The short answer
QuickBooks Online setup in Chandler with AZ Easy CPA covers everything a new file needs: company settings, a chart of accounts built for your industry, bank feeds and rules, opening balances and app integrations. We also handle QuickBooks Desktop to Online conversion, led by Chris Badulescu, CPA and QuickBooks ProAdvisor at the Elite tier.
What is included in QuickBooks Online setup?
A full QuickBooks Online setup includes company and tax settings, a customized chart of accounts, bank and credit card connections, bank rules, opening balances, products and services, invoice and sales settings and any app integrations you use. When we finish, the file is ready for day-to-day bookkeeping.
QuickBooks Online is easy to sign up for and easy to set up badly. The default settings are a starting point, not a finished file, and the choices made in the first week tend to stick around for years.
- Company profile, fiscal year and accounting method settings
- A chart of accounts customized for your industry
- Bank and credit card connections through bank feeds
- Bank rules for recurring transactions
- Opening balances that tie to your statements, so Opening Balance Equity is cleared
- Loans, accounts payable and accounts receivable set up on the balance sheet
- Products and services, invoice templates and payment settings
- Users and permissions for you, your team and your tax preparer
- App integrations connected and tested
Why does the chart of accounts matter so much?
The chart of accounts is the list of categories every transaction lands in, so it decides what your reports can tell you. A chart built for your industry lets you see things like cost of goods, job costs or service lines clearly, instead of everything landing in a few generic buckets.
The QuickBooks default chart of accounts is generic on purpose. That works for some businesses, but most owners end up with categories that do not fit and a long list they never use.
We build a customized chart of accounts for your industry. A few examples of what that looks like:
- Trades: materials, subcontractors and direct labor separated so job profit is visible
- Restaurants: food and beverage costs split, with delivery app fees tracked on their own
- Salons and barbershops: service revenue, retail product sales and booth rent kept apart
- Professional practices: income by service line or payer type
Keep it focused. A good chart has enough detail to answer your real questions, without so many accounts that categorizing becomes a guessing game.
How do bank feeds and bank rules work?
Bank feeds connect your bank and credit card accounts to QuickBooks Online, so transactions download automatically. Bank rules tell QuickBooks how to categorize transactions that repeat, like your rent, software subscriptions or processor deposits. Set up well, they cut down manual entry a lot.
Bank feeds are one of the biggest time savers in QuickBooks Online, and also one of the biggest sources of messy books. Connecting the same account twice, or importing old transactions that were already entered, is how duplicates start.
When we set up feeds and rules, we:
- Connect each account once, with a sensible start date
- Match downloaded transactions to anything already entered
- Write rules for recurring vendors and deposits, carefully, so nothing gets auto-categorized wrong
- Show you how to review the feed so you stay in control
Tip: a bank rule that automatically adds transactions without review is convenient, but a wrong rule can quietly miscategorize months of activity. We usually set rules to suggest a category so a person still confirms it.
Can you convert QuickBooks Desktop to Online?
Yes. We handle QuickBooks Desktop to Online conversion from start to finish: reviewing the Desktop file, cleaning up problems before the move, running the conversion, then checking balances and reports in QuickBooks Online against Desktop so your history comes across correctly.
A conversion is more than clicking export. Desktop and Online handle some features differently, and problems in the Desktop file come along for the ride unless they are fixed first.
How a QuickBooks Desktop to Online conversion works
- Review the Desktop file for unreconciled accounts, old open items and anything that will not convert cleanly
- Clean up first where needed, so you start Online with accurate balances
- Convert the data into a new QuickBooks Online company
- Verify the balance sheet, profit and loss and open invoices and bills against Desktop
- Finish setup with bank feeds, rules, users and integrations
- Train you on what works differently in Online
Not every file should be converted with full history. Sometimes it makes more sense to bring over balances and recent activity and keep the old Desktop file for reference. Chris will talk through that choice with you.
Which apps can connect to QuickBooks Online?
Many of the tools small businesses use can connect to QuickBooks Online, including payment processors, point of sale systems, field service software and practice management tools. We help choose and connect the right integrations, then check that the data posts to the right accounts.
Integrations are great when they post the right numbers and painful when they do not. A payment processor that records gross sales but drops the fees, or a POS that creates a new customer for every sale, can make the books harder to read.
Common integrations we help with include payment processors like Square, Stripe and PayPal, POS systems like Toast and Clover, and field service tools like Jobber, Housecall Pro and ServiceTitan. For each one, we check how it records sales, fees, tips and deposits, then map it to your chart of accounts.
If your business is outgrowing QuickBooks, Chris also works in NetSuite. You can learn more on our NetSuite page.
Why use a ProAdvisor for QuickBooks setup?
A ProAdvisor knows how QuickBooks behaves in real businesses, not just how the menus work. Chris is a CPA, a Certified QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor and a ProAdvisor at the Elite tier, so your setup is built with both the software and the accounting in mind.
"I had an issue learning about my quick books and Chris help me work through it all and how to understand it and get it all set up." (Regina O., Google review)
After setup, you can keep the books yourself with a little QuickBooks training, or let us handle it with monthly bookkeeping. If you already have a file with problems, a bookkeeping cleanup may be the better first step.
How do we get started?
Free phone call
Tell us about your business, the tools you use and whether you are starting fresh or coming from Desktop.
Plan the file
We map out the chart of accounts, accounts to connect and integrations you need.
Build and convert
We set up QuickBooks Online or convert your Desktop file, then verify the balances.
Connect and test
Bank feeds, rules and apps are connected and checked against real transactions.
Walkthrough
Chris shows you how the file works so you are comfortable from day one.
QuickBooks Setup questions
Can I set up QuickBooks Online myself?
You can, and plenty of people do. The common trouble spots are the chart of accounts, opening balances and bank feeds. Having a ProAdvisor set those up correctly usually saves cleanup work later.
Will my history come over when converting from QuickBooks Desktop?
In most cases, yes. We review the Desktop file first, convert it and then compare balances and reports to make sure it came across correctly. Sometimes bringing over only recent history makes more sense, and we will talk that through with you.
Which version of QuickBooks Online should I use?
It depends on what you need, such as the number of users, inventory, projects or class tracking. We can recommend a version on your free call based on how your business works.
Can you set up QuickBooks for my industry?
Yes. We build a customized chart of accounts for your industry, whether you run a trade, a restaurant, a salon, a practice or a nonprofit.
Can you connect my POS or payment processor?
Yes. We help connect tools like Square, Stripe, Toast and field service software, and we check that sales, fees and deposits record to the right accounts.
Do you set up payroll in QuickBooks?
We do not process payroll in house. We work with payroll partners and make sure payroll entries are recorded correctly in your books.
Can you help in person or only remotely?
Both. Setup and conversion work is usually done remotely, and we are happy to meet in person in Chandler if you prefer.
Bookkeeping near you
From our Chandler office we work with businesses across the East Valley and Arizona, in person or online.
