Question: Is there a way to add data to stock reports in QuickBooks? Answer: QuickBooks Premier and Enterprise allow a great deal of customization of its reports, but sometimes you will want to add, rearrange or manipulate data beyond the scope allowed in QuickBooks. In that case, you can export that QuickBooks report to an…
Read MoreAuthor: Harriet Gatter
Making Default Templates
Question: How do I make a template in QuickBooks to be the default template for sales orders, purchase orders or invoices? Answer: QuickBooks Premier and Enterprise do not have a means to designate a “default” template, but there is a workaround to achieve the same result. Go to “Lists” and then “Templates.” The list shows…
Read MoreWhy Use QuickBooks Over Other Software?
Question: My accountant wants me to start using QuickBooks Premier instead of industry software. Why? Answer: As described in another blog, QuickBooks Premier works very well for our industry, but your accountant may or may not know that. Likely, your accountant knows how to work within QuickBooks since it is the No. 1 accounting software…
Read MoreDon’t Do Unnecessary Work
Question: In QuickBooks, I prefer to set up items as categories, such as apparel or pens, and type in the individual descriptions. Is there any reason not to do it that way? I feel like I’m going to end up with too many items otherwise. Answer: I can understand why you might want to do…
Read MoreSetting Up Non-Inventory Items
Question: I have my non-inventory items set up in QuickBooks, but I don’t see anything in my cost of goods sold account, and my sales numbers seem very low. Why is that? Answer: Chances are you don’t have your non-inventory items set up correctly. This is a common error for our industry, and one of…
Read MoreCorrectly Updating QuickBooks
Question: I am using an older version of QuickBooks and want to upgrade to the current year. What should I do to prepare for this? Answer: First of all, back up your current QuickBooks file. Then, run your balance sheet, and profit and loss (income) statements on both the accrual and cash bases for the…
Read MoreCombining Duplicate Customers in Quickbooks
Question: I have created a duplicate customer in QuickBooks that has a slightly different name. How do I combine them into one customer account? Answer: Go to “customers” > “customer center.” Highlight the customer name you want to change, right click on it and click “Edit Customer: Job.” Change the customer name to match the…
Read More‘Knowing QuickBooks’ Isn’t Enough
Question: I am interviewing a bookkeeper who is familiar with QuickBooks. Is that all I need to know? Answer: No! Setting aside the issues of the complexity of a bookkeeper’s former experience, which is the subject of another blog, you need to know more about which QuickBooks this person has used in the past. QuickBooks…
Read MoreOrganizing by Class
Question: Is there a way to view my profit by type of customer? Answer: QuickBooks has a function within it to allow segmenting your business in reports. It is called “classes.” You can create a set of classes, which you enter into QuickBooks and apply to customers, vendors or other categories. For instance, you can…
Read MoreTrust Your Instincts
Question: I called Intuit/QuickBooks support and was told something that I know is not the way we do business. How can that happen? Answer: We have a complex and unique business. We do not fit typical business models, and it is confusing to many bookkeepers, CPA’s and, yes, even QuickBooks support on occasion. Recently, a…
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