Greetings The CPA911 Newsletter August 2009 ------ > Contents < ------ QuickBooks Tips Update for QuickBooks 2009 Online Banking Contact Info Subscription Info ------ > QuickBooks TIPS < ------ *** Reporting by Customers' States *** A reader wrote to say she couldn't figure out how to create a report for customers in certain states. Unfortunately, QuickBooks doesn't "read" the state information in the customer record when you create reports. If you know you'll need reports for this information, you can create a Customer Type for each state, or add a custom field named State and put the state abbreviation in that field in each customer record. *** Eliminating Items on Pick Slips *** A reader asked how to eliminate service items from the pick slip when he's creating an invoice that contains both inventory items and service items. The only way to do this easily is to enter the inventory items on the invoice, print the pick slip, and then return to the invoice template and add the service items. *** Memorized Report Can Be Used for Different Customers *** A reader posed the following problem: "I send customers with an open balance larger than $5000.00 an open balance report. Each time I create the report I have to customize the report to add a column for the customer's purchase order number. I can't memorize the report because I may have many customers who will receive it, but I'd like to make the PO Number column appear automatically. How can I do this?" You CAN memorize the report after you've added the PO Number column. Then, when you need to send it to a customer, just use the Filters tab to select the appropriate name. *** Rep Commissions that Differ By Customer *** A reader wrote to ask how to manage monthly rep commissions that differ by customer. The best way to do this is to create a custom field for each customer for the commission rate and also use the Rep field in every customer transaction. Any report that lists the customer total sales, the custom field, and the rep name can be exported to Excel in order to calculate the commissions. *** Tracking Job Costs That Have Been Paid *** A reader asked how to create a report that will indicate the job costs that have been paid instead of the total costs linked to the job. Run the Profit & Loss By Job report and change the report basis to Cash instead of Accrual. *** Apply Customer's Cash Payment That Wasn't Deposited *** A reader wrote to ask how to handle a cash customer payment that her boss kept. She tried to enter a transaction applied to Owner Draw, but the customer's record didn't reflect the payment. Receive the payment and make sure the payment is sent to Undeposited Funds. Then, in the Make Deposits window enter a line below the payment, using the Draw account. Enter a minus amount equal to the amount of the customer's payment. Your bank deposit net is zero, the customer is credited with the payment, and the draw is recorded. *** Collections Report *** We periodically receive requests for help in designing a report of outstanding customer balances along with the telephone number for each customer, so users can call the customers. QuickBooks provides this information in the Collections Report (which many users don't seem to know about). Choose Reports, Customers & Receivables, Collections Report. *** Receiving Incomplete Purchase Orders *** We receive a great deal of email asking us how to change the Purchase Order when the shipment arrives and some items are backordered. You don't change the Purchase Order. When you receive the items (using 'Receive Items' or 'Receive Items and Enter Bill'), enter the quantity shipped and the amount. The PO remains open for the unfilled portion, and will be available when the backordered items arrive. ------ > Update for QuickBooks 2009 Online Banking < ------ Intuit has released Update R8 for QuickBooks 2009, and the update has major changes for online banking. The update adds some functionality to the windows that appear on the Online Banking Center window when you need to add unmatched transactions. Most of the changes provide easier methods to enter unmatched transactions when you use the transaction forms on the Online Banking Center window (such as remembering the posting account for customers and vendors, permitting users to enter new names and accounts, and so on). More important, the update lets you choose between continuing to use the 2009 Online Banking format or switch back to the Online Banking format of QuickBooks 2008 and earlier. If you opt to continue using the 2009 format, you must remember that the transaction forms available in the Online Banking window should not be used for adding sales transactions nor for any purchase that involves inventory. You must use the standard QuickBooks transaction windows instead. If you use the transaction forms in the Online Banking window the sales won't appear in the customer record, sales tax is ignored, item information is not available, and inventory items are not managed properly. The update is available for download from the web on August 1, and will be available as an automatic update on August 6. If you want to download the update from the web, here are the URLS: QuickBooks Pro/Premier: http://support.quickbooks.intuit.com/support/ProductUpdates.aspx?lid=UpdateDownloads%20(SUB%20HDR)#ps QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions: http://support.quickbooks.intuit.com/support/ProductUpdates.aspx?lid=UpdateDownloads%20(SUB%20HDR)#ps ------ > CONTACT INFO < ------ Copyright 2009 CPA911. Comments or questions? Write to: editor@cpa911.com. Visit our web site: http://www.cpa911.com. ------ > SUBSCRIPTION INFO < ------ You can forward this newsletter to anyone, as long as you forward it in its entirety. If you received a forwarded copy, subscribe for yourself (it's free) at http://www.cpa911.com/newsletter.asp.