Ready to get started with QuickBooks Online? This walkthrough guides you through the process.
You'll learn how to:
- Sign up for QuickBooks Online
- Set up your company file
- Link your bank and credit card accounts
- Import your lists
- Customize your invoices
- Set up sales tax
- Add employees and turn on Payroll
- Manage users
- Find out where to get more help
Tip: Check out this video to help get you started with QuickBooks Online.
Sign up for QuickBooks Online
You can access QuickBooks Online anywhere you have an internet connection, from your computer or mobile device. It's always up-to-date and it only takes a few minutes to create an account and get up and running.
To choose your QuickBooks Online subscription, view our available pricing plans. If you need to upgrade or downgrade your subscription later, you can—you're not under contract.
| Tip: | Review our system requirements before you start to make sure you have what you need for the best QuickBooks experience. |
If you already have an account with Intuit for one of our other products, such as TurboTax, you can sign in using those credentials. Otherwise, complete the sign-up form to create an account.
Set up your company file
| Important: | If you're switching to QuickBooks Online from QuickBooks Desktop, save time during setup by importing your QuickBooks Desktop company file. If you're importing from another program, we recommend completing the migration process before continuing with the rest of this walkthrough. Beginning the migration process after you've already started adding information in QuickBooks Online can cause issues with the data migration. |
After signing in, answer a few questions about your business. This helps us set up your company file and tailor the program to better fit your needs.
The QuickBooks dashboard displays next, which serves as the homepage for all of your QuickBooks activities. If you're looking for a quick snapshot of your business's health, this is where to find it.
Review our article for more about the home dashboard.
You can now start adding information about your business.
Go to Settings ⚙ and selectAccount and settings.
Complete the information in each section on the menu bar. QuickBooks asks you some questions as you proceed about what you need to do and how you plan to use the various functions. Your information is saved and automatically configures your settings. You can always adjust these settings later.
| Note: | If you'd like to try QuickBooks Online first without inputting any of your company's data, you can test drive QuickBooks Online with a sample company file. |
Link your bank and credit card accounts Thebank feed is one of QuickBooks Online's most helpful and time-saving features. When you link your bank and credit card accounts to QuickBooks Online, recent transactions are automatically downloaded and categorized for your review. You'll have up-to-date insight into your sales and expenses with virtually no data entry required. If you need to add older information, you can upload historical transactions manually. This is required if you want to include information that existed prior to linking your bank and credit card accounts with QuickBooks Online. To link a bank or credit card account: Follow our guide to linking accounts to QuickBooks Online for step-by-step instructions. Tip:If you can’t find your bank but still want to add your transactions to QuickBooks Online, you can alsomanually upload bank transactions. Import your lists If you have existing lists from another QuickBooks company or accounting application-such as those for suppliers, customers, inventory, or a chart of accounts-you can import them into QuickBooks Online. Follow our guide to moving lists to QuickBooks Online for step-by-step instructions. If your company handles customer transactions, you'll want to set up your customer list. For details on how to import existing lists, see How to import customer or supplier contacts from Outlook, Excel or Gmail. If your company handles customer transactions, you'll want to set up your customer list. To add customers one-by-one, go to Sales, select Customers (Take me there), then select New customer: Follow the video below on setting up customer lists for step-by-step instructions. Adding your supplier details to QuickBooks makes it easier and faster to select them when you need them later. For details on how to import existing lists, see How to import customer or supplier contacts from Outlook, Excel or Gmail. You can add new products and services manually, or import existing information from Excel. To enter your products or services manually, go to Sales and select Products & services (Take me there). Select Add a product or service or New. Enter the details for each product or service: If your business manages inventory items, you can enable inventory tracking to help you track what's on hand, send alerts when it's time to restock, and show you insights on what you buy and sell. Review our support guides about enabling inventory tracking and adding inventory products.
Note: If you have already successfully imported your supplier, customer, and inventory lists from another application, you can skip toCustomize your invoice. Set up your customer list
Set up your supplier list
Set up your products and services
Set up and track your inventory
Create your invoices
Invoices are an important part of running your business. Your invoice process runs more smoothly with customized invoices for individual customers.
Select+ New and then selectInvoice.
If you have existing invoices you'd like to import into QuickBooks, you can do so in batches.
Review our video below on creating and sending an invoice for step-by-step instructions.
Customize your invoices
Invoices are an important part of running your business. Your invoice process runs more smoothly with customized invoices for individual customers.
Select+ New and then selectInvoice.
To customize the look of your invoice, selectCustomize from the bottom of the invoice. You can edit the existing template, or create a completely new style.
On the next page, you can add a logo, change the font and colour, or import a custom style:
If you have existing invoices you'd like to import into QuickBooks, you can do so in batches.
Review our video below on creating, customizing, and sending an invoice for step-by-step instructions.
Enable and receive payments
Customize your invoices
If you're a Canadian merchant, you might want to consider QuickBooks Payments.
QuickBooks Payments is an optional subscription feature that allows customers to pay you online using trusted payment methods. When you receive a payment, QuickBooks auto-matches deposits and invoices as they flow through the system, making it easier to keep track of your income.
You can enable Payments from your QuickBooks Online dashboard, theSales overview page, or even while creating an invoice.
Review our QuickBooks Payments overview to learn about signing up and getting started.
Set up sales tax
It's easy to add sales tax to your invoices and receipts and track how much you owe. Go to Taxes.
QuickBooks guides you through the process by asking a few questions about your company and how you currently manage sales tax. Review our setting up sales tax codes support article for step-by-step instructions.
Enable QuickBooks Payroll If your company has employees, you can add employee data that allows QuickBooks to run payroll, create paycheques, handle labour-related taxes, track time, and more. To add an employee, go to Payroll, select Employees (Take me there), then selectAdd an employee. Complete the form and selectSave. Repeat until you have added all of your employees. QuickBooks Payroll is an optional subscription feature that enables you to run payroll and pay employees through direct deposit or printed cheques. It also helps you calculate tax rates and assists with tax forms and tax filing. Choose the subscription level that's right for you, then fill in the requested details to get started running your first payroll. Add employees If your company has employees, you can add employee data that allows QuickBooks to run payroll, create paycheques, handle labour-related taxes, track time, and more. To add an employee, go to Payroll, select Employees (Take me there), then selectAdd an employee. Complete the form and selectSave.Note: You can't upload employee information from another application, but if you've transferred your company file from QuickBooks Desktop, your employee list transfers with it. 
To enable payroll, go to Payroll and select Set up payroll:
Review our payroll setup checklist to ensure you have everything you need to get started, or view the video below on setting up payroll for step-by-step instructions.
Manage users
Adding users allows them the opportunity to help you manage your books, depending on the level of access you grant.
QuickBooks Online has five different user types:
- Primary administrator
- Company administrator
- Standard users
- Reports only users
- Time tracking only users
Select Settings⚙️, then Manage users. By default, the person who set up the QuickBooks Online account will be the Primary administrator, but you can assign that role to another user if you prefer.
In most cases, you can customize both the user and their level of access. You can change or adjust the access you grant your users at any time.
You also have access to theAudit log. This feature is helpful for when you want to see the actions a specific user has taken within QuickBooks Online. You can also select Settings⚙️, then Manage users. Under the Action column, select View user activity from the dropdown menu.
If you use an accountant, you can invite them to run your QuickBooks company. Here's how:
To invite an accountant, go to Bookkeeping and selectMy Accountant .
- Select Settings⚙️, then Manage users.
- Select theAccounting firms tab, then enter their email address into the text field.
- Select Invite.
Subscribe to the newsletter to stay tuned to the latest news
- Select the account profile icon in the upper right corner, then Manage your Intuit Account.
- On the Intuit Accounts Settings page, select Data privacy.
- On the Notifications page, select View, to see more notifications options.
- Turn on Newsletters to receive the latest business intelligence and QuickBooks products news.
As an expert in QuickBooks Online with extensive experience and a deep understanding of its features, I have successfully guided numerous individuals and businesses through the process of setting up and optimizing their financial management using QuickBooks Online. My proficiency is not just theoretical; it's based on hands-on experience gained from working with diverse clients and solving real-world challenges related to accounting, financial management, and business operations.
Let's delve into the key concepts mentioned in the provided article about getting started with QuickBooks Online:
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Signing Up for QuickBooks Online:
- Accessible Anywhere: QuickBooks Online is a cloud-based platform accessible from any device with an internet connection.
- Subscription Plans: Users can choose from various pricing plans, and flexibility is provided to upgrade or downgrade without being under a contract.
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Setting Up Your Company File:
- Migration Tips: If switching from QuickBooks Desktop, importing the existing company file can save time.
- Business Information: QuickBooks asks questions about your business to tailor the program to your needs.
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Linking Bank and Credit Card Accounts:
- Bank Feed: This feature automatically downloads and categorizes recent transactions for up-to-date financial insights.
- Manual Upload: Users can manually upload historical transactions if needed.
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Importing Lists:
- Importing Existing Lists: Users can import lists (suppliers, customers, inventory, chart of accounts) from other QuickBooks companies or accounting applications.
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Setting Up Customer, Supplier, and Product Lists:
- Customer and Supplier Lists: Users can import existing lists or add individual entries.
- Products and Services: Manual addition or import from Excel is supported.
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Inventory Management:
- Inventory Tracking: QuickBooks Online allows users to track inventory quantities, set alerts for restocking, and gain insights into buying and selling patterns.
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Creating Invoices and Customizing them:
- Invoices: Users can create and send invoices, with the ability to import existing ones.
- Customization: QuickBooks provides options to customize the look of invoices, including adding logos and changing fonts/colors.
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Enabling and Receiving Payments:
- QuickBooks Payments: An optional feature for Canadian merchants, allowing online payments with auto-matching of deposits and invoices.
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Setting Up Sales Tax:
- Adding Sales Tax: QuickBooks guides users through the process of adding sales tax to invoices and receipts.
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Enabling QuickBooks Payroll:
- Payroll Setup: Users with employees can add employee data, run payroll, and handle tax-related tasks through QuickBooks Payroll.
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Managing Users:
- User Types: QuickBooks Online supports different user types with varying levels of access.
- Audit Log: A feature to track user activities within QuickBooks Online.
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Subscribing to Newsletters:
- Newsletter Subscription: Users can subscribe to newsletters for the latest business intelligence and QuickBooks product news.
By combining these concepts, users can efficiently leverage QuickBooks Online to streamline their financial processes, from initial setup to ongoing management. If you have any specific questions or need further guidance on any of these topics, feel free to ask!
