Can I cancel stale-dated cheques in the current accounting cycle that were issued in a prior accounting cycle? If so, how do I do that?

Hi there, 

Providing the best direction to help you reach your goal is my top priority, and I want to make sure I'm fully understanding your question before providing a response. 

What do you mean by a "stale-dated" cheques?

Cheques that have not been cashed or deposited and can no longer be submitted

How should I remove them without affecting prior accounting year?

Hi GibsonsScouts. Knowing how to remove your cheques  from a prior accounting year is a great way for preventing errors in your books. If the cheque is included in a previous reconciliation you'll need to undo the reconciliation, delete the cheque, then redo the reconciliation to make sure your totals balance. I highly recommend consulting your accountant for expert advice. If you don't have one, I recommend searching for a QBO accountant in your area using our website here. Once you're on the website, enter your postal code and hit search. You'll get a list of results showing professionals in your area. 

Here are the steps to unreconcile individual transactions:

1.     Select the Gear icon on the Toolbar.
2.     Under Your Company, select Chart of Accounts.
3.     Locate the appropriate account for the transaction.
4.     From the Action column, select View Register (or Account History).
5.     Identify the transaction to edit.
6.     In the reconcile status column (indicated by a check mark), repeatedly select the top line of the transaction to change the status of the transaction.

    Codes indicate the status of the transaction:

•         C - Cleared
•         R - Reconciled
•         Blank - Not cleared or reconciled

    7. Select Save.

Users with access to QuickBooks Online Accountant version can undo an entire reconciliation. Otherwise, if you're using QuickBooks Online, I suggest following the steps above. If the cheque hasn’t been cashed, and hasn't been included in your previous reconciliation, you can void it by following the steps below:

1.     Select Accounting from the left menu.
2.     Select Chart of Accounts at the top.
3.     Select the bank account the check you need to void was recorded under and choose View Register.
4.     Locate the desired cheque and click to highlight.
5.     Click Edit.
6.     On the bottom center click More and select Void.
7.     Confirm Are you sure you want to void this cheque? by selecting Yes.

Let me know if you have other questions. I'm here to help.