When customising a report that includes a % variation from previous period how do I set the % decimal places?

Thanks for posting a question here in the Community, @peteregreen.

The option to set or adjust the % decimal places when customizing a report such as the Profit and Loss Comparison isn't available. QuickBooks Online uses two decimal points as its default even if you export it to Excel.

Meanwhile, I recommend checking out our QuickBooks blog for the latest news and product updates. This way, you'll know what our product engineers are working on. You can visit this site from time to time through this link: https://quickbooks.intuit.com/blog/.

You'll want to learn more on how to customize your reports to personalize them. See this resource for more info: Customize reports.

Once done customizing your reports, you can memorize them for easy future access. Simply click the Save Customization button, create a report name, and then tap Save. To access or edit them, just go to the Custom reports tab. Feel free to browse this article for more details: Memorize reports.

I'm always around in the Community to help if you have more queries about managing your reports or any QuickBooks-related concerns. Take care and stay safe always.

Many thanks for the reply.

Unfortunately QB doesn't default to 2 decimal places in my case - see attached

Thanks for getting back to us, @peteregreen.

The default number format may have been changed in the settings causing it to be different. If that's the case, here's how to switch it back to two decimal places.

1. In QuickBooks Online (QBO), go to the Gear icon at the top right to get to the Account and Settings. 
2. Select the Advanced tab at the left pane and tick the Edit (pencil) icon in the Other preferences section.
3. In the Number format drop-down, pick the number that has two decimal places. 
4. Hit Save and Done to complete.

Once done, pull up the report again to double-check. Just in case, I'll add these articles for future reference:

• Customize reports in QuickBooks Online.
• Run reports in QuickBooks Online.

Reach out to me in the comment section below if you have any other issues or concerns. I'm more than willing to assist. Have a wonderful day!

@peteregreen 

This is not normal. There's no place in QBO that you can change this decimal format.

@ReyJohn_D Changing the Number format from the Gear setting will not change the decimal places.