Get started with QuickBooks Online
Welcome to QuickBooks Online!
Whether you’re new to QuickBooks or just signing in on a new device, this guide walks you through everything you need to get started — from signing in to setting up your company, connecting your accounts, and customising tools to suit your business.
Not signed up yet? Sign up for QuickBooks Online.
This is Katheryn from the QuickBooks team. Welcome to QuickBooks Online. First, let’s explore how to get around, where to find your settings, and how to get help when needed!
Select Dashboard to see shortcuts to some of the most common activities in QuickBooks. You can also view your sales & get paid funnel, an overview of your bank accounts, and charts and graphs. Select Add widgets to customise what you see.
Intuit Assist uses the business feed to share work it does for you and give you suggestions on how to run your business.
Reports and Analytics is where you run valuable reports on your company’s performance. This is also where you can take a look at budgets, forecasts, and other financial planning tools.
Select My apps to find where to perform your work in QuickBooks. You can also use the search tool.
Accounting lets you connect your bank and credit cards to QuickBooks. You can securely and automatically import transactions, which are either categorised for you by QuickBooks, or you can enter required data yourself. Connecting your accounts keeps your books up-to-date and accurate, and is an important first step in the setup process.
Integration transactions is where you see transactions from all your connected sales channels, like Shopify or Amazon.
You can also upload and review receipts, reconcile your books, and customise your Chart of Accounts to manage how you want to categorise and track transactions.
In Expenses & Pay Bills, you can see suppliers and contractors, record expenses, and enter and pay bills. You also track your business Mileage here.
Sales & Get Paid helps you manage your money-in options such as sending Invoices to customers, accepting payments, and tracking the products and services you sell.
You manage your customers and leads in the Customer Hub.
Select Team to add and view your Employees and Contractors.
And Time lets you enter and approve the hours your team works.
Depending on your QuickBooks plan, you can track and plan your Project financials under Project Management.
Sales Tax lets you set up and pay your Sales taxes,
And you can view and manage year-end taxes and filings for your business under Business Taxes.
If you want to apply for a line of credit or credit card, you can do so under Lending. This is also where you sign up for a QuickBooks Checking account.
Use Payroll to pay your team and Mailchimp to reach customers faster.
You can customise your navigation at any time. Pin apps, or drag and rearrange pinned apps. You can add bookmarks for the pages you use most often.
When you need to quickly create something, such as a new invoice or expense transaction, hover over Create to choose which transaction or entry you need to open.
Now that you can get around, select the gear icon to see your Settings options.
Here, you can do things like add and manage users, manage your billing and subscription info, and set your preferences to optimise QuickBooks for your business.
Finally, when you find something you have questions about, help is just a click away. Select the Help icon to chat with our online assistant, see topics related to the page you're on, or search for more info. Plus, you can contact experts here.
Now that you know your way around, what’s next is up to you. Visit our video centre to find even more videos on how to get set up. Welcome to QuickBooks.
1. Sign in to QuickBooks Online
You can sign in using your email address, user ID, or phone number.
- Go to QuickBooks Online.
- Enter your email, user ID, or phone number and select Sign in.
- Enter the 6-digit code sent to your email or phone.
- Select Sign in again to continue.
If you want to switch accounts, select Use a different user ID on the login screen.
Tip: To update your phone number or contact info, select the circle icon in the top right, then choose Manage your Intuit Account.
2. Explore your dashboard
After signing in, you’ll land on your Home dashboard—a snapshot of your business performance.
Two tabs:
- Home: Real-time insights into cash flow, profit & loss, sales, income, and expenses
- Planner: Highlights tasks and helps you plan upcoming actions
Widgets displaying key metrics, including connected bank balances and business health.
Select Customise layout to:
- Add, remove, or resize widgets
- Drag and drop to reorder them
Use the Shortcuts widget to pin commonly used actions like:
- Creating invoices
- Reviewing transactions
- Recording bills
- Adding customers
- Checking payroll status
Each user’s dashboard is tailored to their access rights, so views may differ.
3. Set up your company
You can customise your company settings all at once, or configure them as you go.
- Go to Settings, then Account and settings.
- Work through each tab to:
- Company name and contact details
- VAT settings
- Invoice customisation
- Features like languages, sales forms, and billing info
When performing key actions (like creating a report) for the first time, a guided setup will appear to help configure your settings.
You can revisit or adjust settings any time under Account and settings.
4. Connect your bank and credit card accounts
Connecting your accounts lets QuickBooks download and categorise transactions for you.
Learn how to connect bank and credit card accounts here.
5. Import your data
If you’re switching from another platform or QuickBooks file, you can import key lists like customers, suppliers, stock, and your chart of accounts.
Learn more: Move your lists to QuickBooks
You can add new customers, suppliers, and products and services quickly and easily in QuickBooks Online. Follow the relevant support guides on how to do this:
6. Set up VAT
It's easy to add VAT to your invoices and receipts and track how much you owe. Follow the steps below to set up VAT for the first time:
- Go to Taxes and select VAT (Take me there).
- Select Set up VAT.
- Enter your VAT registration number, tax agency, filing frequency, and VAT rates.
- Choose your reporting method (cash or accrual).
- Save your setup.
Learn more:
7. Customise and send invoices
Create professional invoices tailored to your brand.
- Select + New, then Invoice.
- Choose a customer and enter the invoice details.
- Add products or services and VAT if needed.
- Select Save or choose a sharing method.
Learn more: Create and send an invoice in QuickBooks
8. Add and manage users
You can grant others access to help manage your books.
Learn more: Add and manage users in QuickBooks Online
You can update your own email, phone number, user ID, or company info anytime.
- Go to Settings, then select Account and settings.
- Select the Company tab.
- In the Contact info section, choose Edit.
- Make changes and select Save, then Done.
You’ll need admin permissions to change another user’s information.
- Go to Settings, then select Manage users.
- Select the user, then Edit.
- Update their info and select Save changes.
2. Explore your dashboard
Once you sign in, you’ll see your dashboard, which gives you a high-level overview of your business performance.
Two tabs:
Widgets showing:
- Cash flow
- Profit and loss
- Expenses
- Sales and income
- Bank account balances
You can customise the layout to suit your workflow. Select Customise layout to:
- Add or remove widgets
- Resize and reorder widgets
Personalise your Shortcuts widget to include actions you use often, such as:
- Creating invoices
- Reviewing bank transactions
- Recording bills
- Setting up customers
- Checking payroll status
3. Set up your company
You can customise your company settings all at once, or configure them as you go.
- Go to Settings, then Account and settings.
- Work through each tab to:
- Add your company info
- Turn on relevant features (e.g. VAT, invoice customisation)
- Adjust language, billing details, and sales form preferences
When performing key actions (like creating a report) for the first time, a guided setup will appear to help configure your settings. You can revisit or adjust settings any time under Account and settings.
Learn more: Edit company settings in QuickBooks
4. Connect your bank and credit card accounts
Connecting your accounts lets QuickBooks download and categorise transactions for you.
5. Import your data
You can import data from another QuickBooks company or other accounting software — including customer, supplier, stock, and chart of accounts lists.
Learn more: Move your lists to QuickBooks
No historical data? You can start fresh — it’s optional to import.
Follow the relevant support articles on how to add new customers, suppliers, products and services in QuickBooks:
6. Set up VAT
QuickBooks helps you track VAT on sales and purchases, and prepare for VAT returns.
- Go to Taxes, then VAT (Take me there).
- Select Set up VAT.
- Fill in the required fields:
- VAT registration number (9 digits)
- Tax name and description
- Tax agency name
- Start of current tax period
- Filing frequency
- Reporting method (cash or accrual)
- Sales and purchase rates
Learn more: Set up and use VAT in QuickBooks
7. Customise and send invoices
Create invoices that reflect your brand and get paid faster.
- Open any invoice and select Customise.
- Choose to edit an existing template or create a new one.
- Select + New, then select Invoice.
- Select a customer.
- Update the invoice date, due date, and terms if needed.
- Add products and services, quantity, rate, and VAT.
- Select Save, or choose how you’d like to share it.
You can also save it as a draft or send it directly via email.
Learn more: Create and send invoices in QuickBooks
8. Add and manage users
Let others help manage your books by giving them access to your account.
Learn more: Add and manage users in QuickBooks
- Primary admin – full control of the account
- Company admin – full access similar to the primary admin
- Standard user – access based on specific permissions (sales, expenses, banking, etc.)
- Reports only – view-only access to reports
- Time tracking only – can track hours but not access financial data
- Go to Settings, then select Manage users
- To add someone, select Add user and follow the steps.
- To change access or details, select Edit next to their name.
- To remove a user, select Delete.
Only the primary or company admin can manage users. Your plan determines how many users you can add.
- Go to Manage users.
- Select the dropdown in the Action column.
- Choose View user activity to access the audit log.
9. Run and customise reports
QuickBooks has a full library of reports that help you monitor your business.
- Go to the Reports tab.
- Choose a report type or search by name.
- Apply filters to customise your view.
Use the reports to track income, expenses, profitability, and more.
Learn more:
Need more help?
Book a free 1:1 onboarding session
Let one of our product experts take you through a complimentary onboarding session, at a time that works best for you.
We’ll guide you through some initial steps to help get you set up. You’ll also be able to ask any questions you may have, and learn more about features of QuickBooks Online specific to your business needs.
Book your onboarding session here
Sign up for QuickBooks Training
Discover our new series of short, easy-to-follow courses from the QuickBooks support and training team. Learn at your own pace and maximise your QuickBooks experience.
Sign up today
Additional support options
- Visit the Learn and Support page for videos and how-to guides
- Join the QuickBooks UK Community to connect with other business owners.
- Use the Digital Assistant in-product for 24/7 help — just select Help (?) and type your question
If needed, contact our support team for further assistance.
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