5 Tips & Tricks for Using QuickBooks Online
Intuit is encouraging users to move from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online (QBO). If you previously used QuickBooks for Mac, the next time you upgrade, QBO will be your only option. The user interface for QBO is quite a bit different from QuickBooks desktop, but it has several nice features.
1.Use it in Chrome
By far the best browser to use for QBO is Chrome. Microsoft’s new “Internet Edge” browser or Mac’s Safari browser work okay, but Chrome works better. You can download Chrome for either Windows or Mac.
2.Duplicate Tab& Bookmarks Bar
If you’re using QBO in Chrome, there are two great features:
Duplicate Tab: If you right-click on the tab and select “Duplicate,” it will open another tab with the same information you currently have open. If, for example, you wanted to view the Profit & Loss statement and Balance Sheet in two different tabs, you could go to the Reports area, duplicate the tab, and then open each report in one of the two tabs you now have open.
This feature also allows you to move the tabs to different screens so you can work on multiple areas of the QBO file concurrently.
Bookmarks Bar: If you turn on the bookmarks bar and bookmark an area of QBO, that bookmark will always take you to that area, even if you open a different QBO file. If you have two companies, this can be a great way to quickly move around QBO no matter which company you have open.
3.Use Keyboard Shortcuts
If you’re anything like me, you love keyboard shortcuts. You can find a list of the QBO specific shortcuts by typing Ctrl+Alt+/.
Use these date shortcuts when typing a date:
w = first day of the week
k = last day of the week
m = first day of the month
h = last day of the month
y = first day of the year
r = last day of the year
Additionally, the Escape key will cancel any transaction.
4.Download the Desktop App
The QBO Desktop App allows you to use QBO without opening a browser window. This makes the user experience much more similar to that of QuickBooks Desktop. The QBO app has drop-down menus to access various screens and reports, much like QuickBooks Desktop. It also allows multiple screens open at the same time in the same monitor, and will enable you to have several screens open across multiple monitors, which you can’t do in QuickBooks Desktop.
To download the app, go to quickbooks.intuit.com/apps.
5.Add an Accountant User
One of the great things about QBO is the ability to add an accountant user. This gives your accountant the ability to access your company’s QBO file without you having to make a backup or send an accountant’s copy. The accountant user can log in from anywhere, just like you can. This means they can quickly run reports, make adjusting journal entries, and gather the information they need to prepare and file your tax return with minimal effort from you.
For more information about how to make the most of QBO, reach out to one of our Certified QuickBooks Consultants.