Ledger Reporting

You've come to the right place to get the answers you're looking for, @Coolen0ugh.

Let me share with how the Memo/Description column on reports derives its data. This columns gets its information according to the type of report that you are viewing. If you're viewing a 'per line item basis' type of report, the Memo/Description column will display the information entered in the Description column of the individual line items in a transaction. If the Memo/Description column on the report is blank, that means the transactions have no information entered in the Description column for each line items. To get the info that you need, edit the transactions and enter the appropriate info on the Description column accordingly. 

Here are the examples of reports that look at a transaction on a 'per line item' basis:

• Transaction Detail by Account Report
• Transaction Detail by Tax Code Report
• Sales by Customer Detail Report
• Sales by Product/Service Detail Report
• Purchases by Product/Service Detail Report
• Purchases by Supplier Detail Report

On the other hand, if the report that you are viewing looks at a transaction in its entirety, the Memo/Description column will display the information entered in the Message displayed on statement field (for Invoices, Adjustment Notes, Sales Receipts) or Memo field (for Expenses and Bills). If the Memo/Description column on the report is blank, enter the required information in the Message displayed on statement field (for Invoices, Adjustment Notes, Sales Receipts) or Memo field (for Expenses and Bills), as deemed necessary. 

These are the examples of reports that look at a transaction in its entirety:

• Transaction List by Date Report
• Invoice List by Date Report
• Transaction List by Customer Report
• Transaction List by Supplier Report

To learn a bunch of ways to customize your reports, refer to these articles:

• Customize reports in QuickBooks Online
• Memorize reports in QuickBooks Online

You can check out this article to see the complete list of available reports for your QuickBooks Online version: Reports included in your QuickBooks Online subscription.

Please let me know if there's anything else that I can help with your reports. I'm always here to assist. Have a wonderful day.

Thanks alot for the reply but I am already using all these methods or the ways of how narration should be written and how QuickBooks online treat it. The thing is still its not visible in my reports. Transaction list by account and all other suggested by you.

While generating a bill I wrote narration in memo and Description column which is visible in ledger report. BUT, when I write narration while paying the bill it does not show in Ledger Report. Why are we facing this issue. I am sharing two screenshots with you please see them.

Screenshot 2...

Again I repeat. While purchasing something in Bill column narration can be seen in the ledger but while paying the supplier while going to pay bills the narration written wont be visible in the ledger report.

Similarly while creating an invoice narration can be seen in the ledger report but while receiving payments from customer the narration wont be visible. 

I hope this clears my issue.

Thankyou

Thank you for the additional details, Coolen0ugh. I'd be happy to clarify this.

An invoice and its payment are two different transactions. A similar principle applies to a bill and its payment. Therefore, the memo of a bill will not be copied over to the memo of the bill payment. Invoices don't have a Memo filed, by the way.

In addition, the memo of a bill cannot always be the same as the memo of its payment. Example: Your vendor creates a bill with a memo. Then, you pay it and you enter the memo on the payment.  That memo on the payment will on your bank and then will be downloaded to QBO if you use online banking.

That's the explanation of why the memo is not carried over to the payments. Then, what you see on the transactions is also what you see on the reports.

Let me know if you have other questions about the memos of your transactions. 

Thank you for the reply.

What I am saying is by following same principle when I create an Invoice I write narration in memo/des which is visible on the invoice row in Ledger details So obviously narration is different.

But when I Receive payment from my Customer I record it in QuickBooks Receive payment window and write narration on the memo/des for payment received from customer but it will not be visible in my ledger Payment rows. I know both narrations are difference and I am writing it twice once creating an invoice and secondly while Receiving invoice.

Yes that payment narration is visible in bank/Cash ledger but why not in Customer Ledger Report. It should be visible because this is my internal report. please help with it

What should be carried over to payment ?

when printing a ledger report for suppliers. How to write narration like paid in cash so my supplier can see it was paid in cash

I appreciate the details, Coolen0ugh.

What's carried over to the bill payment are the ones you see on the Bill Payment table. The memo is not included, but you can copy the memo from the bill and paste it in the Memo field of the payment. Then, when you run reports like Transaction List by Vendor, you'll see the memo of both transactions.

By the way, what specific report are you looking at so I can replicate it on my end? In my case, this is how the transaction memo shows.

I'm just around if you have more questions.

Good Day,

Transaction list by Supplier does not show proper running balance. I am talking about transaction list by account report where we use filter to view supplier transactions.

The reasons for not using transaction list by vendor is because running balance is not proper. 

please provide a solution for transaction list by account. 

Thankyou

Transaction list by vendor does not show proper running balance. Thats why  I am using transaction list by account report and then using filter to view suppliers transaction. In that repot i want cash memo to be visible please help.

Thankyou

Thanks for telling me what report it is, Coolen0ugh.

I did replicate the scenario on my end, and I'm happy to explain how memos are displayed on the report.

QuickBooks uses the Sources and Targets concept when posting transaction details to reports. When you check the journal of a transaction (More > Transaction journal), the first line is the SOURCE line and the rest of the lines are the TARGET lines. Every transaction has a source and target/s lines.

Let's take a look at the transaction journal of a bill:

As you can see, the MEMO is on the source line together with the Accounts Payable (A/P) account. Therefore, we can also say that the SOURCE ACCOUNT is the A/P account since it's on the source line.

On the other hand, the ITEM DESCRIPTION is on the TARGET line along with the expense account. So, we can also call the expense account as the TARGET account.

Therefore, when you run the Transaction Detail by Account report, you will see the memo of the transactions on the SOURCE accounts and the ITEM DESCRIPTIONS on the TARGET accounts sections respectively.

To further explain, let's examine the picture below.

I hope this clears up how memos are posted on the Transaction Detail by Account report.

Let me also correct my statement about contacting support. We don't need it anymore since this is working as designed, and invoices do not have a memo field so only item descriptions will show up in the report.

If you have additional questions, please let me know. Have a good one!

Transaction list by account shows proper running balance. This is the main reasons why  I am not using any of your other reports because of other reports does not show proper running balance whether its Supplier Balance Details, Transaction list By supplier or any other reports. 

I need a report which shows Proper running balance and both Bill payment Check & Bill narration.

I hope this clears my issues? Please find a valid solution.

Thankyou

No answer seriously ?

just give me a report that gives following :

1. Debit and credit column.

2. Running balance proper

3. Narration for both bills and bill payment chqs in a single report. 

Please