Hi there, @DCPHoward,
Yes, you can create separate accounts to track expenses or sales for anyone who is a supplier and a customer. However, QuickBooks has limitations with duplicate names, where it only allows entering them once, even if they are on different lists.
There are several workarounds for this, see items below:
- Enter any codes into the “Suffix” field of the customer profile. This method ensures the name still shows up alphabetically on the Customer List.

- Add a middle name (or initial).
- Use a nickname for the customer accounts.
- Another trick is adding symbols for customer names, which makes the variation more visually distinct and subtle on a name list. Do not alter the supplier's name because it might affect your tax reporting.
Just in case, I'll be adding these articles for future reference:
Manage your customer list
Suppliers overview
Reach out to me if you have any other issues or concerns by leaving a comment. I want to make sure everything is taken care of for you. Take care!