I've tried to add a new income category in chart of accounts but it only allows me to add as a subcategory. I would like it to be its own account. How can I change this?

Hello there, bjazz.

I'd like to share what I know about usage limits in QuickBooks Online.

You're right, usage limits vary by subscription. Only active users, accounts, classes, locations and tags, count toward the limit.

If you're using QuickBooks Online Simple Start, you can only create a maximum of  250 accounts for your Chart of Accounts. You can also check the usage limits dashboard so that you'll know how many items you have for each usage limit.

Here's how:

1. Log in to your QuickBooks Online account as an admin.
2. Go to the Gear ⚙ icon.
3. Choose Account and Settings.
4. Select the Usage tab.

Once you reach your usage limit, QuickBooks will no longer allow you to add any more items like users or accounts.

I recommend upgrading your subscription. This way, you can increase your usage limit to add more accounts. You can checkout this article for more information: Upgrade or downgrade your QuickBooks Online subscription.

Let me know if you still have other questions or clarifications about it. I'll be here to help. Have a nice weekend!

Thanks for the reply Archie. I have logged in to my account and checked the usage as you have suggested and see that I'm only using 8 out of 250 allowable accounts. So I'm guessing that's not the reason why it won't allow me to create a separate category for this new item. Any other suggestions as to how I could go about getting this added in it's own category?

Thanks for getting back to this thread, @bjazz. Allow me to chime in and guide you in creating a new income category in QuickBooks Online.

Based on your screenshot, I can see that you still haven't reached the maximum limit to create an account. Thus, let's perform some troubleshooting steps to fix this. There are times that the browser is full of frequently accessed page resources, which causes some errors or unusual responses. Let's start accessing your account using a different or a private browser. You can use either of these shortcut keys:

• Google Chrome: Ctrl + Shift + N
• Mozilla Firefox: Ctrl + Shift + P
• Microsoft Edge: Ctrl + Shift + P
• Safari: Command + Shift + N

Once you have successfully created the category, go back to your regular browser and clear its cache. This is done to speed up the process next time you do a transaction in QuickBooks Online. Also, an alternative way is to use other compatible browsers.

May I ask if you received an error message when adding an income category in the Chart of Accounts? I appreciate any extra information you can give, and it will help us isolate the issue and provide the best solution.

Otherwise, you can contact our phone support team. They have the tools to check your account in a safe environment, and they can help find the root cause of your issue and find a fix.

I've also attached a link you can refer to for your future guidance and detailed steps in managing your categories in QuickBooks: Learn about the chart of accounts. It includes steps on how to edit, delete, and add account numbers.

Feel free to leave a comment below if you have any other questions about creating an income category in QuickBooks. I'm always here to help. Wishing you and your business continued success.

I am a new user of QBO.  I cannot seem to manually edit the chart of accounts, due this similar issue discussed above.  When I click NEW (to add an account), I get only an option to IMPORT, I do not get the manual entry form.  I have tried 2x browsers (Edge 96.xx, and Chrome 96.xx).  I have cleared both broswers'  cache.  I have toggled between accountant view and back.  No change.

Any ideas? 

Good day, TheNailHive!

As long as you haven't exceeded the usage limit, you can add new accounts in QuickBooks Online. I'm here to help you in fixing this issue.

There are accounts that you cannot edit in QuickBooks Online. These are the default accounts the system uses such as Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable. 

Please check this link to learn more about these default accounts in QuickBooks Online: Manage default and special accounts in your chart of accounts.

In addition, when you add a new account, make sure to click the word New and not the drop-down arrow beside it. Then, there'll be a pop-up where you can create a new account.

Here's the article to know more on how to manage your Chart of Accounts: Learn about the chart of accounts in QuickBooks.

If the same thing happens, I suggest you use an incognito window and add the accounts from there. These are some of the shortcut keys:

• Google Chrome: Ctrl + Shift + N
• Safari 11 or newer: ⌘ + Shift + N
• Mozilla Firefox: Ctrl + Shift + P
• Microsoft Edge: Ctrl + Shift + P

Lastly, I added this article if you need help in reconciling your account: Reconcile an account in QuickBooks Online.

Keep on posting here if you have other concerns in handling your Chart of Accounts. I'll be happy to assist!