Top 5 Questions: Projects

We’re back with one of my favorite features here in the Community... our Top 5! (shhh don’t tell the others) This time I’m taking a look at Projects. We love how easy it is to track our jobs, link transactions, and track employee hours. But you’ve got questions and I’m here with answers! Here are the top 5 questions for Projects from fellow business owners like yourself. 

1. How can I link existing invoices that are in QuickBooks to a new project?

When a project has been created, any associated invoice can be linked to it manually. Once moved, any transactions linked to that invoice (billable time, credits, payments, etc.), or attachments will be removed.

Take a look at the steps to move invoices over to a project:

1. In the left navigation bar, go to Invoices, then open the Customers tab.
2. Click on the customer’s display name.
3. Find the invoice, estimate, or transaction and click to open it.
4. Use the Customer drop-down arrow to search for the name of your project.
5. Choose the one you want to link with your record.
6. Click Save.

Once you've completed this process, your customer's invoice will now be connected with that project.

2. Not all of my paid invoices are showing as income in Projects. Why?

If you have invoices not showing up as income, it’s best to check what account is tied to the item or service listed. They should not be attached to an asset, liability, or equity account. Here’s how you can check:

1. Go to Projects.
2. Select the project name, then open the transaction.
3. Note the item/service. 

Then, let's check the product/service's setup. Here I’ll walk you through how to change the account it's linked to:

1. Click the Gear icon.
2. Go to Products and Services.
3. Select the item/service, then click Edit.
4. Click the Income account drop-down arrow, then select the appropriate account.
5. Click Save and close.

Once corrected, make sure you check “Also update this account in historical transactions.”

Those transactions will then be moved to the right account.

3. Where can I view my projects that are done?

Sometimes you need to look at projects that are closed. There’s a drop-down for that. :) To check all your completed projects, head over to the Projects page:

1. Click the Projects tab on the left menu.
2. Select the "In progress" drop-down.
3. Filter it to Completed.

If you’re using QuickBooks Accountant, you’ll look for the All statuses drop-down and then choose either All Statuses to include every project (open and closed), or completed.

4. How do I split a bank transaction into multiple projects?

QuickBooks has the option to split an expense or payment between multiple projects right on our Banking page:

1. Go to the Transactions menu, then Banking.
2. Choose the appropriate bank account.
3. In the For Review tab, find and click the transaction to expand the view.
4. Click Split next to the Category button.
5. Enter the necessary information.
6. From the Customer drop-down menu, select the appropriate projects you want to split the transaction into and the amount.
7. Select Apply and Confirm.

5. Can I delete a project?

If your project has no transactions and no balance owed, you can delete it with one click:

1. Select Projects on the left side of the screen.
2. Now in the Action column on the right, select Options on the project you would like to remove.
3. Last, just hit Delete.

If there are transactions connected to that Project, you will see this error:

If you need to delete an active project that has a balance, move the transactions to another project, sub-customer, or customer first in the Projects Tab. Then you can delete it.

And look at you now, learning new things about Projects! Don’t forget, the Community is always here to help you out. Whether it’s projects, invoices, or anything in between, we’re only a post away!