Hey David -

Thanks for all the great guidance you're providing, it's so helpfuil!

I've been a bookkeeper for about 10 years now, using all manner of QB software. I was just starting to think I was pretty proficient at this stuff when I got a new client last week who uses the online version. After messing around for about an hour I drew two main conclusions: it's excessively cumbersome to navigate, and excessively forgiving in somewhat frightening ways (like being able to delete accounts that have transactions in them - yikes!) But I'll quit blathering and get to the point...

My main questions at this point are 1) Does the online version support online banking? and 2) Is there any way to set preferences or somthing so that navigating is a bit quicker?

Thanks again -
Trish

• dkupferman (Dec 14, 2006 2:20 pm)

Hey Trish!

It's always great to chat with experienced folks like you...

Online banking is something I've been lobbying very hard for a few years now and from what I understand bank interfacing should be happen soon.

In terms of navigation, well to my understanding you cannot fiddle/alter the layout and scheme. In Desktop it's possible I recall to make some icons go away, etc... but on the desktop - no go. I for one am not too bothered by navigational issues and I think once you get more acclimatized it'll be better.

Your comments about it being cumbersome, well Intuit has always tried - in fact since inception - to make their products human (not machine) centric - they have to my knowledge at least one lab where they put users and video record the usage steps of lab rat accountants as a way of making the product better (I was such a lab rat once in fact...) so I can only say that I expect they'll be continuously improving the layout - but let them know of your suggestions! We're all in this together!

Oh and about Online banking it appears that the online banking (for now/soon) will NOT include online bill payment. That is a wonderful and turbo charging efficiency tool we use in the Desktop version but it will not be in the next phase of the Online. So Accounta Claus will not bring us that treat this xmas, maybe next. I sure as heck wish they had done this years ago but for whatever reason they've not seen that as a core element of functionality. as for me, the absence of that tool (online bill pmt) is what prevents me from using Qbooks Online for my own CPA business... I'd much rather be in the Online version but cannot....

Lastly, regarding the Halloween treats coming out of quick data deletions, etc... well, I think this holds true for most all Qbooks products - I always tell clients "the good thing about Quickbooks is that it's easy to use; the bad thing about Quickbooks is that it's easy to use" Then I instruct what they should do and what they should NEVER touch or do. One can switch on the "audit trail" of course so you can get a better idea of what happened when and then you can figure out how to recapture and/or reverse it (oh joy...).

Hope this helps and happy holidays!

Hope I'm not being repeative(sp)....

I've fallen into a new position of A/P for a real estate co (no rental prop)...I was wondering if there is any information specifically related to the field..as far as quickbooks is concerned, thanks in advance.

• dkupferman (Dec 14, 2006 2:25 pm)

Hum, I think I already answered you but I will add that in the Desktop version of Quickbooks they should have chart of accounts that might closely match what a real estate company might need.... But that is something one can only take advantage of when creating a NEW company. If the datafile already exists then you'll need to customize what you've got...

Our company uses a payroll service which automatically debits our account and does direct deposit of funds for the employees.

My bank statement shows, monthly, the withdrawals by the payroll service and a separate line as their service fee.

We don't get a formal invoice for the automatic withdrawals and for the fees, though we do get a monthly statement that shows it.

My question: what the is correct way (in QB Online) to track these withdrawals and fees?

So far, I've defined the payroll service company as a vendor and have been creating an artificial invoice in QB and then 'paying' it as an 'EFT' transaction. This enters it into the bank register and is then reconciled at the next bank statement. If I don't create these artificial invoices, I am not sure how to otherwise reconcile the bank statements.

-Thanks in advance -
David

• dkupferman (Dec 14, 2006 2:55 pm)

While I always strongly advise people to move into Intuit's Complete payroll service (so that it all automatically lands in your books, none of your problems come up at all, you save tons of time....) in your case the most pragmatic and healthiest thing to do (from an accounting standpoint) is to

1) tell that lazy payroll processing firm to give you a full statement for each payroll (sounds like they're not...)

2) look at it in depth and figure out what the debits and credits are so that it is all correct and balances. You might want to do this with or fly it by your CPA.

3) then do a journal entry

4) if you're adept at it you could set up a model in excel so that all you have to do is to enter the key bits of data from various pages of the pr processor's report and voila! a journal entry is created (I used to that a lot, eons ago, for a large company...)

Alternatively you could try to do the same thing as the above suggested journal entry but via entering negative and positive amounts in the check entry screen enter the same accounts (as would be in the journal entry) and get to the same result as though you'd done a journal entry.

Either way be very sure that your quarterly and year end Qbooks totals exactly match what your processor assumably files with the gvmt.

But frankly, instead of all this baloney, if I were you I'd immediately start work on getting set up with Intuit's payroll service (meshing with yoru Quickbooks) so that you can start with their hyper efficient payroll service Jan 1. OK, I'll shut up now...

Lastly, it's great that you have employees paid via EFT, that means not everyone will stand up and run to the bank when they get their checks!

Hope this helps!

Cheers
David

I have two small businesses on Quickbooks Pro. I would like to merge them into one, but keep them separated into divisions, each with its own checking account, expense accounts, etc. I have one tax number for both of them. Is it possible to do this, and if so, how?

• dkupferman (Dec 16, 2006 8:54 pm)

Well, in both Qbooks Online and in Qbooks Pro neither of them do consolidations.... The Enterprise Edition may have some capabilities in the arena so check it out.

BUT one idea instead of doing a consolidation per se you could run one qbooks datafile and have them each be different 'department'... you issue though is that you may not be able to fully separate everything on your reporting so that you can view fiscal results of each one clearly.... In terms of pushing a button to schmoosh (technical term...) the Qbooks datafile for each of the two into one, which botton do you push...? Well, there is not one so it will require some work to plan it out BUT if you really want to do I'd suggest you do it JANUARY 1 (assumably start of the year...) - start with a clean, fresh start...

We recently did the upgrades to 2007. I opened a p&l for a job and the budget is gone. Before we updated, I put the budget in for each job. Then I could go to the p&l for that job and see actual vs. budget. The column is still there, but no numbers!!!
Please help
Tina
843-626-9595

• dkupferman (Dec 16, 2006 8:59 pm)
• dkupferman (Dec 17, 2006 3:24 am)

Gotta luv it...
Well, if you've not entered too much data you might try to revert and reconvert to the backup datafile you converted from before the upgrade. Uh, you backed up the data didn't you?

If not then have fun entering it again...

NOt sure why it happened - maybe you converted from MAC to PC platform or skipped version generations...? You might do 2 or 3 verifications tha the budget data is not there... maybe it's there but your report's are out of whack? good luck... clal techsupport if you need to...

Have you heard anything about QB discontinuing the UniCheck feature with Complete Payroll?
I was just informed that they are not going to have it available any more.
Bud

• dkupferman (Dec 16, 2006 9:22 pm)

Hi Bud - No - I've not heard about them killing off that feature... but I do know that Intuit needs to and is making some movement towards consolidated and reconfiguring their payroll systems.. as I understand it, though we may not see it they've had something like 5 or so different backend systems as a result of acquisitions and differing products.... their services have been a bit fractured in the past as a result but frankly I'd be suprised if they'd be killing off core functionalities...if anything you should be getting more... sorry can't help you more... you could ask or email them and try to get a reply

I met this nice fellow from Intuit PR in 2004 - if he's there still he should be able to help get your answer... Joseph_DeRosa@intuit.com

Hello David,

I've contacted Quickbooks Online and they really couldn't help me. I'm an independent bookkeeper and one of my clients is an insurance agency. They want to be able to enter the total invoice to show insurance premium, commission, agency fee and not have the insurance premium (which is paid to the insurance company not them) show up on there open A/R. I wanted to set up the insurance premium as an inactive item account but found out I could not do this online. What do you suggest?

• dkupferman (Dec 16, 2006 9:33 pm)

Hi - I thought I replied on this one but focusing on your notion of entering the premium as a footnote of sorts that's possible - just enter it in one of the two possible comments areas for invoices BUT to have that data show up on the AGING report well, the system was not designed to do that....

But, hum.. by designing a a series of ying/yang/ AR offsetting accounts it would be possible to show them on the AR but probablly not separately.... You're really trying to track TWO AR balances....one for the broker and one that the broker's client owes the insur company pure and simple... so really not possible....

I'd recommend that you check the Intuit Marketplace for solutions for brokers but I do not recall seeing anything for insurance brokers in terms of the Online product.... Thhis kind of special reporting you seek is just another example of why many businesses need what I call a 'front end' software which specializes on their unique field/customer needs... the trick is to find one such s/w that interfaces to Qbooks....

Last thought - you theoretically could track the balance owed to the insur company and enter that manually or maybe import it but if your broker is like any of my brokers you're talking about thousands of policies.... thus the need for front end software... the broker should be willing to PAY for such software since it is at the core of his/her business....

Good luck

one other idea is to check that you've upgraded into the correct version... if you converted up into a lesser version than your prior one then that might explain the situation...

follow up reply to lynlain on earlier reconciliation report quesstion...

Note that on the desktop version you'd be able to upgrade to or read the prior datafile version and then you'd be ale to SEE the prior reconciliations: Premier, Enterprise, and Accountant

I'd doubt however that if the bnk reconciliations were done in the Online version if reading that BACK into one of these three flavours you'd be able to see the prior bank recs... could try it though...

For the week of Dec 11 - Dec 15 the QuickBooks Community will be featuring a Pro Advisor who is very knowledgeable with the QuickBooks Online Edition! Please go to the Ask the Expert event and submit your questions!

Thanks,

Caleb

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used to use quickbooks 2004, and in that program i would be able to go to company center and see graphs showing income and expense trend. is that available in the online program? if so where can i find it

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Hi Jasond!

If you meant to ask our Expert this question, you will need to go here, to do so.

Nonetheless, I can answer this for you.  Currently, you would have to export a report to Excel and make your charts and graphs there as there is not a built in feature right now for charts/graphs in the Online Edition.

Anytime you have feedback on features, you can go here and click on the Feedback tab to send us your thoughts.

Thanks!

Aimee, QBOE :)

I'm considering moving from QB Pro 2007 to Online so I can have employees/vendors put their time into the centralized database, and have external vendors (project managers) get reports against timesheets and their projects. But I don't want them to have access to P&L, Balance Sheet or really almost all other reports. Is there any kind of control over this or is there really just a generic "reports only" user who can access whatever reports s/he wants? Any other options/alternatives you can suggest?

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Hi beehivemedia,

The best answer for you is read a post by QBOE's Aimee that explains the breakdown of Access Choices for Users.

Hope This Helps,
Mario

 

Hi

I am new on using QB and when i print a Profit and loss report it always has the $ sign on the totals. I would like to use another currency but can not find how to change the $ sign

Thanks for your help

My company currently has Line of Credits classified as Credit Cards in Current Liabilities. How would I change them over to Long-Term Liabilities and could I keep them as credit cards?

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Hi rreed454,

From what I've been reading, QBOE cannot change the currency symbol as of yet. I found a thread from August / September 2006 where the suggestion was made to download to EXCEL to make the currency change.

Click on this thread and see if it helps you. Be sure to read the reply at the end from Aimee @QBOE.

Good Luck,
Mario