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How to Connect Bank and Credit Cards to Quickbooks

savings-box-161876_960_720Quickbooks has become the world’s leading accounting software for small businesses. But if you plan on using it, you’ll probably want to connect your bank accounts and credit cards to the software. Once your bank accounts are connected, Quickbooks will automatically download transaction from it, eliminating the need for manual entering these transactions. So, how exactly do you connect your bank accounts and credit cards to Quickbooks?

To connect a bank account, access the homepage of Quickbooks and choose “Connect an Account” under “Bank accounts.” From here, you can choose your bank and the username and password used to access your account online. Quickbooks will then display all of the accounts you currently have open at this open. You can choose the account you use for your business (not personal), after which you can specify its type. Quuickbooks will automatically download all transactions from the past 90 days, although it won’t display them in your account just yet.

When accessing the “Bank and Credit Cards” page, you’ll see an option for “Category or Match” column sorting. Click either of these to sort the transactions by the respective name. Also, you’ll notice that Quickbooks attempts to find categories for some transactions.

Go ahead and click the first transaction listed to open it. While Quickbooks automatically places transactions in a category that it believes is appropriate, some users may want to change the categories for their transactions — and that’s okay. To change the category of a transaction, open the transaction menu, choose the transaction, select Payee (if the payee is new, click Add), enter a name for the category and click Save.

You’ll also notice that Quickbooks allows users to split transactions if the associated item or items was purchased from different categories in a single transaction. To perform this, simply choose “Split,” after which you’ll see a new Split Transaction window. From here, choose the appropriate categories along with the total dollar amount spent on each category.

Now that you know how to connect a bank account to Quickbooks, you might be wondering how to connect a credit card to Quickbooks. Well, the process is exactly the same. Simply choose “Connect an Account” under the “Bank accounts” menu and follow the steps listed above. You’ll have to enter the type of credit card, along with the username and password used to access your account online. Once Quickbooks connects your credit card, it will automatically important the transactions to your Quickbooks.

Did this tutorial work for you? Let us know in the comments section below!

How to Start or Stop Multi-User Hosting in Quickbooks

aim-1260537_960_72011Quickbooks allows hosting in both single-user and mobile-user mode. When starting or stopping multi-user access, however, you must follow some specific steps. First and foremost, you should check to see if your current computer is already in multi-user access mode by visiting File > Utilities, at which point you’ll see the option “Stop hosting multi-user access” if your computer is currently set up for multi-user access.

So, to start multi-user hosting in Quickbooks, simply click the File drop-down menu, followed by Utilities, then Host multi-user access. It’s a quick and easy process that should only take a few minutes to complete.

To stop multi-user hosting in Quickbooks, click the File drop-down menu, followed by Utilities, then Stop hosting multi-user access.

As the name suggests, multi-user access mode allows Quickbooks to be accessed my multiple users. It’s not uncommon for business owners to allow multiple individuals access to their accounting. If you’re a business owner, for instance, you may want to provide your accountant with access to your Quickbooks, in which case you should set up Quickbooks with multi-user access mode.

Some users have reported an error message when the service user (QBDataServiceUser) fails to create with the correct system rights, however. This error message says “To start or stop hosting multi-user access to company files, you must be logged into Windows as a user who has Administrative privileges. Please log in using an Administrator account and try again.”

This is just one error message associated with Quickbooks multi-user mode. Other error messages may also appear. The good news is that most of these errors are easily fixed using the Quickbooks File Doctor Repair Tool. This tool automatically scans your Quickbooks installation, offering advice on how to fix them. Depending on the specific error, the File Doctor Repair Tool may even fix the error without any extra steps taken on your part.

To fix this error message, you should access Start > Settings > Control Panel > User Accounts > QBDataServiceUser > Properties > Group Membership, at which point you can change the access rights to Power User or Administrator. Click Apply, followed by OK, and restart your Quickbooks program to complete the changes. This should resolve the aforementioned error message.

Hopefully, this gives you a better understanding on how to start, stop and fix problems with multi-user access in Quickbooks.

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How to Set Up Vendors to Receive Form 1099-MISC in Quickbooks

taxes-1015399_960_720Does your business outsource some of its tasks to third-party independent contractors? If so, you’ll need to provide those contractors with a 1099-MISC form for tax purposes. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires this form for independent contractors earning at least $600 during the tax form. Thankfully, there’s a quick and easy way to set up vendors to receive a form 1099-MISC form using the Quickbooks accounting software.

When you ready to set up 1099-MISC forms for your vendors, log into your Quickbooks account and choose Vendors > Vendor Center. From here, right-click the vendor’s name for whom you wish to set up the 1099-MISC form and click “Edit Vendor.” Next, click the Address Info tab and double-check the vendor’s information to ensure it’s correct.

While accessing the Address Info tab, make sure the Address field contains a two-letter state abbreviation and postal code. If either of these elements are incorrect, you should correct them now. Next, make sure the vendor is listed is a person. As explained by Intuit, the vendor’s legal name should be displayed as his or her first name, middle initial, and last name. If you don’t know the person’s name, leave the Company Name field empty to prevent double names from being displayed on the 1099-MISC form.

When you are finished verifying the Address Info tab, click the Tax Settings tab, after which you’ll be prompted to enter the vendor’s tax identification number in the Vendor Tax IF field. Here, click the option for “Vendor eligible for 1099.” This tells Quickbooks to provide the vendor for a 1099-MISC form. Click “OK” to save the changes. Lastly, repeat these steps for any vendor earning more than $600 in the calendar year.

After setting up vendors to receive a 1099-MISC form, you should reach out to them to ensure they receive it. Of course, most vendors will contact YOU if they don’t receive, but it’s still a good idea to keep the lines of communication open. Because when tax time rolls around next year, you’ll probably be busy working on your own accounting needs. In any case, the steps listed here should allow you to set up the 1099-MISC form for any vendors with whom you do business.

Congratulations, you’ve just set up your vendor or vendors to receive a 1099-MISC tax form!

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How to Delete a Payment in Quickbooks

calculator-385506_960_720Looking to delete a payment in Quickbooks? If you are reading this, I’m assuming the answer is yes. Quickbooks has become the world’s most popular accounting software for small businesses, and rightfully so — it’s versatile, easy to use, and backed by superior support. But some users may struggle when attempting to delete a payment. If this sounds like a familiar scenario, keep reading for step-by-step instructions on how to delete a payment.

Quickbooks allows users to edit or delete payments they’ve already included in deposits via the Make Deposits window. In order to use this feature, however, you must remove the payment from the deposit.

If you have Quickbooks set up to bypass the Undeposited Funds so it deposits payments directly to one or more of your accounts, you won’t be able to edit or delete a payment without it affecting your records and throwing off your books.  When you delete a payment, the payment no longer exists; thus, it can throw off your books. So to fix this problem, select the line containing the payment you wish to delete and access the Edit menu > Delete Line.

Quickbooks will now delete the payment from this deposit. The good news is that the payment still exists in your records. Rather than it being deposited, however, the payment will be deposited. Quickbooks then places the money back into you Undeposited Funds. You can remove the payment entirely by deleting it from your Undeposited Funds.

When you are finished, save the deposit by clicking “Save” in the Make Deposits window. This records the deposit without the payment you’ve deleted. Hopefully, this gives you a better understanding of how to delete payments in Quickbooks. Just remember that using the aforementioned tutorial moves the payment from deposited to undeposited. This is helpful because it doesn’t throw off your books, rather it keeps it on record for tax and other accounting purposes.

o edit or delete a payment you’ve already included in a deposit in the Make Deposits window, you must remove the payment from the deposit.

If you have set up QuickBooks to bypass Undeposited Funds and to deposit payments directly into an account, you can’t edit or delete a payment without affecting your records. When you delete a payment from the account register, the payment no longer exists in QuickBooks.

Did this tutorial work for you? Let us know in the comments section below!

How to Handle Down Deposits in Quickbooks

coins-1015125_960_720111Depending on your business’s line of work, you may have customers or clients who pay a partial amount of their bill. These “down payments” must be handled in a different manner than full payments. And failure to distinguish between the two could throw your books off. So, how exactly do you handle down deposits using the Quickbooks accounting software?

Before we begin, it’s important to note that down deposits are typically used as a “retainer” for either a service or product that has not yet been delivered. The business owner may ask the client or customer to make a down payment as insurance. Once the product has been delivered or service rendered, the customer or client pays the remaining balance. Of course, this is just one of the many ways in which down payments are used. Regardless of how you intend to use them, you can refer to the steps below to properly record them in Quickbooks.

Recording a down deposit is a quick and easy process using Quickbooks. Once you’ve received the initial down payment, go ahead and fire up your Quickbooks account software. From the main screen, select Customers > Receive Payment, at which point you should enter the account where the deposit will be made in the “Deposit To” field. You can also change the date of the down payment by clicking the “Date” field. This is completely optional, however, and should not affect the actual down payment transactions.

In the “Amount” field, enter the total amount of the down payment. You should include how much the customer or client initially paid for his or her down payment, not the amount of the product or service. In the “Check #” field, feel free to include the check number used by the client or customer. Much like the date, this is a completely optional step that should not affect the transaction in any way. Lastly, you can include a note about the down payment in the “Memo” field, which is also an optional step.

Next, make sure all boxes in the “Invoices and outstanding transactions” menu are empty and not checked. If you see any boxes checked, click them again so they are unchecked. Congratulations, you’ve just recorded a down payment using the Quickbooks accounting software! Just remember to go back and record the remaining payment after the customer or client has made it.

Did this tutorial work for you? Let us know in the comments section below!

How to Export Transactions Using Quickbooks

digital-marketing-1725340_960_720Quickbooks is the catch-all accounting solution for businesses big and small. It contains all incoming revenue and outgoing business-related expenses, all in one convenient location. Perhaps this is why it’s the #1 accounting software year after year.

There are times, however, when business owners may need to export their transactions from Quickbooks. If you’re preparing your taxes, for instance, you may want a separate copy of your transactions. Rather than going into your financial accounts, you should pull them from Quickbooks. This is a relatively easy and painless task that should only take a few minutes. So, if you need to export your transactions from Quickbooks, keep reading for a step-by-step walkthrough on how perform this task.

There are actually two different ways to export transactions from Quickbooks, the first of which requires a transaction type for two more customers, vendors or employees. If you need to analyze or exchange filtered data, you should use this option. This is done by logging into your account and choosing the Find window. After accessing the Transaction Type menu, choose Invoice followed by the Find button. This should reveal the location of your transactions, after which you can click the export button to export them.

The export window offers several different options, including the ability to save the exported data as a comma separated value or Excel workbook. Keep in mind that exports using the Excel format are only compatible with Microsoft Excel versions 2000 and newer. If you have an older version, you should choose a different file format for your exported transactions. Also, the Advanced tab offers several additional customization features, which can you choose if needed. After selecting your preferred options, click Export to export the transactions.

The second method for exporting transactions involving the Customer Center. To do this, open the Customer Center and select the customer whose data you would like to export. Next, click the Excel button in the toolbar, then click the Export Transactions menu in the window below. After choosing the Export menu, you should see the transactions from the customer. From here, you can filter them by changing the values in the respective drop-down menu, or you can leave them as is. Once finished, you can export the transactions by proceeding with the on-screen instructions. It’s important to note that exporting transactions using this method does not offer the ability to save the transactions as a .csv file. Rather, you’ll have to use a different option, such as Microsoft Excel.

Did this tutorial work for you? Let us know in the comments section below!

Help! Quickbooks Keeps Asking Me to Change My Password

password-866979_960_720Is Quickbooks asking you to change your password? Seeing this message appear every time you fire up the popular accounting software can be a nuisance. In most cases, you can fix this problem simply by changing your password. However, there have been reports of even this not working. So, what should you do if Quickbooks keeps asking you to change your password?

Seeing the password request is frustrating to say the least, but fixing it is actually quite easy. First and foremost, it’s important to note that password change requests are completely normal. Quickbooks — like many software and services — asks users to change their password on a regular basis for security purposes. The longer your password remains unchanged, the greater the risk of a hacker or other nefarious individual accessing your account and retrieving your sensitive data. More specifically, Quickbooks asks users to change their password once every 90 days. So in order words, you can expect to see a password change request notification once every three months.

But updating your password doesn’t always fix the problem, at least not for some users. There have been reports of Quickbooks continuing to prompt users to change their password, even after they’ve already done so. According to several sources, this is apparently a problem with the Quickbooks user rather than Quickbooks itself. To correct the problem, you’ll need to delete the problematic user, after which you can create a new one. Keep in mind, however, that only admins can delete and add new users, so you’ll need to log in as the admin to perform this operation.

To do this, fire up your Quickbooks accounting software and choosing Company > Set Up Users and Passwords > Set Up Users > under the “User List” menu, click the problematic user and choose “Delete User.” Next, click “Add User” to add the user back, giving them a unique password. This user should see a request to change their password the first time they log in, which is completely normal. Go ahead and change the password for the new user after you log in. Following this, however, Quickbooks shouldn’t ask you to change your password for another 90 days.

Hopefully, this resolves the issue you are having with Quickbooks asking you to change your password. And if you still have trouble with this issue, contact your Quickbooks hosting provider for additional assistance.

Did this tutorial work for you? Let us know in the comments section below!

Quickbooks Error H101, H202, H303 and H505

emotiguy-1654864_960_720Have you encountered the H101, H202, H303 or H505 error message when attempting to open your Quickbooks company file? It’s frustrating when errors such as these occur, especially when you’re trying to conduct other work like keeping track of your business income and/or expenses. However, Quickbooks provides these errors with unique codes so you’ll know what’s causing them and how to fix them.

The H202 error message, for instance, often appears when you attempt to open a company file located on a different computer, yet your copy of Quickbooks can’t reach the server on which the other copy is stored. The H202 error message may also occur when you have shared connections set up on your company but the actual Quickbooks software can’t connect to the host computer.

According to Intuit, the H101, H303 and H505 error messages may all occur when you attempt to work with a company file located on a different computer, but that computer needs additional installation and/or setup.

So, how do you fix these errors? First and foremost, download and run the Quickbooks File Doctor Tool. Available for free through Intuit’s own website, this tool is designed to identify and fix a wide range of problems. After downloading the tool to your computer, go ahead and open it, at which point it should scan your computer for possible problems associated with Quickbooks. If the tool finds any problems, it will provide recommendations on how to fix them.

If the File Doctor Tool did not find, or fix, the problem, you should verify your hosting next. This is done by accessing File > Utilities > at which point you should see whether or not your computer is hosting the company file. If your computer is hosting the company file, it will reveal “Host Multi-User Access.” If you see “Stop Hosting Multi-User Access,” select this option.  Choose “Yes” to confirm, followed by “Yes” in the “Company File Must be Closed” window. Repeat these steps for each computer. This should eliminate many problems associated with the H101, H202, H303 and H505 error messages.

In the event that you are still struggling to open your Quickbooks company file, contact your respective hosting provider for assistance. If you are using a Hosted version of Quickbooks, your hosting provider should offer help with problems such as these.

Did this tutorial work for you? Let us know in the comments section below!

How to Merge Accounts in Quickbooks

edit-1105049_960_720If you are currently using two similar accounts in Quickbooks, you may want to merge them into a single account. This is beneficial for several reasons: it keeps your transactions neatly together; reduces the risk of discrepancies; and improves overall efficiency. So, how exactly do you merge accounts in Quickbooks?

Before we begin, it’s important to note that merging is not reversible. If you merge two accounts and want to “undo” the process later, you are out of luck. The only solution is to manually edit the merged account and create a new account. For this reason, it’s recommended that you proceed carefully when merging accounts.

To merge two of your accounts, log into the Quickbooks accounting software and select the Gear icon > Chart of Accounts > in the Action column, select Edit for the account you wish to keep (not the account you wish to delete) > Copy the Name of the account and make a note of whether or not the Sub-account option is marked. If it’s marked as a Sub-account, you’ll also need to make a note of the parent account to which it is tied. When you are finished, click Cancel to return back to the Chart of Accounts screen.

Next, go back to the account that you want to delete and click the Edit link in the Action column. From here, paste in the Name, double-checking to ensure the Detail Type matches the account you are merging with it. If either of these accounts are sub-accounts, you’ll also need to make sure they are associated with the same parent. If only one of these accounts is a sub-account, you can make it a parent account by selecting the Sub-account option (see above). When you are finished, click Save, followed by Yes when it asks you to confirm that you wish to merge the two accounts together.

It’s also worth mentioning that there are certain accounts in which the Type is permanent and cannot be changed, nor can they be merged into an existing account. One example is an Uncategorized Asset account. If a user with Online Banking tries to change his or her Type to another type of a different account, they’ll receive an error message preventing them from doing so. This is because the account type is reserved for the Online Banking system.

Did this tutorial work for you? Let us know in the comments section below!

Quickbooks: How to Transfer Funds Between Accounts

light-bulb-1002783_960_72033Looking to transfer funds between your different financial accounts? Well, using the Quickbooks accounting software, you can do this and more. Intuit’s popular and long-running line of accounting software makes fund transfers between two or more accounts a breeze. For step-by-step instructions on how to do this, keep reading.

Quickbooks allows fund transfers between checking, savings and money market accounts, assuming these transfers are performed in your chart of accounts. Keep in mind, however, that you cannot transfer funds between A/P and A/R accounts. If you need to transfer funds from a savings account to a checking account, for instance (for the purpose of covering payroll), you’ll have to transfer the funds from your checking account to your petty cash account, simply because Quickbooks does not support this type of transfer.

So, when you are ready to transfer funds between two or more accounts, log into your Quickbooks accounting software and access the Banking menu > Transfer Funds > at which point you should see a new window appear > select the account that you wish to transfer funds from > select the account that you wish to transfer funds to > enter the amount of the transfer > save the transaction. Congratulations, you’ve just transferred funds between your accounts using the Quickbooks software!

Keep in mind that if you choose to transfer funds into your petty cash account, you must also move or withdraw the real funds too. So if you transfer $100 from your savings account to your petty cash account, you must then cash a check for $100 or withdraw $100 using an ATM card. Failure to perform this step could throw off your books.

You can easily perform this operation using an ATM withdrawal, however, by following just a few extra steps. Start by accessing the Baking menu > Transfer Funds > Transfer Funds drop-down arrow > select the bank account that you withdrew money from > Transfer Funds > Petty Cash or drawer account > enter the amount of the withdrawal > in the Memo field, enter ATM withdrawal > save the transfer.

Hopefully, this will give you a better idea of how to transfer funds using Quickbooks. Most business owners have more than one financial account, and it’s not uncommon for them to transfer funds between these accounts. Using the Quickbooks accounting software, you can perform these transfers in minutes. Just follow the steps listed above when you need to transfer funds between two or more accounts.

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