Forward receipt images to QuickBooks Self-Employed

Learn how to email receipts to QuickBooks so it automatically records them.

Do you have receipts on your mobile device that you never entered into QuickBooks Self-Employed?

Instead of recording them one at a time, you can email images of your receipts to QuickBooks. QuickBooks scans the images and enters the details for you. This is a great way to enter multiple receipts all at once, or when you don't have the QuickBooks Self-Employed mobile app handy.

Tip: If you're on the go, check out the receipt capture feature. This lets QuickBooks record transactions from images for you.

Step 1: Set up receipt forwarding

You can set up one email address to forward receipts from. It needs to be the same one you use to sign in to QuickBooks Self-Employed.

1. Sign in to QuickBooks Self-Employed in a web browser.
2. Select the profile ⚙ icon and then Receipt forwarding.
3. Follow the onscreen steps. You may need to verify the email address via text message.
   

   Note: If your email address has special characters, you may run into issues. Here's how to change the email address you use to sign in to QuickBooks Self-Employed.

4. Review the Your receipts must be sent from field. Use this email address to send emails to QuickBooks.
5. Select the Email me when QuickBooks receives a receipt checkbox if you want to know when QuickBooks starts scanning your receipts.
6. When you're finished, select Done.

Step 2: Forward receipts to QuickBooks Self-Employed

Use the email address you set up with to email receipt images to: receipts@quickbooks.com.

1. Open your email service and create a new email.
2. Attach receipt images or add them to the body of the email. You can attach as many as your email service allows. Tip: Receipt images can be JPEGs, PNGs, or PDFs.
3. Send the email to receipts@quickbooks.com.

Step 3: Review forwarded receipts

If you connect your bank or credit card accounts to online banking, QuickBooks Self-Employed double-checks your downloaded transactions. It tries to match forwarded receipts if the same transaction comes in from your bank. QuickBooks also tries to match them with transactions you've entered manually.

If it can't find a match, QuickBooks creates a new transaction from the forwarded receipt.

Once the transaction is in QuickBooks Self-Employed, you need to categorize it.

1. Go to the Transactions menu.
2. Look for the receipt you forwarded.
3. Review the details.
4. Follow the steps to categorize the transaction.

If QuickBooks can't record a forwarded receipt, you'll see a "Needs action" message in the Type column. For transactions from accounts connected to online banking, wait until QuickBooks downloads your recent transactions. Then select the message and add any missing info as needed.

If you notice duplicate transactions, here's how to fix them.