So I am new to quickbooks and I am reviewing videos to learn. Is it beneficial to categorize and can this step be skipped.

I'm here to share my thoughts about the benefits of categorizing transactions in QuickBooks Online.

Categorizing transactions in QuickBooks Online is crucial for keeping your financial records accurate and understanding how your business is doing financially. Assigning each expense, income, or transfer to the right category helps keep your data organized and easy to analyze. This accuracy is important for creating reliable financial statements, correctly paying taxes, and tracking how your business performs over time. Plus, sorting transactions into categories makes it easier to plan your budget and decide where to invest your money.

Even though categorizing transactions might seem like extra work, it's worth it in the long run. Skipping this step could mean your financial records aren't accurate, which can cause problems like mistakes on your tax returns or not being able to see how well your business is doing. So, it's a good idea to take the time to categorize your transactions carefully in QuickBooks Online to make sure your financial records are correct and dependable.

For more information, refer to this article: Categorize online bank transactions in QuickBooks Online.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to post here again. I'd be sure to answer them at any time possible. Thank you for choosing QuickBooks Online! Best regard!

Thank you for the reply.  My co-workers who is training me still feels that this process is not needed because they categorize when entering an expense.

Please advise.

Thanks for checking back with us, @deidra-arborassa. 

Ultimately, the way you and your business decide to track transactions is a personal preference. However, please understand that if you are using the QuickBooks Online banking feature, you'll need to ensure that your bank transactions match what is manually recorded. This is to make sure there aren't any duplicates in the account. If duplicates occur, this is when it causes some financial errors later on. 

As my colleague has mentioned above, please refer to this article for more information: Categorize online bank transactions in QuickBooks Online.

Don't hesitate to reach out if you have any additional questions or concerns. I'm always happy to help out. Have a good one!