Budget Inactivate Preexisting Account

I'm here to provide information about your concern, @jbooze1

Currently, the option to create a blank budget in QuickBooks Online (QBO) is unavailable. As a workaround, you can inactivate the account you don't use. This will remove the account from the budget template. Let me guide you how:

1. Navigate to the Gear icon and select Chart of Accounts.
2. From there, look for the accounts you don't use.
3. Next, click the drop-down arrow under ACTION.
4. Then, choose Make Inactive.

For more information about the process, feel free to open this article: Delete an account on your chart of accounts in QuickBooks Online.

Once done, create a budget again.

For the default accounts that can't be inactivated, you can just hide them in your budget report. To do this, ensure that the corresponding line for them is blank. Let me guide you how:

1. Click the Gear icon and choose Budgeting.
2. Select the Add budget or Edit to modify an existing budget.
3. Once done, click the small gear icon.
4. Then, select Hide blank rows.
5. When finished, click Save.

In QBO, there are special budget reports that you can pull up to track your goals. Let me guide you how to access them:

1. Go to Settings and click Budgeting.
2. Look for your budget on the list.
3. Next, select the Action dropdown and then Run Budget Overview report or Run Budgets vs. Actuals report.

Keep me posted if you have any other questions about creating a budget in QBO. I'd be happy to help you further. Have a great day ahead.

Hello Davina, when I try to hide the default accounts it does hide them, but it hides also other rows in the process that aren't blank? Thanks for you quick response. 

Hello, jbooze1.

I've replicated your concern and clicked the hide blank rows checkbox. It doesn't hide the other rows that have an amount. It only hides the blank rows. The hide blank rows option will only hide the accounts from your Chart of Accounts (COA), not from the budget report.

Normally, creating a new budget will always show all the accounts you have in the system. All you need to do is, fill out all the accounts that you want to be included in the report. Then, check the Hide bank rows to exclude the unused rows. 

Here's how:

1. Go to the Gear icon.
2. Under Tools, select Budgeting.
3. Choose the budget you want to run from the list.
4. Under Action, click Edit.
5. Click the Gear icon.
6. Put a check mark beside Hide blank rows.
7. Once done, click Save and close.

You can check this link for reference on how to manage a budget: Create, Edit, and Manage Budgets.

Feel free to browse this article about customizing reports: Customize and modify columns on reports.

Feel free to get back to us if you have more queries about managing the Budgeting tab or anything else related to QuickBooks. I'll be here to help. Take care and stay safe always.

Hello TrishC, before I Hide blank rows I have approximately 110 rows with data in them. When I select the Hide blank rows feature there is then only 30 rows showing? Thank you. 

Thanks for your prompt reply, jbooze1.

Let me share some additional steps to help you out.

You'll want to try out our test drive and see if you're getting the same rows. You can open the test company in this article: Test drive QuickBooks Online.

Once you have the company open, try to create the same budget report and check to see the number of rows. If the test account shows the correct rows, you'll want perform the basic troubleshooting steps on your account. This is to rule out any browser-related issue.

We can start by opening an incognito or private browser. This mode prevents your browsing history from being stored.

You can use these keyboard shortcuts:

• Google Chrome: Ctrl + Shift + N
• Mozilla Firefox: Ctrl + Shift + P
• Safari: Command + Option + P

Next, go back to the budget report and try to hide the rows. If you have the correct data, let's go back to your regular browser and clear its cache. Finally, restart your browser to refresh the settings.

In addition, you can try using a different supported browser.

I'd also like to share this article to learn more about creating and importing budget: Create and import budgets into QuickBooks Online.

Please let us know how things go after giving this a try. We want to ensure this issue is resolved. Take care and stay safe.

Hello Renjolync, I tried the test drive and it worked fine, Yet when I tried in incognito browser and Edge in did not work. Thank you.

Hello jbooze1!

Let me explain and assist you on how to create a budget in QuickBooks Online.

First, in inactivating accounts, we're unable to inactivate the default ones. Also, accounts that are used, that are linked to products and services for example, cannot be inactivated, too. This is the reason why you received the "Cannot be removed" prompt message you mentioned on your first post.

Please check these links on how to manage your Chart of Accounts. These will explain how to unlink accounts to an item, recurring transactions, and more so you can inactive them:

• Delete an account on your chart of accounts in QuickBooks Online

• Manage default and special accounts in your chart of accounts

Now, with regard to the Hide blank rows options, it's true that it'll hide all accounts showing on the budget template that are blank. Before you select this option, you'll want to make sure that all fields you needed on your budget are filled out.

If it hides the rows or accounts that have data in it, it's best to seek some help from our Support Team. They can further investigate the cause of this behavior.

1. Click the (?) Help icon and enter Talk to a human (then type it again when prompted).
2. When asked by the bot, enter "Create Budget".
3. Select I still need a human, then proceed with Contact us or Get help from a human.
4. Choose either Chat or Callback.

I also added this article if you need assistance in running, customizing, and saving reports: Run reports in QuickBooks Online.

Leave a reply again here if you have additional concerns. Take care!

OK, thank you. I will request from the QB Support Team when I have time.

Is this the final answer to this problem? It is not possible to hide all the empty rows and all the rows with data would be visible? The QB tech told me that they would escalate this issue to find a solution and then email me.  I just want to make sure I am on the same page with the resolution of this issue.

Let me provide clarification, @jbooze1.

Clicking the Hide blank rows options will only conceal the empty columns. That said, the account that has data entered should not be hidden. Ensure that the Parts Sales box has no amount entered to resolve the issue you've encountered. Here's how the budget looks like after I replicate your scenario.

Since one of our QuickBooks specialists is already investigating this issue, I suggest you wait for their email. You can also call them again to follow up on the escalated status. If you have the case ID handy, provide that to our agents. This way, they can help and look for the details of your issue quickly. 

Please know that our agents are available M-F 6 AM to 6 PM PT and Saturday 6 AM to 3 PM PT (Plus, Essentials, Simple Start ). While Advanced, any time, any day. 

Further, check out these articles below on how to merge accounts and personalize the chart of accounts in QuickBooks: 

• Merge duplicate accounts, customers, and vendors in QuickBooks Online
• Learn about the chart of accounts in QuickBooks

If you need to take care of other things in QuickBooks, I'm with you every step of the way. Just leave a comment below and I'll get back to you. Take care always, jbooze1.