QuickBooks^® Online For Dummies^®, 6th Edition

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2020951419

ISBN 978-1-119-67907-3 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-67908-0 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-67903-5 (ebk)

QuickBooks® Online For Dummies®

To view this book's Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and search for “QuickBooks Online For Dummies Cheat Sheet” in the Search box.

Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page

Introduction

About This Book
Foolish Assumptions
Icons Used in This Book
Beyond the Book
Where to Go from Here

Part 1: Getting Started with QBO and QBOA

Chapter 1: Introducing QBO and QBOA
1. QBO for the Client and QBOA for the Accountant
2. Understanding the Cloud
3. Should You Move to the Cloud?
4. System Requirements
Chapter 2: Embracing the QBO/QBOA Format
1. It’s All about Subscriptions
2. What Does It Cost?
3. Addressing Payroll Needs
4. Switching from QuickBooks Desktop
5. Where Add-On Apps Fit In

Part 2: Managing the Books for the End User

Chapter 3: Creating a Client Company in QBO
1. Signing Up for QBO
2. Setting Up a New Company
3. Understanding the Dashboard Page
4. Establishing Company Settings
5. Working with Multiple Currencies
6. Updating the Chart of Accounts
7. Taking Advantage of QuickBooks Labs
8. Signing In to and Out of QBO
Chapter 4: Managing List Information
1. Importing People into a List
2. Adding New People to a List
3. Searching Lists for People
4. Changing Settings for People Lists
5. Working with Products and Services Items
6. A Look at Other Lists
Chapter 5: Dealing with the Outflow of Money
1. Writing a Check
2. Creating an Expense
3. Entering a Purchase Order
4. Entering and Paying Bills
Chapter 6: Managing the Inflow of Money
1. Managing Projects
2. Getting Started with Sales Transactions
3. Giving Money Back to a Customer
4. Creating Billable Time Entries
5. Adding a Billable Expense to an Invoice
Chapter 7: Working in Registers
1. Understanding Registers
2. Entering and Editing Transactions
3. Other Things You Can Do in a Register
Chapter 8: Handling Bank and Credit Card Transactions
1. Controlling the Appearance of Bank Accounts
2. Connecting QBO Accounts to Financial Institutions
3. Converting Receipts to Transactions
4. Managing Downloaded Activity
5. Making a Bank Deposit
6. Reconciling a Bank Account
7. Tagging Transactions
Chapter 9: Paying Employees and Contractors
1. Understanding the Employee Payroll Process
2. Getting Started with QBO Payroll (QBOP)
3. Preparing Payroll
4. Managing Payroll Taxes
5. Paying Contractors
Chapter 10: How’s the Business Doing?
1. Quickly Review Income and Expenses
2. Finding the Report You Want
3. Printing a Report

Part 3: Managing the Books for the Accountant

Chapter 11: Setting Up Shop in QBOA
1. Signing Up for and into QBOA
2. Examining the QBOA Interface
3. Setting Up Your Team
4. Controlling the Appearance of the Client List
5. Understanding and Using the Free QBOA Company
6. Working with the Sample Company
7. Closing Companies and QBOA
8. Working with Wholesale Billing
Chapter 12: Adding Companies to the QBOA Client List
1. Adding a Client’s Company to the Client List
2. Importing QuickBooks Desktop Information into QBO
3. Switching between Client QBO Companies
Chapter 13: Exploring a Client’s Company from QBOA
1. Opening a Client’s Company
2. Reviewing a Client QBO Company
Chapter 14: Working in a Client’s Company
1. Making Navigation Easy
2. Examining Available Transaction Types
3. Searching for Transactions
4. Making Client Notes
5. Communicating with a Client
Chapter 15: Using Accountant Tools
1. Reporting and Paying Sales Taxes
2. Managing Your Practice
3. Facilitating Accountant Activities

Part 4: The Part of Tens

Chapter 16: Ten Things about the Chrome Browser Interface
1. Understanding Users
2. Windows and Tabs
3. Using the Omnibox to Visit a Web Page
4. Using the Omnibox to Search the Web
5. What’s the Star?
6. Full-Screen Mode
7. Accessing Your Browsing History
8. Examining the Chrome Menu
9. About Signing In to (and Out of) Chrome
10. Using the Chrome Web Store
Chapter 17: Ten Ways to Use Chrome Effectively
1. Setting a Home Page
2. Automatically Opening Excel Reports Exported from QBO
3. Using Keyboard Shortcuts
4. Chrome and Security
5. Chrome and Privacy
6. Using Bookmarks in Chrome
7. Duplicating and Pinning Tabs
8. Using Chrome on Multiple Monitors
9. Working with Chrome Users
10. Zooming In and Out
11. Downloading Files

Appendix A: QBO, QuickBooks Desktop, and Data Conversion

What Doesn’t Import
Features Not Fully Available in QBO
Looking at List Limitations
Exploring Payroll Conversion
Examining Inventory and the Items List
Examining Other Special Cases

Index

About the Author

Connect with Dummies

End User License Agreement

List of Illustrations

Chapter 1

FIGURE 1-1: An open company in QBO.
FIGURE 1-2: The first view an accountant has when he opens QBOA.
FIGURE 1-3: An open company in QBOA.
FIGURE 1-4: QBO while working in QBO Desktop.
FIGURE 1-5: QBOA while working in QBO Desktop.

Chapter 2

FIGURE 2-1: If you sign up for QBO on your own, you can turn on Payroll from th...
FIGURE 2-2: Take a trip to the App Center to search for additional functionalit...
FIGURE 2-3: When you click an app in the App Center, you see details for the ap...

Chapter 3

FIGURE 3-1: Use the slider to toggle between a short-term discount or a free tr...
FIGURE 3-2: Fill in the information needed to start the free trial.
FIGURE 3-3: Provide basic company information.
FIGURE 3-4: Select activities for which you expect to use QBO.
FIGURE 3-5: Your QBO Dashboard page just after creating your company.
FIGURE 3-6: The QBO Dashboard page after closing the additional setup box.
FIGURE 3-7: The Help menu.
FIGURE 3-8: A sample Help topic.
FIGURE 3-9: Click the New button to create a new transaction.
FIGURE 3-10: Click the Search button to search for previously entered transacti...
FIGURE 3-11: Use the Gear menu to work with settings, lists, tools, and your QB...
FIGURE 3-12: Review company settings.
FIGURE 3-13: Review QBO billing and subscription settings.
FIGURE 3-14: The Sales page of the Account and Settings dialog box.
FIGURE 3-15: Use this page to edit an existing form style or set up a new form ...
FIGURE 3-16: The page you use to customize sales forms.
FIGURE 3-17: Make changes to the email your customers receive with their forms.
FIGURE 3-18: Use the Import Form Style page to download sample forms and instru...
FIGURE 3-19: In Word, place information that QBO should replace in brackets.
FIGURE 3-20: Expense preferences you can control.
FIGURE 3-21: The Advanced tab of the Account and Settings dialog box.
FIGURE 3-22: Turning on Multicurrency.
FIGURE 3-23: The Currencies page.
FIGURE 3-24: Assigning a foreign currency to a new customer.
FIGURE 3-25: Creating an invoice for a customer who uses a foreign currency.
FIGURE 3-26: An invoice for a foreign currency customer shows values in both th...
FIGURE 3-27: Values on reports appear in your home currency.
FIGURE 3-28: QBO establishes separate Accounts Receivable accounts for transact...
FIGURE 3-29: The Chart of Accounts page.
FIGURE 3-30: The Chart of Accounts page in Batch Edit mode.
FIGURE 3-31: The dialog box you use to create an account.
FIGURE 3-32: Use this page to turn on features not yet available by default in ...

Chapter 4

FIGURE 4-1: QBO is very encouraging when it comes to importing customers.
FIGURE 4-2: Start from the appropriate page when you want to create a list entr...
FIGURE 4-3: The Import Vendors page.
FIGURE 4-4: A file showing the format you need to successfully import list info...
FIGURE 4-5: Match the fields in your data file to QBO fields.
FIGURE 4-6: The records QBO will import from your data file.
FIGURE 4-7: The Vendors page after importing vendors using an Excel file.
FIGURE 4-8: Start from the appropriate page when you want to create a list entr...
FIGURE 4-9: Use this dialog box to enter information for a new customer.
FIGURE 4-10: Click the Edit button or use the Customer Details tab to modify a ...
FIGURE 4-11: To find a particular person on a list, use the Search box that app...
FIGURE 4-12: The Transaction List tab shows transactions in QBO associated with...
FIGURE 4-13: Adding the Attachments column to the table on the Transaction List...
FIGURE 4-14: Displaying a list’s Split View.
FIGURE 4-15: Exporting a vendor list to Excel.
FIGURE 4-16: Performing an action for several customers.
FIGURE 4-17: Controlling the information that appears in the list.
FIGURE 4-18: Adjusting the width allotted to the vendor’s name on the Vendors p...
FIGURE 4-19: The Products and Services list.
FIGURE 4-20: The Product Categories page.
FIGURE 4-21: Select a type of item to create.
FIGURE 4-22: Use this window to create a non-inventory item.
FIGURE 4-23: Add purchasing information for the item.
FIGURE 4-24: Supply quantity on hand and inventory asset account information fo...
FIGURE 4-25: Use these graphics to filter the Products and Services list to sho...
FIGURE 4-26: The panel where you establish a bundle.
FIGURE 4-27: Choosing an item to include in a bundle.
FIGURE 4-28: Changing the type of multiple items simultaneously.
FIGURE 4-29: Use this page to create a pricing rule.
FIGURE 4-30: Starting an inventory item adjustment for a single inventory item.
FIGURE 4-31: You can use this window when you have just a few adjustments to ma...
FIGURE 4-32: Searching for a recent inventory adjustment transaction to edit.
FIGURE 4-33: Getting ready to adjust the starting value of an inventory item.
FIGURE 4-34: Use this window to adjust an inventory item’s starting values.
FIGURE 4-35: The Lists page contains links to all available lists in QBO.

Chapter 5

FIGURE 5-1: The Expense Transactions page.
FIGURE 5-2: Expense transactions also appear in the Vendors column of the Creat...
FIGURE 5-3: The Header section of the Check window.
FIGURE 5-4: The Category Details and Item Details sections of the Check window.
FIGURE 5-5: If you select a payee for whom you previously entered a bill, the o...
FIGURE 5-6: The Bill Payment window.
FIGURE 5-7: You can use the Expense transaction window to record making a payme...
FIGURE 5-8: Turn on the Purchase Orders feature and set up a customized message...
FIGURE 5-9: The header area of the Purchase Order window.
FIGURE 5-10: The Check window, with a vendor selected who has open purchase ord...
FIGURE 5-11: A Check transaction after adding a purchase order to it.
FIGURE 5-12: A purchase order with multiple lines.
FIGURE 5-13: A check showing an available purchase order with multiple lines fo...
FIGURE 5-14: Receiving and paying for part of a purchase order.
FIGURE 5-15: Reviewing a purchase order after receiving some of the items on it...
FIGURE 5-16: The Open Purchase Orders Detail report.
FIGURE 5-17: The Bill transaction window.
FIGURE 5-18: Setting up a recurring transaction.
FIGURE 5-19: The Recurring Transactions list.
FIGURE 5-20: The Recurring Template List report.
FIGURE 5-21: A Vendor Credit transaction.
FIGURE 5-22: The Deposit transaction window.
FIGURE 5-23: Open transactions for the selected vendor appear.
FIGURE 5-24: Adding the vendor credit and the bank deposit of the vendor’s chec...
FIGURE 5-25: The Pay Bills page lists bills you owe but have not yet paid.
FIGURE 5-26: QBO uses the bill amount less any vendor credits to calculate a pa...

Chapter 6

FIGURE 6-1: The new Projects page in QBO.
FIGURE 6-2: Enable the Include Projects check box.
FIGURE 6-3: Converting a sub-customer to a project.
FIGURE 6-4: The Project Reports page for a project.
FIGURE 6-5: Creating a new transaction for a project.
FIGURE 6-6: A sample Project Profitability report.
FIGURE 6-7: The Sales Transactions page.
FIGURE 6-8: Sales transactions appear in the Customers column of the New menu.
FIGURE 6-9: The Content page after choosing the Table section to edit.
FIGURE 6-10: Turning on the setting to enable grouping on the selected sales fo...
FIGURE 6-11: Click the last line that should be part of the subtotaled group, a...
FIGURE 6-12: Use the bottom of the Invoice window to handle sales tax, discount...
FIGURE 6-13: Opening the Receive Payment window from the Sales Transaction list...
FIGURE 6-14: The Receive Payment window after selecting a customer with open in...
FIGURE 6-15: Determining the amount of paid and unpaid invoices in your QBO com...
FIGURE 6-16: Click anywhere in the Status column to see the details for the spe...
FIGURE 6-17: In addition to fully and partially paid invoices, you also see whi...
FIGURE 6-18: Creating an estimate.
FIGURE 6-19: The bottom of the Estimate window.
FIGURE 6-20: Getting ready to copy an estimate to a purchase order.
FIGURE 6-21: A purchase order QBO created from an estimate.
FIGURE 6-22: Copying an estimate to an invoice from the Invoice window.
FIGURE 6-23: Click the Create Invoice link to use estimate information on an in...
FIGURE 6-24: Click Copy to duplicate an estimate, even if it’s closed.
FIGURE 6-25: Edit and then save the duplicated estimate.
FIGURE 6-26: Use this window to establish the amount of a progress invoice.
FIGURE 6-27: A sales receipt.
FIGURE 6-28: The Print Preview window for a sales receipt.
FIGURE 6-29: The PDF version of the sales receipt QBO creates.
FIGURE 6-30: Entering a credit memo.
FIGURE 6-31: An invoice to which QBO has applied a credit memo.
FIGURE 6-32: By default, QBO applies credit memos to an existing outstanding in...
FIGURE 6-33: Issuing a refund check.
FIGURE 6-34: Enable Time Tracking options in QBO.
FIGURE 6-35: The Time Activity window.
FIGURE 6-36: The Weekly Timesheet.
FIGURE 6-37: Viewing a customer’s page in QBO.
FIGURE 6-38: Creating an invoice for a customer with billable time entries.

Chapter 7

FIGURE 7-1: Use the Chart of Accounts page to open a particular account’s regis...
FIGURE 7-2: A typical bank account register.
FIGURE 7-3: A bank account register in Paper Ledger mode.
FIGURE 7-4: Resizing a column.
FIGURE 7-5: A register displaying one line for each transaction.
FIGURE 7-6: Select the type of transaction you want to enter.
FIGURE 7-7: Entering a sales receipt in a bank account register.
FIGURE 7-8: Sorting transactions by date, from latest to earliest, is the defau...
FIGURE 7-9: Displaying available filters.
FIGURE 7-10: A list of transactions QBO found based on criteria specified in th...
FIGURE 7-11: Printing a register.

Chapter 8

FIGURE 8-1: Drag accounts to place them in the order you want.
FIGURE 8-2: The dialog box you use to create an account.
FIGURE 8-3: Identify your financial institution.
FIGURE 8-4: Select the accounts you want to connect to QBO and their types.
FIGURE 8-5: After connecting an account, the Banking page displays connected ac...
FIGURE 8-6: Click the arrow beside the Link Account button and select Upload fr...
FIGURE 8-7: Use this screen to navigate to the transactions you downloaded from...
FIGURE 8-8: Select the account where QBO should place the transactions from you...
FIGURE 8-9: Match QBO fields to the fields in your CSV file.
FIGURE 8-10: You can use artificial intelligence to upload receipts or bills in...
FIGURE 8-11: QBO allows you to review uploaded receipts or bills before you com...
FIGURE 8-12: Use this page to specify how QBO should handle each downloaded tran...
FIGURE 8-13: The Category or Match column and the Action column help you identi...
FIGURE 8-14: When you click a transaction that displays the Add link in the Act...
FIGURE 8-15: The transaction details QBO displays when you click a transaction ...
FIGURE 8-16: The Bank Rules page.
FIGURE 8-17: The Rule dialog box, where you set the information you want QBO to...
FIGURE 8-18: Provide the information QBO should use on transactions that meet t...
FIGURE 8-19: Use the Categorized tab to find transactions you’ve accepted into ...
FIGURE 8-20: Use the Bank Deposit window to select payment transactions to depo...
FIGURE 8-21: Enter information found on your bank statement.
FIGURE 8-22: Match transactions found on your bank statement with those shown o...
FIGURE 8-23: The goal of reconciliation is to make the Difference amount equal ...
FIGURE 8-24: A typical Reconciliation report.
FIGURE 8-25: Prior Reconciliation reports you can view.

Chapter 9

FIGURE 9-1: Choosing an option for payroll.
FIGURE 9-2: The Payroll Setup wizard helps you add current employees.
FIGURE 9-3: Fill in the basic information about the employee.
FIGURE 9-4: A typical pay schedule.
FIGURE 9-5: Information required to complete a Federal Form W-4.
FIGURE 9-6: Add or edit employees.
FIGURE 9-7: The Payroll Settings page.
FIGURE 9-8: The To Do list on the Payroll Overview page.
FIGURE 9-9: The Federal Tax Info page.
FIGURE 9-10: The State Tax Info page.
FIGURE 9-11: Use this screen to enter payroll information for your employees.
FIGURE 9-12: Reviewing paychecks before generating them.
FIGURE 9-13: When you don’t directly deposit paychecks, you’ll see a page like ...
FIGURE 9-14: Click the pencil icon in the Pay section to edit pay information.
FIGURE 9-15: Click the pencil icon in the withholdings question to edit the emp...
FIGURE 9-16: Click Tax Exemptions to determine whether you can manage an employ...
FIGURE 9-17: QBOP offers two tabs of human resource–related information.
FIGURE 9-18: From the Reports page, scroll down to locate Payroll reports.
FIGURE 9-19: The Payroll Tax Center after you have recorded payroll information...
FIGURE 9-20: The payroll tax returns QBO files on your behalf appear on the For...
FIGURE 9-21: Setting up a new contractor.
FIGURE 9-22: Provide the Contractor Type information QBO needs to eventually pr...
FIGURE 9-23: Select the boxes on the Form 1099 that apply to the payments you m...
FIGURE 9-24: The 1099 Transaction Detail report shows information for 1099-elig...

Chapter 10

FIGURE 10-1: The Reports page.
FIGURE 10-2: Business Overview reports.
FIGURE 10-3: The Management Reports page.
FIGURE 10-4: Print Preview of a management report.
FIGURE 10-5: Searching for a report.
FIGURE 10-6: The Transaction report that appears after clicking an income accou...
FIGURE 10-7: The General section of the panel you use to customize a report in ...
FIGURE 10-8: Use these settings to control the rows and columns that appear on ...
FIGURE 10-9: The filtering options you can control on the Profit and Loss repor...
FIGURE 10-10: The Header/Footer settings you can customize on the Profit and Lo...
FIGURE 10-11: The report after customizing to include % of Income and % of Expe...
FIGURE 10-12: Protected View in Microsoft Excel requires you to click Enable Ed...
FIGURE 10-13: Use this panel to save a customized report.
FIGURE 10-14: The My Custom Reports page after creating a custom report.
FIGURE 10-15: Set an email schedule for a report group.

Chapter 11

FIGURE 11-1: Navigating to the QBOA sign-in page.
FIGURE 11-2: Provide requested information to create a QBOA account.
FIGURE 11-3: A typical QBOA Home page after creating a QBOA account.
FIGURE 11-4: The page you use to sign in to QBOA after you set up a QBOA accoun...
FIGURE 11-5: The Clients page of the Your Practice view in QBOA.
FIGURE 11-6: The choices available from the Gear menu.
FIGURE 11-7: The tools available to accountants while working in a client compa...
FIGURE 11-8: View, edit, and add members to your QBOA team.
FIGURE 11-9: Specify the new user’s access level to your firm’s administration ...
FIGURE 11-10: You can provide a team member access to your firm’s clients on a ...
FIGURE 11-11: The Home page of an invited team member who has limited privilege...
FIGURE 11-12: Click a QuickBooks logo or use the Go to QuickBooks list to open ...
FIGURE 11-13: Control the appearance of the Client List page.
FIGURE 11-14: Craig’s Design and Landscaping Services, the QBO and QBOA sample ...
FIGURE 11-15: Exit from QBOA by signing out.
FIGURE 11-16: Use the Actions column to make a client inactive.

Chapter 12

FIGURE 12-1: The Gear menu in QBO.
FIGURE 12-2: The Manage Users page has two tabs: Users and Accounting Firms.
FIGURE 12-3: The client fills in the accountant’s email information.
FIGURE 12-4: A sample email an accountant might receive when invited to access ...
FIGURE 12-5: A QBOA Client List page after accepting an invitation from a clien...
FIGURE 12-6: The Client Contact Information page of the Add Client wizard.
FIGURE 12-7: Select Company Admin.
FIGURE 12-8: Assigning the role of master administrator to the client.
FIGURE 12-9: Check the number of targets in your QuickBooks Desktop company.
FIGURE 12-10: Select all update areas.
FIGURE 12-11: Select whether you want to overwrite an existing QBO company or c...
FIGURE 12-12: This message appears after you finish your part of the export/imp...
FIGURE 12-13: A sample of the email message you receive after exporting a deskt...

Chapter 13

FIGURE 13-1: You can click the QuickBooks logo to the left of the client’s name...
FIGURE 13-2: In a QBO client company, the top of the Client Overview page shows...
FIGURE 13-3: The Banking Activity section of the Client Overview page.
FIGURE 13-4: The Common Issues section of the Client Overview page.
FIGURE 13-5: The Transactions section of the Client Overview page.
FIGURE 13-6: The Gear menu.
FIGURE 13-7: The Account and Settings dialog box for a client QBO company.
FIGURE 13-8: Usage limits go into effect in April, 2019.
FIGURE 13-9: Review and, if necessary, make changes to settings on the Advanced...
FIGURE 13-10: From the Chart of Accounts page, you can add and edit accounts.
FIGURE 13-11: The Import Accounts page.
FIGURE 13-12: Map the fields in your file to the fields in QBO.
FIGURE 13-13: To edit an account, use the down arrow in the Action column.
FIGURE 13-14: Use this page to set up account numbers for the Chart of Accounts...
FIGURE 13-15: The Customers page.
FIGURE 13-16: Use this page to open any list other than the Customers, Vendors,...
FIGURE 13-17: Use this page to export rules from one client and import them int...

Chapter 14

FIGURE 14-1: Keyboard shortcuts you can use while working in a client QBO compa...
FIGURE 14-2: Use the New Window command while working in a QBO company to dupli...
FIGURE 14-3: Two windows pinned side by side.
FIGURE 14-4: To work in two companies at the same time, you can use two browser...
FIGURE 14-5: The transactions you can create while working in a QBO company.
FIGURE 14-6: Type any phrase you want to use as a search filter or click Advanc...
FIGURE 14-7: Set criteria for a more specifically defined search.
FIGURE 14-8: The page where you create a client note.
FIGURE 14-9: Use this panel to communicate with a QBO client in a general way.
FIGURE 14-10: A preview of a Client Request message.
FIGURE 14-11: A Client Request in a client’s QBO company.
FIGURE 14-12: The panel your client uses to respond to a Client Request you gen...
FIGURE 14-13: The Shared Documents page in a client QBO company after an accoun...

Chapter 15

FIGURE 15-1: Reviewing a sales tax return.
FIGURE 15-2: Use this dialog box to record a sales tax payment.
FIGURE 15-3: The Grid view of the Work page in QBOA.
FIGURE 15-4: Creating a project using a template.
FIGURE 15-5: Supply a task name and due date, and assign it to a team member of...
FIGURE 15-6: Click a task to edit or delete it, or drag it to reorder it.
FIGURE 15-7: Use the down arrow on a task or project card to display the list o...
FIGURE 15-8: Delete or duplicate a project or create a template from it.
FIGURE 15-9: The Work page in List view.
FIGURE 15-10: Calendar view presents project tasks by due date.
FIGURE 15-11: Set up email notifications for team members regarding work.
FIGURE 15-12: The Accountant Tools menu contains commands specifically designed...
FIGURE 15-13: Accountant-oriented reports available in QBOA.
FIGURE 15-14: Use the Audit Log to view all kinds of activity in the QBO compan...
FIGURE 15-15: Setting a closing date.
FIGURE 15-16: Transaction Review shows you potentially problematic transactions...
FIGURE 15-17: Account Reconciliation allows you to monitor the status of bank a...
FIGURE 15-18: Final Review serves as a checklist for reports you wish to review...
FIGURE 15-19: Use this page to reclassify transactions.
FIGURE 15-20: Writing off invoices.
FIGURE 15-21: Confirm that you want to write off the selected invoices.
FIGURE 15-22: The Documents menu allows you to upload supporting materials.
FIGURE 15-23: The Review & Adjust tab of the Prep for Taxes page.
FIGURE 15-24: The Grouping and Statements page of the Prep for Taxes page.
FIGURE 15-25: The Tax Mapping tab of the Trial Balance page.

Chapter 16

FIGURE 16-1: Reviewing the Chrome interface.
FIGURE 16-2: When you open a new Chrome window, two instances of Chrome run sim...
FIGURE 16-3: The Google Chrome Menu.
FIGURE 16-4: Access the various settings related to your Google account by way ...
FIGURE 16-5: Click the icon that represents your Google account and then click ...
FIGURE 16-6: Use this dialog box to clear your browsing data from the local com...
FIGURE 16-7: You can view and enable or disable extensions from the Settings pa...

Chapter 17

FIGURE 17-1: Adding the Home button and setting a Home page.
FIGURE 17-2: Choose Always Open Files of This Type to have exported reports ope...
FIGURE 17-3: Manage the location of your downloads, as well as the ability for ...
FIGURE 17-4: An Incognito window.
FIGURE 17-5: Use your browsing history to revisit a web page you visited previo...
FIGURE 17-6: Use this dialog box to delete browsing history.
FIGURE 17-7: Use this page to identify websites whose pop-ups you want to allow...
FIGURE 17-8: This dialog box appears when you create a bookmark.
FIGURE 17-9: Take advantage of the Bookmarks bar.
FIGURE 17-10: Opt to display the Bookmarks bar on all tabs in Chrome.
FIGURE 17-11: Use this dialog box to identify what you want to import.
FIGURE 17-12: The Bookmark Manager.
FIGURE 17-13: Duplicate a browser tab in Chrome.
FIGURE 17-14: Use this dialog box to start the process of adding a user.
FIGURE 17-15: Establish settings for the new user.
FIGURE 17-16: To initiate switching users, use the Current User button.
FIGURE 17-17: Use this window to select a Chrome user.
FIGURE 17-18: You can instruct Chrome to allow you to choose where to save file...
FIGURE 17-19: Files you’ve downloaded using Chrome.

Introduction

Most small business owners do something besides accounting; they sell products or services. Many small business owners address accounting only because they have to address it — to meet legal requirements, such as reporting earnings and paying employees.

QuickBooks helps take the pain out of the process; in fact, accounting can become downright tolerable. And QuickBooks Online (QBO) makes accounting almost easy. Because QBO is a web-based product with mobile versions, you can securely do what you need to do from anywhere at any time of day. And, because QBO is web-based, you can easily share your data with your accountant — again, anywhere and at any time.

In most cases, QuickBooks Desktop users who want to stick with something they know but now yearn for the flexibility of a web-based product won’t be disappointed. QBO’s functionality will feel very familiar to them, and they can migrate their QuickBooks Desktop company to QBO.

Accountants can easily support QuickBooks clients via QuickBooks Online Accountant (QBOA), the sister product of QBO that enables seamless collaboration between accountants and their clients.

Use this book to help you learn how to use QBO and QBOA.

About This Book

Intuit’s web-based accounting product is really two products: End users who want to do their accounting on the web or on mobile devices use QBO, whereas accountants use QBOA, which enables the accountant to log in to a client’s books and make changes and queries as needed. Although much of QBO and QBOA look and behave alike, QBOA incorporates tools that an accountant needs while working on a client’s books. And accountants need to manage multiple client companies, whereas end user clients typically do not.

QBO and QBOA are not for everyone. Before you commit to Intuit’s web-based solution, you need to explore the available editions and examine the requirements for the products.

Because these products are both similar and different, we’ve divided this book into three parts. In the first part of the book, we examine what QBO and QBOA are — and what they aren’t — and we describe what you need to be able to use QBO and QBOA. We explain the various editions available and the product costs at the time we wrote this book, and we describe the available features.

The second part of the book focuses on using QBO and is aimed at the end user; but, the accountant who opens a client’s company via QBOA will be able to use the same tools that the end user uses to manage lists, enter transactions, and print reports.

The third part of the book is aimed at the accountant and covers using QBOA.

We don’t pretend to cover every detail of every feature in QBO or QBOA. Instead, we’ve focused on covering the tools we think most users will need as they navigate QBO and QBOA.

As we discuss in Chapter 2, there are different versions of QBO; we used QBO Plus as we wrote this book because that’s the version available in the sample company. As you’ll see in subsequent chapters, QBO Advanced adds even more features for those that need even more functionality. Users of other versions might find references in this book to features they don’t have because they aren’t using the Plus or Advanced versions.

Before diving in, we have to get a few technical convention details out of the way:

Text that you’re meant to type as it appears in the book is bold. The exception is when you’re working through a list of steps: Because each step is bold, the text to type is not bold.
Web addresses and programming code appear in monofont. If you’re reading a digital version of this book on a device connected to the Internet, note that you can tap or click a web address to visit that website, like this: www.dummies.com.
You can use QBO and QBOA from their Android and iOS apps, from the Windows desktop app (which works on Windows desktop computers, tablets, and laptops, but not on Windows phones), or from Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Internet Explorer. At the time we wrote this book, a variety of issues existed if you tried to use QBO and QBOA with Microsoft Edge. In my experience, QBO and QBOA function best in Chrome. For that reason, we used Chrome throughout this book and we’ve devoted The Part of Tens chapters in this book to Chrome so that, if you aren’t familiar with Chrome, you can get up and running more quickly.
When we discuss a command to choose, we’ll separate the elements of the sequence with a command arrow that looks like this: ⇒ . For example, when you see Chrome Menu ⇒ Settings, that means you should click the Chrome Menu button (on the right side of the Chrome screen — see Chapter 16 for a description of Chrome’s screen elements) and, from the drop-down menu that appears, click Settings.

Foolish Assumptions

We had to assume some things about you to write this book. Here are the assumptions we made:

You know that you need to manage the accounts for your business, and you might even have some sort of setup in place to record this information. We don’t assume that you know how to do all that on a computer.
You have some interest in managing the accounts for your business using a web-based product.
You are probably but not necessarily a QuickBooks Desktop edition user.
You have a personal computer or Mac (that you know how to turn on). Your PC must be running Microsoft Windows 7, Windows 8.1, or Windows 10; we wrote this book using Windows 10. Your Mac must be running OS X 10.11 or later.
You might have purchased an edition of QuickBooks Online, but not necessarily.

Icons Used in This Book

Think of these icons as the fodder of advice columns. They offer (hopefully) wise advice or a bit more information about a topic under discussion.

This icon points out juicy tidbits that are likely to be repeatedly useful to you — so please don’t forget them.

Mr. Spock! Scotty! Red Alert! Well, okay, it’s really not life-threatening. In this book, you see this icon when we’re trying to help you avoid mistakes that can cost money.

When you see this icon, you’ve come across material that isn’t critical to understand but will satisfy the curious. Think “inquiring minds want to know” when you see this icon.

Beyond the Book

In addition to the content in this book, this product also comes with a free access-anywhere cheat sheet that gives you keyboard shortcuts for QBO and QBOA and some handy tool buttons in QBO. To get this cheat sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and search for “QuickBooks Online For Dummies Cheat Sheet” in the Search box.

Where to Go from Here

Simply turn the page. Seriously. You can dive in anywhere you want and come back as often as you like. You don’t have to read through this book cover to cover because each section stands alone and provides step-by-step instructions for common tasks. You should consider this book a reference that you use when you need it.

That said, if you’re just getting started with QBO or QBOA, you might want to turn the page and follow, in order, the chapters in Part 1. Then feel free to explore any topic you want, using the table of contents or the index to help you find a topic.

Part 1

Getting Started with QBO and QBOA

IN THIS PART …

Examine what QBO is and what it isn’t.

Learn the requirements to use QBO.

Meet the QBO interface.