Used "Find" to Create Report, but Amounts are Zero. How Can I Fix?

Hello there, @homeboy4. 

Thanks for the details. Let's isolate the issue by running the Verify/Rebuild utility. This built-in tool automatically fixes minor company file data issues.

To do this task, here's what you'll need to do:

1. At the top, go to the File menu.
2. Select Utilities from the list.
3. Pick the Rebuild Data tool.
4. Hit OK on the QuickBooks information window, then follow the onscreen steps to save a backup.
5. Let the tool repair your file. 
6. When it finishes, pick OK.
7. Tap File menu, then hover over Utilities.
8. Choose Verify Data and let the tool check your file for data issues.
9. Click OK if QuickBooks doesn't find any problems. 
10. If QuickBooks find an issue with your company, choose Rebuild Now.

Once done, close and reopen your company file. Then, check if everything is now working fine. 

To learn more about the process I've provided above, here's a great resource that you can check: Fix data damage on your QuickBooks Desktop company file.

I'll appreciate if you can get back and update me on how things go. I want to ensure that this is taken care of. Have a great day.

Before I follow your suggestion, can I be clear as to what the problem is?

I don't appear to have a "problem" or issue with QB or my company files. QB operates normally and invoice amounts otherwise show up in all the right places. 

I use the Find command and the Memo field a lot when I'm looking for something. I have for years. Typically I'm searching for an invoice or an estimate and when I find it, I click on it. The fact that the amount column is zero isn't a problem. Only rarely do I have need for a report like the above. I've always assumed that I just don't know how to set-up the report, not that I have a data problem. 

I only going into this to make sure that I don't mess up something by trying to fix something that isn't broken.

Hello there, @homeboy4.

The resolution provided by my colleague is to check if you have data issues within a company file and resolves most data integrity. An alternative way to see the invoice amount is to create a report and customize it. I’d be glad to show you the steps.

Here’s how:

1. Go to the Reports tab.
2. Choose Customers & Receivables tab.
3. Click Open Invoices.
4. Select Customize Report in the Open Invoices.
5. Under the Display tab, select the box underneath the COLUMNS section and choose Amount.
6. Go to the Filters tab and search for the Amount then tick the second option (=). (Please see screenshot below)
7. Hit OK.

Also, I include this article about Verify and Rebuild Data in QuickBooks Desktop to know more about the common reasons to use. 

I can see this article to be handy withcustomizing your reports in QBDT.

Please don’t hesitate to comment below if you need further assistance with customizing reports. I'd be around to help. Have a good one.

I followed MirriamM's procedures and got messages saying that QB didn't find any problems, both after the rebuild procedure and after the data integrity procedure. 

I followed MarsStephanieL's procedure, and although it didn't give me what I'm looking for, I suspect this is the place I should be. But I don't know how to work the report feature.

What I am looking for is shown in the image I provided at the top of this message. I'd like that report but with the amount of each invoice included. Put another way, I want to find all the invoices, paid or not, that include this phrase: HITS 2018, and then produce a report of those particular invoices that includes the amount of each invoice. To produce the report above, I used the Find command, then the Memo field, and searched for: HITS 2018.

I started with MarsStephanieL's procedure, and tried to customize it, but couldn't do it. From the get-go, I had the problem that the report was for Open Invoices and I am looking for all invoices that include the phrase HITS 2018, open or not.

I replicated this on my QuickBooks Desktop, homeboy4.

When creating the invoice, in which box/field you've included the phrase HITS 2018? If you used the Description field, the amount won't reflect on the Find window if that line has no amount as well.

Moving forward, we can use the Memo field if the Hits 2018 is just a note. That way, the total invoice amount will reflect on the Amount column when searching it using Find.

For now, you'll want to search the invoices by transaction type, date, and posting status.

In addition, here's an article to see the available reports in QuickBooks Desktop. This will explain to you what their functions or uses are.

I'll be right here if you have more questions. Please comment to this thread anytime.

Thanks, AlexV. I think you heard my cry loud and clear. Yes, HITS 2018 was in the description field. I get it that if I know in advance that I'm going to want to search for something, there's a better way to do it -- including using the notes field. But occasionally, as in this case, I didn't know in advance. This particular customer might, in the future, ask for all invoices in which "yellow" was mentioned. This doesn't happen a lot and when it does it's not hundreds of invoices. In the example, there were only 16, and I just called up each invoice one by one and copied the invoice amount. 

I still wonder, though, if perhaps by using the Reports area, that I can search for something in the Description area and build a report with invoice amount. But if that can't be done, I'll live.

Thanks to everyone for your help.

I still don't have an answer. But I think I can ask the question more succinctly. 

Is it possible to search the description field of all invoices in a specific time period for a particular search term, and create a report of the results that includes, at the very least, the invoice number and the total amount of each invoice? 

If QB, out of the box, can't do this, fine. End of story. If it's possible but you don't provide step-by-step instructions as to how to do it in this forum, no problem. But then who do I contact for assistance? Is this something I need to contact a QB Expert to explain? 

Hello dear, homeboy4.

I can see that you have known the option where we can choose what to filter and generate them in your book. We're unable to search the word that we have entered in the Description field from any type of transaction. That said, the system will not generate the amount and terms. 

Though, there's another way on how you can get that information. You can add those notes in the Memo field instead of adding them in the Description column from the type of transaction you're using. Like for example, description field from the Invoice page.

If you consider doing this, you can modify them by copying the notes from the description and paste them in the Memo field.

About adding the certain Terms, you can choose Terms. Then, select the Multi Terms and put a check on the terms you need. Click OK and the Find button at the upper-right corner.

I'm right here together with my colleagues to help you more in case you have follow-up questions. I hope you're good. Take care.

For this situation, searching the memo field isn't an option. (Many years of legacy data.) I note that you begin by saying, "From the invoice page....." So suppose I don't begin at the invoice page. Is this something that can be done by beginning somewhere else? I don't know where that "somewhere else" is because I don't know what I don't know. But perhaps within the Reports section from the main menu? There is an item near the bottom of the Reports menu called Custom Reports. Could what I need be done using the Custom Reports feature? 

And, by the way, when I referred to "search term" I wasn't talking about "payment terms." I meant "search term" in the sense of "data that a person is searching for."

Thanks for getting back in touch, @homeboy4.

I’m happy to assist you further in creating a report that shows details about each invoice. You’re on the right track, you can customize the Transaction Detail report to show the list of invoices and payments by date.

Here’s how:

1. Go to Reports at the top menu bar.
2. Under Custom Reports, choose Transaction Detail.
3. Under Display, add the Paid column.
4. Remove the unnecessary column.
5. Click on the Filters tab.
6. In the Search filter field type Transaction Type.
7. Pick the Transaction Type drop-down and click Multiple Transaction Types.
8. In the Select Transaction Types window, locate the Invoice and Payment.
9. Push OK twice.
10. In the Total By drop-down, go to the Customer.
11. Update the report date.

I’m here if you have other questions, let me know. I hope you have a great rest of your week.

Still not a solution. But the more we talk about this, the more insight I gain into how QB is built.

Apparent the core problem is that:

Find

Memo

allows a person to search the description field of any transaction for text, but there is no way to include an invoice amount in the resulting report.

On the other hand:

Report

Custom Reports

Transaction Detail

allows a person to create a report that includes invoice totals, but 

Filters

Memo

only allows a person to search the memo field for text. 

So apparently there is no way to select invoices based on a criteria search of the description field and include invoice amounts. If you do find first, the selection process works, but you can't include invoice amounts. If you do a report, you get invoice amounts, but can't search the description field to select the invoices wanted. 

Hi there, homeboy4,

I've used the Find function and the system automatically displayed those amounts. The screenshot below of how it looks like here on my end.

Since you're still unable to see those amounts, I recommend contacting our QuickBooks Desktop Technical Team. They'll investigate further what's causing them not to show on the Find window.

Here's how to get in touch with them:

1. Go to Help, then select QuickBooks Desktop Help.
2. Click Contact Us.
3. We'll provide a few support options. Select which once is best for you.

Let me know how the call or chat goes by leaving a comment below. I'm always to help if there's anything else you need.