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dschiman
Level 1

Deleting and starting over?

Hi all,

 

I stopped using QB for 3+ years and recently resubscribed.  All the back data is messing up how may books look currently and I don't want to go back and try and reconcile 5 years of transactions.  

 

How do I delete all the old data and start fresh?

 

Thanks,

Dave

1 Comment 1
ZackE
Moderator

Deleting and starting over?

Welcoem to the Community, dschiman. I appreciate your detailed information.

 

Since your books are older than 60 days, purging data won't be possible. However, you have the option of cancelling your subscription and starting a new one if you'd like to. You can look into exporting any necessary data before cancelling.

 

Another option is using an app from our QuickBooks App Store to help you to delete older bank transactions.

 

If you decide to reconcile the transactions, here's how:
 

  1. When reconciling an account for your first time, review its opening balance. It needs to match the real-life account for the same day you decided to start tracking transactions in QuickBooks. In the event you forgot to enter and opening balance for an account, you can do so any time.
  2. If your accounts are connected to online banking, be sure you match and categorize each downloaded transaction.
  3. Use the Gear icon, then go to Reconcile. Click Get started if you see it.
  4. From your Account ▼ drop-down list, choose an account. Make sure it's the same one as your statement.
  5. Review its Beginning balance. Confirm the beginning balance in QuickBooks matches the one on your statement. If they don't match, check out our Fix issues the first time you reconcile article for how to fix it.
  6. Enter an Ending balance and Ending date. This should match what's on your statement. Some banks refer to the ending balance as a "new balance" or a "closing balance". If you see it, review your Last statement ending date. This is the end date of your last reconciliation. Your current statement should start the day after.
  7. Select Start reconciling.
  8. Compare your statement with QuickBooks.

 

I'd also recommend checking with an accountant to guide you on the best course of action. If you're in need of one, there's an awesome tool on our website called Find a ProAdvisor. All ProAdvisors listed there are QuickBooks-certified and able to provide helpful insights for driving your business's success.

 

Please don't hesitate to send a reply if there's any additional questions. Have a lovely Monday!

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