Connect QuickBooks Time to QuickBooks Desktop for Windows

Learn how to connect QuickBooks Time to QuickBooks Desktop and what you can do after the integration.

Use QuickBooks Desktop to track and manage your workers’ timesheets when you connect it to QuickBooks Time. This helps you save time and focus more on your business. Here's how.

Note: If you use QuickBooks Desktop for Mac, follow these steps to set up time tracking and use timesheets.

Learn how to:

• Step 1: Check system requirements
• Step 2: Set up QuickBooks Desktop for the integration
• Step 3: Connect QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Time
• Step 4: Review and customize your settings
• Sync your data
• Edit data after the sync

Step 1: Check the system requirements

Before you connect QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Time, take note of the following:

• This integration works in a server environment (Windows).
• Make sure you have the latest version of QuickBooks Desktop.
• You can only link one QuickBooks company file with one QuickBooks Time account.
• You may use this integration method if you created your company file in 2021 or later.
• If you created your company file between 2017 and 2020, use the Web Connector to integrate QuickBooks Desktop with QuickBooks Time. Follow these steps to check if your file is compatible:
  1. Open QuickBooks Desktop.
  2. Press F2 on your keyboard.
  3. Find Versions Used on File. If you see a date of 2020 or older at the top of the list, use the Web Connector to integrate QuickBooks Desktop with QuickBooks Time.

Step 2: Set up QuickBooks Desktop for the integration

Before you start with the integration, make sure QuickBooks Desktop is set up correctly.

Steps	Notes and instructions
1. Open the company file you want to integrate with QuickBooks Time. Make sure you sign in as the admin and use the single-user mode.	To check if you’re in single-user mode, select File from the menu bar. If you see Switch to Multi-user mode, don’t select it. You’re already in single-user mode.
2. Turn on time tracking.	a. From the menu bar, select Edit. Then, select Preferences…. b. Select Time & Expenses. Then, select Company Preferences. c. In the TIME TRACKING section, select Yes under “Do you track time?”. d. Select OK.
3. Set up payroll features.	a. From the menu bar, select Edit. Then, select Preferences…. b. Select Payroll & Employees. Then, select Company Preferences. c. Select Full payroll, then select OK.
4. Set up the week start day in QuickBooks Desktop.	a. In QuickBooks Desktop, select Edit from the menu bar. b. Select Preferences…. Then, select Time & Expenses. c. Select Company Preferences. d. Select a day from the First Day of Work Week ▼ dropdown. Then, select OK.
5. Set up the week start day in QuickBooks Time.	a. Sign in to QuickBooks Time. b. Go to Company Settings. Then, select Payroll & Overtime. c. Select a day from the Week Start ▼ dropdown. Make sure it matches the day you selected as the first day of the work week in QuickBooks Desktop.
6. If you haven’t yet, add your employees and vendors (including admins) to QuickBooks Desktop whom you need to manage timesheets for.
7. Set up your employees’ payroll info in QuickBooks Desktop.	a. From the menu bar, select Employees. Then, select Employee Center. b. Select an employee, then select Edit . c. Select Payroll Info. d. In the EARNINGS section, select Use time data to create paychecks. Note; QuickBooks Time doesn't export employees' pay rates, only the payroll items. Make sure your employees have the same pay rates in both. e. Select OK. f. Repeat the steps for each employee.
8. (Optional) If you want to use time data to create paychecks for all employees, follow these steps.	a. From the menu bar, select Edit. Then, select Preferences…. b. Select Payroll & Employees. Then, select Company Preferences. c. Select Use time data to create paychecks. d. Select OK.
9. (Optional) If you want to track time for your vendors, follow these steps.	a. From the menu bar, select Vendors. Then, select Vendor Center. b. Select a vendor, then select Edit . c, Make sure your vendor has their first and last name in the FULL NAME fields. If not, enter the info. d. Select OK.

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Step 3: Start the integration

Before you connect QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Time, take note of the following:

• During the integration, QuickBooks Time doesn't change any info in your QuickBooks Desktop company files.
• QuickBooks Time only exports the approved time data and payroll items.
• You can integrate with a new QuickBooks Time account or an existing one.

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Step 4: Review and customize your settings

Review and customize your QuickBooks Time account to meet your business needs. This helps you make your first-time data sync run smoothly.

Steps	Notes and instructions
1. Open QuickBooks Time from QuickBooks Desktop.	a. From the menu bar, select Employees. b. Select Enter Time, then select Use QuickBooks Time. This opens a window with your QuickBooks Time account.
2. Understand how data syncs between QuickBooks Time and QuickBooks Desktop.	Notes: • When you update info in QuickBooks Desktop, you can sync the data into QuickBooks Time as needed. • When you sync your data in QuickBooks Desktop, it both imports data and exports hours if there are newly-approved timesheets.
3. Approve timesheets in QuickBooks Time. To make sure the timesheets export correctly, follow these steps.	a. Select QuickBooks Sync Menu . b. Select Preferences. c. In the Exporting Time to QuickBooks section, select Export Approved Timesheets when Syncing.
4. Map payroll items.	Note: Each employee should have at least one payroll item mapped in QuickBooks Time before their time exports to QuickBooks Desktop. Here’s how you can map payroll items in QuickBooks Time.
5. Set up the time off to map and sync correctly.	a. For unpaid time off correctly, create a payroll item in QuickBooks Desktop and name it Unpaid Time Off. b. Set a $0.00 rate. Note: If you don’t want unpaid time off hours to show in QuickBooks Desktop, use unpaid breaks. c. For all other time off codes, you need to set up the codes, rules, and balances in QuickBooks Time. Then, they’ll link to the time off codes you have in QuickBooks Desktop.
6. (Optional) Select integration preferences. If you need to change a setting on how QuickBooks Time syncs with your QuickBooks Desktop company file, you may do so at any time.	a. In QuickBooks Time, select QuickBooks Sync Menu . b. Select Preferences.
7. Sync your data.	a. In QuickBooks Desktop, select Employees from the menu bar. b. Select Enter Time, then select Sync QuickBooks Time. This starts the sync and adds or updates new info from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Time. c. QuickBooks Time then sends approved timesheets to QuickBooks Desktop. Items that export to the weekly timesheet in QuickBooks Desktop include: • Customers • Payroll items • Service items • Class • Billable • Notes (You can find the notes in the Description field.)
8. (Optional) Edit your data after syncing. If you need to make changes to your data after the sync, you may do so.	a. Follow these steps if you need to make a customer or job inactive from QuickBooks Time. Note: If you need to reactivate a customer in QuickBooks Time: i. Add “1” to the customer’s name in QuickBooks Desktop. ii. Run a sync as mentioned in Step 7. iii. You may remove the “1” from their name after they’re reactivated. iv. Run a sync again. b. Follow these steps if you need to edit or delete timesheets in QuickBooks Time after they’re exported.

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