Configure Quickbooks Online

Connecting QuickBooks Online to Expensify optimizes expense tracking and reporting for employees and admins alike. This guide walks you through configuring your import, export, and advanced settings for optimal performance.


Step 1: Configure Import Settings

The following steps help you determine how data will be imported from QuickBooks Online to Expensify.

  1. Under the Accounting settings for your workspace, click Import under the QuickBooks Online connection.
  2. Review each of the following import settings:
    • Chart of Accounts: Imported automatically as categories. This cannot be amended.
    • Classes: Import classes as tags for expense-level coding.
    • Customers/Projects: Import customers/projects as tags for expense-level coding.
    • Locations: Import locations as tags for expense-level coding
      • Note: Locations are only configurable as tags, so you cannot export expense reports as vendor bills or checks. To unlock these options, disable locations import or upgrade to the Control Plan.
    • Taxes: Import tax rates and defaults.
  3. Disable Imported Accounts and Tags (if needed):
    • Toggle individual items on/off using the switch on the right side of each row.
    • To disable multiple items at once, select multiple checkboxes and click Disable at the top of the page.

Step 2: Configure Export Settings

The following steps help you determine how data will be exported from Expensify to QuickBooks Online.

  1. Under the Accounting settings for your workspace, click Export under the QuickBooks Online connection.
  2. Review each of the following export settings:
    • Preferred Exporter: Assign a Workspace Admin to automate report exports.
      • Note: Other Workspace Admins can still export to QuickBooks Online. If you set different export accounts for company cards under domain settings, the Preferred Exporter must be a Domain Admin.
    • Date: Please use the date of the last expense, export date, or submitted date.
    • Export Out-of-Pocket Expenses as: Select check, journal entry, or vendor bill.
      • If tax is not enabled, select an Accounts Payable/AP.
      • If tax is enabled, exporting as journal entries is not available. If enabled later, an error message will appear until the export setting is changed to vendor bill or check.
    • Invoices: Select the QuickBooks Online invoice account where invoices will be exported.
    • Export Company Cards: Export as credit card (default), debit card, or vendor bill. If selecting vendor bill:
      • Choose the accounts payable account that vendor bills will be created from.
      • Optionally, set a default vendor for credit card transactions.

Step 3: Configure Advanced Settings

These steps help you determine additional connection settings like auto-sync and employee invitation settings.

  1. Under the Accounting settings for your workspace, click Advanced under the QuickBooks Online connection.
  2. Select an option for each of the following settings:
    • Auto-Sync: Enable automatic updates between QuickBooks Online and Expensify.
    • Invite Employees: Allow Expensify to import and invite employees from QuickBooks Online.
    • Automatically Create Entities: Enable Expensify to create vendors/customers in QuickBooks Online if a match does not exist.
    • Sync Reimbursed Reports: If enabled, reports marked as Paid in QuickBooks Online will also be marked as Paid in Expensify.
    • Invoice Collection Account: Select the invoice collection account where invoices will be stored once marked as paid.

FAQ

How do I know if a report is successfully exported to QuickBooks Online?

When a report exports successfully, a message is posted in the expense’s related chat room:

Confirmation message posted in the expense chat room

What happens if I manually export a report that has already been exported?

Expensify will notify you if the report has already been exported. Re-exporting will create a duplicate report in QuickBooks Online.

What happens to existing approved and reimbursed reports if I enable Auto Sync?

  • If Auto Sync was disabled when linking QuickBooks Online, enabling it won’t impact existing reports that haven’t been exported.
  • If a report has been exported and reimbursed via ACH, it will be marked as Paid in QuickBooks Online during the next sync.
  • If a report has been exported and marked as Paid in QuickBooks Online, it will be marked as Reimbursed in Expensify during the next sync.
  • Reports that have not yet been exported will not be automatically exported when enabling Auto Sync.

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