Question: What is involved in converting from my current accounting software to QuickBooks? Answer: Converting from other ad specialty systems, such as ASI ProfitMaker, OrderMaster, AIA or Proforma, involves planning and attention to detail, and it is a routine procedure. QuickBooks is user-friendly, which has something to do with it being the No. 1 accounting…
Read MoreChannel: Ask the Accountant
A Better Way to Access Orders
Question: I have been using the order numbers that QuickBooks auto-assigns for sales orders (SO), purchase orders (PO) and invoices numbers. Is there a better way? Answer: Yes. When I was a distributor, I quickly learned how often I had to access different orders during the course of a day. And thus, being able to…
Read MoreControl What Info Users Have Access to in QuickBooks
Question: How can I set up QuickBooks to control what information users have access to? Answer: QuickBooks allows you to set up users and passwords under the “company” tab. When setting up a user, you can specify which information you want that particular user to see or not see, and edit or not edit. You…
Read MoreCollecting Sales Tax on Additional Charges
Question: How can I find out if I have to collect sales taxes on additional charges, such as screen charges and freight? Answer: Contact your CPA or the department of revenue for your state, because sales tax varies by state—and sometimes by county. It is most likely that these extra charges are subject to sales…
Read MoreCan I Run a Report on Amount of Sales from Customer Groups in QuickBooks?
Question: Is there some way in QuickBooks to run a report showing the amount of sales from a particular group of customers? Answer: Yes. QuickBooks allows you to define “Types of Customers.” When you open a customer in the Customer Center, click on “Additional Info” on the left side of the screen. There you can…
Read MoreHow Much Can I Charge a Customer for Using a Credit Card?
Answer: The safe and easy answer is “nothing.” Some states prohibit surcharges for credit card use, period. Some states permit it but with some complicated qualifiers, like no surcharge on debit cards, surcharge limited to what you actually paid and other such language buried in your merchant service agreement. The regulations are too many, making…
Read MoreWill My QuickBooks Run if I Upgrade to Windows 10?
Maybe … I recently contacted Intuit/QuickBooks with that very question. I was told, “Based on initial testing, Intuit has found no issues with running QuickBooks 2015 on Windows 10.”
Read MoreDo I Have to Collect Sales Tax for Out-of-state Sales?
Question: Do I have to collect sales tax for out-of-state sales? It depends, and it’s complicated. State governments would like to collect as much sales tax as possible and, with declining revenues over the last several years, are looking to every possible source.
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Question: I use the order system in QuickBooks Premier. Why don’t the customer sales order and supplier purchase order appear in my financial statements?
Ask the Accountant
Question: I am starting out as an ad specialty distributor. Is it better to set up my books on a cash or accrual basis for tax purposes?