Fiscal Training Solutions | Tips and Tricks

Tips and Tricks

There is so much to learn with QuickBooks and so many shortcuts that periodically Fiscal Training Solutions will provide Tips & Tricks to make your QuickBooks experience even easier.

The Other Names list is for persons or companies that are neither customers, vendors, or employees. For example, this list could include owners, investors or partners.

You can move a name from this list to the Vendor, Employees, or Customers & Jobs lists. You can also select names from the Other Names list when you write checks or enter credit card charges. If you see an icon in the Notes column, that means that there are notes associated with the name.

1. Go to the LISTS menu, and then click Other Names List.

2. Click Other Names at the bottom of the list to add, edit, or delete names. You can make a name inactive, sort the list in alphabetical order, print the list, and more. Click Activities at the bottom of the list to write checks, enter credit card charges, and to change the name type for selected names.

If you need to keep track of many non-financial details related to your business, you can use the QuickBooks To Do list to keep track of these. You can use the To Do list to remind yourself of things such as: Calling a customer to pick up a special order, Calling a vendor to check the status of a shipment, Sending out Anniversary/Birthday emails to special customers.

To add "to do" notes:

1. Go to the Company menu and click To Do List.

2. When “To Do List” opens, select New from the To Do drop-down menu.

3. Type your list of items. Click OK when completed.

4. To print your “To Do List Report”. Select Detail List from the Reports drop-down menu.

5. Your report will appear in a new window. From here you can print the report.

NOTE: Be sure to set your preferences to Show Reminders List When Company File Opens in your Preferences. Go to the EDIT menu > Prefernces > Reminders > choose the My Preferences tab.

This report shows cleared transactions that were changed since you last reconciled a particular account. The
report can help you when QuickBooks and your bank statement show different beginning balances for the
current reconciliation period.

Ideally your discrepancy report should never have any transactions listed.

1. Click the Locate Discrepancies button to display the Locate Discrepancies window.

2. From there, click the Discrepancy Report button to display the report. This identifies any edited or
deleted transactions that may affect your reconciliation and transactions have changed since you last
reconciled an account.

You can open the report, print it, or view it later.

Changing the Register Color
If your company is using more than one checking account, change the background color for easy identification of which account you are using.
1. Open the register for any checking account.
2. Click on the Edit Menu and select "Change Account Color".
3. Select one of the preset colors and click OK, or, click "Define Custom Colors" to create your own.

Updating the SUI Rate in QuickBooks® Pro and Premier
1. From Lists on the top menu bar, select Payroll Item List.
2. Double-click the State Unemployment Tax item, typically named: [state abbreviation] - Unemployment Company.
3. Click Next twice to the Company tax rates for [year], and enter the correct rates for each quarter or enter a new rate for the next tax year.
4. Once the correct rates have been entered, click Next once and uncheck any compensation items that may not be subject to your state's unemployment tax (check with your state's unemployment department for more details).
5. Click Next and Finish.
6. DIY adjustments should be done if rates are changed late in current quarter or in a following quarter.

** Check the IRS Small Business & Self-Employed Tax Center for a link to state-by-state tax information.**
Note: Changes in the state's wagebase limit are programmed into the tax table updates. Wagebase limits do not need to be changed when inputting a new SUI rate. If the payroll item reflects an incorrect wagebase limit, update tax tables.

Using QuickZoom
When the QuickZoom symbol appears over a number in a report or an item in a graph, you can double-click it to bring up more detail about that number or item.

QuickBooks® Keyboard Shortcuts
In addition to the very important help menu shortcut (FI), save TIME & clicks with these TEN keyboard shortcuts to general functions and navigation within QuickBooks®

1. Chart of Accounts - CTRL + A
2. Use Register - CTRL + R
3. Delete selected transaction or item - CTRL + D
4. Get History of a Transaction - CTRL + H
5. Memorized Transactions - CTRL + T
6. Customer Center - CTRL + J 7. Edit Customer - CTRL + E
8. Quick Report on transactions, customer or list item - CTRL + Q
9. Create Invoices - CTRL + I
10. Write Checks - CTRL + W

Finding Transactions Quickly
QuickBooks has a “Find” function that allows you to locate a particular transaction quickly. To utilize the “Find” function go to Edit menu and click “FIND”or use the keyboard command CTRL + F.

You’ll notice there is a Simple find and Advanced find. I’ve always found it easier to use the Advanced find as it allows you to see exactly what the find criteria is.

Click on the Advanced tab and use the filters that you know. For instance you need to find a check in the amount of $100 but are unsure of the check number or date. Choose the Amount filter, select = and type in 100.00. Click find on the right and any transaction that has the amount of $100 will appear at the bottom of the find screen.

You may filter for one criteria or several. For instance in the find above when you only know the amount of check you could narrow the search by not only entering the amount of $100 in the Amount filter but also using the Transaction Type filter and select Check. This way you would only have checks in the amount of $100.

Closing all Open Windows Efficiently
Closing All Open Windows: As we move around QuickBooks many windows are left open. This slows QuickBooks down. A quick and easy way to close all open windows at once is to go to the word “Window” at the top of the page. At the dropdown click “Close All”. All open windows will start to close. If a window requires you to decide whether or not to save the form or report QuickBooks will stop at that form or report and you’ll get a pop-up asking you if you’d like to memorize the form or report.

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