Reference numbers for filing documents with quickbooks

Hello Gill1,

Thank you for your post.

Can you confirm, are you looking to allocate a certain number to your transactions or would you have a transaction number as well as a reference number?

Thanks,

Talia

Hi Talia,  I am looking for a separate, (internal), transaction number as I use the reference number to record the invoice number on the supplier invoice, the transaction number will be for filing purposes. Gill

Hi Talia, do you know how others operate regarding referencing to filing?

Gill

Hello Gill1,

As far as I know, other customers tend to use the transaction number by itself for filing purposes. Otherwise, they create a custom field and enter in their own reference number on each transaction.

Thanks,

Talia

Hi Talia,  Sorry to come back again but I can't find where to set up a custom field on a bill only on a sales invoice.  Please could you point me in the right direction to find the Bill setup.  Gill

Hello Gill1,

Ask as many questions as you need - it's what we're here for! You are correct, it looks like this is only a feature on Invoices. I apologise for the mix-up. In that case, you will need to post the reference number in the Memo section of the bill - or description.

Thank you,

Talia

your reply did not help us. I understand what Gill is asking for. which even I am looking for.

I want to understand, why don't you have automatic numbering for all modules as you have in AR (sales Invoices)

We cannot use supplier invoice numbers as document number as two different suppliers can have same invoice numbers.

Even your payment receipt or outgoing payments does not have automatic numbering. it is a must for filing or even tracing within the system.

According to me, every software is having a transaction number generated within the system for each and every transaction. ARE WE ABLE TO GET THIS TRANSACTION NUMBER AT LEAST.

Hello, @Godwin1.

Let me share additional information on how entering your transactions reference numbers works in QuickBooks.

A suppliers invoice becomes a bill when you record it in QuickBooks. Using the actual supplier invoice number when entering a bill, allows you to accurately track your expense transactions. This is the same as recording your customer's payments or bill payments. You can use the actual reference number indicated on your bank statement. 

On the other hand, if you're using QuickBooks Desktop, yes you do have the auto-assign option. However, it is available for Credit Memos, Estimates, Invoices, Journal Entries, Purchase Orders, Sales Orders, and Sales Receipts. It will assign the transaction number beginning with the number after the last manually entered transaction. If no manual transaction entries have been made since the last import, QBDT will assign the transaction number beginning with the number after the last number of the last import.

Here's a short video clip for your reference on the short and easy steps in recording bill payments in QuickBooks:

Meanwhile, you can check out these articles for more insights about managing your transactions in QuickBooks:

• How to enter and pay bills
• What is the difference between bills, cheques, and expenses?
• What is the difference between an invoice, sales receipt, bill, and statement?

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

I am new to QB and am struggling to find a way to print reports using the same ref number order as I use when filing.  To me, this is the only sensible way to quickly track back invoices in files.  This system is widely used in book-keeping and I can't fathom why it has to be so difficult in QB.  Looking in memos is not the answer.

Hello

Thanks for reaching out to the Community

Are you inputting the ref number within a payment for an invoice and then looking to print a report in ref no order on it?

Currently the ref no is on the payment and you can run a transaction list by customer report and you you will see it pull through under the no. column. It is not in ref no order as it's a customer report so it is in customer.You could add a custom field or use the memo section but again it will not order it by that field.You can export a report to excel and use excel formula to order it.

Emma

Thanks

Emma

Hi Emma

No, I am using a reference number to identify and file all purchase invoices.  This is a very common way to file things and it would seem easy to enable filtering reports into reference number order.

I will download back into my spreadsheets, which I has to ditch because UK VAT think there will be less errors from people using unfamiliar computer software.  Let's see.

Hello Jbdev64

QuickBooks does not yet have the functionality to do this in the reporting section. We would suggest going to the cog in the top right>feedback to add your request for this to be added into QuickBooks. We do find users who enter transactions either manually or through a bank connection and then use the reconcile tool have less errors as they are confirming transactions should be there and that no transactions are missing so when it coming to file the return as long as the correct VAT codes are used on the transactions there should be no errors.Any queries regarding using the reconcile tool or anything else in QuickBooks you can always ask here.

We welcome any other Community users to comment on this thread with any  different workarounds they may have used.

Emma

Good day Talia

I am a new customer,I went through the conversation, I still feel the initial query has not been address.

For every transaction, or entry done on QB, the system is supposed to give your its own reference number on every entry done, simple. Once you start talking about inputting our own reference etc etc is already diverts from the intial query.

The system's generated number is very import as all our historic data is revisited by this system's transcation number. All our filing is done systematically based on this QB generated number. Currently the QB we are using is not giving this number.  When capturing a new invoice the reference number showing on QB is ONLY supposed to be for the suppliers' invoice number, and after i am done capturing the bill, system then gives me its own QB transaction number. This QB generated number is also supposed to appear on the QB supplier's Statement Of Account when I genarate the SOA, ie, the SOA is supposed to show details of each transaction that was done, showing the Date,QB generated number, suppliers' invoice number,and invoice amount. Also, future when i by mistake capture the same invoice, as soon as i input the same invoice number, the system is supposed to say eg. ''THIS INVOICE NUMBER 20204879,for example, IS ALREADY CAPTURED UNDER TRANSACTIN NUMBER QB202098567, for example'', without the system's generated transaction number, nothing is stopping a duplication, and payments of the same invoice twice is common esp. in a small but busy business like ours. Currently , the QB is giving systems transaction number for cheque payments, please have this apply to each and every transction done on QB, including journals. bills, payments, everything, thank you. 

Your video didnot help much as it is mostly talking about the banknig side.I tried googgling to no avail.Please help. 

Thank you

Desire

Hello Desire1

Thanks for your post in the Community

We would advise if you can in the cog in the top right of QuickBooks leave feedback regarding the automatic transaction numbers for Journal entries, bills, payments. Our engineers do look at the need, workability, and popularity of all requests made in the feedback section.

 The duplication warnings are applicable to cheque, bills and journal entries you at the moment in the cog>account and settings>advanced>other preferences

QB online do have a REF number space for you to put a fileref in - I use my QB accountnumber plus a number ( 2000/1)  and put it in the Ref space. The next doc for that same account would be 2000/2 etc. My file where i file the hardcopy is then file 2000 in the office and the docs are filed as 1 and 2 etc. As above.

QB Desktop do not have this-REF space  why i do not know. And they can automate it too.

Nico 

Hello,

Im trying to find out how when you click on the "Find" icon, why cant you search for the ref #?  I dont have that option on my Quckbooks Desktop.  If there is a way to quick search it please let me know.  I made an example below.

I receive a bill from a company " ABC Company" their invoice number is 125478. I want to go into my "find" icon and click on Ref # and look for that number only.

Please help! Thanks in advance.

Kim

Let me walk you through finding the invoice number 125478 on your QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT) file,  JKShoelife.

In QBDT, you can use the Find feature to locate transactions. To do this, press the CTRL + F on the keyboard or click the Edit menu, then select the Find option.

When the Find window opens, you'll see two tabs, Simple and Advanced. 

• Simple: This option allows you to search for transactions based on the type of transaction.
• Advanced: This option allows you to search for transactions in great detail. This is a very handy option to use when you are searching for a transaction of a specific amount.
   

Use the Simple tab and enter the invoice number in the Invoice # field, then press Find.

You can also run reports, like Transaction List by Customer or Transaction Detail. Then, customise them to get the data that you need.

For the Transaction List by Customer report, here are the steps on how to customise it:
 

1. Select Custom & Receivables from the Reports tab, then click on  Transaction List by Customer.
2. On the report's page, click on the Customize button so you can filter the report to show just the invoices.
3. Go to the Filter column under the Modify Report window, then search for Transaction Type.
4. Under TransactionType select Invoice, then tap OK.
5. Go to the Display column, to customize the columns you want to display on the report by putting a check-mark beside it.
6. Click on the OK button to save the customization and hit Refresh.
    

In addition to this function, you can browse this link to learn what other shortcuts you can use: Keyboard shortcuts in QuickBooks Desktop.

Let me know if you have follow-up questions about finding an invoice. Simply leave a comment below, and I'll get back to you.

Transaction Numbers: Maybe the below can help.
I am using QUICKBOOKS PRO 2013 DESKTOP.
For my Bill, Bill Payment, Check, Credit, Credit Card Charge, Credit Card Credit, Invoice, and Payment I have a way to see what Transaction Numbers QuickBooks has assigned.
I then write that Transaction Number onto the paper copy of my document because that number can tell who, what, and when that info was entered.

To find the Transaction Number I am talking about do the following:
Reports
Accountant & Taxes
Transaction List By Date
Customize Report
Display
BELOW Dates From and To
Columns
(left margin)
Trans # PLACE A CHECK MARK IN FRONT OF THIS

SEE IF EITHER OF THESE GIVES YOU CLUES AS TO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO IN QBDT QuickBooks DeskTop.

FIRST TRY THE BELOW.
Reports
Accountant and Taxes
Transaction List By Date
Customize Report
Display
Trans #
OK
Sort By Trans #
Adjust Dates FROM and TO as needed
Memorize
Give Report NEW Name
OK

====

SECOND TRY THE BELOW.

Reports
Vendors & Payables
Unpaid Bills Detail
Customize Report
Trans #
Filters
CLICK AT FAR RIGHT where it says Paid Status Open
Look at the LEFT Paid Status
Either
OK

SEE IF EITHER OF THESE GIVES YOU CLUES AS TO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO IN QBDT QuickBooks Desk Top.

FIRST TRY THE BELOW.
Reports
Accountant and Taxes
Transaction List By Date
Customize Report
Display
Trans #
OK
Sort By Trans #
Adjust Dates FROM and TO as needed
Memorize
Give Report NEW Name
OK

====

SECOND TRY THE BELOW.

Reports
Vendors & Payables
Unpaid Bills Detail
Customize Report
Trans #
Filters
CLICK AT FAR RIGHT where it says Paid Status Open
Look at the LEFT Paid Status
Either
OK

Thank you, that does give me a number!

Gill