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What is the difference between a time activity and a time entry?

Hello,

I am using time entries with my payroll, however in the beginning I was using time activities. Time activities are accessed from the client or from the menu at the top left corner of the screen, but not in the Time tab.

I noticed that time activities will not show up on a timesheet, but is that the only difference? Are there reports that look at one or the other, or both?

Thanks!

Diane

Best Answers

What is the difference between a time activity and a time entry?

Time activities and timesheets in QuickBooks work differently, Diane, and understanding their purpose can help you decide which tool fits your needs better.

Time activities are individual time entries logged directly from a client’s page or the menu at the top left corner of QuickBooks. These are used to track billable hours for invoicing clients but don’t appear on employee timesheets, as they are managed separately. Timesheets, are designed for payroll purposes, consolidating employee hours to calculate pay. Timesheets focus on payroll-related data rather than tracking billable hours for clients.

QuickBooks keeps reports for time activities and timesheets separate. Time Activities by Customer Detail shows billable hours and project time related to each customers, while Time Activities by Employee Detail tracks employee productivity and labor costs. These reports don’t include payroll timesheet data unless entered manually. On the payroll side, Timesheet reports, such as Payroll Summary, focus specifically on employee hours for pay calculations. Currently, QuickBooks doesn’t have a combined report, but you can export both to Excel for side-by-side comparisons.

To summarize, time activities are best for tracking billable hours for invoices, while timesheets are ideal for payroll.

Alternatively, you could explore third-party apps that links billable hours to invoices and integrates with payroll, providing complete reporting for both time activities and timesheets in one place.

Also, consider generating and modifying a report to have an overview regarding the time activity of your employee, such as their hourly rate and duration.

On top of that, you can track your labor costs and profitability by project in QuickBooks Online. This feature enables you to track how much money has been spent on labor for each task and make well-informed decisions about future projects.

What's more, we also have a team of experts who can provide personalized help with linking your accounts, automating tasks, and improving your bookkeeping practices to make your workflow more efficient. You can learn more by checking out QuickBooks Live Expert Assisted.

Let us know if you have further questions or needs assistance achieving your goals with QuickBooks.

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4 Comments 4

What is the difference between a time activity and a time entry?

Time activities and timesheets in QuickBooks work differently, Diane, and understanding their purpose can help you decide which tool fits your needs better.

Time activities are individual time entries logged directly from a client’s page or the menu at the top left corner of QuickBooks. These are used to track billable hours for invoicing clients but don’t appear on employee timesheets, as they are managed separately. Timesheets, are designed for payroll purposes, consolidating employee hours to calculate pay. Timesheets focus on payroll-related data rather than tracking billable hours for clients.

QuickBooks keeps reports for time activities and timesheets separate. Time Activities by Customer Detail shows billable hours and project time related to each customers, while Time Activities by Employee Detail tracks employee productivity and labor costs. These reports don’t include payroll timesheet data unless entered manually. On the payroll side, Timesheet reports, such as Payroll Summary, focus specifically on employee hours for pay calculations. Currently, QuickBooks doesn’t have a combined report, but you can export both to Excel for side-by-side comparisons.

To summarize, time activities are best for tracking billable hours for invoices, while timesheets are ideal for payroll.

Alternatively, you could explore third-party apps that links billable hours to invoices and integrates with payroll, providing complete reporting for both time activities and timesheets in one place.

Also, consider generating and modifying a report to have an overview regarding the time activity of your employee, such as their hourly rate and duration.

On top of that, you can track your labor costs and profitability by project in QuickBooks Online. This feature enables you to track how much money has been spent on labor for each task and make well-informed decisions about future projects.

What's more, we also have a team of experts who can provide personalized help with linking your accounts, automating tasks, and improving your bookkeeping practices to make your workflow more efficient. You can learn more by checking out QuickBooks Live Expert Assisted.

Let us know if you have further questions or needs assistance achieving your goals with QuickBooks.

What is the difference between a time activity and a time entry?

Thank you for the quick reply and the very detailed information. That was where I was headed, but wondered if they could be used in both scenarios since you could make a timesheet entry billable.

I don't want to run reports and export them to Excel. I am too busy to start creating reports that I have to format and analyze. All of the information is in QuickBooks and should be available for reporting purposes. Maybe in a future release. And that's only if they release this information in all versions. I don't like the tiered reporting functionality for standard reports. They should be available across the board.

Thank you again!

What is the difference between a time activity and a time entry?

Thanks for your response and helpful details, @dpic44.

You're correct, timesheet entries can be marked as billable, allowing you to seamlessly invoice customers based on the time worked.

I understand that creating reports and exporting them to Excel can take time, especially when you’re busy. It makes sense to have everything you need easily available in QuickBooks to save time and effort.

Regarding tiered reporting, I understand you’d prefer access to standard reports in all versions. Your feedback is valuable, and I encourage you to share it with our product team. Your input helps us improve the platform and better meet your needs.

Here’s how to submit your ideas:

Click the Gear icon, then select Feedback.
Describe your suggestions for improvement.
Click Next to send in your feedback.

Also, QuickBooks Online allows you to monitor labor costs and project profitability. With this feature, you can see how much has been spent on labor for each task.

Sharing feedback is an excellent way to help shape future updates. Thank you again for raising your concern in the Community, and please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any additional questions or concerns.

What is the difference between a time activity and a time entry?

Thank you, I submit feedback all the time. Unfortunately, it seems that upper management is more focused on profits than process, and the needs of it's clients. It's very sad.

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