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Bea14
Level 1

Create a trial balance in QuickBooks Desktop that shows columns by month

Hello, I wanted to know if there is a way to create a Trial Balance Report in QuickBooks Desktop that shows columns by month instead of one column with an ending balance. For the P&L report, we can click on 'Display Columns' and choose 'by month,' but I cannot find that option for the Trial Balance. Is there a workaround to run a Trial Balance by month?

5 Comments 5
ArielI
QuickBooks Team

Create a trial balance in QuickBooks Desktop that shows columns by month

Currently, there isn't a direct way to produce a Trial Balance report that shows columns by month, @Bea14. Let me share an alternative solution that can help.
 
As a workaround, you can consider running the Trial Balance report and setting the reporting date to the appropriate month. Then, export the report for each month to Excel separately and consolidate the data from there. Here's how:
 
  1. Go to Reports, then Accounts and Taxes.
  2. Select Trial Balance.
  3. Set the correct date range (monthly).
  4. Select the Excel drop-down, then Create New Worksheet.
  5. If you see a message that says your report has too many columns, select Advanced, then uncheck the Space between columns checkbox. Select OK.
  6. When you’re ready to export, select OK.

 

Also, you can check out these articles as your reference in case you need assistance in generating, customizing, and memorizing reports in QBDT:

 

 

Please keep me posted on how it goes in the comments below. If there's anything else you need and concerns about handling reports in QBDT, I'm always ready to help.

SARAASB
Level 3

Create a trial balance in QuickBooks Desktop that shows columns by month

I couldn’t produce this report, so I had a programmer write me a utility many years ago.

It’s listed on Intuit’s third-party add-on site, or you can just google TBX Trial Balance Exporter. 

 

Direct Link:  https://asbinc.net/tbx-utility/

CsoCla
Level 1

Create a trial balance in QuickBooks Desktop that shows columns by month

Is the Trial Balance able to show the revenue and expense accounts for the time period that is input, let's say for November 1 - November 30, 2024?  At this time, it continues to show the year to date figures, not the monthly.

 

Thank you

AnneMariee
QuickBooks Team

Create a trial balance in QuickBooks Desktop that shows columns by month

I'll gladly list the steps for running a report that shows the income and expense accounts for the month, CsoCla.

 

A Trial Balance report lists the balances of all your company's general ledger accounts at a certain time. This includes assets, liabilities, equity, revenues, expenses, gains, and losses. To run this report for a specific month, you may customize it by following the steps below.

 

  1. On the top menu, go to Reports.
  2. Hover on Accountant & Taxes and then select Trial Balance.
  3. Choose the month on the Dates dropdown.

 

On the other hand, you may run a Profit and Loss report to obtain data about your revenue and expense accounts. To do so, follow these steps:

 

  1. On the top menu, navigate to Reports and then Company & Financial.
  2. Select a Profit and Loss report.
  3. Customize it by picking a date range on the Dates dropdown.

 

I'll also leave these helpful resources for more information on running reports in QuickBooks:

 

 

It's also efficient to save a report's customization settings so you don't have to set them again every time you generate one. Here's a guide: Create, access and modify memorized reports.

 

I'm delighted to walk you through the essential steps of refining your reporting process in QuickBooks. If you need further assistance with running reports or customizing them, feel free to drop a reply. It's my goal to help you stay on top of your company's financials this holiday season!

ASBSARA
Level 1

Create a trial balance in QuickBooks Desktop that shows columns by month

No, the Trial Balance Report in QuickBooks presents the YTD balance of each account "as of" the end date selected. As you found, the beginning date is ignored. 

 

If you only need the "net change" during the month for P&L accounts, obtain this with a regular P&L report. 

 

If you need the "net change" of balance sheet accounts, you can obtain these figures by producing a comparative balance sheet for two months with a difference column. 

 

If you need a Trail Balance with all accounts presenting a period net change, you can manually combine the figures obtained above or use a 3rd party utility such as TBX Trial Balance Exporter.

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