How can I correct billable rates for employees that keep showing up as $0?

Screenshots below of the relevant areas (test entries only).

1. Employee setup, showing cost rate and billable rate (also "billable by default" selected)

2. But when I try to add open billing to an invoice, the entries show as $0 billable.  

3. And when I look at project billing summaries the hours show the correct cost but $0 billable (even though the column also correctly signifies the item is billable!

Hello @DivinaMercy_N, thank you for your response. Using the method you described, I was able to get billable hours into my project as expected. I did have to set up new "services" for each different employee billable rate tier, which takes some extra time, but overall the solution is great. 

This does bring up another question: where exactly within Quickbooks Online are the billable rates from the employee profiles actually used? Is that for reference only?

Thanks again!

Yes, it's for reference only, userwill1.

This is the reason why you'll have to add a sales rate on your service item when adding it to sales, expenses, or payroll. Also, please note that you won't see the costs in projects until after payroll is processed.

Additionally, you can visit the Project Reports tab to manage your project costs and profits efficiently. These are Overview, Transactions, and Time Activity (see the screenshot below). For more details, see Step 6 through this article: Track Job Costing Features. 

Don't hesitate to leave a comment below if you have other concerns about managing projects in QuickBooks Online. The Community and I will be here to help you.

I have the same problem with billable rates...only I have dozens of projects with 10 employees all billed a different rates.  How can I set a billable rate by employee for all projects?  Under Projects I have the Employee Hourly Rate established, but all my billable time entries coming in from QBTime are zero.  There is no way I can manually open each line item and enter the Billable Time.

The reason why the billable rate for employees shows zero is that the project's rate is for customers, @ShaunaM. Let me explain this further to you.

The billable rate is typically used to calculate the cost of services provided to customers or clients. It represents the amount that the company charges for the work performed by its employees on a project. Since employees are not billed directly for their time, their billable rate is set to zero in internal systems or reports. 

If you are using QuickBooks Online and the imported details do not include billable time for employees, you may need to manually edit the line items to enter their billable time. 

Here's how you can do it:

1. Open QuickBooks Online and go to the project or customer for which you want to enter billable time.
2. Locate the transaction or invoice related to the project.
3. Edit the transaction or invoice by clicking on the "Edit" button.
4. Look for the line items section and find the entry for the employee whose billable time you want to add.
5. Edit the line item and enter the billable time details, such as the number of hours worked and the rate.
6. Save the changes to update the transaction or invoice with the billable time information.

By manually editing the line items, you can enter the billable time for employees in QuickBooks Online, even if it was not imported automatically. This allows you to accurately track and invoice the billable time for your projects.

I'm also adding this article for your future reference:

• Create and manage jobs or customers in QuickBooks Time.
• Integrate QuickBooks Time and QuickBooks Online.

We are always available 24/7 if you need additional guidance with your projects. Have a great day. 

Thanks...that is what I am doing.  But with hundreds of Time Activities each month, it is taking hours.  Seems like a waste of time to me.  I did send QBO feedback as this operation would be easy to automate.

Has anyone seen this problem fixed? I randomly have Service A in my QBOE bill at $0. I have to run reports to spot the problem. 

it has been happening for years!!!!

Should I start considering this bug a feature?

I understand how frustrating it can be when billable rates for employees consistently show up as zero. Let’s get this sorted out.

To begin with, please ensure that you've set the correct billable items in the timesheet. 

However, if you've already set it to the correct billable item, I suggest contacting our QuickBooks Online Support, for they have the necessary tools to investigate this further securely. 

Here's how: 

1. Sign in to your QuickBooks Online company.
2. Click on the Help (?) icon.
3. Search: Search the QuickBooks Online knowledge base directly. Alternatively, select Contact Us to connect with a support expert. You can start a chat or request a callback.

You can always stay updated by visiting the QuickBooks Blog for the latest innovations and product news.

Additionally, if you want to understand how pay rates, cost rates, and billable rates impact profitability, check out this article: Pay rates, cost rates, and billable rates in QuickBooks Online.

Feel free to ask if you have any more concerns about creating projects or any other QuickBooks-related queries. Keep safe.