Crazy amount in the red

Welcome to the Community, @JHM1950.

I'll share some information about how you are going to offset the negative balance in QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT).

For your first concern, to offset the negative balance I'll recommend using a Journal Entry, this ensures accurate financial reporting when dealing with negative balances, journal entries help correct discrepancies by adjusting accounts accordingly. 

Moreover, when offsetting a balance in QuickBooks Desktop, it is advisable to consult with an Accountant. Accountants are well-versed in financial matters and can guide to ensure that the entries are correctly recorded to maintain the integrity of the financial statements and comply with accounting standards.

Regarding your second concern about starting a new business, you will need to create a new company and then export your list from the old company to import it into the new one. You can use CSV or connect banking transactions to expedite the process.

I'll be sharing some articles that can help you manage your transactions after performing the task in QBDT: 

• Reconcile an account in QuickBooks Desktop
• Connect your QuickBooks Payments account to QuickBooks Desktop
• Enter opening balances for accounts in QuickBooks Desktop

Thanks for coming to the Community. I look forward to being able to help you with any concerns you may have regarding your negative balance in QuickBooks Desktop. Have a great day!

@JHM1950 

"It's probably way too simplistic, but I also thought, if I'm 500k in the red maybe there's a way to add 500k to the account to balance it out so I can start clean."

To clear the $500K, you would need to know exactly what accounts to offset which would be a lot of work.  What timeframe are we talking about?  2023?  2024?  Did you file any tax returns with this inaccurate financial data?