Why does my instance have this checking account with system generated instances? It is showing a negative balance and throwing off all reports.

Hello, Ana.

Can you share more information about your concern about the generated instances and checking accounts? Any information can help me provide the best solution to solving your problem.

QuickBooks Online doesn't create a checking account, you'll have to set it up. The software automatically downloads transactions if you connect your bank account. Also, I encourage you to utilize the Audit Log report to track activities on your account. 

Here's how:

1. Go to the Settings or Gear icon.
2. Select Audit Log.
3. Use the fields on the page to choose the appropriate User, Date, or Events filter to narrow the results.

Please don't hesitate to add any details below. I'll keep an eye on your response. Take care and stay safe.

When I look at the Chart of Accounts there is a Checking which I didn't create that has a huge negative balance and a checking account that we linked to our quickbooks account that reflects the correct balance. I can't just inactivate the bogus checking account because those transactions belong somewhere I just don't know where.

Thanks for getting back here in the Community, @AnaComer.

When you tried to inactivate the checking account that has a negative balance, did QuickBooks Online prompt you with an error? If so, can you send me a screenshot? It will help me determine the root cause of the problem and then provide you with the best possible solution, so you can proceed to generate a report without negative balances in your accounts.

Additional information is highly appreciated. I'll be waiting for your response. Keep safe and stay hydrated!

To close it creates a reconciliation entry like any other checking account you close. Not an error. Is this account in my Chart of Accounts not standard when the quickbooks account was created? It looks like a bunch of system transactions. I created a rule at some point that siphoned some transactions off and made it accumulate in the negative. 

I appreciate you for getting back, Ana. I'm stepping into the thread to share with you some insights about the checking account in question.

Usually, once you've signed up to QuickBooks Online (QBO), specific default accounts in your Chart of Accounts are created for you depending on the business entity you selected. Other special accounts are created when certain actions are taken or features are turned on in your QuickBooks settings. 

I'm adding this article for more information: Manage default and special accounts in your QuickBooks Online chart of accounts.

If I may ask, have you tried following the steps provided by Giovann_G above to access the Audit Log report? This way, you can review this account and see how transactions are added causing a negative balance. Other users from your company file might have added this account and track entries into it. The system records all account activity in the audit log such as user sign-ins, changes to QuickBooks settings, edits to customers, vendors, employees, and payroll submissions. QuickBooks records the following in the audit log:

• The date of any change to your books
• The name of the user who made the change
• The type of change or event
• The name of any customer or vendor related to the change
• Any original transaction date and amount

If this account is unwanted, you can remove it from your books. Here's how: Make an account inactive on your chart of accounts in QuickBooks Online.

If not, then proceed with your reconciliation to keep your balances in place.

Let me know if you have any other follow-up questions about your chart of accounts. I'm just a post away to help. Have a good one!

Thank you for pointing me to the the default accounts that are created. A checking account is not mentioned and that's exactly what we have here. Is this not common? It sounds from the comments that this is not. Here are some sample transactions in this account.

• Tax Payment for Period: 01/01/2021-12/31/2021
• System-recorded deposit for QuickBooks Payments
• System-recorded fee for QuickBooks Payments. Fee-name: DiscountRateFee, fee-type: Daily.

I can't be the only one with these type of transactions. If not where should these actually be?

The audit log is not helpful. That only shows the transactions users make but these are system transactions. I can't make it inactive to fix all the past transactions. That will only zero only make the balance zero for that moment forward. My past Balance Sheet will still be wrong.

I appreciate your immediate response, @AnaComer. I'm here to share further details about this and the actions you need to help take care of this matter.

A checking account isn't one of QBO's default or special accounts. You should be able to deactivate it to fix all your past transactions. To learn more about this and help you keep your chart of accounts simple and organized, you can also refer to this article: Manage default and special accounts in your QuickBooks Online chart of accounts.

Since the Community is a public forum, and we'll need to collect some personal information to pull up your account, I encourage you to reach out to our Customer Care team. They have all the tools to investigate this matter and guide you with a fix. To do this, here's how:

1. Sign in to your QBO company.
2. Go to the Help (?) menu.
3. Select the Search tab.
4. Click the Contact Us button.
5. Enter a brief description of your concern in the What can we help you with? field.
6. Select Continue.
7. Choose a way to connect with us (Send a message or Get a callback).

Also, I'd recommend reconciling your accounts every month. This ensures your financial data match your bank and credit card statements and detect any possible errors accordingly. For the step-by-step guide, you can check out this article: Reconcile an account in QuickBooks Online.

Please don't hesitate to let me know in the comments if you have other concerns about managing accounts and transactions in QBO. I'm always ready to help. Take care, and I wish you continued success, @AnaComer. 

Can someone please answer where the transactions I posted go to on other clients instances? I don't know if this is a bug or normal. Are those transactions normal or is that incorrect also? The screen shots to customer care are not available at this time.

Thank you for getting back to us, @AnaComer. 

It will be posted to where you've added those transactions. To check your account in a secure environment and verify these systems generated transactions, I suggest reaching out to our Customer Support team. 

Our QuickBooks Online (QBO) Advanced Customer Support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For QBO Simple Start, Essentials, and Plus, they're available Monday through Friday, 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM (PST). On Saturdays, 6:00 AM to 3:00 PM (PST). 

You can check this article for more information about the different types of support we offer and their availability: QuickBooks Online Support.

Here's also an article that can guide you with closing your books to prevent changes to past transactions: Close your books in QuickBooks Online. 

You can always get back to me if you have questions or other concerns by leaving a comment below. I'm always here to assist. Have a great rest of the day.