Exclude a bank transaction you downloaded into QuickBooks Online

Learn how to exclude a downloaded bank transaction.

From your browser or app, you can connect your bank account and download transactions automatically into QuickBooks. Sometimes, though, you may want to keep a downloaded transaction from going into your company expenses. Here’s how to exclude it and keep your books in order.

In this article, you'll learn how to:

• Check if you should exclude the transaction
• Exclude a downloaded transaction on a web browser
• Undo a mistakenly excluded transaction on a web browser
• Exclude a transaction in the QuickBooks Online app - Android
• Exclude a transaction in the QuickBooks Online app - iOS
• Understand excluding vs. deleting

Step 1: Check if you should exclude the transaction

Before you exclude a downloaded transaction, make sure it’s the right thing to do for your accounting.

When you exclude a transaction, it doesn’t appear in any account histories or financial reports. Depending on the type of transaction, this may make it easier or harder for you to reconcile an account. Here are a couple situations to consider.

If it's a duplicate transaction

If a downloaded transaction is a duplicate of one you already recorded in your books, excluding it makes sense. You can go on to step 2.

If it's a personal expense

If the downloaded transaction is a personal expense, it’s best to add it to QuickBooks, rather than exclude it. Otherwise, your bank account in QuickBooks won’t match your bank statement when you reconcile it.

To avoid recording the transaction as a business expense, many business owners add the transaction to an equity account they’ve created, called an owner’s draw.

As always, check with your accountant or bookkeeper if you’re not sure how to handle a personal expense or any other type of transaction. We can help you find a ProAdvisor.

Step 2: Exclude a downloaded transaction

Once you confirm that excluding a transaction makes sense, here’s how to do it. Choose an appropriate heading based on the device you are using.

Exclude a transaction in QuickBooks Online on the web

1. Go to Transactions, then select Bank transactions (Take me there).
2. Select the For Review tab.
3. Select the checkbox of the transactions to exclude.
4. Select Exclude.

The transaction moves to the Excluded tab of the Banking page.

Undo a mistakenly excluded transaction

If you’ve excluded a transaction by mistake, don’t worry. You can easily fix it by following these steps:

1. Go to Transactions and select Bank transactions (Take me there).
2. Select the Excluded tab.
3. Look for the transaction you want to undo.
4. Select Undo.

The transaction moves back to the For Review tab so you can decide what to do with it again.

Exclude a transaction in QuickBooks Online for Android

1. Go to Menu ☰ and select Transactions.
2. Select Review transactions.
3. Select the transactions to exclude, then select the trash can icon.
4. Select Confirm.

Exclude a transaction in QuickBooks Online for iOS

1. Go to Menu ☰ and select Transactions.
2. Select Review transactions.
3. Select the transactions to exclude, then select the trash can icon.
4. Select Exclude.

Excluding vs. deleting

Once a downloaded transaction is either accepted or excluded, QuickBooks will stop the bank from bringing the transaction into the bank feed again.
If you do not add the transaction and remove it by deleting it, rather than excluding it, the system will recognize the transaction is not accounted for and will download the same transaction again from the bank.