Beginning account balances with class via a JE

Welcome to the Community, @SCB-31. I'll help you get through this situation so you can enter a beginning balance in your QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT).

Before we do so, I'd like to explain why you're getting an error message when attempting to enter a beginning balance account with the class via journal entry. Know that QuickBooks will not let you record transactions that contain two A/R accounts, two A/P accounts, or one A/R account and one A/P account.

For more information, please see this article: Warning: You cannot use more than one AR or AP account in the same transaction.

As a workaround, you can think about inputting the specific unpaid invoices or bills if your clients or suppliers still owe you money as of your opening balance date. Your Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable opening balances are the outcomes of open balances created in this manner.Feel free to visit this article for further guidelines: Enter opening balances for accounts in QuickBooks Desktop.

If you're unsure of the recommendation that I've provided, know that you can always seek for an accountant's advice. This way, they can give you the best possible way to handle your situation. In case you don't have one, I'll help you get one. Visit this page to find an accountant that can help you with your business: Find A ProAdvisor.

In addition, here's an article about reconciling an account in QBDT: Reconcile an account in QuickBooks Desktop.

You can also check this page in case you encounter issues when reconciling an account in QBDT: Fix issues when you're reconciling in QuickBooks Desktop.

It's always a pleasure to have you here, @SCB-31. If there's anything else that I can help you with, please don't hesitate to click the Reply button below. I'll be more than happy to help you out again. Stay safe, and have a good one! 

Thanks for replying.  Going through the instructions to enter opening accounts balance (from the link provided), whereabout can I find to select the class?  Every G/L account will have a designated class, even those with the same account # in order to differentiate them.    

Welcome back, SCB-31.

Currently, only QuickBooks Desktop Enterprise has the option of assigning classes to accounts (Income and Expense). If you use QuickBooks Desktop Pro and Premier, you can assign classes to the transactions listed below:

• Invoice
• Sales receipt
• Estimate
• Sales order
• Statement Charges
• Refunds and credits
• Check
• Credit card charges
• Bill
• Purchase order
• Paycheck

You'll have to create a separate transaction for each sub-accounts if you want to enter their opening balance through journal entry (JE). QuickBooks will not let you record transactions if it contains multiple Accounts Receivable (AR) and Accounts Payable (AP) in the same transaction.

Additionally, I also encourage you to reach out to your accountant for further guidance in creating a JE transaction. This will ensure the accuracy of your books.

I've also added this article for future use if you want to view the list of individual transactions, subtotaled by each account or compare the balances across multiple classes, departments, or locations: Filter, sort, or total reports by Class.

You can post again if you have further questions about the process. We're here to help you.