QuickBooks Online Setup Guide

Create the account and set company settings

Sign up with a business email address you will keep, and choose the plan that fits your lists and users — Simple Start allows 250 chart of accounts and 1 billable user, Essentials 250 accounts and 3 users, Plus 250 accounts and 5 users, and Advanced removes most list limits with up to 25 users. Then open Settings → Account and settings. On the Company tab, add your legal name, address, and contact details and upload your logo. On the Advanced tab, set the fiscal year, accounting method, company type, account numbers, classes and locations, and currency if you plan to use them.

Finish on the Usage tab. It shows how many accounts, classes, locations, and users your plan allows, so you know the ceiling before you import a long list.

Build or import the chart of accounts

Go to Settings → Chart of accounts and select New to add accounts one at a time: choose the account type (Assets, Liabilities, Income, Expenses, or Equity), then the detail type that reports rely on. To bring in a list, use the dropdown next to New, select Import, download the sample file, and keep the original headers and format. Imports do not carry opening balances, so plan to enter those next.

Keep the list lean. Every account needs a purpose, and the default accounts QuickBooks creates — Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Opening Balance Equity, Sales Tax Payable, and Undeposited Funds — should stay active because the system posts to them.

Enter opening balances as of one clear start date

For accounts you create yourself, such as loans and fixed assets, go to Settings → Chart of accounts → New, set the type and detail type, enter the Opening balance from your statement, and set the As of date. Use the beginning of your fiscal year or the first day of your next statement period, and apply the same date to every account.

QuickBooks Online offsets opening balances against the Opening Balance Equity account, which is how you check your work later. If you connect a bank account before entering anything, QuickBooks calculates the opening balance from the transactions it downloads. To correct one, open the account register, select the opening balance entry, and edit the date and amount.

Import or add customers, vendors, and products and services

Use Settings → Import Data to bring in lists from a spreadsheet, mapping each column before you import. For products and services, go to Sales & Get Paid → Products & services, select New, and choose Service or Non-inventory item; inventory items are available on Plus and Advanced. Add a sales price and income account for each item, plus purchasing details if you also buy it.

Add customers from the Customers page with New customer, including billing and shipping addresses and payment terms. If you are moving from QuickBooks Desktop, most lists come across through the migration tool — the Desktop to Online conversion guide lists the exceptions.

Connect bank and credit card accounts

Go to All apps → Accounting → Bank transactions and select Connect account (or Link account after the first one). Find your bank, sign in with your online banking credentials, choose the accounts to connect, then pick the transaction start date — download windows vary by bank from 90 days up to about 24 months. Select Connect, then Done, and review what arrives in the For review tab. Feeds that stall or duplicate usually respond to the fixes in the bank feed repair guide.

Set invoice settings and payment options

Open Settings → Account and settings and select the Sales tab. In Sales form content, choose which fields appear on invoices and sales receipts, and in Products and services, control whether the product/service and SKU columns display. Then go to Settings → Custom form styles to design your default invoice with your logo, fonts, and column widths.

While creating an invoice, select Manage (the gear icon) to turn on payment options, set up scheduling, or enable automatic reminders. If you plan to accept card or bank payments, review QuickBooks Payments settings before you send the first invoice.

Add users and invite your accountant

Go to Settings → Manage users and select Add user. Enter the person's name and email, choose a role, review the permissions it grants, and select Send invitation. They accept the email and create or connect an Intuit account. Use the Accountants tab to invite your accountant or firm; accountant users do not count toward your plan's user limit.

Create and send your first invoice

Select + Create → Invoice, choose a customer, confirm the invoice date, due date, and terms, then add each product or service line with a quantity and rate. Use Manage to apply your invoice design and payment options, then select Review and send to email it or Save to send later. When payment arrives, record it against the invoice so the A/R Aging report stays accurate.