Trying to resolve an accounts payable balance without affecting the check register. My register only goes back to Jan 2023.

A balance in the Accounts Payable (A/P) is due to unpaid bills, John. I'm here with details and steps on how you can resolve this in QuickBooks Online (QBO).

You'll first need to identify which bill hasn't yet been paid. To do this, I'd recommend pulling up the A/P Aging report. Here's how:

1. Go to Reports.
2. In the Find report by name search bar, type in Payable and then choose the A/P Aging report you need (Summary or Detail).
3. Customize the report if necessary.

Once the unpaid bill is identified, record its payment. Please note that doing so will affect your register.

Moreover, considering the error occurred before your January 2023 records, it is likely that your financial books are already closed. To resolve the balance in your A/P account, I encourage you to reach out to your accountant to guide you on the appropriate method to use.

Additionally, I'd recommend regularly reconciling your accounts (monthly) to effectively track your business expenditures and keep your financial data updated.

Leave a comment below if you have additional questions about A/P balances and managing expense transactions in QBO. I'll be willing to help. Keep safe, and have a good one.

@john-drainrite 

That's no problem but you will need to provide more info as to why the A/P balance is off.  Are you on cash or accrual basis?  If you're on cash basis, you can zero out the bills.  If you're on accrual basis, is the A/P balance overstated or understated and why?  Are these duplicate bills/credits?