The Learning QuickBooks® Forum

How to Use QuickBooks®
Avoid Beginner's Errors

Learning QuickBooks® to avoid beginner's mistakes ... gives you a hint about what this article is all about ... tips on how to use QuickBooks® software correctly.

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While I will chat about how to use QuickBooks®, please understand that this page is directed to work from home small business owners who do their own bookkeeping.

It is not intended to instruct the "power" users or advanced users of QuickBooks® ... there are a lot of sites out there that cover that material better than I ever could.

This means we are not going to be shooting the breeze about QuickBooks® POS software ... or a whole lot about advanced inventory ...

... just useful QuickBooks® tips, tricks and traps that will hopefully make your bookkeeping time more efficient ... and enjoyable ... so you have accurate financial information to make smart business decisions.

You'll find a spot to ask your QuickBooks® questions at the end of this page.

Shopping online is quick and convenient. Compare the different versions of QuickBooks from the comfort of your home office. Select the version that meets the size and needs of your business.

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Learning QuickBooks® ... The Tips

Here are links to a few tips on QuickBooks® procedures that you should learn to ease your learning curve and make your bookkeeping go smoothly:

Vendors - Accounts Payable - Expenses

• When to use Pay Bills vs Write Cheques
• How to adjust GST for meals and entertainment

Customers - Accounts Receivable - Sales

• When to use Receive Payments vs Make Deposits (and Invoice vs Sales Receipt)
• The Bookkeeper's Alert on customer payments and Make Deposits
• How to enter customer prepayments in QuickBooks
• How to record net online sales revenue (less any service fees) directly deposited to your account

Banking - Cash

• A good way to record cash taken when it is not deposited in the bank
• How to reimburse the owner for expenses paid with personal funds
• How to handle stale dated cheques in QuickBooks
• How QuickBooks undeposited funds account works
• How to deposit loan proceeds received in QuickBooks
• How to handle NSF (bounced) cheques

Company - Period End Closing - Government Compliance

• When to delete vs void a transaction
• How to write-off a bad debt
• The best way to make adjusting entries in QuickBooks
• How to file GST/HST in QuickBooks® using the Quick Method

What trouble are you having learning QuickBooks®?

Learning QuickBooks® ... The Shortcuts

1. General
2. Dates - my favorite category so I talk about it below
3. Editing
4. Help window
5. Activity - I give you a few of my favorites below
6. Moving around in a window

If you key in "keyboard shortcuts" to the QuickBooks® help menu, the above categories will come up. Click on the one you are interested in.

My favorite shortcut keys are the dates. It is really quick and easy to enter dates using these shortcuts.

• The + or - key can be used to increase or decrease the date by one day to the next day or the previous day.
• Typing T in the date field will give you Today's date.
• W gives you the first day of the Week
  • K gives you the last day of the Week.

• M gives you the first day of the Month
  • H gives you the last day of the Month.

• Y gives you the first day of the Year
  • R gives you the last day of the Year.

• If you want the date calendar to pop open, your shortcut key is Alt + down arrow.

As you can see, the keys are easy to remember because they are tied to what you want to accomplish and they are not case sensitive ... one of the reasons these are my favorite keys ... I can actually remember with no effort. That is great accounting system design.

A few activity shortcut keys that are very useful ...

Ctrl + G ... transfers you to the line/entry of the account register directly from the entry you are in ... a real time saver and one of my all time favorites!

Ctrl + T ... takes you to your memorized transaction list.

Ctrl + Y ... opens up the transaction journal so you can see the entry in debits and credits ... bookkeepers like this one :0)

Learning QuickBooks® ... The Reporting

• What Are QuickBooks® Closing Procedures
• How to Track Cheques Issued
• How to Track Customer Deposits
• How to Track Construction Holdbacks
• How QuickBooks® Handles HST/GST
1. if you are an HST/GST registrant
   (GST collected vs GST paid [ITC])
2. if you are NOT an HST/GST registrant

Do you have a customized QuickBooks® report that has made your job easier?

Ask A Free Learning QuickBooks® Question Here

Are you learning how to use QuickBooks®? Maybe this forum can help you out ... it is strictly for beginner's ... no advanced stuff here.

Ask your beginner QuickBooks® questions here ... I promise the answer won't be to go talk to a professional.

Hopefully others who know QuickBooks® will join in too ... offering to share their expertise.

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That's it for today. I hoped you enjoyed this introduction to learning QuickBooks® and found the information useful, practical ... and not too overwhelming.