I have issued several refund checks and cannot clear accounts receivable. What is the easiest way to do this?

Good to see you, @LAStax. I'll help you with recording refund.

When you record a refund using a Check, we have to make sure that we link it to the customer's credit or overpayment. You can follow these steps:

1. From the + New button, select Receive payment.
2. Select the customer you used for the check.
3. On the Outstanding Transaction section, select the checkbox for the Check you created.
4. Check also the credit from the Credits section so we can offset it.
5. Hit Save and new.

I've added this article for more details: Record a customer refund in QuickBooks Online. Once done, let's check again your accounts receivable to see the balance. Also, this link will guide you on how to refund a deposit and close an invoice.

Post again here if you have more questions. Thanks for dropping by.