I need to start fresh. I don't see how to back up my company to access in case, where is that? Can I keep the same subscription or do I need to create a whole new one?

Hello there, Roving.

The option to directly back up your QuickBooks Online company is exclusively available in QuickBooks Online Advanced. Otherwise, you'll have to manually export your data or rely on a third-party application to back up your information within your account. That way, you'll be able to keep your data and look them up in time you need. 

And yes, you can keep the same subscription and start with a clean slate if your QuickBooks Online (QBO) account is new or less than 60 days old. Here's how you can erase your QuickBooks Online data and start over:

1. Log in to your QuickBooks Online account.
2. Change the URL to include /purgecompany. Please see the screenshots:
   
   
3. Once the data has been deleted, you will need to type the word YES to confirm, and then click on OK. 
4. Once you have made your selections, click on Wipe Data. 
5. After the deletion process is finished, you will be redirected to your home page.

Note: Purging your QBO account will permanently delete all data associated with it, and this action cannot be undone.

On the other hand, if your QuickBooks Online (QBO) account is 60 days old or older, you will need to cancel your existing account and initiate a new subscription in order to start fresh. To cancel your QuickBooks Online (QBO) account, follow these steps:

1. Click on the Gear icon and select Account and Settings under Your Company.
2. In the Billing and subscription tab, click Cancel in the QuickBooks section.
3. Follow the provided steps to cancel your account.
4. Then, start a new account by going to this link: Sign up QBO account. You can use the same User ID.

If you have any more concerns or questions about QuickBooks, feel free to reach out. I'm here to assist you. Goodbye for now and take care!

I don't want to delete my client's data. How do I keep that? 

Hi there, @Roving. I appreciate you for keeping us updated on how you want to handle your QuickBooks Online data.

The Purge company feature is designed to erase all of your QBO data. As an alternative, you have the option to export your client's data prior to purging. This enables you to transfer the data to your new company. Here's how:

1. Log in to the account that has your lists.
2. Navigate to Reports.
3. Depending on what list you need to export, search for and run Account List, Customer Contact List, Vendor Contact List, or Product/Service List report.
4. Customize the list report's columns. Select each report below to check how their columns should be ordered.

After exporting and saving your reports, perform the following steps to import your lists to your new QBO account.

For detailed steps on importing each list, see these articles:

• Chart of Accounts
• Products and Services
• Customers
• Vendors

Kindly browse this module to learn more about how your Excel files should look and fix common errors when importing lists: Move your lists to QuickBooks Online.

Feel free to tap the Reply button below if you have any further concerns about data management or QuickBooks. I am always available to assist you. Keep safe.

@Roving 

You can convert data to get a QB Desktop file format. Then use the trial version to access the historical data for good.

This article doesn’t specify what file format I should export with the customer data to reimport later. Is Excel okay? Or is there a better format?

Thanks, but this article doesn’t specify what file format I should export my customer data to reimport it later? Is excel okay or is there a different format? 

ALSO, can I reimport Invoice data from the past year?

Thanks, but the article doesn’t tell me what kind of file format I need to export contacts and reimport them later. Is Excel okay? Or is there something better?

ALSO, can I do the same with invoices, to export and reimport that data, from this year only? 

Thank you!

Hmm…the forum isn’t letting me edit my other posts or delete repeated posts, or any posts. That’s odd. 

Hi Roving,

Yes, you can use an Excel file to export and reimport the data. I'm here to ensure you successfully perform these tasks in QuickBooks Online.

An Excel format is one of the easiest ways to bring out and in your data. As for exporting invoices, while the option to export them through an Excel file is unavailable, you can run the Invoice List report to export and reimport the information. Then, you can filter the report to ensure you select the specific date range.

Here's more information about exporting reports, lists, and other data from QuickBooks Online. 

As for editing and deleting your posts, did you receive an error message when trying to modify them? In the meantime, you may edit your posts through a private window. This page doesn't store browsing history. Thus, it helps your page to load faster. You can perform some browser troubleshooting steps to fix the issue.

In case you need related resources while working with QuickBooks, please feel free to skim through the topics from our help articles.

Please let me know how else I can help you with QuickBooks. I've got your back and am always happy to help.

@Roving 

For your reference

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/import-or-export-data-files/export-and-convert-you...

Hi, thanks for your response. I still cannot edit/modify/delete my posts after I've posted them. Using Safari, latest version, and Ventura OS. 

You need a Windows machine to convert data from QBO to QB Desktop file format. Otherwise, you have to purchase a 3rd party conversion service.

Quickbooks online automatically backs up every night around midnight into the cloud.  You can download data to an excel file and save it on a usb thumbdrive or to your computer.  With QBO Advanced you will have the ability to back up and restore data to a specific date if you made a mistake and are just noticing it.

@TonyaLogan 

If you are not using QBO Advanced, you can use a 3rr party backup restore app.