How do I manually rearrange the chart of accounts? ( Not sort)

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@user23261 wrote:

As I recall, the original COA list at setup (several versions ago) had a layout pretty much like the Balance Sheet, followed by income and expense accounts.  I sorted it and now cannot get it back to the original layout.  Is there a way to manually move accounts?

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Hi there, everyone.

Thank you for posting in the Community. I'd be happy to help share another option to rearrange the Chart of Accounts manually.

Here's how:

1. At the top menu, select Lists.
2. Select Chart of Accounts.
3. Highlight the account you want to move.
4. Using the left mouse button, press and hold the account and drag it to the desired place. 

For additional reference, I'm also including the articles below: 

• Accounts
• QuickBooks Desktop for Mac 2019 User’s Guide

If you need to reach out for more help, feel free to contact our phone support. They have the tools to get this resolved in no time.

Here's how:

1. Go to https://help.quickbooks.intuit.com/en_US/contact
2. At the top right, select your QuickBooks version.
3. Select a topic.
4. Click on the Get Phone Number button.

That should take care of it. 

Drop me a reply below if you have any other questions about rearranging accounts in QuickBooks for Mac. I'll be happy to help you out. 

I tried going to COA using the diamond & moving it up but than I get "you cannot move the list element while the list is the the "Flat" mode??? I just installed 2020 Desk Top Pro

Thank you for joining the thread, @In_and_Out.

We can rearrange the accounts from the Chart of Accounts as long as they are on their corresponding type. If you're trying to arrange them out of their type, then that's the reason why you're getting that error. For now, you can resort the list to put them back in order.

Here's how:

1. Select Chart of Accounts from the Lists menu.
2. Go to the View tab, then click on Re-sort List.

For additional reference about managing accounts from the chart of accounts, check out this article.

Leave a comment below if you have any other questions. I'm a post away to help. Have a good day!

How can I do this in Quickbooks Online? Thanks.

The default arrangement of your accounts in the Chart of Account is by Account Type, @KellyMac88.

Let me share some information on how to rearrange your list of the chart of accounts. QuickBooks displays first on the list all your Bank Accounts, then your Account Receivables account. 

You can click the header of each column in the Chart of Accounts page. This way you can re-arrange it by Number, Name, Account Type, Detail Type, Currency, QuickBooks Balance, and Bank Balance. This action will not affect your Profit and Loss report or your books. 

I've got these articles to help you organize your chart of accounts:

• Understand the chart of accounts in QuickBooks
• Use the audit log in QuickBooks Online
• How to Use the Audit Log: Finding Errors & Transaction Histories

I'd be more than happy to help you if you have other questions about managing your chart of accounts. Just leave a comment below. 

I'm having the same issue in 2020 Desktop.  Any solution yet?

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@In_and_Out wrote:

I tried going to COA using the diamond & moving it up but than I get "you cannot move the list element while the list is the the "Flat" mode??? I just installed 2020 Desk Top Pro

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Just figured this out.  While you are in the chart of accounts, click on the drop down menu at the bottom of the screen labelled "Account".  You can toggle between Hierarchical and Flat View here. 

I tried toggling between hierarchal and flat view and dragging the diamond and it did not work.  Got the same error message.

Hi, @psn.

I'll share a few details about manually rearranging the account in the Chart of Accounts (COA). Where it was shared by my colleague, Angelyn_T in the earlier response.

Let's make sure that you only drag and place the parent account with the same account type like in the red box. Also, ensure to drag and drop the same subaccounts under a parent account like in the blue box.

Additionally, switching to a Hierarchical view will enable us to drag and drop the account while a Flat view disables us to make these changes.

However, if you get an odd error message that is different from one of these reasons below, I'd recommend utilizing the Re-sorting list feature to fix this. This way, it makes your lists go back to their default order and able them to rearrange.

• This account must stay with other accounts of its type.
• Subaccounts must be the same account type as their parent.
• You cannot move the list element while the list in the "Flat" mode.
  

You'll want to know about the account types in COA, you can reference this article: Learn about the chart of accounts in QuickBooks.

Feel free to tag me if you have other concerns with organizing your accounts. I'll make sure to get back to you. Stay safe and healthy!

That does not work.  Message pops up "Can't move list element while the list in the flat mode".  I can not find anywhere how to get chart of accounts out of flat mode so you can sort your asset list.

Hi, let me share with you how to switch to hierarchical view, @Chart of Accounts Sorting.

In the chart of accounts window, you'll find the option to switch to hierarchical view when you click the Account button on the lower right part of the screen.

Here's how:

1. Go to the Lists menu and then select Chart of Accounts.
2. Below the chart of accounts window, click the Account button.
3. Select Hierarchical View.
   
4. Read the information and then select Yes.
   

You can then click and hold the diamond for each account to sort the asset list. Feel free to read the key points that I shared before your comment.

Additionally, you can use this reference when it's time to review your QuickBooks records if it matches your bank account statements: Reconcile an account in QuickBooks Desktop.

Please update me (@Jovychris_A) on how it goes so I can quickly reply if you need further assistance with changing list views. I will be here to help! Enjoy your day!

Getting the following error

You can not move the list element while the list in flat mode

Don't sweat it, @salehaambrin. I'm here to help you reorder your list.

You'll get the error message when trying to reorder your accounts in a flat view. You'll have to switch to the Hierarchical View option. This way, you can move or drag a list element. 

Here's how:

1. Go to the Lists menu and then select Chart of Accounts.
2. Below the chart of accounts window, click the Account button.
3. Select Hierarchical View.
4. Click Yes to confirm.

I've also got some helpful articles that will help you organize your accounts:

• Learn about the chart of accounts in QuickBooks
• Create, edit, or delete an account in QuickBooks

I'm just a reply away if you need any further assistance in managing your accounts. Wishing you and your business continued success.

all well and good EXCEPT the drag feature doesn't work half the time. I sit and click the diamond and move it up or down and nothing. I would like my accounts to be ordered by number but no such luck with not being able to drag....what is going on?

Thank you for posting here in the Community, @awecaw. Let me share some insights about sorting the Chart of Accounts list.

I can see my colleagues provided the steps above to re-sort listing. This way, you can rearrange the lists of your accounts. I believe you sorted your list and want to move some items by dragging them.

I also tried it on my end. You can hover your mouse over the account. Once you see the arrows crossing, you can drag them. However, this only works for the same account type. See the screenshot below of the error message when I tried to move an account toward a different account type.

Additionally, you can use this reference while reviewing your QuickBooks records to see if they match your bank account statements: Reconcile an account in QuickBooks Desktop.

Don't hesitate to click the Reply button below if you need additional assistance sorting Chart of Accounts in QuickBooks Online. I'm always here to help.

Does it still work this way in 2022? I a't find a diamond to click and hold