Try closing out any open windows within QuickBooks. Also make sure you have permission to perform that action.

1. We are in the process of implementing this software. I would like to know if it is possible to setup an additional tax (excise tax) using a set formula and apply it to certain items in inventory? Furthermore automate reports every two weeks on these taxed items for my accountant?

2. Can we setup a cycle inventory count? Where quickbooks will automatically prompt us daily to count a sample of items in inventory so we can avoid long, arduous inventory counts.

• Dmagee15 (May 8, 2008 5:29 pm)

You could possibly use group items, create an "other charge" item for the excise tax, have it point to an "other current liability" account and manually calculate it on a return based on a report for the item sales. You can't set up QuickBooks for cycle counts on inventory.

I just changed over from QuickBooks Pro 2005 to 2008. I am having difficulty understanding the payroll liabilities area of the new QuickBooks. The amounts that QuickBooks is automatically using for my weekly payroll liabilities seems a lot higher than was being calculated under the 2005 version. Is there a way to find out where the system is obtaining these numbers and how do I verify that they are correct? In addition, the system is telling me that there are still liabilities owed for the previous quarter. The previous quarter has been paid and balances so I'm not sure why it keeps telling me there is a balance--how do I get rid of this?
Thank you so much for any help you can offer!!

• Dmagee15 (May 8, 2008 5:55 pm)

I would suggest looking at the payroll items to make sure the items you are using have the same preferences as before. Also, you may want to run a payroll liabilities report to see where the under payment was. There may be a small variance on rounding that you didn't see before in the old payroll system. If you have technical problems, you can always call the payroll department at Intuit for further assistance.

We want to create work orders for our subcontractors in our remodeling business. Can we do that in Premier QB 2008: Contractor Edition?

• Dmagee15 (May 8, 2008 6:00 pm)

You can customize a Purchase Order to say Work Order. Then you would skip the inventory part and Enter Bills... it will pick up the PO and allow you to receive against it as a Work Order.

We are a retail clothing store currently using QB POS Pro 4.0. We need to upgrade our POS hardware as well as software. From the QuickBooks online comparison chart, it appears the only function the Pro version does that Basic does not is sales commission tracking (which we need.) Is there a work around solution in QB POS 7.0 Basic for tracking and reporting employee sales commissions?

• Dmagee15 (May 8, 2008 6:04 pm)

Actually there are many differences, of which, Pro offers more customizations options. Anyone that I have installed in the past that purchased Basic always went back and purchased the Pro version. I am not aware of any work around. Depending on your setup on the exchange, you may be able to track it if it comes over into QuickBooks, (assuming you use QuickBooks also).

When I download data from my bank and I have on my register 2 transactions for a deposit, two customers paid and I made only one deposit. How can I match them to a single deposit that my bank shows?
The same for Payroll liability payments.
QB shows payment for every liabilty and I made one check by hand. Now, I know that I can create a custom payment to be able to print only one check, but I didn't know that before and I'm trying to match amounts from the bank for those old transactions. Laura

• Dmagee15 (May 8, 2008 6:10 pm)

There are 2 ways that you can handle this. 1. delete the deposit and payments that were entered into your register wrong and re-enter them correctly, then match them 2. in the Online banking screen at the bottom of the screen where it shows you the recent balance and the date of when you downloaded last, you will click on the last entry and click on the delete to the right of it. That will delete the last download and remove the memory that you didn't match those items. When you reconcile, you will have to reconcile how they were entered and not what the bank says. I would recommend #1.

I am a new Quickbooks user. Before I understood how to apply checks to Customers correctly, I would record the deposit but not credit the Customer correctly. Is there a way to go back to checks that have already cleared and credit the Customer Account?

• Dmagee15 (May 8, 2008 6:17 pm)

Yes. It can be a little tricky. First receive payments against all the invoices you have received money for by using the "receive payments" icon. Then go into the check register and (one at a time) open the deposit and click on the "payments" button and bring in the payment/s that the deposit was referencing Then once the deposit has the correct payment information, then you will need to delete the lines that are on the deposit that are not the undeposited funds payments.

I am trying to print a progress invoice. One of the items currently has zero for the quantity, because we haven't done anything yet for that portion of the job. For some reason, it isn't showing that one particular item when my invoice prints. I've verified that the column is checked to print, but it just isn't printing.
Thank you!

• Dmagee15 (May 8, 2008 6:31 pm)

You need to change a preference in the EDIT>PREFERENCES then click on the COMPANY PREFERENCES, and JOBS and ESTIMATES, the last option that you can select on the right side is "don't print items that have zero amounts". You can uncheck this and it will print everything.

Hi Denise,
I would like to use the shipping manager to automatically ship through USPS, but when I try to, it only shows UPS and FED EX. Can I add USPS to the shipping manager? Thanks!

• Dmagee15 (May 9, 2008 2:46 pm)

Currently, you can only use the shipping manager for FedEx and UPS. USPS is not an option but it is a great idea. I would make that suggestion to Intuit as a product improvement.

Hi Denise,
I am a using Quick Books Pro 2008 for my law firm and am wondering if there is a way to set up for "Clients" instead of "Customers." We normally do not send out bills that have to be paid, but instead are paid in advance for our work.
Thanks.
DK

• Dmagee15 (May 9, 2008 2:54 pm)

By default the names are Customers, however QuickBooks is customizable in many ways. You can create a Liability Account called "Deposits" or "Retainers" and create items that will be posted to that account. When you have a invoice that you need to post a retainer against, you will create an invoice with the actual charge to the client, then you will use the "retainer" item that you will also need to create, except this time it will be a (-) amount to reduce the invoice amount. Also, you can create invoice letters instead of regular invoices for a more professional appearance.

I have a client using Pro 2004 and he needs some extensive bookkeeping work. I would prefer to do the work at my office, but am worried about incompatibility of versions. I have 2006 Premier:Accountant.

Is there a way for me to work remotely on his system, from my office? Can I load his data file on my version, then re-load the revised data file on his earlier version?

Please let me know the options available to me. Thanks for your help.

• Dmagee15 (May 9, 2008 2:59 pm)

There are a couple of options. You can use GoToMyPC, WebEx, or something like that. In those version there isn't a way that I would suggest merging transactions. I would suggest they upgrade as well as you to the latest version if that is possible that way you can work in an accountants copy and they can work in their file.

I am currently using Quickbooks in my office and have windows XP on my computer. I am thinking of adding another user to Quickbooks and I assume we would work off of a shared file, if I did this. My question is that the other office worker has Windows Vista so can we still share the file or would I have to upgrade to Vista in order for this to work? Don't want to spend any money if I don't have to. Thanks Deborah K.

• Dmagee15 (May 9, 2008 3:03 pm)

I don't see that being a problem. Vista has many "annoying" security layers that you may find difficult to set up the network and may want to retain a local IT company to assist in the network.

how do I split a balance between the principal and interest on a payment?

• Dmagee15 (May 9, 2008 3:07 pm)