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melissas-marines
Level 2

quickbooks desktop to online beginning bank balance incorrect

I reconciled bank acct in Desktop 12/31/23.  We migrated to QB online in January.  The beginning balance in January does not match the bank or the ending balance in QB for 12/31/23.  I have watched several videos on changing the balance in QB online but I don't have an Opening balance equity transaction.  How can I change the beginning balance so I can reconcile account?  Something seems to have happened with the conversion.

Thank you.

Solved
Best answer March 07, 2024

Best Answers
RhoiceW
QuickBooks Team

quickbooks desktop to online beginning bank balance incorrect

Hi there, melissas. Thank you for reaching out to us. Let me provide you with the steps for entering an opening balance after you already created an account to track transactions in QuickBooks.

 

You have to create a Journal Entry and manually reconcile the transactions.

 

Here's how:

 

  1. Click the + New icon.
  2. Select Journal entry.
  3. Enter the opening balance date.
  4. Under the Account column, select the dropdown menu to choose the account you want to enter the opening balance.
  5. Add a note in the Description field so you know what the journal entry is for.
  6. In the second row of the Account column, select the dropdown and choose Opening Balance Equity.
  7. Use your bank statements to enter the balance of your real-life account on the date you picked as the opening balance. You'll need to enter both a debit and a credit to keep things accurate. Enter the debits and credits based on the type of account you entered on the first row.

 

After creating the Journal Entry, here are the steps in marking the journal entry as reconciled:

 

  1. Go to the Gear icon, then select Chart of accounts.
  2. Look for the account and select View register from the Action column.
  3. Find the journal entry you just created. Select it to expand the view.
  4. Click the box in the checkmark column until you see an R. This reconciles the journal entry.
  5. Once done, select Save.

 

I'll leave this article for additional information on what to do if you didn't enter an opening balance in QuickBooks Online.

 

Additionally, you can check this article to learn what to do if QuickBooks Online doesn't match your bank statement at the end of a reconciliation: Fix issues at the end of a reconciliation in QuickBooks Online

 

Don't hesitate to hit the Reply button if you have more concerns about reconciling your account. I'm always here to help you out. Take care.

View solution in original post

5 Comments 5
RhoiceW
QuickBooks Team

quickbooks desktop to online beginning bank balance incorrect

Hi there, melissas. Thank you for reaching out to us. Let me provide you with the steps for entering an opening balance after you already created an account to track transactions in QuickBooks.

 

You have to create a Journal Entry and manually reconcile the transactions.

 

Here's how:

 

  1. Click the + New icon.
  2. Select Journal entry.
  3. Enter the opening balance date.
  4. Under the Account column, select the dropdown menu to choose the account you want to enter the opening balance.
  5. Add a note in the Description field so you know what the journal entry is for.
  6. In the second row of the Account column, select the dropdown and choose Opening Balance Equity.
  7. Use your bank statements to enter the balance of your real-life account on the date you picked as the opening balance. You'll need to enter both a debit and a credit to keep things accurate. Enter the debits and credits based on the type of account you entered on the first row.

 

After creating the Journal Entry, here are the steps in marking the journal entry as reconciled:

 

  1. Go to the Gear icon, then select Chart of accounts.
  2. Look for the account and select View register from the Action column.
  3. Find the journal entry you just created. Select it to expand the view.
  4. Click the box in the checkmark column until you see an R. This reconciles the journal entry.
  5. Once done, select Save.

 

I'll leave this article for additional information on what to do if you didn't enter an opening balance in QuickBooks Online.

 

Additionally, you can check this article to learn what to do if QuickBooks Online doesn't match your bank statement at the end of a reconciliation: Fix issues at the end of a reconciliation in QuickBooks Online

 

Don't hesitate to hit the Reply button if you have more concerns about reconciling your account. I'm always here to help you out. Take care.

melissas-marines
Level 2

quickbooks desktop to online beginning bank balance incorrect

My opening balance on the bank statement is $56,636.  The balance in QB is 57251.  Would I just enter the difference between the two $615 as the journal entry?  Otherwise my balance will be overstated?

MsNorthPND18
QuickBooks Team

quickbooks desktop to online beginning bank balance incorrect

It's good to know that you've reviewed your bank statement to check and correct your opening balance in QuickBooks Online (QBO), Melissas.

 

You can verify your balance by comparing your bank statement with your QuickBooks balance to ensure accuracy.

 

Instead of creating a journal entry, you can follow the outlined steps below to fix it:

 

Make sure you're reconciling the correct account for the correct month. Go to Transactions, then select Reconcile, and Select the account that you want to reconcile from the Account ▼ dropdown.

 

If you have multiple accounts at the same bank or more than one account of the same type, make sure you're reconciling the right one.

 

If you recently entered older transactions dated before your opening balance, then continue with these steps.

 

  1. Click on Settings ⚙, then Chart of accounts 
  2. Find the account on the list and select View Register.
  3. Search for the opening balance entry. It should have "Opening Balance Equity" in the Account column. Take note of the date and balance.

 

If you need to add transactions that are older than the opening balance, you need to edit the start date and balance. This sets a new starting point and prevents QuickBooks from counting transactions twice.

 

  1. Choose Settings ⚙ and select Chart of Accounts. Locate the account and select View Register.
  2. Find the opening balance entry. Sort the date column to show the oldest entries first. Choose the opening balance entry.
  3. Edit the date, then the amount. If needed, select Edit to make your changes. Select Save.

    In addition, once you get back on track after resolving the opening balance. You can check this article: How do I view, print, or export a reconciliation report?

 

I'm always here if you have other questions about your bank transaction, just comment below. Have a great day!

 

melissas-marines
Level 2

quickbooks desktop to online beginning bank balance incorrect

Thank you this worked when I entered the difference in the beginning balances.

jeanbiverly_
QuickBooks Team

quickbooks desktop to online beginning bank balance incorrect

Hey there, Melissas.

 

We're glad to hear that the provided steps by my colleague helped you enter the difference in the beginning balances.

 

If you have any other QBO-related concerns, please feel free to post them here in the Community. It's our pleasure to help. Stay safe!

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