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Make a copy of your QuickBooks Online Advanced company

by Intuit• Updated 1 week ago

Learn how to make a copy of your QuickBooks Online Advanced company to start a new one.

Note: This article is for customers using QuickBooks Online Advanced. If you're interested in using this feature, consider upgrading today.

Alternatively, if this feature isn't available in your QuickBooks subscription, you can manually back up your data.

Copy your QuickBooks Online Advanced company to safely test changes or start a new company with the same data. This saves you time and eliminates possible data loss issues.

Note: In the next steps, we'll name the original company with your current data “Company A”. Then, we'll name the new blank company where we want to copy the data “Company B”.

  • You can name these companies anything you prefer.
  • Both Company A and B should use a QuickBooks Online Advanced account.
  • The primary admin and user should be the same for both the source and target companies.

If you only need to save your accounting data, you can review what data you can and can't back up.

Let's create a new company for you to copy to (Company B), then replace it with Company A’s info. Make sure of the following:

  • Company B shouldn’t have data and should have a QuickBooks Online Advanced account.
  • Company B should have a unique name.
  • Company B should be signed out once you're done setting up.

Important: Company A and Company B should have the same lists setup. If they don't, you may see an error when copying data. For example:

  • The chart of accounts must all have the same number of accounts and the same account names.
  • All the GST agencies must have the same name if you use GST.
  • The products and service bundle items must be created in Company B exactly as they are listed in Company A. This makes sure that the copy is complete and has no issues.

When you set up online backup and restore for both source and target companies, make sure to:

  1. Turn on backup for Company A.
  2. Turn off backup for Company B only.
  3. Turn off all automation settings in both Company A and B:
    1. Go to Settings Settings gear icon. and select Account and settings.
    2. Select Advanced, then select Edit from the Automation section.
    3. Turn off each option, then select Save.

Now, here’s how we'll copy the data from Company A to Company B.

  1. Sign in to your QuickBooks Online account with Company A.
  2. Go to Settings Settings gear icon. and select Back up company.
  3. From the Copy tab, select Create Copy. Make sure the source company is Company A.
  4. In the Copy To â–Ľ dropdown, make sure the list includes Company B. If not, follow these steps:
    1. Select Add company.
    2. Select the company from the Select Company â–Ľ dropdown.
    3. Select Continue.
    4. Select the company from the Copy To â–Ľ dropdown.
  5. Set the Date and Time of the backup you want to copy.
  6. Select Continue.

Alternatively, you can copy your company from an existing backup. You may skip this step if you've already created a copy of your company.

  1. Go to Settings Settings gear icon. and select Back up company.
  2. Select the Backups tab.
  3. Select the dropdown Dropdown arrow icon. next to View for the backup you want to copy from.
  4. Select Copy, then select your target company in Copy To.
    Note: The date and time are automatically selected.
  5. Select Continue.

After you make a copy of the company, you’ll be directed to the Backup and Restore Copy Precheck page. Follow these steps:

  1. From the Pre-Copy Configuration Check tab, select Next. If that option isn't available, read the message and select Take me there to fix it.
  2. In the Pre-Copy Confirmation Step, tick the box, then select Next.
  3. In the All Set tab, select Start Copy.

Depending on the amount of data you have, the time for completion of the copy may vary.

If you see an error message during the backup, you can select the help icon Help to contact the Support team. Select the Magnifying glass search icon. Search tab, then select Contact Us to continue. We'll work with you and make sure to fix the error and get your company data into QuickBooks.