due by at least a specific number of days.

Enter the number of days past due that you want QuickBooks to use as the basis for the report. For example if you enter 15, the report shows all invoices that are overdue by 15 or more days.

Note. This setting overrides the number of days entered in the Aging field of the Filter Transactions window.


Dates

If you want to change the date range QuickBooks uses for this report, choose a new date range from the drop-down list. Alternatively, you can type a beginning date for the range in the From field and an ending date in the To field.


Date entered/Last modified

This date range sets the date range for the transactions included in the report. QuickBooks includes a transaction if it was either entered or modified within the date range you choose. Note that it is possible for a transaction to appear in the report even if you originally entered it before the beginning date of the report. For example, if the beginning date is June 1st and you entered a transaction on May 15th, the transaction will appear if you made a change to the transaction after June 1st.


Show deleted transactions

Select this checkbox if you want the audit report to show transactions you have deleted.


Advanced button

To control more advanced layout options (such as whether your report should be done on an accrual or cash basis, or based on a financial or calendar year), click this button to display the Advanced Layout Options window.


Filters button

If you want to restrict your report to transactions that meet certain criteria, click this button to display the Filter Transactions window.


Columns

This area of the window lets you select the columns you want included in the report. Column headings with a check mark are included. To "unselect" a column, click it again.


Columns across top

This field lets you subtotal amounts in columns for time periods or other factors. For example, if you choose Month, QuickBooks displays your report with separate columns for each month in your specified date range.


Row axis

This field lets you customize the row headings you want for your report. Choose from the drop-down list.


Show actuals

This area of the window lets you choose whether the report should show actual amounts in addition to budgeted amounts. When you select the "Show actuals" field, you can also select either or both of the next two fields: "Difference" and "% of budget." If you select all three fields, QuickBooks displays your budget report with a column showing actual amounts, a column showing the difference between actual and budgeted amounts, and a column showing a percentage comparison between the actual and budgeted amounts.


Display rows

These options let you exclude rows that do not show any activity within the period of the report.

Choose	To have QuickBooks
Active	Include only rows that show activity during the period of the report.
All	Include all rows regardless of activity or amount.
Non-zero	Include only rows that show activity and have amounts other than zero.


Display columns

These options let you exclude columns that do not show any activity within the period of the report.

Choose	To have QuickBooks
Active	Include only columns that show activity during the period of the report.
All	Include all columns regardless of activity or amount.
Non-zero	Include only columns that show activity and have amounts other than zero.


Reporting Calendar

Choose whether you want this report to be based on a financial-year calendar, a standard calendar year, or an income tax year calendar. If you select Financial Year, QuickBooks starts your financial year with the month shown in the Company Info window of the File menu. If you select Income Tax Year, QuickBooks starts your income tax year with the month shown in the Company Info window of the File menu.


Show only rows and columns with budgets

Restricts the report so that it shows only those accounts that have budgets. Initially, the report includes all accounts.


Format Header/Footer window

You use this window to specify the header and footer information you want to appear on your report. The window provides these settings and buttons:

Show Header Information	OK
Show Footer Information	Cancel
Page Layout	Default
For details, click the button or field you want to know more about.

See also

Customizing a report


Show Header Information

The header appears across the top of each page in a report. QuickBooks automatically includes the following information in the header:

Your company name.

A title and subtitle.

Today's date.

To change the header

1	Edit, as needed, the information QuickBooks has put into the Company Name, Report Title, Subtitle, and Date Prepared fields.

2	If you don't want the header to appear after the first page, clear the "Print header on pages after first page" checkbox.


Show Footer Information

The footer appears across the bottom of each page in a report. QuickBooks lets you include the following information in the footer:

The current page number.

An extra word or phrase of your choosing.

To change the footer

1	Choose the page numbering style you want from the Page Number list.

2	(Optional) Enter a word or phrase in the Extra Footer Line field.

3	If you don't want the footer to appear on the first page, clear the "Print footer on first page" checkbox.


Page Layout

The page layout you choose from the drop-down list affects the way header and footer information appears on your report page. To see the effect of different page layouts, choose from the drop-down list and then view the position of headers and footers in the illustration.


OK

Click this button to accept the settings in this window and return to the report window.


Cancel

Click this button to leave this window without making any changes and return to the report window.


Default

Click this button to return to the default settings (the settings you have after installing QuickBooks). Then click OK to return to the report window.


Missing Cheque Report window

From the drop-down list, choose the account in which you want QuickBooks to search for missing cheques. When you click OK, QuickBooks displays the report in the report window.


Memorize Report window

Whenever you change the settings for a report, you can memorize the report with the new settings. Then whenever you want to create a similar report, you can recall it from your own list of memorized reports.

To memorize a report

Enter a name for the report.

Click OK. QuickBooks adds the report name to your list of memorized reports.

Tip. When you memorize a report, QuickBooks memorizes report settings, not data. If you want to save actual data, print the report to disk as a text or tab-delimited file.

See also

Memorizing a report for reuse

Using a memorized report


Default Report Formatting window
Format Report window

You use this window to specify how QuickBooks should display negative numbers, to choose options for displaying numbers in the report, to change the report font; and to specify the information to include in the headers and footers of reports. The window provides these settings and buttons:

Show Negative Numbers	OK
Show All Numbers	Cancel
Change Font	Default
	Header/Footer
For details, click the button or field you want to know more about.

If you have displayed this window from the Reports & Graphs Preferences window, the title of the window is Default Report Formatting. In that case, the settings you choose for number formatting and fonts apply to all your reports in the current company file. (However, you can always change the default report formatting for a particular report by clicking the Format button on the report window buttonbar.)

See also

Customizing a report


Show negative numbers

Unless you change the default settings, QuickBooks shows negative numbers in black, with a leading minus sign. This group of buttons lets you decide how you want negative numbers displayed. By selecting one of the buttons and, optionally, the checkbox, you have these formats to choose from:

You can show negative numbers with a leading minus sign (and, optionally, in red).

You can show negative numbers in parentheses (and, optionally, in red).

You can show negative numbers with a trailing minus sign (and, optionally, in red).


Show all numbers

This group of checkboxes lets you choose how QuickBooks displays all numbers in the report. You can show all numbers except zero amounts, show all numbers divided by 1000, and show all numbers without cents. Choices presented as checkboxes are independent of each other--you can select all, none, or some of the checkboxes.


Change font

This part of the window lets you change the font size or typeface for various sections in the report (for example, for column labels, row labels, or the data itself). To change a font, select the item for which you want to specify a different font. Then click the Change font button. When you choose OK to leave the Format Report window, QuickBooks displays your report in the report window with the new fonts.


Header/Footer button

When you click this button, QuickBooks displays the Format Header/Footer window, where you can specify the header and footer information you want to appear on your report.


Entering a sale

Which sales form should you use?

1	Display the sales form you want to fill in.

2	If the Customer:Job field is blank, enter the name of the customer (and job, if appropriate).

More detail

3	(Invoices and credit memos only) If you have more than one accounts receivable account, enter the name of the account you want to use for this sale.

If you have only one accounts receivable account (most companies have only one), the Account field does not appear on the form.

4	(Optional) From the Template list, choose a different template to use with the form.

5	(Optional) Assign a class to the sale.

6	Fill in the top part of the sales form.

More detail

7	Fill in the line item area.

How to enter line items

8	(Optional) Enter a message for your customer in the Customer Message field.

9	(Optional) Enter a memo for this sale.

The memo appears on statements you send to your customer. If you don't send statements, the memo is a reminder to you. It does not appear on the printed form.

10	Specify when you want to print the sales form:

To print this sales form later with others that you have entered, make sure that the "To be printed" checkbox is selected.

To print the sales form now, click Print.

11	Record the sale:

To record the sale and then enter another, click Next.

To record the sale and close the window, click OK.

What if

You don't know which type of line item to use?

See also

Using the QuickMath calculator to calculate amounts

Memorizing a transaction

Sales and invoicing in QuickBooks


For . . .	Use this form
Invoiced items	Invoice (in the Create Invoices window)
Point-of-sale payments	Cash sales receipt (in the Enter Cash Sales window)
Returned items	Credit memo (in the Create Credit Memos/Refunds window)


From . . .	Do this
The Activities menu	Choose one of the following: Create Invoices Enter Cash Sales
The Navigator	On the Sales and Customers tab, click one of the following: Invoices Cash Sales
The Customer:Job list	Select the name of the customer. Then choose one of the following from the Activities menu button: Create Invoices Enter Cash Sales


Existing customers. If you have already set up a record for the customer, choose the customer from the Customer:Job list. If the sale applies to a particular job, be sure to choose the correct job for the customer.

New customers. Enter the customer's name in the Customer:Job field. Be sure to enter the name as you want it to appear on the list (for example, if your list is sorted by last names, you would enter the last name first).

After you enter the customer name, QuickBooks displays a message. Click Quick Add if you want to add only the customer's name to the list. Click Set Up if you want to add additional information about the customer, such as an address or phone number.

Tip for cash sales. You can leave the Customer:Job field blank unless you specifically want QuickBooks to add the customer to the Customer:Job list. To have QuickBooks include the name on the printed sales receipt, type the name in the Sold To field.


If you have more than one accounts receivable account, you'll see a field where you can choose the account in which QuickBooks records the invoice.

If you have only one accounts receivable account (most companies have only one), the Account field does not appear on the form.


If you already have a record for the customer in your Customer:Job list, QuickBooks uses that information to fill in as much of the top part of the form as it can. If you need to make any changes [image] or enter information about a new customer [image] you can.

 Most of the time, the entries you make will be in these fields:

Date. QuickBooks automatically inserts today's date. Press + to increase the date by one day; press - to decrease the date by one day.

Invoice or Sale No. QuickBooks automatically increments this number by one for each new invoice, cash sale, or credit memo. Press + to increase the number by one; press - to decrease the number by one.

Bill To or Sold To. Even though you entered the customer's name in the Customer:Job field, the Bill To field (on invoices) and the Sold To field (on sales receipts) also hold the customer's name along with an address. Because the Bill To and Sold To fields appear on the printed form (the Customer:Job field does not), you may want to represent the customer's name differently than you did on the Customer:Job list. For example, if last names appear first on the list, you would probably want the order to be first name, last name on the printed form. Also, you can add a title, such as Dr., Mr., Ms., or Mrs.; a company name; "Attn."; or any other words you want to print with the customer's name and address.

Terms. QuickBooks enters payment terms if you have set up any for the customer. QuickBooks uses the terms to determine the due date of the invoice and whether you owe your customer a discount for early payment.


Using line items
What does each type of line item do?

Whether you are recording a sale or a purchase, you can use line items from your Item list to fill out the form quickly. The table below lists guidelines for when and how to use each of the 8 types of line items that QuickBooks provides.

Use this item . . .	For
Discount	Calculating a discount that reduces the sales total. Insert a discount item immediately after the item you want to discount. If the discount is to apply to more than one item, first use a subtotal item to calculate the total of the items. Then apply the discount to the subtotal.
Group	Fast entry of a group of individual items already on the list.
Inventory Part	Items you purchase, track as inventory, and then resell.
Non-inventory Part	Items you sell but do not purchase; items you purchase but do not sell; items you purchase and resell, but do not track as inventory.
Other Charge	Additional charges such as shipping.
Payment	Partial payments you have received at the time you write an invoice. Enter a payment item after you enter the items you've sold.
Service	Services you charge for.
Subtotal	Calculating a subtotal. This item adds up the amounts of the items above it, up to the previous subtotal (if any), or up to the first line item (if there are no other subtotals). If you use two subtotals in a row, the last subtotal adds up all the previous subtotals on the form.


Marking a sale as pending

When you enter an invoice, cash sale, or a credit memo, you can mark the sale as pending. Pending sales do not appear in registers, do not affect account balances, and [image] with the exception of the pending sales report [image] do not affect reports.

Why use pending sales?

To mark a sale as pending

1	When you've finished filling in the invoice or sales receipt, choose one of these commands from the Edit menu:

Choose . . .	If you are writing
Mark Invoice as Pending	An invoice.
Mark Cash Sale as Pending	A sales receipt.
Mark Credit Memo as Pending	A credit memo.
When you choose the command, the word "Pending" appears on the form.

2	(Optional) Enter a phrase like "Pending sale" or "For review" in the Customer Message field.

QuickBooks cannot print the "Pending" stamp that runs diagonally across the form. If you want the printed copy to indicate that the sale is pending, you must enter words to that effect in the Customer Message field.

3	Record the sale:

To record the sale and then enter another, click Next.

To record the sale and close the window, click OK.

To mark a sale as final

1	From the Reports menu, choose Sales Reports and then choose Pending Sales.

2	In the report, find the pending sale you want to mark as final. Double-click the line in the report to display the sale.

3	From the Edit menu, choose Mark as Final.

4	If you used the Customer Message field to indicate that the sale was pending, edit the Customer Message field.

For example, if you entered "Pending sale," you could edit the Customer Message field to say "Final sale."

5	Click OK to record the sale.


Editing invoices and cash sales receipts

You can edit a sales form in the same window where you created it. This is handy when you forget a line item or discover an error when you see the printed form.

Instructions

1	From the Lists menu, choose Chart of Accounts.

2	For an invoice, select your accounts receivable account; for a cash sale, select Undeposited funds.

3	Choose Use Register from the Activities button.

4	In the register, click the transaction you want to edit.

5	Click Edit.

6	Edit, as needed, the information on the form.

7	Click OK.


Adding billable time or costs to a sale
@ Adding billable time or costs to a sale

How do time and costs become billable?

1	On the invoice or cash sale form click Time/Costs.

2	Click the tab for the kind of cost you want to charge.

Which tab to use

3	In the Use column, click next to each cost you want to charge.

4	(Optional, for expenses only) Add a markup to the expenses you selected. Then choose a TAX code.

How to add a markup

5	(Optional) If you want the costs you select to appear as a single line item when you print the invoice or cash sales receipt, select the "Print selected time and costs as one invoice item" checkbox. Notice that a "Single invoice item TAX code" field appears. If you enter a TAX code in this field, the code will override any TAX codes associated with items and will be applied to all line items.

Important. Do this only if you are certain you want the printed invoice to show only the total of the costs (and not a line by line listing of each cost). Once you record the invoice or cash sale, you will not be able to print the costs separately.

6	Click OK to add the costs you selected to the invoice or cash sales receipt.

What if . . .

You want to bill the costs at a different rate?

You want several cost summaries on the sale form?

Incorrect costs appear on the sales form?

You record the wrong costs on the sale form?

See also

Tracking services performed by an owner or partner


Click . . .	To include
Items	Line item purchases for this job. These include inventory parts, non-inventory parts, subcontracted services, and other charge items.
Expenses	Other costs and expenses you incurred, but did not enter as line items. Example: shipping charges that you entered on the Expenses tab when you paid for items you received from a vendor.
Time	Time billable to this job.


To bill the costs at a different rate

Change the price or rate on the invoice or cash sales receipt. Your changes will apply only to the current transaction.

How the costs are calculated

For inventory parts, resale non-inventory parts, subcontracted services, and reimbursable other charge items, QuickBooks uses the sales price you set up for the item. For example, if you set up an inventory item with a purchase price of $25.00 and a sales price of $40.00, QuickBooks uses the $40.00 price to calculate the cost.

For billable hours, QuickBooks uses the hourly rate for the service item you assigned to the task.


To markup subcontracted services

If you know the cost of the subcontracted work in advance, you can set up QuickBooks so that it automatically includes your markup when it enters the rate for the subcontracted work on an invoice or cash sales receipt. To do this, set up a service item to represent the subcontracted work. In the Cost field, enter your cost either as a flat amount or as an hourly rate. In the Sales Price field, enter the amount you would charge your customer after having applied a markup to your cost. QuickBooks then enters the sales price whenever you use the service item on an invoice or cash sales receipt.

If you don't know your cost when you create the service item, leave the cost and the sales price at $0.00. On an invoice or cash sales receipt, QuickBooks enters the rate as $0.00. You can then edit the rate so that it includes your cost plus your markup.


To create several cost summaries

1	In the Choose Billable Time and Costs window, select the costs for the first summary. Select the "Print selected time and costs as one invoice item" checkbox. and then click OK to return to the invoice or cash sales receipt.

2	Edit the description of the line item QuickBooks added to the invoice or cash sales receipt. The description is "Total reimbursable expenses," but you can change the wording so that it's appropriate for your customer.

3	Click Time/Costs to return to the Choose Billable Time and Costs window.

4	For each additional summary, repeat Steps 1 through 3.


To remove costs

1	Cick Preview to double-check what will appear on the invoice or cash sales receipt when you print it.

2	If you see any job-related costs that should not appear on the invoice or cash sales receipt, close the Print Preview window. Select the cost and choose Delete Line from the Edit menu.

You can charge for a job-releated cost only once

When you record the job cost on an invoice or cash sales receipt, QuickBooks automatically removes the cost from the Choose Billable Time and Costs window. This is a precaution against double billing your customer for the cost. The original record for the cost (timesheet, single activity entry, bill, cheque, or credit card charge) still remains in your financial records [image] it's just that you'll no longer see the cost listed in the Choose Billable Time and Costs window.


The only way to reinstate a cost after you record the invoice or cash sale is to edit the original record of the cost. For time entries, click the Billable field and click OK to re-record the entry. For bills, cheques, and credit card charges, change something on the form, change it back, and click OK. Doing this restores the cost to the Choose Billable Time and Costs window.


Assigning costs (or time) to a job

For . . .	Do this
Billable time	Record the hours spent on the job, using either a weekly timesheet or a single activity entry. Be sure to mark each entry as "billable," and to assign the hours to the customer (or if you're tracking by job, to the job you are doing for the customer).
Job-related purchases: Items purchased for a job Subcontracted services	Use a bill, cheque, or credit card charge to record the purchase. On the Items tab, enter each item or service you purchased. In the Customer:Job column, be sure to assign each item or service to the customer (or if you're tracking by job, to the job you are doing for the customer).
Other expenses: Freight charges Postage etc.	Use a bill, cheque, or credit card charge to record the expenses. On the Expenses tab, enter each expense. In the Customer:Job column, be sure to assign each expense to the customer (or if you're tracking by job, to the job you are doing for the customer).
See also

Writing a cheque

Entering a bill

Entering a credit card transaction

Entering the time for a single activity

Filling in a weekly timesheet


Using the accounts receivable register

The accounts receivable register lists all the invoices, payments from customers, credit memos, and customer discounts you've entered. While you cannot enter transactions directly in this register, you can easily open the transactions from the register.

What you can do

Scroll the register

Move a transaction to a different account

For details, click the action.


Create Invoices window

You use this form to enter sales of invoiced items. The form you see onscreen shows the fields and columns specified in the current invoice template. You can use this template, or you can choose choose another from the Custom Template list at the top of the form.

What you can do from here

Enter a new invoice

Add billable time or costs to the invoice

Mark an invoice as pending

Memorize an invoice

Edit a previous invoice

Customize the invoice form

For more detail, click the task.


Enter Cash Sales window

You use this form when you are paid in full at the time of the sale. The form you see onscreen shows the fields and columns specified in the current cash sales receipt template. You can use this template, or you can choose choose another from the Custom Template list at the top of the form.

What you can do from here

Enter a new cash sale

Add billable time or costs to the invoice

Mark a sale as pending

Memorize a cash sale

Edit a previous cash sale

Customize the cash sale form

For more detail, click the task.


Create Credit Memos/Refunds window

You use this form when a customer returns merchandize for which you have already recorded a sale. The form you see onscreen shows the fields and columns specified in the current credit memo template. You can use this template, or you can choose choose another from the Custom Template list at the top of the form.

What you can do from here

Enter a new credit memo [link to come]

Memorize a credit memo

Edit a previous credit memo

Customize the credit memo form

For more detail, click the task.


Transaction History window (invoices)

This window lists all the transactions related to the current invoice.

To . . .	Do this
Go to a transaction	Select the transaction and click Go To. The transactions listed can include payments you applied to the invoice, payments you included on the invoice through a payment line item, deposits of payments you applied to the invoice, or a discount you applied to the invoice for early payment.
Display the invoice	Click Edit Invoice.


Transaction History window (credit memos)

This window lists all the invoices you applied the current credit memo to. If a refund cheque was used to pay off the credit, the refund cheque appears in the list as well.

To . . .	Do this
Go to an invoice	Select the invoice and click Go To.
Display the credit memo	Click Edit Credit Memo.


Transaction History window (cash sales)

This window shows the transaction you used to deposit the money from the current cash sale.

To . . .	Do this
Go to the deposit	Select the deposit and click Go To.
Display the sales receipt	Click Edit Cash Sale.


Sales tax contents
Overview

Tracking sales tax

Setting up to charge tax

Marking items you sell as taxable

Identifying your most common tax

Collecting and paying tax

Applying tax to a sale

Keeping track of how much tax you owe

Saving time

Using the QuickMath calculator


Identifying your most common tax rate
Identifying your most common tax code

If you use one tax more often than any other, you can set QuickBooks so that it automatically applies that tax when you enter a sale.

Did you set up a tax code when you created your QuickBooks company? If so, QuickBooks uses that tax code as your most common tax. If you now want to use a different tax code as your most common tax, follow the procedure below.

Instructions

1	From the Lists menu, choose Tax Codes.

2	Select the tax code you want to use.

3	Click the Tax Code button, then choose Use.


Marking items you sell as taxable

You can set up QuickBooks to distinguish between taxable and non-taxable items when you make a sale. When you add an item to your Item list, you can indicate whether you charge tax for the item. QuickBooks remembers this information and automatically shows whether or not an item is taxable when you enter the item on a sales form.

To set up an item as taxable

1	From the Lists menu, choose Items.

2	Select the item you want to mark as taxable.

3	Click the Item button, then choose Edit.

4	Select the Tax Code from the drop-down list.

5	Click OK.


Applying tax to a sale

If you have set up a default tax code, QuickBooks automatically calculates and applies the tax when you make a sale.

To apply a different tax to a sale

Select the tax you want to apply from the list of tax codes in the tax column on the invoice or reciept.


Keeping track of how much tax you owe

QuickBooks provides two ways to find out how much tax liability you are accruing. These are: PST and GST summary reports.

Which method to use?

Use this table to determine which method will give the information you want:

This report . . .	Shows
GST Summary report	A summary of your GST liabilities and credits.
PST Summary report	A summary of the amount of PST/QST collected and owed.
For details, click the method.


Creating a sales tax liability report
Creating a GST Summary report

The GST summary report provides complete information about the GST your company has collected and owes (or will be reimbursed) for a particular period.

To display the report

1	From the Reports menu, choose GST/PST Reports, then GST Summary.

2	Check the dates shown in the From and To fields. If you want the report to cover a different period of time, do one of the following:

Enter new dates in the From and To fields.

Choose one of the preset date ranges from the drop-down list.


Using the Sales Tax Payable register
PST/QST Summary report

The PST/QST summary report provides complete information about the PST/QST your company has collected and owes (or in Quebec, will be reimbursed) for a particular period.

To display the report

1	From the Lists menu, choose GST/PST Reports, then PST Summary.

2	Check the dates shown in the From and To fields. If you want the report to cover a different period of time, do one of the following:

Enter new dates in the From and To fields.

Choose one of the preset date ranges from the drop-down list.


Using the Sales Tax Payable register
Using the GST/PST Payable register

Each time you write an invoice or sales receipt that includes sales tax, QuickBooks enters the information in your GST or PST Payable register.

To display the register

1	From the Lists menu, choose Chart of Accounts.

2	Select your GST or PST Payable account.

3	Click Use Register.

What the register shows

To get more information

To see the details of a transaction in which you charged or paid sales tax, select the transaction. Then Click Edit/Split.


Each entry in the register is a single tax transaction.

Taxes you record on invoices and sales receipts appear as increases, and payments you make to tax agencies appear as decreases.

The ending balance of the register is your current tax liability.


Increasing memory for QuickBooks

If you see a message indicating that QuickBooks does not have enough memory, you can increase the amount of memory available to QuickBooks.

QuickBooks for Windows requires that you run Windows 3.1 in 386 enhanced mode. This mode lets QuickBooks use virtual memory, a feature of Windows that uses space on your hard disk to simulate additional RAM. Your computer acts as if it has more RAM that it really has, but you gain this additional "RAM" by giving up some space on your hard disk.

Before you begin

Close the windows for any other applications that are running.

This may solve the problem. If it doesn't, follow the instructions below.

To check your virtual memory

1	Exit QuickBooks if it is running. Close any other programs that are running.

2	In the Windows program Manager, double-click the Control Panel icon.

If you don't see the Control Panel icon, double-click the Main program group.

3	Double-click the 386 Enhanced icon. In the 386 Enhanced window, click Virtual Memory.

4	In the Virtual memory window, check the current size of your virtual memory.

If the size is 0, virtual memory is off. See the next procedure for instructions on how to set it up.

If the size is any number other than 0, virtual memory is on. The number shows how much disk space (in kilobytes) Windows is currently using to create virtual memory.

To set up (or change) virtual memory

1	Follow Steps 1 through 3 of the previous procedure to display the Virtual Memory window.

2	In the Virtual memory window, click Change.

3	From the Type drop-down list, choose Permanent.

Important. You cannot create permanent virtual memory on an compressed drive. Refer to the manual that came with your disk compression program for instructions on how to create uncompressed disk space for virtual memory.

4	(Optional) Reduce the size of the virtual memory by entering a lower number in the New Size field.

The size that Windows recommends may take up more hard disk space than you care to allocate to virtual memory.

We suggest that you start with 4000K, which is sufficient to run a QuickBooks company file of 15 to 20 MB on a computer with 4 MB of RAM. If you continue to have memory problems, increase the maximum size by increments of 500K until the memory problems no longer occur.

5	Click OK to record your changes.

6	When Windows asks you if you're sure you want to make changes, click Yes. Then click Restart windows.


Memorizing a transaction

Why memorize

1	Enter the transaction as you'd like it memorized.

Tip. If the content of certain fields will change each time you recall the transaction, leave those fields blank. For example, you might want to leave the amount field blank on your monthly utility bill. That way, you can fill in the amount each time you recall the bill.

2	From the Edit menu, choose Memorize.

3	Enter a name that will help you recognise the transaction on the Memorized Transaction list.

4	Choose how you want QuickBooks to treat the transaction.

What the choices mean

5	Click OK to memorize the transaction.

6	If all you are doing is entering the transaction information for future use, click Cancel to close the transaction window.

See also

Using a memorized transaction

Grouping memorized transactions together

Rescheduling a memorized transaction


If you have transactions that occur often [image] such as monthly bills or recurring invoices for clients [image] you can save time by memorizing the details of the transactions. Once you memorize a transaction, you can have QuickBooks reenter it for you at any time. You can even have QuickBooks automatically enter the transaction at intervals you specify.

Restrictions

You cannot memorize the following transactions:

Receipt or deposit of payments

Bill payments

Payroll cheques

Time records

Tax payments

YTD payroll adjustments.


Click . . .	To do this
Remind me	Add the transaction to your Reminders list. Be sure to enter how often you want the reminder to occur and the next date when the transaction is due.
Don't remind me	Omit the transaction from your Reminders list.
Automatically enter	Have QuickBooks automatically enter the transaction for you. Be sure to enter how often you want QuickBooks to enter the transaction and the next date the transaction is due. You can also specify how many times you want QuickBooks to enter the transaction ("Number remaining").
With Transactions in Group	Add the transaction to a group. Be sure to enter the name of the group (e.g. "Monthly bills").


Using a memorized transaction

1	Display the Memorized Transactions list.

2	Select the memorized transaction you want to use.

3	Click Enter Transaction.

4	Make any changes or additions you want to the transaction.

5	Click OK to record the transaction.

See also

Rescheduling a memorized transaction


Rescheduling a memorized transaction.
Rescheduling a memorized transaction

1	Display the Memorized Transactions list.

2	Select the memorized transaction whose schedule you want to change.

3	Choose Edit from the Memorized Transaction menu button.

4	Select a different scheduling option for the transaction.

5	Click OK.

See also

Using a memorized transaction


Grouping memorized transactions together

Why group memorized transactions?

1	Display the Memorized Transactions list.

2	Choose New Group from the Memorized Transactions menu button.

3	Enter the name of the new group.

4	Choose how you want QuickBooks to treat the transaction group:

Click . . .	To do this
Remind me	Have QuickBooks remind you about this transaction group. Enter how often you want to be reminded and the date when you want the first reminder to occur.
Don't remind me	Omit the transaction group from your Reminders list.
Automatically enter	Have QuickBooks automatically enter the transactions in the group for you. Enter how often you want QuickBooks to enter the transactions, the next date that the transactions are due, the number of entries remaining to be made, and the number days in advance you want QuickBooks to enter the transactions.
5	Click OK.

6	Add, as needed, memorized transactions to the group:

In the list, select the memorized transaction you want to add.

Choose Edit from the Memorized Transactions button menu.

Select "With transactions in group" and enter the name of the memorized transaction group.

Click OK.

See also

Using a memorized transaction

Rescheduling a memorized transaction


If you have several memorized transactions that you always enter on the same day, you can save time if you group them together.

Example

You memorize your rent payment cheque, your vehicle insurance payment cheque, an invoice for a monthly standing order from a customer, and the bill from your telephone company. Each of these transactions occurs at the end of each month. Instead of recalling each memorized transaction separately at the end of the month, you could group them together in a group named "End of month." Then, you could either have QuickBooks enter the grouped transactions automatically at the end of every month, or have QuickBooks remind you when it's time to recall the grouped transactions.


Voiding or deleting a transaction

If you need to cancel out the amount of a transaction, you have two choices: you can void the transaction or delete it. Voiding changes the amount of the transaction to zero, but keeps a record of the transaction in QuickBooks. Deleting removes the transaction altogether from QuickBooks.

To void a transaction

1	Display the transaction you want to void, or select it in the register where it is recorded.

2	From the Edit menu, choose Void.

3	Click OK.

To delete a transaction

1	Display the transaction you want to delete, or select it in the register where it is recorded.

2	From the Edit menu, choose Delete.

3	Click OK to confirm that you want to delete the transaction.


Creating To Do notes

You can enter notes to remind yourself of tasks you want to complete by a certain date. In the To Do list you can look at your notes at any time, or you can use the Reminders list to see the notes whose dates are due.

Instructions

1	From the Lists menu, choose To Do Notes.

2	Choose New from the To Do menu button.

3	Enter the text of the note as you want it to appear on the To Do list.

Tip. If you have a lot of detail to put into the note but you want the entry in the To Do List to be short, enter a short title, press Enter, and then enter the rest of the note. Only the title will appear on the To Do list.

4	In the "Remind me on" field, enter the date you want the note to appear on your Reminders list.

For example, if you enter May 15, the note will not appear on the list until May 15.

5	Click OK.


Editing To Do Notes

You can edit your To Do notes at any time. If you use the note on a recurring basis, you can change the note's reminder date. You can also revise the note's original text, add new text, or mark the note as done.

Instructions

1	Display the note:

From the Reminders list, double-click the note. When the To Do list appears, double-click the note again.

or

From the To Do list, double-click the note.

2	Enter any changes to the text of the note.

3	If you want the note to appear again on your Reminders list, change the reminder date.

Enter the next date you want the note to appear. By changing the reminder date, you can reuse the note to remind you about a recurring task such as paying monthly bills, or preparing quarterly tax forms.

4	(Optional) If the note was for a one-time task that you have completed, select the Done checkbox.

This moves the note to the bottom of the To Do list and removes the note from the Reminders list.

5	Click OK to save your changes.


Marking To Do notes as done
Marking To Do notes as "done"

When you finish the task for which you created a To Do note, you can mark the note as "done." Notes marked as done move to the bottom of your To Do list.

Instructions

1	In the To Do list, select the note.

2	Click Done.

This moves the note to the bottom of the To Do list and removes the note from the Reminders list.

If you no longer need the note . . .

You can delete it. Select the note in the To Do list and choose Delete Note from the Edit menu.


Printing To Do notes

If you need a printed copy of your To Do notes, you can print your To Do list.

Instructions

1	From the Lists menu, choose To Do list.

2	Choose Print List from the To Do menu button.

3	In the "Print to" section, select one of the four "destinations" for the printed list (Printer, Text file, Tab-delimited file, or Comma-delimited file).

What the destinations mean

5	Click Print to start printing the list (or to specify a filename for the disk file).


To Do list

This list shows all of your To Do notes. You can use To Do notes to remind yourself about tasks you need to complete by a certain date. QuickBooks adds each note to the Reminders list when the note's reminder date arrives.

What you can do from here

Add a note to the list

Edit an existing note

Mark a note as done

See also

Printing a list

Hiding a list entry

Deleting a list entry


New To Do window

You use this window to add new notes to your To Do list, or to edit notes you've already created.

To . . .	Do this
Create a note	Enter the text of the note in the Note field. When you reach the end of a line, text wraps automatically to the next line. To start a new paragraph, press Enter twice. If you enter a lengthy note, you'll see only the first part of the note when you view the list on your screen. To see the entire note again, you must edit the note.
Attach a reminder date	In the "Remind me on" field, enter the date you want QuickBooks to remind you to complete the task. The date you enter is the date the note will appear on the Reminders list.
Mark a note as "done"	Select the Done checkbox. This moves the note to the bottom of the To Do list and removes the note from the Reminders list.


Finding a transaction
  If the window doesn't show the transaction you want, you can use the Prev and Next buttons to display the transaction:

Press . . .	To
Prev	Display transactions entered before the current transaction.
Next	Display transactions entered after the current transaction.
  You can also use the Find command (on the Edit menu) to bring the transaction you want into the window. This is useful when there are a lot of transactions between the current transaction and the one you want.


Previewing how something will print
When you click Preview, the Print Preview window shows how your form or report will look when you print it on paper.

To . . .	Do this
See more detail	Click Zoom In. This enlarges the upper left portion of the form. At this point, you will no longer be able to see the entire form in the window, but you can click the scroll bars at the right and bottom edges of the window to bring other parts of the form into view.
See the entire form again	Click Zoom Out.
See the next page	Click Next Page. This button is active when the form is more that one page in length.
See the previous page	Click Prev Page. This button is active when the form is more than one page in length.
Print the form	Click Print.


Entering items
 To fill in the form quickly. If you are ordering items that are already on your Item list, start in the Item column. For each item, click the down arrow and choose the item from the list that appears. When you choose an item, QuickBooks fills in the vendor's name and address as well as a description of the item and its price. To complete the entry, all you have to do is enter the quantity you are ordering in the Qty column.

 To add a new item to your list. Type the name of the item in the Item column and press Tab. When QuickBooks tells you that the item is not on your list, click Set Up and enter the information that QuickBooks asks you about the item.


Entering dates
 You can use these keys to enter dates quickly:

Press . . .	To change the date to
+	Next day
-	Previous day
w  (for week)	1st day of the current week, then the 1st day of previous weeks
k  (for week)	Last day of the current week, then the last day of subsequent weeks
m  (for month)	1st day of the current month, then the 1st day of previous months
h  (for month)	Last day of the current month, then the last day of subsequent months
y  (for year)	1st day of the current year, then the 1st day of previous years
r  (for year)	Last day of the current year, then the last day of subsequent years
t  (for today)	Today's date


Changing column widths in reports
To change the width of a column

1	Move the mouse pointer so that it touches the small diamond to the right of the column's heading.

The mouse pointer changes to this symbol:

2	While pressing the left mouse button, drag the symbol left or right:

Drag left to make the column more narrow.

Drag right to widen the column.


It means that the inventory preference is off. When this preference is on, QuickBooks adds these two tabs to the detail area of the Write Cheques, Enter Credit Card Charges, and Enter Bills windows:

To turn on the inventory preference

1	From the file menu, choose Preferences.

2	In the Preferences window, select Purchases & Vendors in the scroll box.

3	Select the "Inventory and purchase orders are active" checkbox.

4	Click OK.


This ensures that your reports will accurately reflect how much you spend within each expense account. You can assign the entire transaction amount to a single account, or if you need greater detail, distribute it among as many accounts as you wish.

To assign an expense

1	In the Account column, choose the account that you use to track that type of expense. Usually, this will be an expense account.

2	If you are assigning only part of the transaction amount to the expense, edit the amount that QuickBooks enters in the Amount column.

3	(Optional) If you plan to pass on the amount as an expense to be reimbursed by a customer, enter the customer in the Customer:Job column.

4	(Optional) If you also want to assign the amount to one of your QuickBooks classes, enter the class in the Class column. (Note: This column only appears when you have selected the "Use Class Tracking" preference selected in the Accounting Preferences window.)


Remember that transactions in any register are in date order. You may have to scroll up or down to find your transaction.

Try selecting the 1-line view checkbox to see more transactions in the window at once, or choose Find from the Edit menu to have QuickBooks help you find the transaction.


The line item area appears on the bottom part of the form. It is where you enter the merchandise or services you sold to the customer, as well as any discounts or payments at the time you made the sale.

To enter line items

1	In the Item column, choose an item from the Item list. Or, type in a name for a new item.

(When you type in a new item name, QuickBooks prompts you to enter the information QuickBooks needs to add the item to the Item list.)

2	Enter the quantity you sold.

If you leave the Quantity field blank, QuickBooks assumes the quantity is 1.

3	Change, if needed, the description and rate.

The changes you make apply to this sale only.

To insert a line between two others

1	Click where you want to insert the new line.

2	From the Edit menu, choose Insert Line.

3	Enter an item in the new line and press Tab.

To delete a line item

1	Click the line you want to delete.

2	From the Edit menu, choose Delete Line.


Change Account Colour window

You use this window to change the colour of the current account. QuickBooks displays this colour in the account's register, giving you an easy way to identify the register you've opened. When you change the colour, you can select either one of Window's standard display colours or create your own custom colour.

To . . .	Do this
Select a standard colour	Click the colour you want to use and then click OK.
Create a custom colour	Click Define Custom Colours. Use the large colour solid in the right half of the expanded window to define the colour. More detail


To define a custom colour

1	Under Custom Colours, click the first blank box.

Note. The first five boxes show the custom colours that QuickBooks applies to new accounts.

2	Set a starting point for the brightness of your new colour by clicking the middle part of the vertical colour bar next to the right edge of the window.

3	In the large square that looks like a rainbow, click the colour you want.

Result  The Colour|Solid box shows the color you've selected. The colour bar changes so that it shows gradations of the colour you selected from very light to very dark.

4	Adjust the brightness of the colour by dragging the arrow next to the vertical colour bar.

5	If you want to use a solid version of the new colour, click the right half of the Colour|Solid box.

6	Click "Add to Custom Colours."

7	In the left side of the window, click the box for the new colour and click OK.


When you create a report, you can use these buttons to adjust the content and appearance of the report:

Click  . . .	To do this
Customize	Change the date range covered by the report; include additional columns of information in the report.
Filters	Restrict the report to inventory tracked by particular accounts.
Format	Change the fonts for any part of the report.
Header/Footer	Change or move the company name and title; add a line of text as a footer at the bottom.
Hide Header	Remove the company name, title, and date from the top.


The Class field only appears when class tracking is on in QuickBooks.

To turn on class tracking

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences.

2	In the Preferences window, select Accounting in the scroll box.

3	Select "Use class tracking."

4	Click OK.


Using the QuickMath calculator to calculate amounts

When can you use the calculator?

1	Click in the field where you want to make the calculation.

You can use QuickMath in any numeric entry field anywhere in QuickBooks. For example, in a register, you can perform calculations in fields where you enter amounts (for example, the Payment and Deposit fields of a bank account register). In a transaction, you can perform calculations in fields where you enter quantities, rates, or dollar amounts (for example, the Quantity, Rate, and Amount fields on an invoice).

You cannot use the calculator to calculate time entries, cheque numbers, or dates.

2	Display the calculator:

Press the = key.

or

Type a number followed by + (for plus), - (for minus), * for (times), / (for divided by), or = (for equals).

3	On the paper tape that appears, type as many numbers and operators (+, -, *, /, or =) as you need to complete the calculation. You can enter numbers as large as 9,999,999.99.

To . . .	Do this
Add	Press + and enter the number.
Subtract	Press - and enter the number.
Multiply	Press * and enter the number.
Divide	Press / and enter the number.
Get a subtotal	Press =.
Clear an entry	Press C.
Clear the tape	Press C twice.
Repeat the last calculation	Press the operator key as many times as needed. For example, to add 100 three times, you would enter: 100 + + +
Enter a negative Number	Press the key for the operation you want to perform, press -, and enter the number. For example, to multiply 100 by minus 6.25, you would enter: 100 * - 6.25
Cancel the calculation	Press Esc.
4	To enter the calculation result in the field, press Enter or Tab, or click anywhere outside the boundary of the tape.


When you are filling in a field that requires a dollar amount, quantity, or rate, you can use the QuickMath calculator to calculate the amount you enter into the field. For example, if you are writing a cheque to cover several bills from the same vendor, you can calculate how much you owe the vendor when you are filling in the £ field of the cheque.


Statements contents
Overview

Options for billing customers

How customer registers work

Sending statements to customers

Printing statements


Options for billing customers

QuickBooks provides several ways to bill your customers:

Invoices

Invoices serve the needs of most businesses.

About invoices

An invoice lists what you sold on one date, showing the quantity and cost of each item. Use invoices if:

You sell goods or services and need to keep a detailed record of each sale.

You use discounts, or any other item that is calculated as a percentage of charges.

Each invoice stores information that you can draw from later when you analyze your business. For example, if you want to know the sales income for each item in your inventory, you can create a report (Sales by Item Summary) that provides those numbers. The line item detail on your invoices makes this possible.

Reminder statements work with invoices

When you use invoices to bill your customers, you can also send reminder statements to notify your customers about delinquent payments. A reminder statement summarizes what you've billed previously through invoices by listing the invoices you've sent, credits you've given, and any payments you've received. You don't have to enter more data to create a reminder statement [image] QuickBooks already knows what needs to appear on the statement.

If you bill periodically . . .

You may find that billing statements serve your needs. When you use billing statements, you generally do not write invoices. Instead, you keep a record of each customer's charges in a special register called the customer register. When it's time to send out statements, QuickBooks prints the statements by using your entries in the customer registers.

Examples of businesses that could use billing statements include small consulting firms who accumulate charges and then bill them all at once, and property management companies who bill periodically for rent or accumulated services.

Billing statements have some important limitations when compared with invoices. If you are thinking of using billing statements, you should keep their limitations in mind.


 In QuickBooks, billing statements have these limitations:

You can't record tax, percentage discounts, or group items as a separate charge on a billing statement. To bill for any of these, you must use an invoice (the invoice total will show on the statement).

You cannot enter multiple line descriptions of services provided or products sold (you can enter multiple line descriptions on an invoice).

You cannot group related charges together and subtotal them (you can group and subtotal charges on an invoice).

A charge on a billing statement can represent only one item (in contrast, an invoice can represent many items). This means you must enter a separate statement charge for each service or product you sell.

You cannot add a message like "Thank you for your business" to a billing statement (you can add such a message to an invoice).

Some of the customizing options that apply to invoices in QuickBooks do not apply to billing statements. Specifically, you cannot add customized fields to the statement form, change the width of columns, or change the order in which columns appear.


How customer registers work

QuickBooks provides a register for each customer on your Customer:Job list. The register lists all the accounts receivable (A/R) transactions related to that customer. These can include:

Invoices (if you bill through invoices)

Payments received from the customer

Credit memos and refund cheques

Discounts applied when you received payment

Finance charges.

Customer registers do not show cash sales receipts. (Because the customer pays in full, a cash sale is not an accounts receivable transaction.)

Use 1: Viewing a customer's A/R

You can always use a customer's register to see a list of the transactions that affect the customer's balance. If you send invoices to the customer, the invoices appear in the register. As with customer payments, you cannot enter invoices into the register yourself; QuickBooks enters each invoice for you when you record it in the Create Invoices window.

Entering charges for billing statements

Entering charges is the first step in preparing billing statements to send to your customers. You enter the charges directly in each customer's register.

Should you use statements?

Limitations of billing statements

Instructions

1	Open the appropriate customer register:

Display the Customer:Job list. Select the customer or job that the statement charges apply to. Click Use Register.

or

From the Activities menu, choose Enter Statement Charges. In the register window, check the name shown in the Customer:Job field. If the charges are for a different customer or job, choose the customer or job from the drop-down list.

Important. If the Customer:Job list shows more than one job for the customer, be sure to select the correct job. QuickBooks maintains a separate register for each job.

2	(Optional) Change the date of the statement charge.

Why you might want to use a different date

Shortcuts for entering dates

3	In the Item field, enter the item you use to track this kind of charge.

4	Enter the quantity in the Qty field.

5	(Optional) Edit the description that QuickBooks filled in the Description field.

How QuickBooks uses the description

6	If you have more than one A/R account, choose the account you want to use from the Account drop-down list.

7	Click Record to record the charge.

8	If you have other charges to enter, do the following:

If the charges apply to the current customer or job, continue to enter them in the register below the charge you just entered.

If the charges apply to a different customer or job, choose that customer or job from the Customer:Job list. Then enter the charges.

You can use the A/R register instead

If you wish, you can enter all your statement charges directly into your accounts receivable register instead of the individual customer registers. If you have a few customers, or if you like to see all your statement charges listed in one place, you may prefer the A/R register. Of course, each charge you enter in the A/R register also appears in the appropriate customer register.


Postdating a charge. If you don't want the charge to appear on the next statement, change the date to the date when you want the charge to appear. For example, if the charge is an annual membership fee that is due on November 1st, change the date to November 1st.

Old charges. If you are entering a charge you forgot to include on a previous statement, be sure to use the current date. Otherwise, the charge won't appear on the next statement.

When you print statements, QuickBooks normally includes only those charges you entered after the date of the last statement up through today. Postdated charges won't appear unless you specifically change the date range of the statement to include them.


The description that QuickBooks fills in is the sales description you entered when you set up the item. It also appears on the customer's statement when you print it. QuickBooks uses only the first line of the description.

If you want a different description to appear on the statement, edit the text in the Description field.


Setting up for automatic charge entry

If you bill the same charge to a group of customers on a regular basis, you can set up QuickBooks to enter the charges automatically when it's time to send out your statements.

Any business that bills a recurring charge on statements can use this feature. For example, a property management company could enter monthly rents automatically. A health club could enter membership fees automatically.

Instructions

1	For your first billing, enter the statement charges for each customer.

How to enter statement charges

Tip. If you have many customers that you want to enter charges for at once, you may find it faster to enter the charges in your Accounts Receivable (A/R) register instead of the individual customer registers.

2	Create a memorized transaction group for the statement charges:

From the Lists menu, choose Memorized Transactions.

Choose New Group from the Memorized Transaction menu button.

Enter a name that describes the statement charges. For example, "Monthly rents."

Click Automatically Enter.

From the How Often drop-down list, choose how often you want QuickBooks to enter the charges (Weekly, Monthly, etc.).

In the Next Date field, enter the next service date in your billing cycle. For example, if the service date for the statement charges is February 1st and you bill monthly, you would enter March 1st.

Click OK.

3	In the A/R register (or the individual customer registers) memorize each statement charge that you entered:

In the register, click the statement charge.

From the Edit menu, choose Memorize Stmt Charge.

(Optional) In the Memorize Transaction window, change the name of the transaction. This affects how QuickBooks lists the transaction in the Memorized Transactions list [image] it does not affect the transaction itself.

Click "With Transactions in Group."

From the Group Name drop-down list, choose the memorized transaction group you just created.

Click OK.

When you have finished . . .

QuickBooks automatically enters the statement charges for each billing cycle. All you have to do is print and mail the statements.

As your list of customers changes, you'll need to update the memorized transaction group.

See also . . .

Stopping automatic entry of a charge

Memorizing charges for new customers


Stopping automatic entry of a charge

If you enter statement charges automatically but no longer need to charge a particular customer, you can remove that customer from the memorized transaction group.

Instructions

1	From the Lists menu, choose Memorized Transactions.

2	In the Memorized Transaction list, select the customer.

You'll find the customer in the list of names immediately below the name of the memorized transaction group.

3	Choose Delete from the Memorized Transaction menu button.


Memorizing charges for new customers

If you enter statement charges automatically, you can add new customers to the memorized transaction group you originally set up to enter the statement charges.

Instructions

1	For each new customer, enter the statement charges you want QuickBooks to enter automatically.

2	Memorize the statement charges and add them to the memorized transaction group:

In the A/R or customer register, select the statement charge.

From the Edit menu, choose Memorize Stmt Charge.

Click "With Transactions in Group."

From the Group Name drop-down list, choose the memorized transaction group you want to add the customer to.

Click OK.

3	When you have memorized all the new statement charges, delete them from the register:

In the A/R or customer register, select the statement charge.

From the Edit menu, choose Delete Stmt Charge.

Click OK to confirm that you want to delete the statement charge.

Why delete the charges? When you use the memorized transaction group, QuickBooks reenters the charges. If you leave the original charges in the register, the next time you print billing statements, the charges will appear twice.


Correcting undercharges on statements

If you charge a customer too little on a statement, what you do depends on whether you have sent the statement yet.

If you did not send the statement

1	Open either the customer's register or your A/R register.

2	Find any incorrect charges. Change the amounts of those charges.

3	Click Record to save your changes.

4	Reprint the statement.

Tip 1. In the Select Statements to Print window, make sure that the date range of the reprinted statement is the same as it was for the original statement.

Tip 2. If you are reprinting a statement for one customer only, be sure to select the "One customer" option when the Select Statements to Print window appears. Normally, this window is set to print statements for all customers.

If you sent the statement

1	Open either the customer's register or your A/R register.

2	Enter an adjustment charge to appear on the customer's next statement:

Enter the item you undercharged. This ensures correct accounting on your reports.

Make the amount equal to the difference between the correct amount and the amount you charged the customer. For example, if you charged $5.00 when you should have charged $7.00, enter the adjustment charge as $2.00.

Edit the item description in the Memo field so that it shows what you want your customer to see on the printed statement. For example, you could add the phrase "Balance due for" to the beginning of the item description.

Check the date of the charge. If necessary, change the date so that it falls within your next billing period.

3	Click Record.

4	When it's time to bill your customer again, print the customer's statement.

The statement should include the adjustment charge along with any other charges for the billing period.


Correcting overcharges on statements

If you charge a customer too much on a statement, what you do depends on whether you have sent the statement yet.

If you did not send the statement

1	Open the customer's register.

2	Find any incorrect charges. Change the amounts of those charges.

3	Click Record to save your changes.

4	Reprint the statement.

Tip 1. In the Select Statements to Print window, make sure that the date range of the reprinted statement is the same as it was for the original statement.

Tip 2. If you are reprinting a statement for one customer only, be sure to select the "One customer" option when the Select Statements to Print window appears. Normally, this window is set to print statements for all customers.

If you sent the statement

1	Create a credit memo to appear on the customer's next statement:

In the Item column, enter the item you overcharged. This ensures correct accounting on your reports.

Make the amount equal to the difference between the correct amount and the amount you charged the customer. For example, if you charged $15.00 when you should have charged $10.00, enter the credit as $5.00.

In the Memo field, enter the description you want your customer to see on the printed statement. For example, you could enter "Credit for overcharge."

Check the date of the credit memo. Make sure that the date falls within the date range of the customer's next statement.

2	When it's time to bill your customer again, print the customer's statement.

The statement will include the credit memo along with any other charges for the billing period.


Statement Preferences window

You use this window to select which version of QuickBooks' statement format to use when you print statements.

To select a format

Click Standard.

or

Click Custom.

Note. You have no control over which fields and columns appear in the standard format. With the custom format, you can rename any column or field, add or remove columns and fields, and change the title QuickBooks prints at the top.

To change the custom format

1	Click Custom.

2	Click Customize.


Customize Statement window

You use this window to customize your statements. You can rename any column or field, add or remove columns and fields, and change the title QuickBooks prints at the top.

To begin . . .

Click the tab that corresponds to the area of the statement you want to change:

For example, to change the name of one of the columns, click Columns.

To rename a column or field

1	Click the appropriate tab.

2	In the fields along the right side of the tab, find the name you want to change.

3	Enter the new name in the field.

Changing the title of the form itself. To change the title from "Statement" to something more appropriate for your business, click the Header tab and enter your new title in the Title field for "Default Title" (the first field at the top of the tab). For example, if you send out statements once a month as a reminder notice to your customers, you could change the title to "Monthly reminder."

To add columns and fields

1	Click the appropriate tab.

2	Select the Print checkbox for the field or column you want to add.

Rep. If you add this field, QuickBooks fills it in with the information for the Rep field from the first transaction on the statement.

To remove columns and fields

1	Click the appropriate tab.

2	Clear the Print checkbox for the field or column you want to remove.

Amount Due. If you remove this field, QuickBooks adds a Balance Due field to the bottom of the statement form.

Removing a field doesn't remove data


QuickBooks fills in some fields automatically when you print statements. For example, if you have previously set up payment terms for the customer, QuickBooks fills in those terms in the Terms field.

If you remove a field that fills in automatically, you won't lose data from future statements. QuickBooks still associates the data with the statement even though the field doesn't appear on statements when you print them. This gives you the ability to create reports based on the data.


Inventory contents
Overview

Overview of inventory

Acquiring inventory

Setting up for inventory

Writing a purchase order for inventory

Changing a purchase order

Printing purchase orders

Receiving items on order

Paying for inventory

Selling inventory

Selling inventory to customers

Creating a sales summary

Adjusting inventory

Adjusting your inventory

Analysing inventory

Analysing your inventory

Taking a physical inventory

Saving time

Using the QuickMath calculator


Setting up for inventory

If your business purchases items ready for resale, keeps them in inventory, and then sells them, QuickBooks can track the current number in inventory and the value of your inventory after every purchase and sale.

Overview

Setting up to track inventory requires three steps:

1. Turn on inventory tracking

2. Set up the accounts you need

3. Add inventory part items to your Item list

For more detail, click the step.


Turning on the inventory tracking preference
Turning on inventory tracking

QuickBooks has a preference for tracking inventory. When you created your company, QuickBooks asked whether you tracked inventory. If you answered Yes, the preference is turned on.

To turn the preference on

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences.

2	In the Preferences window, select Purchases & Vendors from the scroll box.

3	Select the "Inventory and purchase orders are active" checkbox.

4	Click OK.


Setting up accounts for inventory

You need at least one each of the following types of accounts in your chart of accounts to track inventory. Follow these guidelines when you set up the accounts:

Suggested Name	Account type/comments
Inventory value	Other Current Asset QuickBooks uses this account to track the current value of your inventory. If you want, you can set up subaccounts within this account to track the value of different types of inventory.
Sales	Income QuickBooks uses this account to track the income from the resale of inventory items. If you want, you can set up subaccounts within this account to track the income from different types of inventory.
Cost of goods sold	Cost of Goods Sold QuickBooks uses this account to track the cost to you of the items you have sold. If you want, you can set up subaccounts within this account to track the costs for different types of inventory sold. On a profit and loss report, QuickBooks subtracts the total cost of goods sold from your total income to provide a gross profit before expenses.


Receiving items on order

Whether or not you use purchase orders, there are three ways to record the inventory items you receive, depending on how you pay for the items:

Buy items over-the-counter

Receive items without a bill

Receive items with the bill included

For details, click the situation that applies.


Buying inventory over-the-counter

When you pay for and receive items on the spot, you can use either the cheque or the credit card form to record the purchase.

Instructions

1	From the Activities menu, choose one of the following:

Choose . . .	If you
Write Cheques	Wrote a cheque or paid with cash.
Enter Credit Card Receipts	Paid by credit card.
2	Fill in the check or credit card form in the top part of the window.

How to fill in the cheque form

How to fill in the credit card form

3	Click the Items tab.

4	Did you write a purchase order for the items?

If . . .	Do this
Yes	Click Select PO and select the POs that contain the items you're receiving. More detail
No	Enter the items in the detail area. More detail
5	(Optional) Enter any additional expenses, such as Tax:

Click Expenses.

For each expense, enter the amount and relevant expense account in the detail area of the Expenses tab.

6	Record the transaction:

To record the transaction and then enter another, click Next.

To record the transaction and close the window, click OK.


When you click Select PO, a list of your open purchase orders with the payee appears.

To select the POs that apply to this purchase

1	Click each purchase order that contain items you've received and are paying for at this time.

2	When you've selected the correct purchase orders, click OK. The detail area of the Write Cheques or Enter Credit Card Receipts window now lists the line items on the purchase orders you selected.

3	Make any necessary changes to the line items.

If you didn't receive all the items on the purchase order, you can edit the quantity (or cost) of any item, or delete an item completely from the detail area.

Tip. If you make a mistake when you are editing the quantities, click Receive All to return all quantities to their original values.


Receiving items and getting a bill later

When you receive items and get the bill later, you enter information into QuickBooks in two steps. First, you create an item receipt to let QuickBooks know you received the items. Second, you enter the bill when it arrives.

To create an item receipt

1	From the Activities menu, choose Inventory.

2	Choose Receive Items.

3	Enter the name of the vendor from whom you received the items.

4	Did you write a purchase order for the items?

If . . .	Do this
Yes	Click Select PO and select the POs that contain the items you're receiving. More detail
No	Enter the items in the detail area. More detail
5	Record the item receipt:

To record the item receipt and then enter another, click Next.

To record the item receipt and close the window, click OK.

To enter the bill when you receive it

1	From the Activities menu, choose Inventory.

2	Choose Enter Bill for Rec'd Items.

3	In the Receive Bill for Items window, enter the vendor name in the Vendor field and press Tab.

4	Click the item receipt associated with this bill and then click OK.

QuickBooks changes the item receipt to a bill.

5	If necessary, change the date shown on the bill (the date shown is the date you entered the item receipt).

6	In the detail area of the bill, correct any costs or amounts if necessary.

7	(Optional) Enter any additional expenses, such as freight charges or tax:

Click Expenses.

For each expense, enter the amount and relevant expense account in the detail area of the Expenses tab.

8	Fill in the vendor's terms.

9	Be sure the amount shown in the Amount Due field equals the total on the bill.

If the amounts disagree

10	Record the bill:

To record the bill and then enter another, click Next.

To record the bill and close the window, click OK.


When you click Select PO, QuickBooks asks you to enter the name of the vendor you're receiving from, then displays a list of open POs for that vendor.

To select the POs that apply to this purchase

1	Click each purchase order that contains items you've received.

2	When you've selected the correct purchase orders, click OK. The detail area of the Create Item Receipts window now lists the line items on the purchase orders you selected.

3	Make any necessary changes to the line items.

If you didn't receive all the items on the purchase order, you can edit the quantity (or cost) of any item, or delete an item completely from the detail area.

Tip. If you make a mistake when you are editing the quantities, click Receive All to return all quantities to their original values.


Click Recalc. QuickBooks then adds up all the amounts in the detail area and inserts their total in the Amount Due field.


Receiving items with a bill included

If the items arrive with a bill, you can enter your receipt of the items and the bill in a single step.

Instructions

1	From the Activities menu, choose Inventory.

2	Choose Receive Items and Enter Bill.

2	Fill in the bill form in the top half of the window.

More detail

3	(Optional) Enter a memo about the bill.

The memo you enter will appear on reports that include the bill. If you pay the bill by cheque, and you did not enter an account number when you set up the vendor's record, QuickBooks puts the memo in the Memo field of the cheque. If you did enter an account number, the account number appears in the Memo field of the cheque.

4	Click the Items tab.

5	Did you write a purchase order for the items?

If . . .	Do this
Yes	Click Select PO and select the POs that contain the items you're receiving. More detail
No	Enter the items in the detail area. More detail
6	To enter shipping charges or tax not associated with any one item, click the Expenses tab. Enter each charge and associate it with its correct expense account.

7	Record the bill:

To record the bill and then enter another, click Next.

To record the bill and close the window, click OK.


 Paying for inventory

How you pay for inventory depends upon the situation.

If . . .	You pay by
You are making an over-the-counter purchase	Entering a cheque or credit card receipt.
You've entered an item receipt for inventory, but the bill hasn't arrived yet	Entering the bill when the item receipt arrives. You then pay the bill just like you would any other QuickBooks bill.
You've entered a bill for inventory you've received	Paying the bill just like you would pay any other QuickBooks bill.


 Conducting a inventory take

You can use QuickBooks to create a worksheet for taking a physical count of your inventory.

Instructions

1	From the Reports menu, choose Inventory.

2	Choose Physical Inventory Worksheet.

3	(Optional) Use the report buttonbar to adjust the content and appearance of the worksheet.

Click  . . .	To do this
Format	Change the fonts for any part of the worksheet.
Header/Footer	Change or move the company name and title; add a line of text as a footer at the bottom.
Hide Header	Remove the company name, title, and date from the top.
4	(Optional) Change the width of the columns.

More detail

5	Click Print.

6	As you check your inventory, fill in the quantities for each item in the Physical Count column of the worksheet.


Adjusting your inventory

Although QuickBooks automatically adjusts your inventory quantities after every purchase and sale, you may need to adjust them yourself from time to time. If the quantities change because of, say, fire, theft, or breakage, you need to adjust the quantity on hand for each inventory item affected.

Instructions

1	From the Activities menu, choose Inventory.

2	Choose Adjust Qty/Value on Hand.

3	Enter the name of the expense account where you track inventory loss and shortages.

If you need to assign the expense to more than one account, enter a separate adjustment for each account. You can enter additional adjustments by clicking Next instead of OK.

4	(Optional) Enter the new quantity of each inventory item whose quantity has changed.

You can also enter the new quantity by entering the difference in the Qty Difference column. To enter a difference that reduces the quantity, be sure to type a minus sign before the number (for example, − 25).

5	(Optional) If you need to, edit the value of the inventory after adjusting the quantity.

To edit the value

6	Record the adjustment:

To record the adjustment and make another, click Next.

To record the adjustment and close the window, click OK.


Most businesses can accept QuickBooks' recalculation of the value, which is based on average cost. When you edit a value, you change the average cost of the items in inventory.

To edit the value

1	Select the Value Adjustment checkbox.

2	In the New Value column, enter the value for each inventory item whose value you want to change.


Selling inventory to customers

You sell inventory the same way you would sell other types of items: by writing an invoice or a cash sales receipt.

Instructions

1	From the Activities menu, choose either Create Invoices or Enter Cash Sales.

If you will receive payment later, choose Create Invoices.

If you have received full payment at the time of sale, choose Enter Cash Sales.

2	Fill in the form as you normally would.

3	Record the invoice or cash sales receipt:

To record the transaction and then make another sale, click Next.

To record the transaction and close the window, click OK.


Creating a sales summary

If you don't need to track cash sales for each customer, you can simplify your record keeping by recording all your cash sales for a specific period of time on a single cash sales receipt. The cash sales receipt acts as a summary of your sales for that period of time.

First create a sales summary template

1	From the Activities menu, choose Enter Cash Sales.

2	Fill in the form as follows:

Leave the Customer:Job field blank.

If you track sales by payment method, enter a method (cash, cheque, etc.) in the Pay Method field.

In the detail area, enter all the items you normally sell on a given day, week, or month [image] whatever period you plan to summarize.

Leave the Quantity column blank since you'll be filling it in at the end of the specified period.

3	From the Edit menu, choose Memorize Cash Sale.

4	In the window that appears, enter a descriptive name for template (for example, "Daily Sales Summary").

5	Click OK to add the template to your Memorized Transaction list.

6	If you track sales by payment method, select a different payment method and memorize the template again. Repeat this step until you have covered all the payment methods.

7	Click Cancel to close the Enter Cash Sales window. Do not record the transaction.

Then use the template to create sales summaries

1	Click the Mem Tx icon to display the Memorized Transaction list.

2	Select the sales summary template you want. Click Use.

3	Complete the sales summary as follows:

In the Quantity column, enter the number you sold of each item.

For items you didn't sell, click the line item's entry and choose Delete Line from the Edit menu.

In the Memo field, enter the dates for the period you are summarizing.

4	Click OK to record the sales summary.

When the price of an item changes

You must create a new sales summary template that reflects the new price. When you memorize the new template, save it under the name you chose for the original template. QuickBooks will then replace the original template with the new template.


Analysing inventory

You can use QuickBooks' inventory reports, the Items list, and the Purchase Order list to get the following information about your inventory:

Average cost of items

Current prices

Current value of your inventory

Status of your purchase orders

Quantity on hand for items

Quantity on order for items

When to reorder items

For more detail, click the type of information you want.


Listing your open purchase orders

You can get information quickly about your open purchase orders.

To list the open POs where a particular item appears

1	From the Lists menu, choose Items.

2	Select the item.

3	Choose QuickReport from the Reports menu button.

4	To view a particular purchase order, double-click the purchase order's entry in the report.

To list all your open POs

1	From the Lists menu, choose Purchase Order List.

2	(Optional) If you want to see your all your purchase orders (closed as well as open), choose Show All Purchase Orders from the Purchase Orders menu button.

To create a report about your open POs

1	From the Reports menu, choose Inventory Reports.

2	Choose Open Purchase Orders.

3	(Optional) Use the report buttonbar to customize the report.

More detail

4	(Optional) Change the width of the columns.

More detail

5	If you want a copy of the report, click Print.

6	To view a particular purchase order, double-click the purchase order's entry in the report.


Creating a price list

QuickBooks automatically keeps track of the prices you charge for the items you sell. You can draw upon this information to create a price list.

Instructions

1	From the Reports menu, choose Inventory Reports.

2	Choose Price List.

3	(Optional) Use the report buttonbar to customize the price list.

More detail

4	(Optional) Change, as needed, the width of the columns.

More detail

5	If you want a copy of the list, click Print.


Checking your inventory status

You can get the following information about any item in your inventory: the reorder point, current quantity on hand, average cost to date, and quantity on order.

To check the status of a single item

1	From the Lists menu, choose Items.

2	In the list, select the inventory item whose status you want to check.

3	Choose Edit from the Item menu button.

To check the status of your entire inventory

1	From the Reports menu, choose Inventory Reports.

2	Choose one of the following:

Inventory Status by Item. Lists your inventory items alphabetically by item code.

Inventory Status by Vendor. Groups your inventory items by preferred vendor. This helps you reorder easily.

3	(Optional) Use the report buttonbar to customize the report.

More detail

4	(Optional) Change, as needed, the width of the columns.

More detail

5	To see which inventory items you need to reorder, look at the Order column.

A check mark in that column means that your inventory of the item has fallen below your reorder point. To determine whether you need to reorder, QuickBooks takes into account the quantity you currently have on order. If the quantity on hand plus the quantity on order is less than the reorder point, QuickBooks puts a check mark in the Order column.

6	If you want a copy of the report, click Print.

7	To create a report that shows how QuickBooks calculated the average cost for a particular item, double-click that item's entry in the report.


Breaking down the value of your inventory

QuickBooks can provide you with several statistical measures of the value of your inventory.

Instructions

1	From the Reports menu, choose Inventory Reports.

2	Choose one of the following:

Valuation summary  To see, for each inventory item, the quantity on hand, average cost, asset value, % of total asset value, retail value, and % of total retail value.

Valuation detail  To see, for each inventory item, the opening balance, ending balance, and every transaction (purchase or sale) that has affected the inventory value during the period of time covered by the report.

3	(Optional) Use the report buttonbar to customize the report.

More detail

4	(Optional) Change, as needed, the width of the columns.

More detail

5	If you want a copy of the report, click Print.


Change Prices window

You use this window to adjust the prices for items that you sell. You can either enter the new prices directly, or have QuickBooks calculate the new prices by applying a markup.

To . . .	Do this
Display the prices for a particular type of item	Choose that item type from the Item list.
Change the price of an item	Enter the new price in the New Price column.
Have QuickBooks recalculate the prices based on a markup	1 Click Calculate prices. 2 In the [image] column, click the items to which you want the markup to apply. Or click Select All to select all the items. 3 In the "Markup up sales ..." field, enter the markup you want to apply. This can be either a pound amount or a percentage (be sure to include the % sign). 4 If you want the markup to apply to the price you paid for each item, select "Unit Cost." Otherwise, QuickBooks applies the markup to the current sales price. 5 Click Apply.


Select Item Receipt window

You use this window when a bill for inventory items arrives after you received the items. From the list in the window, select the item receipt you entered when the items arrived. QuickBooks then turns the item receipt into a bill.

To . . .	Do this
Display item receipts	Enter the vendor's name in the Vendor field.
Change an item receipt into a bill	Select the item receipt you want and click OK.


Income tax
Setting up

Setting up your accounts for tracking income tax

Changing your company's tax form

Gathering data for your tax forms

Overview

Totaling your purchases

Calculating compensation of officers

Working with QuickTax

Transferring tax data to QuickTax


Set up tasks

Set up your accounts for tracking income tax

Change your company's tax form

Verify or calculate . . .

Purchases

Compensation of officers

_____

Transfer tax data to QuickTax


Setting up your accounts for tracking income tax

To track income tax in QuickBooks, each tax-related account must have a tax line assignment. If you choose one of QuickBooks' preset charts of accounts during the EasyStep interview, those accounts already have tax line assignments. The instructions below do not apply to you.

Follow the instructions below when:

You update QuickBooks company data from a previous version of QuickBooks.

You set up your own chart of accounts instead of using one of the preset charts of accounts available through the EasyStep interview.

These instructions do not apply if you need to add new accounts to a chart of accounts you chose through the EasyStep interview. See instead:

Assigning tax lines to new accounts

Instructions

1	Through the EasyStep interview, set up a dummy QuickBooks company that has a chart of accounts similar to your own. You can use the tax line assignments for the new chart of accounts as a guide for assigning tax lines to your own accounts.

To set up the dummy company:

From the File menu, choose New Company.

Click General to display the tabs for the general topics.

On the Company Info tab, select the type of business that most closely resembles your own, click Yes to accept the income and expense accounts that QuickBooks selected, and indicate the type of ownership that applies to your business.

Click Leave to leave the Interview.

2	Print the chart of accounts for the dummy company:

How to print the chart of accounts

3	Close the dummy company you just created and reopen your own QuickBooks company:

From the File menu, choose Open Company.

Enter the name of your company file and click OK.

4	Print the chart of accounts for your company.

5	Compare the two charts of accounts:

On the chart of accounts for the dummy company, look for accounts that correspond to the accounts you use in your own business. The account names don't have to match -- what's important is to find accounts that track the same type of income or expense. For example, an expense account named "Freight & Delivery" in the dummy company chart of accounts could correspond to an expense account named "Shipping Costs" in your own chart of accounts.

When an account on the dummy company chart of accounts corresponds to one of your income or expense accounts, note the income tax line that QuickBooks assigned to the account in the dummy chart of accounts.

6	In your chart of accounts, assign the appropriate income tax line to each income and expense account:

In your chart of accounts, select the account.

Click the Account button, then choose Edit.

In the Edit Account window, choose the tax line from the Tax Line drop-down list. For accounts that are not tax-related, choose <Not tax-related>.

More about tax lines

7	If you use QuickBooks to do your payroll, you also need to set up subaccounts to track certain payroll expenses for income tax reporting. For details, see:

Tracking payroll expenses for income tax reporting


 To print the chart of accounts

1	From the Lists menu, choose Chart of Accounts.

2	From the File menu choose Print list. When the Print Report window appears, click OK.


Associating a tax line with each account gives you the ability to:

Export tax data to QuickTax.

Create tax reports in QuickBooks to help you fill out your tax forms. The reports show the amounts to fill in for each tax line on the tax forms.

Choose the tax line on which you would report the income or expenses tracked by this account. For example, if the account tracks your automobile expenses, you would choose "Schedule C: Car and truck expenses." If you are not sure which tax line to choose for this account, check with your accountant.


For example, if it is February 1st and you are preparing your taxes for last year, you would choose Last Tax Year from the Dates drop-down list.

The report is initially set to show all tax-related transactions in the current year. You'll need to change the date range when you want the report to show tax-related transactions for a different tax year, or for part of the current year (last quarter, for example).


The amount is the total of all distributions to an income or expense account without a tax line assignment. We recommend that you check the transactions from which QuickBooks calculated the amount. You may find that some transactions distribute to an account that should have a tax line assignment.

The accuracy of the tax summary report depends on whether each tax-related income or expense account has the appropriate tax line assignment. QuickBooks uses the assignments to calculate the amounts to report on individual lines of your federal income tax forms. For example, if your Telephone expense account is assigned to "Schedule C: Office Expenses," QuickBooks includes all amounts distributed to your Telephone account in the total shown for "Schedule C: Office Expenses" in the tax summary report.


Totaling your purchases (for income taxes)
Totaling your purchases

The Revenue Canada requires that you enter the cost of your purchases when you calculate cost of goods sold. You can determine the amount of your purchases by creating a purchases by item summary report.

Instructions

1	From the Reports menu, choose Purchase Reports and then choose By Item Summary.

2	When the report appears, make sure that the date range shown in the Dates field corresponds to the tax period you want the report to cover.

If the date range is incorrect, choose the correct date range from the drop-down list.

3	Note the total at the bottom of the report. This is the amount to fill in the Cost of Goods Sold section of your tax form.


Calculating compensation of officers (for income taxes)
Calculating compensation of officers

If you file forms that require you to report compensation for company officers separately from employee wages. Because QuickBooks provides only one salary payroll item, it doesn't know which individuals on your payroll are company officers and which are employees. You can calculate the amounts yourself, however, by using the information in the payroll summary by employee report.

Instructions

1	From the Reports menu, choose Payroll Reports and then choose Summary By Employee.

2	When the report appears, make sure that the date range shown in the Dates field corresponds to the tax period you want the report to cover.

If the date range is incorrect, choose the correct date range from the drop-down list.

3	From the report, add together the adjusted gross pay amounts for your company officers. Enter this amount on the appropriate form.

4	From the report, add together the adjusted gross pay amounts for your employees Enter this amount on the appropriate form.


Transferring tax data to TurboTax
Transferring tax data to QuickTax

These QuickTax products can read tax data directly from your QuickBooks company file:

QuickTax

QuickTax Deluxe

ImpotRapide

For details, see your QuickTax manual.

You do not need to create an intermediate file to import your tax data to QuickTax:

Instructions

1	If you do payroll with QuickBooks, make sure you have a separate subaccount set up for each type of payroll expense you report. For details on how to set up the subaccounts see:

Tracking payroll expenses for income tax reporting

2	Create an income tax summary report to verify that all the amounts you must report have a tax line assignment in your company data. For details on how to create and use the report, see:

Gathering data for your income tax forms

3	When you are certain that your tax data is complete, start QuickTax and import the data. For details, see your QuickTax manual.


Invoicing from an estimate

Basing an invoice on an estimate

Invoicing for actual costs

Setting up items for tracking costs and revenues

Assigning costs (or time) to a job

Invoicing for actual costs

Comparing estimates to actuals

Special situations

Tracking services performed by an owner or partner

Tracking items ordered especially for a job

Saving time

Using the QuickMath calculator


Basing an invoice on an estimate

1	Display the estimate.

How to display an estimate

2	Click Create Invoice at the bottom of the Create Estimates window.

3	When the invoice appears, edit the invoice as needed.

4	When the invoice looks the way you want it to, click OK to record the invoice.

What if . . .

You want to bill for time and expenses?

You want to change the invoice?

See also

Creating an estimate

Invoicing for actual costs


To display an estimate

1	From the Lists menu, choose Customers:Jobs.

2	Select the job for which you wrote the estimate.

3	Choose View Estimate from the Activities menu button.


If you've already entered your actual time and expenses and assigned them to this job, you don't need to create an estimate first. Instead, create the invoice and click Time/Costs to include your time and expenses on the invoice.

See also

Invoicing for actual costs


The invoice that appears has all the information from your original estimate filled in. If the estimate included subtotals for group items, other subtotals, discounts, or tax, these items appear on the invoice. The prices on the invoice automatically incorporate any markups from the estimate.

You can edit the invoice just as you would any other QuickBooks invoice. You can add additional line items, modify any of the quantities or amounts, or delete line items that don't apply.


Creating a progress invoice

What is progress invoicing?

1	Are you set up to do progress invoicing?

Checklist for what's needed

2	Display the estimate.

How to display an estimate

3	Click Create Invoice at the bottom of the Create Estimates window.

4	Indicate how you want QuickBooks to set up the invoice. Then click OK.

What each option does

5	If you choose to invoice for selected items, or a different percentage of each item, specify the amounts or percentages to put on the invoice. Then click OK.

How to enter the amounts and percentages

What if . . .

You want to bill for more than the estimated amount?

You don't want $0.00 items to print on the invoice?


Progress invoicing, also called progress billing or partial billing, is invoicing from an estimate in stages instead of the full amount.


To do progress invoicing . . .

The preference for progress invoicing in the Job and Estimates Preferences window must be on.

When the preference is on, you have access to another standard invoice design, called Progress Invoice. In addition to the standard columns for invoicing, this design provides columns that show the estimate amount, the percentage of the amount you invoiced previously, and the total percentage you've invoiced to date. As with the other designs for business forms, you can customize Progress Invoice to suit you business needs.

When progress invoicing is off, you can still create an invoice from an estimate, but QuickBooks will not keep track of the amount or percentage remaining if you want to invoice in stages.

See also

Setting up for job tracking and estimates

Customizing a business form


When you use progress invoicing, QuickBooks doesn't limit you to the amount on the estimate. You can bill for a greater amount when you create the invoice.

To bill for more than the estimated amount

1	When QuickBooks asks you what you want to include on the invoice, click "Create invoice for selected items or for different percentages of each item."

2	When the progress detail appears, enter the amounts you want to charge in the Amount column.

3	Click OK.


When you don't bill a customer for a particular item on a progress invoice, QuickBooks still shows the item on the invoice, but with an amount of $0.00. If you want, you can prevent $0.00 items from printing on the invoice.

To prevent $0.00 items from printing

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences.

2	In the Preferences window, click Jobs & Estimates from the scroll box.

3	Select the "Don't print items that have zero amount" checkbox.

4	Click OK.


Create Progress Invoice Based on Estimate window

You use this window to tell QuickBooks how you want to set up the progress invoice you are creating.

To . . .	Do this . . .
Bill for the balance of the estimate	Click the first option: Create invoice for the entire estimate (If there are no prior progress invoices for the estimate). Create invoice for the remaining amounts of the estimate (If there is one or more prior progress invoices for the estimate).
Bill for a percentage of the estimate	Click the second option and enter the percentage: Create invoice for a percentage of the entire estimate
Specify the amount or percentage for each item	Click the last option: Create invoice for selected time or different percentages of each option
See also

Creating a progress invoice


Specify Invoice Amounts for Items on Estimate window
Specify Invoice Amounts . . .  window

You use this window to specify the amount or percentage you want to bill for each item from the original estimate.

To bill . . .	Do this . . .
For a percentage of what you estimated	Edit the percentage shown in the Curr% column. When you change the percentage, the amount also changes to reflect the new percentage.
For a different amount than you estimated	Edit the amount shown in the Amount column. When you change an amount, the current percentage also changes to reflect the new amount.
For a different quantity than you estimated	Edit the quantity shown in the Qty column.
At a different rate than you estimated	Edit the rate shown in the Rate column.
What if . . .

You want to bill for more than the estimated amount?

You don't want $0.00 items to print on the invoice?

See also

Creating a progress invoice


Tracking services performed by an owner or partner
@ Tracking services performed by an owner or partner

Because owners and partners do not submit bills, the costs of the services they perform will not be part of the overall costs of the job unless you enter a transaction to account for the work. If you want owner or partner time to contribute to the job costs on reports such as job profitability or job estimates vs. actuals, here's what to do.

Instructions

1	Set up the owner or partner on the Other Names list.

Other Names is the best list to use, since an owner or partner is not an employee, vendor, or customer.

2	Create a new service item to represent the work done by the owner or partner:

Select the "This service is performed by a subcontractor" checkbox.

In the Expense Account field, enter the name of the person's equity account (on the drop-down list, equity accounts are above expense accounts).

3	To make the work of an owner or partner billable, enter their time on either a weekly timesheet or single activity record:

Enter the name of the service item you set up to represent the owner's or partner's work.

Enter the name of the customer (or job, if you are tracking individual jobs for the customer).

Make sure the time is billable.

4	To invoice a customer for the owner's or partner's work, click Time/Costs when you are writing the invoice. In the Choose Billable Time and Costs window, click the Time tab. Then select the work that you want to appear on the invoice.

5	To make owner and partner time part of the job costs on reports but not affect the profit and loss statement, write a zero-amount cheque as follows:

Write the cheque either in your regular chequing account or in a special chequing account that has no money in it. (You can set up the special chequing account specifically to handle cheque like these.)

In the "Pay to the order of" field, enter the name of the owner or partner.

Clear the "To be printed" checkbox.

Leave the No. field blank.

On the Items tab, enter each service item for the work performed. On each line, enter the number of hours in the Qty field and the job in the Customer:Job field.

On the Expenses tab, enter the name of the person's equity account in the Account field. In the Amount field, enter the negative of the total amount on the Items tab. Do not enter a job name.

If you have not yet invoiced the customer. Be careful not to invoice the customer twice for the same work. When you go to the Choose Billable Time and Costs window, you'll see the cost both on the Time tab (because you entered the time and made it billable) and on the Items tab (because you associated the service item with a Customer:Job when you wrote the zero-amount cheque). Mark only the work shown on the Time tab. To avoid confusion, we recommend that you click in the Hide column to remove the service item entry from the Items tab.

What you'll see in your reports

After you record the zero-amount cheque, the cost (as shown on the Items tab in the Choose Billable Time and Costs window) appears on all job and item reports that show costs by job or item. On the other hand, the cost does not appear as an expense on a profit and loss statement because it is not assigned to an expense account.

See also


Create a service item

Enter the time for a single activity

Fill in a weekly timesheet

Write a cheque


Tracking items ordered especially for a job
@Tracking items ordered especially for a job

Here's how to handle custom items you order especially for a job.

Instructions

1	Create a non-inventory part item to represent each item you ordered.

When you set up each item, be sure to select the "This item is purchased for and sold to a specific customer:job" checkbox. This lets you enter different rates for your cost and the sales price to your customer.

2	When you receive a bill for the items, enter each non-inventory part item in the detail area of the bill:

In the Enter Bills window, click the Items tab.

Enter the name of each item in the Item column.

For each item, be sure to fill in the name of the customer or job in the Customer:Job column. This associates the customer with the cost of the item so you can invoice the customer later.

3	When you invoice your customer, use the Time/Costs button to enter the cost of the items on the invoice:

In the Create Invoices window, click Time/Costs.

In the Choose Billable Time and Costs window, click the Items tab.

In the Use column, click next to each item whose cost you want to include on the invoice:

On the invoice, QuickBooks automatically fills in the sales price. This may be higher than the cost you entered on the bill.

See also


Create a non-inventory part item

Enter a bill for an item

Fill in the invoice form


Billing

I deleted an invoice that contained job costs. Yet QuickBooks continues to show that I've billed those costs to the customer. Why?

Once you record job costs on an invoice, QuickBooks assumes that you have billed the customer for those costs. If you delete the invoice later, or even if you simply delete the costs from the invoice after you've recorded it, QuickBooks has no way of knowing whether the costs should be billable again.

If you need to make the costs billable again, here's what to do:

1	If you recorded a cost as hours worked, display the weekly timesheets where the hours appear. In the [image] column, click the grayed-out [image] icons to make the costs billable again.

Note. You can accomplish the same thing by editing the single activity forms where the hours appear, but you'll probably find it faster to work from the weekly timesheets.

2	If you recorded a cost on a bill, cheque, or credit card charge, display the original transaction. Enter a minor change; then change what you changed back to the way it was before. Click OK.

Doing these things restores the costs to the Choose Billable Time and Costs window. You'll be able to include the costs on another invoice.


Turning the estimating feature on and off
Turning the estimating feature on

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences.

2	In the Preferences window, click Jobs & Estimates in the scroll box.

3	Click Yes in response to the question, "Do you create estimates". This gives you the ability to display and fill out the estimate form.

4	Choose the template you want to use as your default form for creating estimates.

5	If you do progress invoicing:

Make sure that Yes is selected in response to the question "Do you do progress invoicing?"

Choose the template you want to use as your default form for creating progress invoices.

Specify whether you want line items that have zero amounts to print on your progress invoices.

6	Click OK.

Note: Estimates do not include tax amounts. tax will be added to the estimate total when you create an invoice.

What if . . .

You turn the feature off after you've created estimates?

See also

Creating an estimate


If you turn off the estimating feature . . .

QuickBooks retains all estimates you have created, but as long as the estimating feature is off, you won't be able to display your estimates or turn them into invoices. To regain access to your estimates, you must turn the estimating feature on again.


You can use QuickBooks estimate form to prepare estimates, bids, quotes, or proposals for your customers. Although the title of the form is "Estimate" initially, you can change the title to anything that suits your business.

Filling in the estimate form is very similar to writing an invoice. You can start with an estimate you've memorized previously, use your Items list to fill in items, or enter new items as you write.

When it's time to bill your customer, you'll be able to create an invoice from the estimate with a single click of the mouse. QuickBooks then creates the invoice, with all the information from the estimate filled in.

When you need to know how accurate your estimates are, you'll be able to create reports that compare your estimated costs and revenue against your actual costs and revenue.


Creating an estimate

From the Activities menu, choose Create Estimates.

Click the step you want to know more about.

What if . . .

If you need more that one estimate for a job?

You want to create a bid or proposal?

See also

Customizing the estimate form

Keeping notes about an estimate

Printing an estimate

Reviewing and changing an estimate

Memorizing an estimate for future use


QuickBooks allows only one estimate per job.

If you want to prepare several estimates for a customer, here's a way to get around the one estimate per job limit:

1	Set up a separate job for each estimate you want to write. Name the jobs so that it is clear the jobs are all variants of the same job [image] for example, "Kitchen Remodel 1," "Kitchen Remodel 2," etc.

2	Write an estimate for the first job, the second job, etc. Print each estimate to give to your customer.

3	(Optional) When the customer accepts one of the estimates, do one of the following:

If you don't need to keep a record of the other estimates, delete the other estimates and jobs.

If you want to keep a record of the other estimates, change the status of each job to Not Awarded.


You can use the estimate form to prepare a bid or proposal. All you need to do is change the title on the form to "Bid," "Proposal," or whatever else suits your business.

When you change the title, you can also choose which columns and fields appear on the form, and you can create your own specialized columns to handle information unique to your business.

See also

Customizing the estimate form


If you need to retain data from your previous estimates, you must re-enter them as estimates in QuickBooks. Later, when you create estimates vs. actuals reports, you'll be able to see how accurately you projected revenues and costs when you wrote those estimates.


Creating an estimate: entering customer information
Entering customer, job, and class information

1	Choose a customer (or a customer and a job) from the drop-down list.

If the customer you choose already has one or more jobs, you must choose one of the jobs for that customer or enter the name of a new job after the customer's name. If you're entering the name of a new job, use a colon to separate the customer and job names. For example:

Scott Faulds:Family room

2	(Optional) To classify this estimate for your reports, enter the classification you want to use in the Class field.

What if . . .

You need to set up a new customer or job?

You've already created an estimate for the customer?

The class field doesn't appear on the estimate form?

See also

Overview diagram


For a new customer

1	Enter the customer's name in the Customer:Job field and press Tab.

2	When you are told that the customer isn't in your records, click either Quick Add or Set Up. (Quick Add sets up the customer's record based on what you enter into the rest of the form. Set Up lets you add information not covered on the form [image] for example, the customer's phone number.)

For a new job

1	Enter the name of the customer in the Customer:Job field. Then enter a colon after the customer's name, enter the name of the job, and press Tab.

2	When you are told that the job isn't on in your records, click either Quick Add or Set Up.


If a complete estimate appears when you enter the customer or job name, what you are looking at is the estimate you previously created for that customer or job. QuickBooks allows only one estimate per job (or one estimate for a customer if you haven't set up any jobs for the customer).

You can:

Edit the current estimate and save your changes. The changed estimate then replaces the original estimate.

Enter the name of a new job in the Customer:Job field. The estimate form blanks out so you can enter an estimate for the new job. Creating additional jobs is the only way you can create multiple estimates for the same customer.


To add the Class field

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences.

2	In the Preferences window, select Accounting from the scroll box.

3	Select the "Use class tracking" checkbox.

4	Click OK.


Adding line items to an estimate
Entering line items

1	Click in the Item column.

2	Enter an item name.

If you are entering a new item

If you don't know which type of item to use

3	Check the information that QuickBooks fills in about the item. If appropriate, change the item description or cost for this estimate (your changes will apply to this estimate only).

More detail

4	Enter the quantity in the Qty column.

5	(Optional) Change the markup percentage or amount.

How markups work

Markup examples

6	Continue entering items line by line until you have all you need.

Tip. As with sales forms, you can enter subtotals and discounts in the line item area (you can't enter payment items, however).

What if . . .

You're not sure how to organize your line items?

You want to insert or delete a line?

More topics

See also

Overview diagram


What if . . .

You're not sure how to organize your line items?

You want to insert or delete a line?

You want to enter a subtotal?

You want to enter a discount?

You want your customer to see your markup?

You want to enter units of measure?


To set up a new item

1	Enter a name for the item in the Item field and press Tab.

2	When you are told that the Item isn't in your records, choose one of the item types listed, and fill in the information QuickBooks requests for the new item.

Tip for new items. When you set up new items, think about how much detail you'd like to see on your reports. For example, if you only need to track general labour costs, then you only need one item to represent labour. On the other hand, if you need to track costs for specific types of labour, you need to set up an item for each type.


Use . . .	To represent
Service items	Specific kinds of work or services, performed by your company or a subcontractor. Examples: labour hours, consulting hours.
Stock part items	Goods you purchase, track as stock, and then resell.
Non-stock part items	Materials you buy but don't keep on hand as inventory. These can be either materials to buy to finish a specific job, or materials you charge to overhead (for example, office supplies).
Other charge items	Miscellaneous charges that are not labour, services, parts, or materials. Examples include set up fees, delivery charges.


QuickBooks automatically fills in the item's description and its cost. It the item is an inventory part, QuickBooks enters your cost [image] not your sales price [image] in the Cost column. The same is true for non-inventory parts, services, and other charges provided that you set them up to pass the cost of the item on to your customers.

Exception. If you have set the Markup column so that it does not appear on your screen, QuickBooks enters the sales price instead of your cost.


To enter a subtotal

1	First enter all the items that make up the subtotal.

2	Immediately after the last item in the subtotal, enter a subtotal item.

QuickBooks automatically calculates and enters the subtotal. The subtotal amount is the sum of the line items that precede the subtotal item. If another subtotal item appears above the subtotal item QuickBooks doesn't include the items from the previous subtotal when it calculates the new subtotal. If there are no line items between two subtotal items, the second subtotal item totals all of the preceding subtotals.

Tip for complex jobs. Enter a subtotal item to create a subtotal for each phase of the job. This helps you organize the estimate by job phase, and it will make it easier to use the estimate as a basis for invoicing your customer if you prefer to send out a separate invoice when you complete each phase.


To enter a discount

1	First enter the item (or items) to which the discount applies.

2	Immediately after the last item, enter a subtotal item.

3	Immediately after the subtotal item, enter a discount item.

QuickBooks automatically calculates and enters the discount by using the amount or percentage you specified when you set up the discount item. If you want to use a different amount or percentage for this estimate, enter the new amount or percentage in the Cost column. (If you have customized the estimate form so that the Markup column doesn't appear, the discount amount or percentage appears in the Rate column instead.)


QuickBooks lets you to add a markup to your basic costs as you write an estimate.

When you set up items on your Items list, you can specify both a cost and a sales price for the types of items you're likely to sell (service, inventory part, non-inventory part, and other charge). When you use one of these items on an estimate, QuickBooks prefills the markup percentage based on the two prices. For example, if the cost of an item is $25.00 and the sales price is $30.00, QuickBooks enters the markup percentage as 20%.


To insert a blank line

1	Click the line where you want the blank line to appear.

2	From the Edit menu, choose Insert Line.

To delete a line item

1	Click the line you want to delete.

2	From the Edit menu, choose Delete Line.


To add markups to printed estimates

1	From the Preferences menu, choose Estimates.

2	Click Customize.

3	In the Customize Estimate window, click the Columns tab.

4	For "Markup," select the Print checkbox (a check mark should appear in the box).

Normally, QuickBooks hides markups from the customer by printing only the price or rate after markup. If you want your customers to see the markup, you can customize your estimates so that the original cost and markup appear when you print your estimates.


QuickBooks cannot perform calculations or conversions based on units of measure, however you can add an extra column so you can enter units of measure on the estimate form.

To add a column for units of measure

1	From the Preferences menu, choose Estimates.

2	Click Customize.

3	In the Customize Estimate window, click the Columns tab.

4	For one of the two "Other" columns, select the Screen and Print checkboxes.

Note. The first "Other" column appears to the left of the Qty column and the second appears to the right of the Qty column.

5	In the Title field, enter a name like "UOM" or "Units" for the new column (a long title like "Units of Measure" might not fit on the form unless you remove some of the other columns).


A general rule of thumb is to use the same line items you would use on your invoices (remember, you can create an invoice directly from an estimate).

An estimate can be as simple as a single line item that quotes a flat amount for the entire job, or it can more detailed, listing separate line items for the different phases of a job or for the different parts and services you intend to sell. The number of line items you use to break down a particular task or service depends on how much information you need to track in your reports.

For example, if it is important for you to know how well you estimate the cost of each type of work that goes into a job, then don't use a single line item to represent all the work. You'll need, instead, a separate line item for each specialized task the job requires. Later on, you'll be able to create reports that compare your estimated costs and revenues with your actual costs and revenues for each type of work.

If you need a lot of detail for reporting, but you don't want your customer to see all the detail on the printed estimate, then use group items. A group item lets you summarize a list of individual line items when you print the estimate.

See also

Grouping items you buy or sell


Create estimates window
Creating an estimate:
The Create Estimates window

Click the field or option you want to know more about.


Amount

This column shows the amount of each item before you apply a markup to the item. To calculate the amount, QuickBooks multiplies cost by quantity.


Cancel

Cancels what you have entered and closes the window. If you are writing a new estimate, the estimate is not recorded. If you are editing an estimate you recorded previously, your changes are not saved.


Class
(appears only when class tracking is on)

Enter here the class name that you want to assign to the estimate. Classes give you a way to apply broad categories to your transactions. When you create reports, you can have QuickBooks group and subtotal the transactions according to the classes you have set up.

To add the Class field

1	From the Preferences menu, choose Transactions.

2	Select "Use class tracking."


Cost

This column shows the cost, to your business, of each item you enter in the Item column. QuickBooks fills in the cost automatically when you enter an item name. The cost comes from the item's record on the Items list.

To change the cost for this estimate

Select the cost and enter a new amount.

This only changes the cost for this estimate. The original cost that appears on the item's record remains unchanged.

If you use the Customize Estimate window to hide the Markup column, QuickBooks renames the Cost column to Rate. In this case, QuickBooks uses the item's sales price to calculate the total. The amount that appears in the Rate column is the total divided by the quantity.


Create Invoice

Generates an invoice from the estimate.

When you click Create Invoice, QuickBooks displays an invoice form with the line items from the estimate filled in. The prices on the invoice automatically incorporate any markups from the estimate.

You can edit the invoice just as you would any other QuickBooks invoice. You can add additional line items, modify any of the quantities or amounts, or delete line items that don't apply.


Customer:Job

Enter here the name of the customer (and job if any) for whom you are writing the estimate.

To enter the customer and job

Choose the customer (or customer and job) from the drop-down list and press Tab.

or

Type in the customer's name. If you are tracking a specific job, add a colon (:) after the customer's name and then enter the name of the job. Then press Tab. If the job is a new job for this customer, click Set Up to enter information about the new job.

Limitation. You can only create one estimate per job. If an estimate already exists for the job you have entered, QuickBooks asks if you want to replace the estimate. To retain the previous estimate, you must first set up a new job for the customer, then write the new estimate for that job.


Customer Message

You can use this field to add a message for your customer. For example:

Estimate good for 90 days.

Please sign to indicate your approval.

The message you add appears on the estimate when you print it. If you want to add information for your own records that you don't want your customer to see, use the Memo field instead.


Date

The date of the estimate. QuickBooks automatically fills in today's date. You can enter a different date if you wish.

Shortcuts for dates


Description

This column shows the description of each item you enter in the Item column. QuickBooks fills in the description automatically when you enter an item name. The description comes from your Items list.

To change the description for this estimate

Enter a new description in place of the one QuickBooks inserted. If you reach the right hand edge of the Description column, keep typing -- the description line shifts to let you enter the extra text. To see the full description as QuickBooks will print it, click Preview.

This only changes the description for this estimate. The original description that appears on the item's record remains unchanged.


Estimate

The number of the estimate. For each new estimate you write, QuickBooks automatically increases the number by one.

To change the number

Enter a new number in place of the one QuickBooks entered.

Tip. The + key increases the number by 1, the - key decreases the number by 1.

QuickBooks then picks up the numbering sequence from the new number. For example if you enter 100, QuickBooks numbers the next estimate as 101.

Duplicate numbers. You can have QuickBooks warn you if you have entered a duplicate estimate number. In the Estimating Preferences window, select the "Warn about duplicate estimate numbers" checkbox.


Item

Enter in this column the names of the items you want to include on the estimate. As you enter each item, QuickBooks fills in the item's description and cost. You can enter any kind of item except payment items.

"Item not found."

QuickBooks displays this message if the item name you enter is not on the Item list. To add the new item to the list, click Set Up.

To insert a line between two others

1	Click where you want to insert the new line. (QuickBooks will put the new line immediately above where you click.)

2	From the Edit menu, choose Insert Line.

3	Enter an item in the new line and press Tab.

To delete a line item

1	Click the line you want to delete.

2	From the Edit menu, choose Delete Line.


Markup

QuickBooks automatically calculates a markup for each item and inserts the amount into this column. If you set up a sales price and a cost for the item, the markup is the difference between the two amounts, expressed as a percentage of the item's cost. If either the sales price or cost is $0.00 on the Item list, QuickBooks leaves the Markup column blank.

If you want, you can edit the markup. The markup can be either a dollar amount or a percentage. If you enter a percentage, be sure to include a % sign.

Changes to the total affect the markup. If you change an item's total after you've entered a markup, QuickBooks recalculates the markup. For example, if the markup is $10.00 and you then increase the total by $5.00, the markup changes to $15.00 ($10.00 plus $5.00). If the markup is a percentage, QuickBooks recalculates the markup and reenters it as a new percentage.


Memo

You can enter a short note about the estimate here. The memo appears on reports that list the estimate.

If you want to enter information for your customer to see on the printed estimate, use the Customer Message field instead.


Name/Address

This is the customer's name and billing address. If you already have the customer's address in your QuickBooks records, QuickBooks fills in this field for you when you complete the Customer:Job field.

Tip. Because the billing address appears on the printed estimate, you may want to edit the customer's name as it appears in the address. For example, you can add a title, such as Dr., Mr., Ms., or Mrs.; a company name; "Attn."; or any other words you want to print with the customer's name and address.


Next

Records the current estimate and displays the next estimate.

When you click Next, estimates appear in date order. If you are at the most recent estimate, clicking Next displays a blank form.


OK

Records the estimate and closes the window.

If you want to keep the window open to write another estimate, click Next instead.


Prev

Displays the previous estimate. When you click Prev, estimates appear in reverse date order (most recent first, oldest last).


Preview

Displays a window that shows what the estimate will look like when you print it.


Print

Prints the estimate.

When you print an estimate, QuickBooks uses the printer settings you entered in the PO/Estimate Printer Setup window.


Qty (Quantity)

Enter in this column the number of units for the item. When you enter the quantity, QuickBooks automatically recalculates the Amount and Total for the item.

If you don't enter the quantity, QuickBooks assumes a quantity of 1.


Title of the estimate form

The title that normally appears on the form is "Estimate." If you want, you can change the title to "Bid," "Proposal," or anything else that is appropriate to your business.

To change the title

1	From the Preferences menu, choose Estimates.

2	Click Customize.

3	In the Customize Estimate window, enter the title you want in the field next to the Title checkboxes (this is the first field on the Header tab).

4	Click OK to record the new title.

5	Click OK to close the Estimating Preferences window.


Total

This column shows the total for each line item. QuickBooks automatically calculates an item's total by multiplying cost by quantity and then adding the markup amount.

Changes to the total affect the markup. If you change an item's total after you've entered a markup, QuickBooks recalculates the markup. For example, if the markup is $10.00 and you then increase the total by $5.00, the markup changes to $15.00 ($10.00 plus $5.00). If the markup is a percentage, QuickBooks recalculates the markup and reenters it as a new percentage.


Total

This line shows the totals of the amounts in the Amount, Markup, and Total columns. QuickBooks automatically updates these totals as you enter and modify line items.


Keeping notes about an estimate

What can you do with notes?

Instructions

1	From the Lists menu, choose Customers:Jobs.

2	Double-click in the Notes column next to the customer or job you're interested in.

3	(Optional) Click Date Stamp to add the current date to the note.

Tip. QuickBooks enters the date at the cursor location. If you've already entered some text, click at the beginning of the text if you want the date to appear before the text.

4	Enter the text of the note in the notepad.

How to enter text

5	(Optional) Click New To Do to add a reminder about this note to your To Do list. Fill in the reminder, the date you want the reminder to appear, and click OK.

If you want the reminder to contain part or all of the note

6	(Optional) Click Print to print your note.

7	Click OK.

See also

Appending a new note

Editing a note

Viewing your notes


Each customer or job you set up has its own notepad where you can keep miscellaneous notes to yourself about the customer or job. For example, you can jot down factors that might affect the cost you quoted on an estimate, or enter notes about client requests for changes.

Once you've entered a note, you can add to it at any time. For example, you can use the notepad to keep a running record of conversations you've had with your customer. If you want, you can have QuickBooks date each new entry you make.


To . . .	Do this
Insert text	Click where you want the new text to appear. Then type the text. When you reach the end of a line, you do not need to press Enter. Text wraps automatically to the next line.
Start a new paragraph	Press Enter twice.
Replace text	Select the text you want to replace. Then type the new text.
Delete text	Select the text you want to delete. Then press Del.


Appending a new note

1	From the Lists menu, choose Customers:Jobs.

2	In the Notes column, double-click the [image] icon for the customer or job.

3	Press Ctrl + Home to go to the end of the note. Then press Enter twice to start a new paragraph.

4	(Optional) Click Date Stamp to add the current date to the note.

5	Enter the text of the note.

See also

Editing a note

Viewing your notes


Editing a note

To . . .	Do this
Insert text	Click where you want the new text to appear. Then type the text.
Replace text	Select the text you want to replace. Then type the new text.
Delete text	Select the text you want to delete. Then press Del.
Copy text to the clipboard	Select the text you want to copy. Then press Ctrl + C. You can use the clipboard to transfer text from one notepad to another, or to a note on your To Do list.
Paste text from the clipboard	Click where you want the text to appear. Then press Ctrl + V.
See also

Appending a new note

Viewing your notes


Viewing your notes

To a note from . . .	Do this
The Customer:Job list	Double-click the [image] icon next to the customer or job name.
An estimate	Choose Notepad from the Edit menu.
The Edit Customer window	Click Notes.
The Edit Job window	Click Notes.
What if . . .

The Notes button doesn't appear?

See also

Appending a new note

Editing a note


If you are in the New Customer or New Job window, you won't see the Notes button. You must first set up a customer or job before you can enter notes. The Notes button appears only in the Edit Customer and Edit Job windows.

See also

Setting up a new job for a customer


Reviewing and changing an estimate

1	From the Lists menu, choose Customer:Job.

2	From the list, select the customer or job for whom you wrote the estimate.

3	Choose View Estimate from the Activities menu button.

4	(Optional) Click Print to create of the original estimate for your records.

Because QuickBooks allows only one estimate per job, when you change an estimate, the revised estimate replaces the original estimate.

5	Enter your changes on the estimate form.

6	Click OK to record your changes.

What if . . .

If you need more that one estimate for a job?

See also

Adding line items to an estimate

Printing an estimate

Customizing the estimate form

Memorizing an estimate for future use


Memorizing an estimate for future use

Why memorize?

Instructions

1	From the Activities menu, choose Create Estimates.

2	Fill in the line items that you want to appear on the memorized estimate.

3	From the Edit menu, choose Memorize Estimate.

4	Enter a name that will help you recognize this estimate when you look for it on the Memorized Transaction list.

5	Click OK to memorize the estimate.

See also

Recalling an estimate you've memorized


If you frequently enter the same line items on your estimates, you can memorize the estimate so that you won't have to re-enter the line items each time. When you want to use your memorized estimate, just choose the estimate from your Memorized Transaction list. You can then edit the estimate as needed.


Recalling an estimate you've memorized

1	From the Lists menu, choose Memorized Transactions.

2	Select the estimate you want to use.

3	Click Enter Transaction.

4	In the Customer:Job field, enter the name of the customer or job for whom you are writing the estimate.

5	Make any changes or additions you want to the prefilled information.

This does not change the memorized estimate [image] you will be able to reuse the memorized estimate as you originally recorded it.

6	Click OK to record the estimate.

See also

Memorizing an estimate for future use


Deleting estimates

When is it safe to delete?

Instructions

1	From the Lists menu, choose Customer:Job.

2	From the list, select the customer or job whose estimate you want to delete.

3	Choose View Estimate from the Activities menu button.

4	When the estimate appears, choose Delete Estimate from the Edit menu.

5	Repeat Steps 2 through 4 to delete any other estimates you don't want to keep.

See also

Memorizing an estimate for future use

Reviewing and changing an estimate


Delete with caution

Deleting an estimate removes it completely from QuickBooks. Do not delete estimates that you may want to turn into invoices, or see in reports (for example, you can create a report that compares estimated costs against the actual costs of a job).

Delete only estimates that you no longer need for invoicing or reporting purposes.


QuickBooks -- Using estimates
Using estimates

If you answer Yes

You'll be able to write estimates or bids by filling in a form that is similar to QuickBooks invoice form. As with invoices, QuickFill and drop-down lists help you write estimates quickly.

When it's time to bill your customer, you can generate an invoice from the estimate with a single click of the mouse. QuickBooks then creates the invoice, with all the information from the estimate filled in.

When you need to know how accurate your estimates are, you'll be able to create reports that compare your estimated costs and revenue against your actual costs and revenue.

If you answer No. You can always turn on estimating at a later time by clicking Yes in response to the question, "Do you create estimates for Customers/Jobs?" in the Jobs & Estimates Preferences window.


QuickBooks -- Using time tracking
Using time tracking

If you answer Yes

You'll be able to track your time and/or your employees' time. For entering time information, QuickBooks offers single activity forms or weekly timesheets [image] you choose what works best for you.

When you make time entries, you'll be able to assign time to particular jobs and then bill those hours back to the customer.

If you pay your employees at hourly wages, all their time information appears automatically when you preview their payroll payments. You can edit the hours to be paid; the original record of time worked remains unchanged.

When you need to know where your company's time is going, four customisable time reports break down your company's time spent by employee, by job, or by the type of work or services your company provides.

If you answer No. You can always turn on time tracking later by clicking Yes in response to the question, "Do you track time?" in the Jobs & Estimates Preferences window.


Welcome to QuickBooks Version 5.0

QuickBooks integrates hassle-free accounting with time tracking, payroll, estimating, and job costing. Here's a quick look at the benefits QuickBooks brings to your business:

Time tracking. You can track your time or your employees' time by filling in simple, onscreen forms. This gives you a record of who spent what time on which projects.

Payroll. You have to enter time information only once. When it's time to pay your employees, QuickBooks updates all the appropriate accounting and payroll records automatically. Payroll payments have the hours filled in for you.

Estimating. You can create estimates [image] or bids [image] quickly and easily. When it's time to bill your customer, a click of the mouse generates an invoice from your estimate.

Job costing. As you incur expenses and spend time working on a job, you can assign your expenses and time directly to the job. Later, you can bill your customer for your costs with just a few clicks of the mouse. If you need to know how profitable your jobs are, you can create reports that compare costs against revenues for each job.


Welcome to QuickBooks Version 5.0

You have set up your company data file so it can work with QuickBooks.

A word about customizing QuickBooks

Although you can begin using QuickBooks immediately, you may find that you want to customize QuickBooks in specific ways for your business. To do this, you use these sections of the Preferences window:

Use this section	To do this
Job & Estimates	Turn estimating off or on; add, rename, and delete boxes and columns on the estimate form; change the title of the estimate form.
Time Tracking	Turn time tracking off or on; select the day you want to be the first day of your work week on timesheets.
Jobs & Estimate	Tell QuickBooks what labels you'd like it to use to indicate the status of a job (e.g. "Pending," "Awarded," "In Progress," etc.).
General	Enter time as hours and minutes (e.g. 4:30) instead of fractions of an hour (e.g. 4.5 hours).


New, Edit Job Type window

You use this window to add new job types to your Job Type list and to change the information for job types that are already on the list.

To add a new job type

1	Enter the job type as you would like it to appear on the Job Type list.

2	(Optional) If you want the job type to be a subtype of another job type, select the "Subtype of" checkbox and choose the job type that will be the "parent" from the drop-down list.

Why use subtypes?

To change information about a job type

To rename the job type, select the current name. Then enter the new name for the job type.

To make the job type a subtype of another job type, select the "Subtype of" checkbox. Then choose a "parent" job type from the drop-down list.

To turn the job type from a subtype back to a "main" type, clear the "Subtype of" checkbox.

What you can do with job types

Once you have set up a job type, it appears in the Job Type drop-down list in the New/Edit Job and the Job Information windows. You can then categorize the job by choosing one of the job types from the list. This, in turn, gives you much more flexibility when you create reports about your jobs. For example, if you are a graphic designer and one of your job types is "brochure," you could create a job profitability report and filter the report so that it lists only your brochure jobs. You would then know how much money you had made from designing brochures.


Job subtypes give you even finer detail when you create reports about your jobs. A contractor, for example, might set up job subtypes like this:

Deck:Redwood Natural
Deck:Douglas Fir Painted

Here, "Deck" is the parent type, and "Redwood Natural" and "Douglas Fir Painted" are the subtypes. You would create the subtypes if you needed to track costs and revenues for redwood deck jobs separately from douglas fir deck jobs. Of course, if the distinction wasn't important to you, the single job type "Deck" would suffice.


Job Information window

You use this window to enter information about the job you are currently doing for your customer. The window allows you to enter job-related information (job status, start date, end date, etc.) when you are doing only one job for the customer.

To enter job information

Complete, as needed, the following fields:

Job status

Start date

Projected

End Date

Job Description

Job type

You'll be able to track the job information in reports

QuickBooks treats the information you enter in the Job Information window as if it were a real job, even though no name for the job appears on the Customer:Job list. You'll see the job's status in job administration reports, and you'll be able to group the job with other jobs of its type on job administration, job profitability, and job estimate comparison reports.

If you add a job for the customer later, QuickBooks assumes that you are setting up a second job and asks what job name you want to give to the original job information. After you set up the job, you'll see two job names for the customer in the Customer:Job list.

From that point on, the Job Info button no longer appears in the Edit Customer window when you are editing that customer's record. To edit information for one of the jobs, you must select that job from the Customer:Job list and click Edit.


Choose Billable Time and Costs window

This window lists all the hours, item purchases, and expenses you have assigned to the current customer or job. From these lists, you can select which costs you want to appear on the invoice you are writing. You can also have QuickBooks calculate a markup and apply the markup to each expense.

How do the costs get here?

To select costs

1	Click the tab(s) for the kind of costs you want to include on the invoice:

Click . . .	To include
Items	Items billable to this job.
Expenses	Job-related expenses. Examples: fees you paid on behalf of your customer, freight charges you want to pass on to your customer.
Time	Time billable to this job.
2	In the Use column, click next to each cost you want to include.

Tip. Click Select All to select all the costs listed on the tab you have displayed.

3	(Expenses only) If you are writing an invoice and you want QuickBooks to calculate sales tax on the expenses you've selected, click the "Selected expenses are taxable" checkbox.

4	(Time only) If you want to combine all activities that have the same service item into a single line on the invoice, or if you want to choose how QuickBooks fills in the Description field on the invoice or in the customer register, click Change to display the Options for Transferring Billable Time window.

More information about the options

To exclude a cost

Make sure that no check mark appears next to the cost in the Use column. If a check mark does appear, click the check mark to remove it.

To remove a cost from the list

If you know that you will never bill the customer for a cost, click in the Hide column next to the cost.

This removes the cost permanently from the list. It does not remove the original transaction (cheque, credit card charge, bill, etc.) from your records. Your reports will still show the cost as associated with the customer or job.

To mark up particular expenses (invoices only)

1	Click the Expenses tab to bring it to the front.

2	Click in the Use column to select the expenses you want to mark up.

3	If necessary, change the markup shown in the "Markup amount or %" field.

To apply a different markup to each expense

QuickBooks fills in this field with the markup set in the Sales & Customers Preferences window. If you decide to change the markup here, it applies only to this invoice. You can enter the markup either as a flat amount (for example, 10.00 [image] which QuickBooks would interpret as ten dollarss) or as a percentage (for example, 10% [image] which QuickBooks would interpret as ten percent). If you enter a percentage, be sure to include the % sign.

4	In the Markup Account field, enter the name of the account you use to track markup income.

5	If you don't want your customer to see the markup amount on the printed invoice, select the "Print selected time and costs as one invoice item" checkbox.

To print the costs as a single line item (invoices only)

Select the "Print selected time and costs as one invoice item" checkbox.

What this does. When you print the invoice, it shows only the total of the costs with the description "Total reimbursable expenses" (you can change this description if you wish). Showing only the total is useful if the list of costs is quite long, or if you don't want your customer to see a detailed breakdown of the costs. When you select this option, you still see the complete breakdown of the costs on the onscreen version of the invoice.

What if

What if you want more than one summary?


If you don't want QuickBooks to mark up each expense by the same amount or percentage, you can mark up the expenses individually.

1	Make sure the "Markup amount or %" field is blank.

2	In the Amount column, change the amount of each expense so that it includes the markup you want. For example, if an expense is $50.00 and you want to mark it up by $10.00, you would change the $50.00 amount to $60.00.

Effect on your accounts. When you use this method to mark up an expense, QuickBooks does not post the difference between the original amount and the edited amount to your markup account. Instead, the entire amount posts to the account you use to track income from that type of reimbursed expense. To track markup income separately, you must use the "Markup amount or %" field to apply a single markup to all the expenses you select.

You can't split an expense. If you reduce the amount of an expense, QuickBooks assumes that you do not intend to charge your customer for the balance. You will not see the balance the next time you display the Choose Billable Time and Costs window for the customer.


Options for Transferring Billable Time window

The settings in this window determine how the time activities you select on the Time tab will appear on the invoice or in the customer register you are working with. You can:

Combine all activities that have the same service item into a single line entry.

Choose how QuickBooks describes the activities on the invoice or in the register.

Combining activities

If you have a lot of entries for the same type of work, you can collapse them into a single entry on the invoice or in the register. For example, if the Time tab shows three entries for "Rough framing," each with a duration of 8 hours, you can either retain the separate listing like this:

Rough framing	8.0
Rough framing	8.0
Rough framing	8.0

or you can combine them into a single entry like this:

Rough framing	24.0

To combine activities. Select "Combine activities with the same service item."

Describing the activities

If you combine activities, QuickBooks automatically fills in the Description field on the invoice or in the register with the activities' service item description. If you do not combine activities, you can choose how QuickBooks fills in the Description field.

Click . . .	If you want the field to show
Transfer notes for each activity	The notes you entered when you made the time entry. This is useful if the notes describe something unique about the job that you want to appear on the invoice.
Transfer service item descriptions	The description of the service item you assigned to the time entry (the service item's description comes from the Item list). This is useful if you need only a general description about the type of work that was done.


Enter Single Activity window

You use this window to the time spent by one person doing a single activity on a single job on a single date. As you make single activity entries for a person, QuickBooks also records the entries on that person's weekly timesheet.

For more detail about any part of the form, click the diagram.


Enter Single Activity window (editing a timesheet entry)
Enter Single Activity window

You use this window to change the time data for the hours you selected in the Weekly Timesheet window. You can change the number of hours, the customer (or job), service item, or payroll item.

For more detail about any part of the form, click the diagram.


Name

Enter here the name of the person who performed the work. The name can come from your Employee, Vendor, or Other Names lists.

To enter the name

Choose the name from the drop-down list.

or

Type in the name and press Tab.

New names. If QuickBooks tells you that the name doesn't appear on any of your lists, click Setup and choose the list where you want the new name to appear (Employee, Vendor, or Other Names). Then click OK and fill in the window that asks for information about the new name.


Customer:Job

Enter here the name of the customer (and job, if any) for whom the work was performed. Entering a customer or job name gives you the ability to charge for the work on a future invoice to the customer.

Non-billable time. If you do not intend to invoice your customer, you still may want to enter the customer or job name. For example, if you spent the time correcting an error on a job, filling in the Customer:Job field gives you a record of your non-billable time for the job. You can display non-billable time on time reports.

Overhead. If the time is truly overhead and has no association with any customer or job, then leave the Customer:Job field blank.

To enter the customer and job

Choose the customer (or customer and job) from the drop-down list and press Tab.

or

Type in the customer's name. If you are tracking a specific job, add a colon (:) after the customer's name and then enter the name of the job. Then press Tab.


Service Item

Enter here the name of the service item you want to use when you invoice your customer for this work. On the invoice, the service item represents the type of work performed, telling QuickBooks what rate to charge and which account to use to track the income you receive from the work. This, in turn, gives you the ability to analyse which types of work are the most profitable for your business (on item profitability reports), and how much company time goes into each type of work (on time by item reports).

Non-billable time. If you do not intend to bill your customer for this work, you still may want to enter a service item. For example, if you spent the time correcting an error on a job, filling in the Service Item field gives you a record of your non-billable time for that type of work.

To enter the service item

From the drop-down list, choose the service item that matches this type of work and press Tab.

or

Type in the name of the service item and press Tab.


Duration

Enter the number of hours worked on this date for this job. QuickBooks interprets your entry according to the current setting for the time format preference. The formats available are fractions of an hour (for example, 4.5 hours) or hours and minutes (for example, 4:30).

To change the format

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences.

2	In the Preferences window, select General from the scroll box.

3	Under Time Format, select the format you want.

4	Click OK to record your preference.


Notes

Enter in this box any additional information you want to record about the activity. Your note can be up to 99 characters in length. If you want, you can have the note appear in the Description column of the invoice form when you invoice your customer for the time.

To use the note on an invoice

1	On the invoice form, click Time/Costs.

2	In the Choose Billable Time and Costs window, click the Time tab.

3	Select the time entries you want to include on the invoice.

4	Click "Notes from time data."


Date

Enter the date the work was performed. Although QuickBooks assumes that the work was done on today's date, you can enter a different date if you wish.

See also

Shortcuts for dates


Billable

A check mark in this box tells QuickBooks that you plan to invoice your customer for this activity. When you record the activity, QuickBooks adds it to the list of billable hours for this job. When you invoice your customer later, you can transfer the hours directly to the invoice form.

If you are not going to invoice your customer. Clear this checkbox (remove the check mark). The hours will not show up in the list of billable hours for this job when you invoice your customer. They will, however, appear on any reports that include this job. That way, you can track the hours you don't invoice your customer for.


Payroll Item
(appears when the employee is timesheet based)

The payroll item determines how much the employee should be paid for doing the work you specified in the Service Item field. If you have previously associated a payroll item with the service item, QuickBooks fills in the Payroll Item field when you enter the service item. Of course, if the payroll item is inappropriate for any reason, you can change it.

To enter or change the payroll item

Choose the appropriate payroll item from the drop-down list. For example, if you are recording sick time for a salaried employee, you would choose the Sick Salary payroll item.

Note. You do not need to specify the employee's actual salary or hourly rate here. You enter that information when you set up the employee's payroll record.

What if

If there is no Payroll Item field


Class
(appears when you don't track paychecks by class)

Enter the class name that you want to assign to the activity. Classes give you another way to categorize and report on information in QuickBooks. For example, a general contractor could use classes to distinguish residential from commercial business.

To add the Class field

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences.

2	In the Preferences window, select Accounting from the scroll box.

3	Make sure that the "Use class tracking" checkbox is selected. If the checkbox is empty, select it.

4	In the Preferences window, select Payroll & Employees from the scroll box.

5	For "Assign one class per," click "Earnings items."


Next

Records the activity and displays the next single activity entry.

When you click Next, single activity entries appear in date order. If you are at the most recent single activity entry, clicking Next displays a blank form.


Prev

Displays the previous single activity entry. When you click Prev, single activity entries appear in reverse date order (most recent first, oldest last).


OK

Records the time entry and closes the window.

If you want to keep the window open to enter another activity, click Next instead.


OK

Records your changes and returns you to the Weekly Timesheet window.


Cancel

Cancels what you have entered and closes the window. If you are entering a new activity, the activity is not recorded. If you are editing a previous activity, your changes are not saved.


Cancel

Cancels what you have entered and returns you to the Weekly Timesheet window.


Timesheet

Displays the timesheet for this person. Each single activity entry you record automatically appears as an entry on the person's timesheet. When you display the timesheet, you do not have to re-enter the hours.


Weekly Timesheet window
For more detail about any part of the form, click the diagram.

You use this window to make entries on a person's timesheet. The timesheet covers work done by the person on all jobs over a week's time.

See also

Printing timesheets


Name

Enter here the name of the person who performed the work. The name can come from your Employee, Vendor, or Other Names lists. When you enter the name, any time entries you've already made for that person for that week appear in the timesheet.

To enter the name

Choose the name from the drop-down list.

or

Type in the name and press Tab.

New names. If QuickBooks tells you that the name doesn't appear on any of your lists, click Setup and choose the list where you want the new name to appear (Employee, Vendor, or Other Names). Then click OK and fill in the window that asks for information about the new name.


Date range

Shows which week is currently in view.

You can only see one week at a time. To view other weeks, click either Prev Week or Next Week. Or, click Set Date to specify the week you want to see.


Set Date

Displays a window where you can enter a date to select the week you want to view. When you enter the date, the timesheet changes to the week that contains the date. For example, if you enter 11/15/96 (a Wednesday) and your work week starts on Monday, the timesheet changes to show the dates 11/13/96 through 11/19/96.

Other ways to change the week

Click Next Week to move forward one week at a time.

Click Prev Week to go back one week at a time.


Customer:Job
(required for billable expenses)

Each time entry begins with the name of the customer (and job if any) for whom the work was performed. Entering the customer or job name gives you the ability to charge for the time on a future invoice to the customer.

Non-billable time. If you do not intend to invoice your customer, you still may want to enter the customer or job name. For example, if you spent the time correcting an error on a job, filling in the Customer:Job field gives you a record of your non-billable time for the job. You can display non-billable time on time reports.

Overhead. If the time is truly overhead and has no association with any customer or job, leave the Customer:Job field blank. Also, click [image] so that QuickBooks will not treat the entry as a billable expense.

To enter the customer and job

Click in the first blank line in the Customer:Job column. Then choose the customer (or customer and job) from the drop-down list and press Tab.

or

In the first blank line in the Customer:Job column, type in the customer's name. If you are tracking a specific job, add a colon (:) after the customer's name and then enter the name of the job. Then press Tab.


Service item
(required for billable expenses)

Enter here the name of the service item you want to use when you invoice your customer for this work. On the invoice, the service item represents the type of work performed, telling QuickBooks which account to use to track the income you receive from the work, and what rate to charge. This, in turn, gives you the ability to analyse which types of work are the most profitable for your business (on item profitability reports), and how much company time goes into each type of work (on time by item reports).

Non-billable time. If you do not intend to bill your customer for this work, you still may want to enter a service item. For example, if you spent the time correcting an error on a job, filling in the Service Item field gives you a record of your non-billable time for that type of work.

To enter a service item

From the drop-down list, choose the service item that matches this type of work and press Tab.

or

Type in the name of the service item and press Tab.


Payroll item
(appears when the employee is timesheet based)

The payroll item determines how much the employee should be paid for doing the work you specified in the Service Item field. If you have previously associated a payroll item with the service item, QuickBooks fills in the Payroll Item field when you enter the service item. Of course, if the payroll item is inappropriate for any reason, you can change it.

To change the payroll item

Choose the appropriate payroll item from the drop-down list. For example, if you are recording sick time for a salaried employee, you would choose the Sick Salary payroll item.

Note. You do not need to specify the employee's actual salary or hourly rate here. You enter that information when you set up the employee's payroll record.

What if

If there is no Payroll Item field


Notes

Enter any additional information you want to record about the work you specified in the Customer:Job, Service Item, and Payroll Item fields. If you want, you can have the note appear in the Description column of the invoice form when you invoice your customer for the work.

To use the note on an invoice

1	On the invoice form, click Time/Costs.

2	In the Choose Billable Time and Costs window, click the Time tab.

3	Select the time entries you want to include on the invoice. Then click "Notes from time data."

Tips for long notes

When you run out of room, don't press Enter [image] just keep typing. The column will scroll so you can enter more text. You can enter up to 99 characters.

or

Enter the time in the Single Activity window instead of the weekly timesheet. You can see the entire note in the Single Activity window as you write it.


Class
(appears when you don't track paychecks by class)

Enter the class name that you want to assign to the work you specified in the Customer:Job, Service Item, and Payroll Item columns. Then press Tab.

Classes give you another way to categorize and report on information in QuickBooks. For example, a general contractor could use classes to distinguish residential from commercial business.

To add the Class column

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences.

2	In the Preferences window, select Accounting from the scroll box.

3	Make sure that the "Use class tracking" checkbox is selected. If the checkbox is empty, select it.

4	In the Preferences window, select Payroll & Employees from the scroll box.

5	For "Assign one class per," click "Earnings items."


Hours worked each day

Enter in these columns the number of hours worked each day. QuickBooks interprets your entry according to the current setting for the time format preference. The formats available are fractions of an hour (for example, 4.5 hours) or hours and minutes (for example, 4:30).

To change the format

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences.

2	In the Preferences window, choose General from the scroll box.

3	Under Time Format, click the format you want.

4	Click OK to record your preference.


Total

Shows the total number of hours entered for each job for the current week. QuickBooks calculates these amounts for you [image] you cannot edit them.


The symbols in this column indicate whether a time entry is to be billed, has been billed, or is not to be billed to the customer specified in the Customer:Job field.

This symbol . . .	Indicates that the time entry
	Is billable [image] but you haven't yet invoiced your customer for the time.
	Is not billable.
	Has already been billed on a previous invoice.
If you don't want to bill for the time

Click [image].

When you make a time entry, QuickBooks assumes that the time is billable. If you don't want it to be, simply click the "billable" symbol.


Totals

Shows the total number of hours entered for each day. QuickBooks calculates these amounts for you based on the data you've entered. You cannot edit the totals themselves [image] to change them, you must change the time entries from which QuickBooks calculated the totals.


Edit Activity

Displays the Single Activity window for the hours you have selected. This lets you change the customer (or job), service item, or payroll item and have the change affect only those hours. All other hours on that line in the timesheet remain unaffected by the change.

To enter a change

1	In the timesheet, find the column for the day for which you want to display a single activity record.

2	In that column, find the row where the customer:job, service item, and payroll item, are correct for the activity. Click that row in the column.

3	Click Edit Activity.

4	Enter your changes in the Single Activity window.

5	Click OK to record the changes and return to the timesheet.


New Sheet

Displays a blank timesheet.


OK

Records the entries you've made on the person's timesheet and closes the Weekly Timesheet window.

If you want to enter the hours for a different person, choose that person from the Name drop-down list.


Cancel

Cancels what you have entered and closes the window. Any entries you have made are not saved.


Prev Week

Scrolls the timesheet so that it shows the previous week for the person whose name you entered. Each time you click Prev Week, the timesheet scrolls backwards by one more week. For example, to go back two weeks, click Prev Week twice.

To move quickly to a week

Click Set Date and enter a date from that week.


Next Week

Scrolls the timesheet so that it shows the next week for the person whose name you entered. Each time you click Next Week, the timesheet scrolls forward by one more week. For example, to go forward two weeks, click Next Week twice.

To move quickly to a week

Click Set Date and enter a date from that week.


Set Date window

You use this window to go to a different week in the Weekly Timesheet window.

To change the week

Enter the date for any day within the week you want to see. Then click OK.

For example, if you enter 11/15/96 (a Wednesday) and your work week starts on Monday, the timesheet changes to show the dates 11/13/96 through 11/19/96.


Customize Report window (time reports)
Customize Report window

You use this window to customize the time report you just created.

To . . .	Do this
Change the date range of the report	Choose one of the preset date ranges (This Month-to-date, etc.) from the Report Dates list. Or, if you want the report to cover a period of time not specified on the list, enter the beginning and end dates in the To and From fields.
Change the format of the report	Choose the format you want from the Formats list. What the formats do
Show subtotals for intervals of time	Choose the interval you want from the Columns list. For example, if you want the report to show the time worked for each week, you would choose Week from the list.
Add other columns to the report	Select the checkboxes for the columns you want to add.
Display more customizing options	Click Advanced. This displays a window where you can exclude rows and columns that show no activity during the period of the report, and change the calendar basis of the report.
Filter the report	Click Filters. Filtering lets you restrict the report to time entries that meet specific criteria. For example, you could filter the report so that it shows only the time worked on specific jobs.


The format determines how the report breaks down the amounts for time worked. For example, if the format is "Time by job by item," the report shows much time went into each type of work your company did for each job. For example:

Crawley, Donna:bath repair

Foundation	7:00

Labor	4:00

Total Crawley, Donna:bath repair	11:00

If instead you wanted the report to show how much time each employee worked on each job, you would choose "Time by job by name." The information about Donna Crawley's bath repair would then look like this:

Crawley, Donna:bath repair

Andrew Lee	7:00

Ed Brooks	4:00

Total Crawley, Donna:bath repair	11:00


Customize Report window (job and estimate profitability reports)
Customize Report window

You use this window to customize the job or item report you just created.

To . . .	Do this
Change the date range of the report	Choose one of the preset date ranges (This Month-to-date, etc.) from the Report Dates list. Or, if you want the report to cover a period of time not specified on the list, enter the beginning and end dates in the To and From fields.
Add a % Difference column to the report	Select the "% Difference" checkbox. The new column appears next to the "$ Difference" column and shows the percentage equivalents for the amounts in the "$ Difference" column.


Customize Report window (time activity detail reports)
Customize Report window

You use this window to customize the time activity detail report you just created.

To . . .	Do this
Change the date range of the report	Choose one of the preset date ranges (This Month-to-date, etc.) from the Report Dates list. Or, if you want the report to cover a period of time not specified on the list, enter the beginning and end dates in the To and From fields.
Add a column to the report	Scroll the Columns list until you find the column you want to add. Click the column to add a check mark next to its name.
Remove a column from the report	Scroll the Columns list until you find the column you want to remove. Click the column to remove the check mark next to its name.
Include subtotals that have no transactions	Click All under "Include." Normally the report shows a subtotal heading only if there are transactions for the subtotal. Clicking All displays all the possible subheadings, regardless of whether they have transactions.
Filter the report	Click Filters. Filtering lets you restrict the report to time entries that meet specific criteria. For example, you could filter the report so that it shows only the time worked on specific jobs.


Customize Report window (job administration report)
Customize Report window

You use this window to customize the job administration report you just created.

To . . .	Do this
Add a column to the report	Scroll the Columns list until you find the column you want to add. Click the column to add a check mark next to its name.
Remove a column from the report	Scroll the Columns list until you find the column you want to remove. Click the column to remove the check mark next to its name.
Limit the report to specific jobs	Click Filters. This displays a window where you choose which jobs (and job types) appear in the report.


Filter Jobs window

You use this window to select the customers and jobs you want to appear in your job administration report.

To select . . .	Do this
More than one customer or job	Choose Selected Customer/Jobs from the Customer:Job list. In the window that appears, click the names of the customers and jobs you want to appear in the report.
A single customer or job	Choose the customer or job from the Customer:Job list.
A job type	Choose the job type you want from the Job Type list. This restricts that it shows only those jobs that share the job type you selected. What are job types?


Filter Item Report by Job window
Filter Report by Job window

You use this window to select the job (or customer if you don't track jobs) you want this report to represent.

To select a customer or job

Choose the name you want from the Customer:Job list.


Filter Time Activities window

You use this window to filter the time report you just created. When you filter a report, you restrict the information that appears on the report. By doing this, you refine the report so that it shows only the information you're interested in.

To filter by. . .	Do this
Activity date	Choose one of the preset date ranges (This Month-to-date, etc.) from the Activity Date list. Or, if you want the report to cover a period of time not specified on the list, enter the beginning and end dates in the To and From fields.
Name Customer:Job Item Payroll item or Class	Use the drop-down lists to select the names, customers, etc., you want the report to represent. For example, choosing "Consulting" from the Item list means that the report will show only those hours assigned to consulting.
Billing status	Under Billing Status, click the billing status you want the report to represent. For example, to limit the report to unbilled activities, you would click Unbilled.
Length of activity	Click either < (less than), = (equal to), or > (greater than) and enter the number of hours. For example, entering > 4 means that the report will show only activities that were greater than four hours in length.


Transaction History window (estimates)

This window lists the invoices you created from the current estimate.

To . . .	Do this
Return to the estimate	Click Edit Estmt.
Display one of the invoices	Select the invoice. Then click Go To.


Setting up for job tracking

Setting preferences for job tracking

Setting up to track a single job

Setting up to track multiple jobs for a customer

Setting up items for tracking costs and revenues

Tracking jobs

Editing or changing job information

Keeping notes about a job

Tracking the profitability of your jobs

Subcontractors

Tracking work performed by subcontractors

Saving time

Using the QuickMath calculator


Setting up items for tracking costs and revenues

You can set up your service, non-inventory part, and other charge items so that QuickBooks tracks the expenses you incur when you pay for them and the income you receive when you sell them. This gives you the ability to keep tabs on the profitability of the items [image] for example, you'll be able to prepare reports that compare income against expenses for each item.

Instructions

1	From the lists menu, choose Items.

2	Do one of the following:

To edit an existing item, select the item. Choose Edit from the Item menu button.

To set up a new item, choose New from the item menu button. In the New Item window, choose one of these item types:

Service

Inventory part

Non-inventory part

Other charge

For details about when to use a specific type, click the type.

3	In the New Item or Edit Item window, select the checkbox that appears below the Type field:

When you mark the checkbox, QuickBooks adds separate fields for tracking purchases and sales of the item.

4	Enter descriptions for purchasing and sales. You may enter a different description for each if you wish.

How QuickBooks uses the descriptions

5	Enter an expense account for tracking your costs for this item and enter an income account for tracking sales of this item.

6	Enter a cost and a sales price.

If you have set a standard markup percentage in the Sales & Customers Preferences window, QuickBooks uses it to calculate the sales price when you enter the cost. If you want to set a different sales price for the item, simply type in a different amount.

If your costs vary, you may leave either or both prices as 0.00.

How QuickBooks uses the prices

7	(Optional) Enter a preferred vendor.

8	Click OK to record the information you entered.


You use service items to represent the specific kinds of work or services you sell. These can be performed either by your company or by a subcontractor. Examples include:

General labour hours

Specialized labour hours, such as framing, plumbing, and finish carpentry in construction; layout, paste up, and photostats in graphic arts

Consulting hours.

How should I set up the items for my business? The answer depends on how much information you need to track in your reports.

For example, if it is important for you to know how well you estimate the cost of each type of work that goes into a job, then don't use a single line item to represent all the work. You'll need, instead, a separate line item for each specialized task the job requires. Later on, you'll be able to create reports that compare your estimated costs and revenues with your actual costs and revenues for each type of work.


You use inventory part items to represent items you purchase, track as inventory, and then resell.


You use non- inventory part items to represent materials you buy but don't keep on hand as inventory. Examples include:

Materials you buy to finish a specific job and then charge your customer for. For example, hardware fixtures on a construction job.

Materials you use in your office but don't charge anyone for. For example, fax paper.


You use other charge items to represent miscellaneous charges that are not labour, services, parts, or materials. Examples include:

Setup fees

Service charges

Delivery charges.


Purchase descriptions. QuickBooks automatically fills in the purchase description each time you enter a purchase order, cheque, credit card charge, or bill for the item. You can change the purchase description at that time if you want (your change affects only that transaction, not the item itself).

Sales descriptions. QuickBooks automatically fills in the sales description each time you write an estimate, invoice, or cash sales receipt for the item. You can change the sales description at that time if you want (your change affects only that transaction, not the item itself).


Cost. This is the cost of the item or service to your company. QuickBooks fills in the cost on purchase orders and estimates. You must enter the cost as a dollar amount, not a percentage. If you want, you can always change the cost on a particular purchase order or estimate.

Sales price. This is the price you charge your customers when you sell the item or service. QuickBooks fills in the sales price on sales forms. You must enter the sales price as a dollar amount, not a percentage. If you want, you can always change the sales price on a particular sales form.

Markup calculation. If you enter both a cost and a sales price when you set up the item, QuickBooks uses the difference between the two to fill in a markup for the item when you write an estimate. For example, if the cost is $10.00 and the sales price is $15.00, QuickBooks enters the markup as 50%. If you want, you can always change the markup on a particular estimate.


Setting preferences for job tracking

If you use job tracking, you can edit the descriptions QuickBooks uses to indicate the status of a job. Normally, these are "Pending," "Awarded," "In progress," "Closed," and "Not awarded." If you want, you can enter descriptions that are more appropriate for your business.

Instructions

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences.

2	In the Preferences window, choose Jobs & Estimates from the scroll box.

3	(Optional) Edit the descriptions of the five choices for Job Status:

Use a description that has a similar meaning to QuickBooks description. For example, you could change "Awarded" to "Accepted."

When you set up or edit the information for a job, you can choose one of these descriptions to indicate the job's current status. A job's status appears on the Customer:Job list and in job administration reports.

4	Click OK to record your job preferences.


Setting up to track single jobs

If you are only doing one job for a customer, you don't have to add a new job to your Customer:Job list just to be able to track job-related information (start date, end date, job status, etc.). The Job Info tab in the New and Edit Customer windows gives you a way to enter job information without formally adding a new job to the Customer:Job list.

Instructions

1	From the Lists menu, choose Customers:Jobs.

2	Do one of the following:

Select a customer without any jobs and choose Edit from the Customer:Job menu button.

or

Choose New from the Customer:Job menu button to set up a new customer.

3	Click Job Info.

4	(Optional) Choose a job status (Pending, Awarded, etc.) from the drop-down list.

How job status works

5	(Optional) Enter a start date and an end date (projected or actual) for the job.

How the dates help you

6	(Optional) Enter a job description and a job type.

Where the job description appears

How job types help you analyse your business

7	Click OK to record the job information.

You'll be able to track the job information in reports

QuickBooks treats the information you entered using the Job Info button as a job, even though no name for the job appears on the Customer:Job list. You'll see the job's status in job administration reports, and you'll be able to group the job with other jobs of its type on job administration, job profitability, and job estimate comparison reports.

If you add another job for the customer later, QuickBooks assumes that you are setting up a second job and asks what job name you want to give to the original job information. After you set up the job, you'll see two job names for the customer in the Customer:Job list.

From that point on, the Job Info button no longer appears in the Edit Customer window when you are editing that customer's record. To edit information for one of the jobs, you must select that job in the Customer:Job list and click Edit.


Setting up to track multiple jobs for a customer

If you are performing more than one job for a customer, you can track the jobs individually by adding new jobs under the customer's name in the Customer:Job list.

If you are only doing one job for the customer, you do not have to add a new job to the Customer:Job list. Instead, you can use the Job Information window to track the status of the job. This window is available from the New Customer (or Edit Customer) window when you have not set up any jobs for the customer.

To add a new job for a customer

1	From the Lists menu, choose Customers:Jobs.

2	Select the customer for whom you want to add a job.

3	Choose Add Job from the Customer:Job menu button.

4	In the New Job window, enter a name for this job.

5	If anything shown in the General Information section is incorrect for this job, change it.

The information QuickBooks fills in comes from your customer's record. If you make any changes here, the changes affect only this job. For example, if your customer's billing address is different for this job, you can enter the job address without affecting the customer's main address.

6	In the Job Specifics section of the window, choose a job status (Pending, Awarded, etc.) from the drop-down list.

How job status works

7	(Optional) Enter a start date and an end date (projected or actual) for the job.

How the dates help you

8	(Optional) Enter a job description and a job type.

Where the job description appears

How job types help you analyse your business

9	Click OK to record the new job.

See also

Setting up to track a single job


Editing or changing job information

Once you have set up a job for a customer, you can add to or edit the information as the job progresses. For example, you might want to record a change in job status or enter a new projection for the end date of the job.

Instructions

1	From the Lists menu, choose Customers:Jobs.

2	Do one of the following:

If the list shows one or more jobs under the customer's name, select the job you want and choose Edit from the Customer:Job menu button.

If there are no jobs under the customer's name, select the customer, choose Edit from the Customer:Job menu button, and then click Job Info.

3	In the Edit Job window, enter any additions or changes.

Note. QuickBooks does not automatically update a job's status (for example, from "In Progress" to "Completed"). You must change it yourself.

4	Click OK to record your changes.


Job status information is for your records [image] it gives you a way to keep track of each job. When you create a job administration report, QuickBooks includes the status of each job on the report. You can also see the status of each job on the Customer:Job list.

When a job's status changes. You must edit the job record and change the status yourself. QuickBooks does not do this for you.

See also

Editing or changing job information

Setting preferences for job tracking


The dates help you track how long each job takes and how well you are able to estimate the length of a job. When you create a job administration report, you can add columns that show the start date, your projected end date, and the actual end date for each job.

When a date changes. If one of the dates for a job changes (for example, you revise your projected end date for the job), you must edit the job record and change the date yourself. QuickBooks cannot change the date for you.

See also

Editing or changing job information


Job descriptions appear on job administration reports. When you enter a job description, enter information that will be useful to you when you see the job listed among other jobs in the report. For example, if you have performed several jobs for the same customer, you could use the job descriptions to help you distinguish the jobs from each other.

 If you need more room to describe a job. The Job Description field has room for only a short phrase or sentence. If you want to write a longer description of the job, or if you want to jot down notes while the job progresses, use the job's Notepad.

See also

Keeping notes about a job


Job types give you a way to classify your jobs so you can group and subtotal similar jobs on your reports. By using them, you'll be able to determine which kinds of jobs are the most profitable for your business.

What should your job types be? It's up to you to decide. Here are a few examples:

In construction: Decks, Kitchens, Bathrooms

In graphic arts: Logos, Brochures, PR

In real estate: Brokerage, Property Management.

How do customer types fit in? Customer types let you categorise your customers independently of the types of jobs you do. They are useful for grouping your customers into categories that are meaningful to your business. Some examples: Wholesale and Retail; Commercial, Residential, and Industrial; From Advertizement, By Referral. You can use customer types in addition to job types. You can also use job types without customer types, customer types without job types, or neither.


Tracking work performed by subcontractors

You can use QuickBooks to track the income and expenses for work performed by subcontractors. To do this, you set up service items for the work your subcontractors perform, making sure to indicate that each item represents subcontracted work. Once you have set up the items, you'll be able to pay your subcontractors and pass on subcontracted expenses to your customers.

Overview

When you track work performed by subcontractors, you perform these tasks:

1. Set up items for subcontracted work

2. Pay subcontractors

3. Invoice customers for subcontracted work

For details, click the task.


Setting up items for subcontracted work

Setting up items specifically for subcontracted work helps you manage your books more effectively. When you use these items, QuickBooks records expenses and income for subcontracted work in separate accounts. This lets you create reports that show the profitability of subcontracted work to your business.

Instructions

1	From the Lists menu, choose Items.

2	Choose New from the Item menu button.

3	In the New Item window, choose Service from the Type drop-down list.

4	Select the "This service is performed by a subcontractor" checkbox.

5	Enter descriptions for purchasing and sales. You may enter a different description for each if you wish.

How the descriptions are used

6	Enter an expense account for tracking the cost of this subcontracted work and an income account for tracking sales to a customer.

7	Enter a cost and a sales price.

If your costs vary, you may leave either or both prices as 0.00.

If you have set a standard markup percentage in the Sales & Customers Preferences window, QuickBooks uses it to calculate the sales price when you enter the cost. If you want to set a different sales price for the item, simply edit the calculated amount.

How the prices are used

8	Click OK to record the information.


Paying subcontractors

When you pay a subcontractor, you can either write a cheque directly to the subcontractor, or enter a bill and then pay the subcontractor later when you're paying other bills.

Instructions

1	From the activities menu, choose one of the following:

Choose . . .	To
Write Cheques	Write a cheque directly to the subcontractor.
Enter Bills	Enter a bill from the subcontractor.
2	In the top part of the form, fill in the name of the subcontractor and the date.

3	In the detail area at the bottom of the form, click the Items tab.

4	In the Item column, enter the service item you set up for this type of subcontracted work.

5	In the Cost column, check the amount QuickBooks filled in. If the cost is incorrect for this job, change it.

6	In the Qty column, enter the appropriate quantity.

For example, if the subcontractor charges an hourly rate, you would enter the number of hours.

If the Qty column doesn't apply to this work, leave it blank.

7	In the Customer:Job column, enter the name of the job (or customer) for which the work was done.

Important. Entering the name here gives you the ability to invoice the customer for the work later. Also, you'll be able to create reports that show your costs and revenue from the work.

8	Click OK to record the bill or cheque.

Note. If you've entered a bill, use the Pay Bills command on the Activities menu to pay the bill. Do not use the Write Cheques command to pay the bill. QuickBooks writes the cheque for you when you use the Pay Bills command.

See also

Paying bills


Invoicing customers for subcontracted work

Follow this procedure if you have assigned a subcontracted expense to a particular job (or customer) and you are not invoicing the customer from an estimate.

Instructions

1	When you record the expense, be sure to enter the name of the job (or customer) in the Customer:Job column of the detail area of the expense form.

2	From the Activities menu, choose Create Invoices.

3	Choose the name of the customer or job from the Customer:Job drop-down list:

If you have set up no jobs for the customer, choose the customer's name.

If you have set up one or more jobs for the customer, choose the job for which the work was done.

4	Click Time/Costs.

5	Click the Items tab.

6	In the Use column, click next to the service items that represent the subcontractor's work.

7	(Optional) If you want the costs you selected to be summarized in a single line item when you print the invoice, select the "Print selected time and costs as one invoice item" checkbox. When you view the invoice on your screen, you'll see a separate line for each cost; when you print the invoice, only the total for the entire group of costs appears.

Important. Do this only if you are certain you want the printed invoice to show only the total of the costs (and not a line by line listing of each cost). Once you record the invoice, you will not be able to print the costs separately.

8	Click OK to return to the invoice.

9	Make any needed changes or additions to the invoice.

For example, if you have summarized the costs as one line item, you may want to change QuickBooks description of the line item so that it's appropriate for your invoice.

10	Click OK to record the invoice.

What if

What if you want more than one summary?


Reports on jobs, time, and estimates

Tracking the profitability of your jobs

Checking the status of your jobs

Finding out how much time you've spent

Comparing estimates to actuals


Finding out the profitability of your jobs
Tracking the profitability of your jobs

If you track jobs, you can create a report that compares your costs against revenue for each job. The report shows, at a glance, which jobs are profitable and which are not.

Instructions

1	From the Reports menu, choose Project Reports and then choose Job Profitability Summary.

2	(Optional) Change the date range of the report:

Choose one of the ranges from the Dates drop-down list.

or

Enter the beginning and end dates in the From and To fields.

3	(Optional) Click Customize to specify whether you want the "£ Difference" and/or the "% Difference" columns to appear on the report:

When the Customize Report window appears, select the columns you want and click OK.

4	(Optional) Click Filters to restrict which jobs or job types appear on the report:

Jobs. From the Name drop-down list, select one job, or select "Selected names" and then select the jobs you want.

Job types. From the Job Type drop-down list, select the job type you want.

5	If you've customized the setup for this report and want to retain it for future use, click Memorize.

6	(Optional) Click Print to print a copy of the report.


Checking the status of your jobs

If you track jobs, you can create a report that shows the current information about each of your jobs, including the job's status (submitted, accepted, in progress, etc.).

Instructions

1	From the Reports menu, choose Project Reports and then choose Job Administration.

2	(Optional) Click Customize to add other columns to the report:

When the Customize Report window appears, select the columns you want and click OK.

3	If you've customized the setup for this report and want to retain it for future use, click Memorize.

4	(Optional) Click Print to print a copy of the report.

If the report is incorrect

The information for the report comes directly from the Customer:Job list. If any information in the report is incorrect (for example, if you have completed a job that the report shows to be "in progress"), you must first change the information for that job. To do this, choose Customers:Jobs from the Lists menu, select the name of the customer or job, and then choose Edit from the Customer:Job menu button.


Finding out how much time you've spent

If you track time, you can create reports that show where your time goes.

Instructions

1	From the Reports menu, choose Project Reports and then choose one of these reports:

Time by name	Shows hours worked subtotalled first by the name of the person who performed the work and then by customer and job.
Time by job	Shows hours worked subtotalled first by customer and job and then by service item.
Time by item	Shows hours worked subtotalled first by service item and then by customer and job.
Time activity detail	Lists each time activity and shows its billing status. The report is grouped and subtotalled by job.
2	(Optional) Change the date range of the report:

Choose one of the ranges from the Dates drop-down list.

or

Enter the beginning and end dates in the From and To fields.

3	(Optional) Click Customize to add other columns to the report:

When the Customize Report window appears, select the columns you want and click OK.

What columns can you add?

4	(Optional) Click Filters to restrict what appears on the report:

Name. To restrict the report to certain names, click the Names drop-down list. Then either select one name from the list, or click Selected Names and select the names you want.

Customers and jobs. To restrict the report to certain customers and jobs, click the Customer:Job drop-down list. Then either select one name from the list, or click Selected Customer/Jobs and select the particular customers and jobs you want.

Items. To restrict the report to certain items, click the Item drop-down list. Then select one item, select one of the choices for all items of a certain type, or select Selected Items and select the particular items you want.

Billing status. To restrict the report to activities that match a particular billing status, click Any, Unbilled, Not Billable, or Billed.

Duration. To restrict the report to activities of a certain length, enter the length of time in the Duration field and then click < (less than), = (equal to), or > (greater than).

5	If you've customized the setup for this report and want to retain it for future use, click Memorize.

6	(Optional) Click Print to print a copy of the report.


Time activity detail reports. In addition to the columns shown on the report (Date, Name, Billing Status, and Duration), you can add columns that show the payroll item, class, and your notes for each time entry. You can also delete any of these columns from the report.

Other time reports. For time by name, job, or item reports, you can add these columns: Previous Period, Previous Year, Year-to-date, % of Row, % of Column, Billed, Unbilled, and Not Billable. If you select Previous Period or Previous Year, you can also add Hour Change and % of Change columns; likewise, selecting the Year-to-date column lets you add a % of Year-to-date column. Finally, you can add an Estimated column to time by job and time by item reports.


Comparing estimates to actuals

If you write estimates or bids, you can create reports that compare your estimated costs and revenues against your actual costs and revenues.

Instructions

1	From the Reports menu, choose Project Reports and then choose one of these reports:

Job estimates vs. actuals summary	This report subtotalls your cost and revenue data by customer and job.
Item estimates vs. actuals	This reports also shows cost and revenue data, but subtotalls it by item type.
2	(Optional) Change the date range of the report:

Choose one of the ranges from the Dates drop-down list.

or

Enter the beginning and end dates in the From and To fields.

3	(Optional) Click Customize to specify whether you want the "£ Difference" and/or the "% Difference" columns to appear on the report:

When the Customize Report window appears, select the columns you want and click OK.

4	(Optional) Click Filters to restrict which jobs or job types appear on the report:

Jobs. From the Name drop-down list, select one job, or select "Selected names" and then select the jobs you want.

Job types. From the Job Type drop-down list, select the job type you want.

5	If you've customized the setup for this report and want to retain it for future use, click Memorize.

6	(Optional) Click Print to print a copy of the report.


Setting up for time tracking

Turning time tracking on and off

Setting preferences for time tracking

Tracking time

Which way should you enter time?

Entering single activities

Filling in weekly timesheets

Editing time entries

Transferring time to payroll

Finding out how much time you've spent

Invoicing for time

Invoicing customers for time and expenses

Saving time

Using the QuickMath calculator


Exporting lists to the Timer

Why do you need to export lists?

1	Do one of the following:

From the File menu choose Timer Activities and then choose Export Lists for Timer.

or

On the Payroll and Time tab of the QuickBooks Navigator, click Timer Import/Export. In the window that appears, select "Export lists for Timer" and click OK.

2	If you are exporting the lists to a floppy disk, insert the disk in your floppy disk drive.

3	(Optional) Change the suggested filename and location for the data file.

If you change the filename, keep the .IIF extension. The Timer uses this extension to locate your data file.

If you inserted a floppy disk, choose the floppy disk drive from the Drives list.

4	Click OK.

See also

Importing timed activities from the Timer


In order for the Timer to interpret data from QuickBooks, the Timer file and your QuickBooks company must share the same lists for the following:

Customers and jobs (for whom or what you perform work)

Employees, vendors, and other (miscellaneous) names (who performs the work)

Service items (type of work or service performed)

Classes (an optional way of classifying work)

In this procedure, you export a file of lists in IIF format, a text file format that has special instructions about QuickBooks lists.


Importing timed activities from the Timer

When do you import timed activities?

1	Do one of the following:

From the File menu choose Timer Activities and then choose Import Activites from Timer.

or

On the Payroll and Time tab of the QuickBooks Navigator, click Timer Import/Export. In the window that appears, select "Import activities from Timer" and click OK.

2	If you are importing the activites from a floppy disk, insert the disk in your floppy disk drive.

3	Enter the filename and location of the .IIF file that contains the activity data.

If the file is on a floppy disk, choose the drive where you inserted the disk from the Drives list.

4	Click OK.

See also

Exporting lists to the Timer


If you or any of your employees use the QuickBooks Timer to time business-related activities, you add data about the timed activities to your QuickBooks company data. The activites appear in QuickBooks timesheets and in time reports.


Which way should you enter time?

QuickBooks gives you two different ways to enter time. You can enter single activities at the time they occur, or you can enter all the hours for each job on weekly timesheets. Both methods accomplish the same thing [image] it's up to you to choose the method that works best for your business.

Single activity entries

A single activity entry looks like this:

What it shows. A single activity entry shows the time spent by one person doing a single activity for a single job on a single date. If you are recording time spent on different jobs, you would have to make a separate entry for each job even if all the work was performed by the same person.

Why you might use it. If you prefer to jot down the details of one day's work as the day progresses, this method might work best for you. For example, an attorney could use a single activity entry to record the time he or she just spent on a phone conversation with a client.

Weekly timesheets

A weekly timesheet looks like this:

What it shows. A weekly timesheet shows the time spent by one person doing any number of activities for any number of jobs within a seven day period. While the timesheet can only display one week at a time, you can easily view the hours entered for other weeks.

Why you might use it. If you prefer to enter a person's hours on a single form at regular intervals, this method might work best for you. For example, a general contractor could use a weekly timesheet to record the time spent on each job for that week.

You have two views of your date

You can move back and forth between the two time entry forms. If you are viewing a single activity entry, you can display that person's weekly timesheet with a click of the mouse. On a weekly timesheet, you can select any hourly entry and view it as a single activity entry. The two forms are simply different views of the same data.

When you make a single activity entry, QuickBooks automatically records the entry on that person's weekly timesheet. Likewise, if you fill in a weekly timesheet, QuickBooks also saves each hourly entry as a separate, single activity entry.


Turning time tracking on and off

After you have installed QuickBooks, when you first open an existing company file or when you create a new company, QuickBooks asks whether you track time. If you answer "Yes," QuickBooks turns time tracking on for you. You can also turn time tracking on at a later time, or turn it off if you find you no longer need it.

How to tell if time tracking is on

To turn time tracking on

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences

2	In the Preferences window, select Time Tracking from the scroll box.

3	Click Yes in response to the question "Do you track time?"

To turn time tracking off

1	From the File menu, choose Preferences

2	In the Preferences window, select Time Tracking from the scroll box.

3	Click No in response to the question "Do you track time?"

You do not lose time information you've recorded

If you turn time tracking off, QuickBooks retains all of your time entries. To get access to your time entries again, simply turn time tracking back on.


Display the Activities menu and look for the Time Tracking sub-menu. If the sub-menu is there, time tracking is on.


You'll be able to track your time and/or your employees' time. For entering time information, QuickBooks gives you a choice of using single activity forms or weekly timesheets [image] you choose what works best for you.

When you make time entries, you'll be able to assign time to particular jobs and then bill those hours back to the customer.

If you pay your employees at hourly rates, all their time information appears automatically when you preview their pay cheques. You can edit the hours to be paid; the original record of time worked remains unchanged.

When you need to know where your company's time is going, four customisable time reports break down your company's time spent by employee, by job, or by the type of work or services your company provides.


Entering single activities

A single activity is the time spent by one person doing a single activity on a single job on a single date. Single activity entries are especially useful when you want to enter the details of a job as soon as you've done work on it. For example, a lawyer might make a single activity entry to record a billable phone conversation.

Note. If you'd like to enter several dates or several jobs at once, we suggest you use the weekly timesheet form instead.

Instructions

1	From the Activities menu, choose Time Tracking and then choose Enter Single Activity.

2	Enter the name of the person who performed the work and press Tab.

3	In the date field, enter the date the work was performed and press Tab.

4	In the Customer:Job field, enter the customer for whom the work was performed. If you are tracking individual jobs as well, enter the customer name, a colon, and a job name. Press Tab.

Non-billable time. If you do not intend to invoice your customer, you still may want to enter the customer or job name. For example, if you spent the time correcting an error on a job, filling in the Customer:Job field gives you a record of your non-billable time for the job. You can display non-billable time on time reports.

Overhead. If the time is truly overhead and has no association with any customer or job, then leave the Customer:Job field blank.

5	Enter the name of the service item that matches this type of work and press Tab.

How service items help you analyse your business

6	In the Duration field, enter the number of hours worked on this date and this job, and press Tab.

7	If you are not going to invoice your customer for this time, clear the Billable checkbox.

8	(Payroll only) Change, if necessary, the payroll item that QuickBooks fills in the Payroll Item field.

For example, if you are recording sick time for a salaried employee, choose the Sick Salary payroll item. You don't have to worry about the employee's actual salary or hourly rate when you choose a payroll item [image] you enter wage information for an employee when you set up the employee's payroll record.

9	(Optional) In the Class field, enter the name of the class you want to associate with this activity. Then press Tab.

What are classes?

10	(Optional) In the Notes field, enter any additional information you want to record about this activity.

How your notes are used

11	Record the information for this activity:

Click OK to record the time entry and close the window.

Click Next to record the time entry and display a blank form for another activity.

What if

If there is no Payroll Item field

See also

Which way should you enter time?

Filling in timesheets

Printing timesheets


When you invoice your customer for this work, the service item appears on the invoice. It represents the type of work performed, and tells QuickBooks which account to use to track the income you receive from the work. This, in turn, gives you the ability to analyse which types of work are the most profitable for your business (on sales by item reports), and how much company time goes into each type of work (on time by item reports).

Non-billable time. If you do not intend to bill your customer for this work, you still may want to enter a service item. For example, if you spent the time correcting an error on a job, filling in the Service Item field gives you a record of your non-billable time for the that type of work.


When you invoice your customer for this time, you can have QuickBooks insert your note into the Description column on the invoice form. You can also add the note to a Time Activity Detail report by clicking the Customize button in the report window and adding the Notes column to the report.

To use the note on an invoice

1	On the invoice form, click Time/Costs.

2	In the Choose Billable Time Costs window, click the Time tab.

3	Select the time entries you want to include on the invoice.

4	Click "Notes from time data."


If the Payroll Item field doesn't appear for certain employees, it means that you did not set up QuickBooks to use timesheet data when you write pay cheques to those employees. The first time you enter an employee's name on a time entry form, QuickBooks asks you if you want to use timesheet data when you pay the employee. If you answer Yes, you'll always see the Payroll Item field when you enter the employee' s hours. If you answer No, the Payroll Item field does not appear.

To add the Payroll Item field for an employee

1	From the Lists menu, choose Employee.

2	Select the employee's name.

3	Choose Edit from the Employee menu button.

4	Click the Payroll Info tab.

5	Select the "Use time data to create pay cheques" checkbox.

6	Click OK.

If the Payroll Item field never appears. It probably means that payroll is off. To turn it on again, select "Full payroll features" in the Payroll & Employees Preferences window.


Filling in weekly timesheets

A weekly timesheet is a record of the time spent by one person on any number of jobs over one week. Timesheets are useful when you want to record work done on several days or several jobs. Anything you previously entered as a single activity entry automatically appears on a person's timesheet. You don't have to make the same time entries twice.

Note. If you want to concentrate on the details of one day's work on one job one activity at a time, you may prefer to enter each activity separately when it occurs.

Instructions

1	From the Activities menu, choose Time Tracking and then choose Use Weekly Timesheet.

2	In the Name field, enter the name of the person who performed the work and press Tab.

If you have already made time entries for that person for that week, the entries appear on the timesheet. You can add to or edit those entries.

3	If necessary, change the date range of the week displayed:

To change to the next week, click Next Week.

To change to the previous week, click Prev Week.

To change to any other week, click Set Date and enter a date in the week you want to display.

4	In the Customer:Job field, enter the customer for whom the work was performed. If you are tracking individual jobs as well, enter the customer name, a colon, and a job name. Press Tab.

Non-billable time. If you do not intend to invoice your customer for this particular activity, you still may want to enter the customer or job name. For example, if you spent the time correcting an error on a job, filling in the Customer:Job field gives you a record of your non-billable time for the job. You can display non-billable time on time reports.

Overhead. If the time is truly overhead and has no association with any customer or job, then leave the Customer:Job field blank.

5	Enter the name of the service item that matches this type of work and press Tab.

How service items help you analyse your business

6	(Payroll only) Change, if necessary, the payroll item that QuickBooks enters in the Payroll Item field.

For example, if you are recording sick time for a salaried employee, choose the Sick Salary payroll item. You don't have to worry about the employee's actual salary or hourly rate when you choose a payroll item [image] you enter wage information for an employee when you set up the employee's payroll record.

7	(Optional) In the Notes field, enter any additional information about this work and press Tab.

How your notes are used

8	(Optional) In the Class field, enter the name of the class you want to associate with this work. Then press Tab.

What are classes?

9	For each day of the week that work was performed, enter the number of hours worked in the appropriate date column.

10	If you are not going to bill the customer for the work, click [image].

What the symbols mean

11	Repeat Steps 3 through 10 to add additional lines for time spent on other jobs, doing other services, or associated with other payroll items.

12	Record the timesheet:

To record and close the window, click OK.

To record and display a weekly timesheet for a different person for the same week, enter that person's name in the Name field.

To record and display a new, blank weekly timesheet for the same week, click New Sheet.

To record and display a weekly timesheet for this person for next week, click Next Week. (Click Prev Week if you want to display the person's timesheet for last week.)

What if

If there is no Payroll Item field

See also

Printing timesheets

Which way should you enter time?

Entering single activities


Editing time entries

Once you have made a time entry, you can edit it later if necessary. For example, you could add a note that would help you identify the time entry on a time activity detail report. You can also correct errors [image] for example, if you originally assigned the wrong service item to the time entry, you can assign a different one.

To edit a weekly timesheet

1	From the Activities menu, choose Use Weekly Timesheet.

2	In the Name field, enter the name of the person who performed the work.

3	If the week you want to see is not the current week, change the date range of the timesheet:

To change to the previous week, click Prev Week; to change to the next week, click Next week.

To change to any other week, click Set Date and enter a date in the week you want to display.

4	Change, as needed, the entries for that week.

5	Click OK to save your changes.

To edit a single activity entry

1	From the Activities menu, choose Enter Single Activity.

2	Press Prev until the entry you want appears.

3	Change, as needed, any of the information shown.

4	Click OK to save your changes.

What happens if you change the time?

QuickBooks allows you to change the time you originally entered, but it won't update any transactions based on that time. For example, if you entered an employee's hours incorrectly and then paid the employee based on those hours, you can correct the hours on the employee's timesheet, but QuickBooks will not revise the pay cheque. The same is true for the other parts of a time entry (customer or job name, service item, payroll item, class name).


Transferring time to payroll

If you are using QuickBooks to do payroll, you can base your payroll cheques on the timesheets you complete for each employee.

Overview

These are the tasks you perform to transfer time to payroll. The first task is a setup task you perform once for each employee whose pay cheques you want to base on your time entries.

1. Set up time transfer for your employees (a one time task)

2. Write your pay cheques (a recurring task)

For details, click the task.


Setting up time transfer for employees

This is a one time task you do for each employee whose pay cheques you want to base on time data.

Existing employees

Click Yes when QuickBooks asks if you want to use timesheet data when you write pay cheques to the employee. QuickBooks asks you this the first time you use the employee's name on a weekly timesheet or a single activity entry.

If you answer No. QuickBooks will not ask you a second time if you want to base the employee's pay cheques on time data. If, later, you need to begin using timesheet data on the employee's pay cheques, you must change the employee's payroll record.

New employees

1	Display the New Employee window:

From the lists menu, choose Employee. Then choose New from the Employee menu button.

or

Click Setup if you are filling out a form and QuickBooks tells you that the person whose name you just entered is not on any list. If the Select Name Type window appears, click Employee and then click OK.

2	Fill in, as needed, the fields on the General Info tab.

3	Click the Payroll Info tab.

4	Select the "Use time data to create pay cheques" checkbox.

5	Click OK.

You may not need to do this for everybody

If the individual is a salaried employee who is part of your overhead (for example, an office manager or a partner in a law firm), you can answer "No" when QuickBooks asks if you want to base their pay cheques on time data. Doing this affects only the connection between the employee's timesheet and payroll. You'll still be able to track the hours the employee works.


Writing a pay cheque based on hours entered

When you write a pay cheque based on time data, QuickBooks automatically fills in the payroll hours you have tracked for that employee.

Instructions

1	From the Activities menu, choose Payroll and then choose Pay Employees. Or click the Payroll button on the iconbar.

The Select Employees to Pay window lists the employees on your payroll and shows the hours you entered for each employee during the current pay period.

2	Mark the employees you want to pay and click Create.

In the Preview Pay Cheque window, QuickBooks prefills the earnings section with a breakdown of hours worked for each job and each payroll item. It includes sick and holiday time from the timesheet.

3	Make changes if needed.

If the hours don't appear on the cheque

It probably means that you did not set up the employee so that QuickBooks would base the employee's pay cheques on time data.

See also

Previewing and adjusting pay cheques

Setting up time transfer for employees


Export Lists for Timer

As the flowchart shows, QuickBooks shares information with the Timer.

In order for the Timer to interpret data from QuickBooks, the Timer file and your QuickBooks company must share the same lists for the following:

Customers and jobs (for whom or what you perform work)

Employees, vendors, and other (miscellaneous) names (who performs the work)

Service items (type of work or service performed)

Classes (an optional way of classifying work)

In this procedure, you export a file of lists in IIF format, a text file format that has special instructions about QuickBooks lists.

See also

Exporting lists to the Timer


Import Activities from Timer

As the flowchart shows, QuickBooks shares information with the Timer.

In this procedure, you import a file of activity data from the Timer. The file is in IIF format [image] that, is it contains special instructions that describe the activities you timed. You can view these activities in QuickBooks timesheets and in time reports.

See also

Importing timed activities from the Timer


Choose Timer Activity

What to do here

Select "Import Timer data" if you have activities you timed that you now want to add to your QuickBooks company data.

or

Select "Export Timer lists" if you have new information about your customers, vendors, employees, service items, or classes that affects the activities you time with the Timer.

If you are importing . . .

In this procedure, you import a file of activity data from the Timer. The file will be in IIF format, a text file format that has special instructions that describe the activities you timed. You can view these activities in QuickBooks timesheets and in time reports.

If you are exporting . . .

In order for the Timer to interpret data from QuickBooks, the Timer file and your QuickBooks company must share the same lists for the following:

Customers and jobs (for whom or what you perform work)

Employees, vendors, and other (miscellaneous) names (who performs the work)

Service items (type of work or service performed)

Classes (an optional way of classifying work)

In this procedure, you export a file of lists in IIF format, a text file format that has special instructions about QuickBooks lists.

See also

Importing timed activities from the Timer

Exporting lists to the Timer


Transfer contents
Updating/converting data from

Previous versions of QuickBooks for Windows

QuickBooks for DOS

Quicken

Transferring lists and reports to

Another QuickBooks company

Another program

QuickBooks import files

Creating an import file

Importing transactions

Reference guide to import files


Updating from previous versions of QuickBooks for Windows

This procedure updates a company data file from a previous version of QuickBooks for Windows (2, 3, 3.1, or 4.0) so you can work with it in QuickBooks 5.0 The time required to update your file will depend on your system speed, memory, file size, and other factors. You may wish to start the update at the end of your work day.

Important note for QuickPay users. QuickBooks 5.0 has integrated payroll; it does not work with QuickPay.

Before you begin

As a precaution, QuickBooks 5.0 makes a backup copy of your QuickBooks data before it begins the update.

If you want the backup copy to be on a floppy disk, have the disk ready before you begin. You may need more than one disk if your data file is more than 10 megabytes in size.

To update your data

1	In QuickBooks 5.0, open the company file you created with your previous version of QuickBooks.

2	Click OK when the message about backing up your data appears.

3	If you are backing up to a floppy disk, insert the disk.

4	Specify where you want QuickBooks to put the backup file:

On a floppy disk. From the Drives list, choose the drive that contains your floppy disk.

On your hard disk. In the list of directories, double-click the directory you want. (If you don't see the directory in the list, you may have to double-click another directory to display the one you want.)

5	Click OK to begin backing up.

6	When a message appears that QuickBooks has backed up your data, click OK. If you backed up to a floppy disk, remove the disk.

During the update process, QuickBooks scans your data three times. If the process seems to stay at a certain percentage for a long time, but you notice activity occurring on the hard drive, let the update continue.

7	At the end of the update, answer any other questions QuickBooks asks you.

Changes you may want to make

After you update your data, you make want to make some changes so that you can use the new features in QuickBooks. These include:

Inventory tracking (introduced in QuickBooks 3)

Improved handling of sales tax (QuickBooks 3)

Customizable invoices and sales forms (QuickBooks 3)

Purchase orders (QuickBooks 3)

Vendor terms (QuickBooks 3)

Integrated payroll (QuickBooks 3.1)


Converting data from Quicken

You can convert data to QuickBooks from these versions of Quicken:

DOS Quicken 5, 6, and later versions

Quicken for Windows 1, 2, and later versions

This process copies your Quicken data to a new QuickBooks company.  It does not change your Quicken data files in any way.

Instructions

1	If your Quicken data is on a floppy disk, put the disk in a disk drive.

2	If you are currently working in a QuickBooks company, choose Close Company from the File menu.

3	From the File menu, choose Convert From and then choose Quicken.

4	If the name of your Quicken data file doesn't appear in the File Name list, choose the drive and directory where the file resides.

5	In the File Name list, select the Quicken file that you want to convert and click OK.

6	Enter a name for your new QuickBooks for Windows data file.

7	(Optional)  If you want the new data file to be in a different location than where you installed QuickBooks, choose the drive and directory where you want to put the file.

8	Click OK.

9	Indicate whether you have been using any of your Quicken accounts as an accounts receivable account:

If you did not track accounts receivable in Quicken, click No.

If you did track accounts receivable in Quicken, click Yes.  Select the accounts you use as A/R accounts and click OK.

>>	If your data includes QuickInvoice data, stop here.

10	The first time you open your new QuickBooks company, choose Company Info from the File menu.

11	Enter your company name, address, and employer ID number.

12	If your fiscal year begins in a different month than January, click [image] and choose the month that your fiscal year starts.

13	Click OK.

See also

What happens to your Quicken data.


Changes in your Quicken data
What happens to your Quicken data

When you convert data from Quicken, QuickBooks converts the data into a new company file. When you open your new QuickBooks company, you'll encounter differences in how QuickBooks represents your Quicken data, several new accounts, and new forms for entering data. The differences you need to know about occur in:

Your Quicken accounts in QuickBooks

Your new QuickBooks balance sheet accounts

Invoices and customer payments (accounts receivable)

Bills and payments to vendors (accounts payable)

Quicken categories

Memorized transactions reports

Your original Quicken data files do not change in any way. You can continue using Quicken for personal finance and investment accounts, but changes that you make to your data through Quicken will not appear in QuickBooks. There is no connection between your Quicken file and your new QuickBooks company.


Your Quicken accounts in QuickBooks

For each account in the Quicken file, QuickBooks creates a balance sheet account in your new QuickBooks chart of accounts.  QuickBooks creates the accounts as follows:

This type of account in Quicken	Becomes this type of account in QuickBooks
Bank	Bank
Credit Card	Credit Card
Cash	Other Current Asset
Other Asset	Other Current Asset
Other Liability	Other Current Liability
Investment	Other Current Asset
QuickBooks and investments.  QuickBooks copies a Quicken investment account to an Other Current Asset account because QuickBooks does not have a special feature to track investments.  If you want to include the value of your investments in your QuickBooks balance sheet, use Quicken to track your investments.  Then when you're ready to create a balance sheet, update the balance of your QuickBooks current asset account.

If you don't want your balance sheet to include your investments, make a copy of your Quicken data, then delete the investment account before you convert to QuickBooks.  You can still use Quicken to track your investments.


Your new QuickBooks balance sheet accounts

QuickBooks adds these balance sheet accounts to your new QuickBooks company.  Some of these accounts (Accounts Receivable is an example) QuickBooks creates immediately; the other accounts QuickBooks creates the first time you need them (Undeposited Funds is an example).

Account name	What it does
Accounts Receivable	Tracks the transactions between you and your customers, including invoices, payments from customers, deposits of payments, refunds, and credit memos.  The balance of this account is the total that your customers currently owe your company.
Accounts Payable	Tracks the transactions between you and your vendors, including bills, payments to vendors, refunds, and credit from vendors.  The balance of this account is the total amount your company owes to vendors.
Open Bal Equity	Tracks the opening balances of your other balance sheet accounts.  QuickBooks creates this account to ensure that you get a correct balance sheet while you're setting up a new company.
Sales Tax Payable	Tracks the sales tax you collect from customers.  The balance of this account is the total sales tax your company currently owes.
Undeposited Funds	Holds customer payments you've collected that you haven't yet deposited into the bank.  The balance of this account is the total amount of funds you have to deposit.
Retained Earnings	Tracks profits from earlier periods that have not been distributed to the owners of your company.  QuickBooks automatically transfers net income into this account at the beginning of a new fiscal year.
Payroll liabilities	Tracks taxes that you deduct from employees' pay cheques and hold temporarily until you turn them over to the government.
Payroll expenses	Tracks payroll items that are an expense to your company. These include salaries; wages; bonuses; commissions; company contributions such as a company-paid health plan; and the company-paid portion of taxes such as EI


Invoices and customer payments (accounts receivable)

If you indicated that one of your Quicken accounts was an accounts receivable account, this is how QuickBooks converts the transactions in that account.

This item in your Quicken A/R account. . .	Becomes this in QuickBooks
A transaction that increases your A/R account balance	An invoice
A transaction that decreases your A/R account balance	A customer payment
A transaction that decreases your A/R account balance and has more than one split line	A credit memo
A payee	A customer on your Customer:Job list
A category	Both an item on your Item list  and an income account that tracks how much you make on that item
Customer payments.  If a customer has several outstanding invoices, QuickBooks applies a payment from that customer to the oldest invoices first.


Bills and payments to vendors (accounts payable)

In QuickBooks, you'll handle bills and payments to vendors differently than you did in Quicken.

If you did this in Quicken . . .	Do this in QuickBooks
Used a cash-basis system where you tracked bills in a bank account and wrote post-dated cheques.	Handle the cheques you've already written as you would handle them in Quicken. Enter all new bills in QuickBooks' Enter Bills window.  To pay new bills, use the Pay Bills window, (not the Write Cheques window).
Used an accrual-basis system where you tracked bills in an other liability account.	QuickBooks converts the other liability account to a current liability account.  Use this account to track only those bills that you have already entered. Enter all new bills in QuickBooks' Enter Bills window.  To pay new bills, use the Pay Bills window.
Memorized transactions.  If you have memorized transaction groups for accounts payable, QuickBooks will convert them.  QuickBooks' accounts payable, however, offers a faster, more efficient way to pay bills.  You may find that you no longer need to use the accounts payable memorized transactions you converted from Quicken.


Your Quicken categories

QuickBooks changes your categories into income and expense accounts.  Subcategories become income and expense subaccounts.

For example, if your Quicken data has these expense categories:

Utilities

Electricity

Gas

Water

QuickBooks creates a "Utilities" expense account with "Electricity," "Gas," and "Water" as subaccounts under "Utilities."

The new income and expense accounts serve the same function as your categories did in Quicken:  they track how you earn and spend money.


Your memorized transactions and reports

Memorized transactions. QuickBooks converts all of your memorized transactions [image] individual transactions as well as transaction groups.

Memorized reports.  QuickBooks does not convert memorized reports from Quicken.  Reports work differently in the two programs.


Converting data from QuickBooks for DOS

If you have data from QuickBooks for DOS, you can convert that data to QuickBooks for Windows. This process creates a new QuickBooks for Windows company that you can work with from QuickBooks for Windows. Your original QuickBooks for DOS data file remains unchanged.

Instructions

1	If your QuickBooks for DOS data is on a floppy disk, put the disk in a disk drive.

2	If you are currently working in a QuickBooks company, choose Close Company from the File menu.

3	From the File menu, choose Convert From and then choose QuickBooks.

4	If the name of your QuickBooks for DOS data file doesn't appear in the File Name list, choose the drive and directory where the file resides.

5	In the File Name list, select the QuickBooks for DOS file that you want to convert and click OK.

6	Enter a name for your new QuickBooks for Windows data file.

7	(Optional)  If you want the new data file to be in a different location than where you installed QuickBooks, choose the drive and directory where you want to put the file.

8	Click OK.


Exporting lists to another QuickBooks company

You can export part or all of your company lists to another QuickBooks company. For example, if you work with two different QuickBooks companies, you might want to export a list of vendors you created in the first company to the second company.

Important. This procedure does not export transactions. For details on how to export transaction data to another program, click How To.

Instructions

1	Make a backup copy of the QuickBooks company that will receive the list information.

2	Open the company that contains the lists you want to transfer.

3	From the File menu choose Export.

4	In the window that appears, click the lists that you want QuickBooks to include in the export file.

5	Click OK.

6	Enter a filename for the export file.

7	Click OK.

8	From the File menu, choose Close Company.

9	From the File menu, choose Open Company. Select the filename of the company you want to import into, and click OK.

Can't find your company?

10	From the File menu, choose Import.

11	Select the export file you just created and click OK.

What happens

QuickBooks adds the list information in the export file to the company file. For example, if "Bartel Insurance" is on the Vendor list in the export file, QuickBooks adds "Bartel Insurance" to the Vendor list in the company file.

When the two files happen to have identical list entries, QuickBooks updates the information for those entries in the company file. For example, if the export file lists the address of "Bartel Insurance" as "4565 Hermosa Ave" and the company file lists the address as "20300 Commerce," QuickBooks changes the address in the company file to "4565 Hermosa Ave."  When the two files have many duplicate entries, make sure that the export file contains the most current information.


Transferring reports, lists, and registers to another program

You can transfer the information in any QuickBooks report, list, or register to other programs, such as word processors, spreadsheets, or database programs. This gives you the ability to work with the information in ways that would be impossible in QuickBooks. For example, you could include your company balance sheet in a document you are writing, or create a database from your Customer and Vendor lists.

Instructions

1	Display the report, list, or register.

2	From the File menu, choose Print.

3	If you are transferring a register, enter the date range of the transactions you'd like to transfer.

4	In the "Print to" section, select the file format you want to use.

What the file formats mean

5	(Optional) If the report, list, or register is long and you only want to transfer part of it, click Pages. Then enter the beginning and last page numbers of the section you want to transfer.

6	Click Print.

7	Enter a filename for the disk file.

8	Choose the drive and directory where you want the file to reside.

9	(ASCII files only) Enter the number of lines per page and the width of each line.

Lines Per Page. When this number is 0, the ASCII file is one long continuous page with no page breaks. If you set Lines Per Page to a number other than zero, your ASCII file will have a page break after each group of lines of the number you specify. Each "page" in the ASCII file has a title, and any other header or footer information, such as column headers and page numbers.

Width. This number controls the width of lines in the file. Enter the maximum number of characters you want per line (80 works well in many cases).

10	Click OK.

11	Go to the program where you want to use the report, list, or register. Open the disk file you just created.


Import window

You can import information from an export file that you created with QuickBooks. You use this window to enter the name of the export file that contains the information you want to import.

To . . .	Do this
Import from a file in the current directory	In the list of files, double-click the filename. (Export files have an IIF extension.)
Import from a file in a different directory	Double-click the directory you want from the Directories list. In the list of files, double-click the name of the file you want to import information from.
Import from a file on a different drive	Choose the drive you want from the Drives list. In the list of files, double-click the name of the file you want to import information from.


Export window

By creating an export file, you can transfer your company lists to another QuickBooks company or to another program, such as a spreadsheet or a word processor. You use this window to select the lists you want QuickBooks to include in the export file.

To select the lists

Click the checkbox for each list you want to include in the file.


Export window (enter filename)
Export window

Use this window to enter a name and location for the export file.

To . . .	Do this
Enter the filename	Type the filename in the filename box. You may use up to eight characters for the filename. We recommend that you keep the IIF filename extension that QuickBooks suggests.
Put the file in a different directory	Double-click the directory you want in the list of directories. (If you don't see the directory in the list, you may have to double-click another directory to display the one you want.)
Put the file on a different drive	Choose the drive you want from the Drives list. Do not change to a floppy drive [image] your data file can become too large to fit on one floppy disk.


Create Disk File window

Use this window to enter a filename for the report, list, or register you are "printing." If you are creating an ASCII file, you can also specify the width of the file and where page breaks occur in the file.

To . . .	Do this
Enter the filename	Type the filename in the filename box. You may use up to eight characters for the filename. We recommend that you keep the IIF filename extension that QuickBooks suggests.
Put the file in a different directory	Double-click the directory you want in the list of directories. (If you don't see the directory in the list, you may have to double-click another directory to display the one you want.)
Put the file on a different drive	Choose the drive you want from the Drives list. Do not change to a floppy drive [image] your data file can become too large to fit on one floppy disk.
Set page breaks (ASCII files only)	Enter the number of lines you want on each page in the "Lines Per Page" field. When the number of lines is zero, the ASCII file is one long continuous page with no page breaks. If you set Lines Per Page to a number other than zero, your ASCII file will have a page break after each group of lines of the number you specify. Each "page" in the ASCII file has a title, and any other header or footer information, such as column headers and page numbers.
Specify the width of the file (ASCII files only)	Enter the maximum number of characters you want per line (80 works well in many cases).


Updating your QuickBooks Data window
Updating your QuickBooks data

Taxes work differently in QuickBooks 3.1

In QuickBooks 2, you could apply only one particular sales tax (called the Auto Tax) automatically. If you had to collect a tax for any other district, or if you had to apply a second tax to a sale, you had to enter a subtotal on the sales form and then enter the additional tax as a line item.

In QuickBooks 3.1, all taxes now work like Auto Tax did in QuickBooks 2. You can now assign each customer the correct sale tax for their district, and you can set up sales tax groups that allow you to apply more than one tax to a sale. When you fill out a sales form, you no longer have to manually separate and subtotal taxable items on the form. Instead, you choose the tax (or tax group) you want to apply from the Tax list at the bottom of the form.

Your existing records are still accurate

QuickBooks preserves the sales tax line items as you originally entered them. The totals for these sales remain accurate as long as you don't do anything to change the totals.

If you have to change a total, you must use the new method to reapply the taxes. The sales tax line items will no longer be valid.

When you make new sales

If you need to collect only one sales tax, you don't need to do anything. QuickBooks 3.1 knows how to apply that tax to your taxable customers.

If you must collect two or more taxes on one sale, or if you collect taxes for more than one district, you need to set up your tax rates and agencies so that QuickBooks can add them to the Tax list on your sales forms. For details, click the "How to" button at the top of this window.


Convert a Quicken File window

Use this window to enter the name and location of the Quicken file that contains the data you want to convert.

To . . .	Do this
Convert a file that is in the current directory	In the list of files, double-click the file you want to convert.
Convert a file that is in a different directory	Double-click the directory you want from the Directories list. In the list of files, double-click the name of the file you want to convert.
Convert a file that is on a different drive	Choose the drive you want from the Drives list. In the list of files, double-click the name of the file you want to convert.


Convert a DOS QuickBooks File window

Use this window to enter the name and location of the QuickBooks for DOS file that contains the data you want to convert.

To . . .	Do this
Convert a file that is in the current directory	In the list of files, double-click the file you want to convert.
Convert a file that is in a different directory	Double-click the directory you want from the Directories list. In the list of files, double-click the name of the file you want to convert.
Convert a file that is on a different drive	Choose the drive you want from the Drives list. In the list of files, double-click the name of the file you want to convert.