Oh my gosh, thank you so much

Hello - I am also receiving the error message and reactivate the COGS GL accounts but am still getting the error.  Is there anyway to tell what accounts it is referring to?  I looked at the Bill and the account is active to which a lot of these unbilled expenses belong.  We did some account merging when we cleaned up accounts.  Could that be the issue?  

Thank you for joining the conversation, lneallori.

I'll help you resolve the error about needing to restore accounts when creating a transaction.

Either the account used for the item in your transaction has been deactivated or has been merged with another account. Those are the sole reasons that can trigger an error prompting you to reactivate or restore that account. We'll focus on the merged account scenario since that's what you did. Let me have a sample in details.

In the case of merged accounts, let's consider a scenario where the account named "Rental Expense" is initially assigned to Item A. When "Rental Expense" is merged with "Rent & Lease," the assigned account to Item A will also be updated to "Rent & Lease."

However, when you use that item (Item A) in a transaction, you might encounter an error message stating that you need to reactivate "Rental Expense," even though "Rent & Lease" is now the updated assigned account to Item A.

This issue occurs because QuickBooks still retain references to the old account name ("Rental Expense") in certain transactions or settings. Despite the update, the system does not automatically recognize the new account name ("Rent & Lease") in specific contexts.

To resolve the error, we’ll need to temporarily change the account assignment of Item A to a dummy expense account. Then, edit the item and assign "Rent & Lease" again. This toggling method ensures that the new account name is recognized correctly in all transactions and settings.

If you have any additional questions or need further explanation on any point, feel free to ask. I'm here to help!

IGNORE THIS PLEASE - we are not talking apples to apples.  Sent a follow up message.

My walk thru (below) of what I think you mean by :To resolve the error, we’ll need to temporarily change the account assignment of Item A to a dummy expense account. Then, edit the item and assign "Rent & Lease" again. This toggling method ensures that the new account name is recognized correctly in all transactions and settings.

Example: Rental expense will get changed to a dummy expense account, then edit that account again and name it Rent & Lease.

Once this is done I should be able to successfully get rid of the unbilled expenses and then make the Rental Expense inactive again.  Do I need to change the account back to the correct account before I inactivate it?

Sorry I think there is a miscommunication.  What I am doing has nothing to do with "items".  I am trying to remove the unbilled expenses but cannot because it is saying the account is inactive.  We originally integrated form Desktop to QBO, which sounds like could be an issue and then we cleaned up our chart of accounts.  We made some accounts inactive and merged others.  The biggest account that is affecting this is 50040.  This account existed and so did 50041.  We merged 50041 into 50040 and then made 50041 inactive. 

I reactivated 50041 and am still getting the error.

Thank you for troubleshooting and elaborating on your concern, @lneallori.

I completely understand the need to remove several unbilled expenses from your COA. It's essential to use the right accounts when tracking transactions. That's why I appreciate the troubleshooting like merging and reactivating certain accounts you've made.

You'll want to connect with our Support Team who can assist you in resolving the issue with the unbilled expenses. Rest assured that they're willing to help you figure out why the prompt message keeps appearing.

Here's how:

1. Go to the Help icon and choose Search.
2. Click the Contact Us button and enter your concern.
3. Press Continue.

Visit this page for other ways of connecting with our representatives: QuickBooks Online Support. It contains the contact number you can use to call us directly.

To know what you can convert or import from Desktop to Online, refer to this article: Learn how features and data move from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online.

If you need to get rid of the unbilled charges of a customer, scan this guide to know different ways: Delete customers with unbilled charges in QuickBooks Online.

I'm always willing to work with you again if you have any other QuickBooks-related questions. Just post them here. Have a great day.

How do you get rid of a mass amount of unbilled expenses in QB online?