Why can't I create pie charts that breaks down our expenditures categories?

Hello there, @userterri-rich.

 You can still create a Pie chart in QuickBooks Online Advanced. To do that, you’ll have to create a custom chart to track what matters most to your business. 

Here’s how

1. Select +Add new chart and the metric you want this chart to track. Then, click Continue.
2. Give your chart a name.
3. Select the type of charts, such as Trend line, Vertical bar, or Pie chart. These options vary based on the metric.
4. In the Time period dropdown, select the period you want to track.
5. Select the category you want to group for your data in the Group by dropdown. 
6. If you want to see only data from a specific category, select it in the Filter by dropdown. Then use the Select from multiple to narrow it to items in that category.
7. To compare the results over different periods, select Compare. Then select Previous period or Previous year same period. For some charts, you can also compare against a budget or goal.
8. When you're done, select Add to Dashboard.

 Please know that you need to be an admin user to use this feature.

You can use this article to know more about the custom chart and how to edit or delete a chart: Create charts to see your business performance.

Keep in touch with me on how this goes. Just leave a comment below and I'll get back to you. Have a good day!

I did already try those options.  What we were able to create in the past was a pie chart of expenses broken down by category.  Example: If payroll was 40% of our expenses and curriculum development was 15%, etc, those would be shown by those percentages of the pie chart.  I do not see an option for that.  For expenses, I only see a Vertical Bars and Trend Line.  If I want to see each budgeted category (like payroll, legal fees, training events, etc.) in one of those charts, I have to go in manually and select each line item category.  

I used to be able to just pull up an automatically created pie chart with all the expensed amounts already in the chart by budget category.

Is that no longer possible?

Thanks for getting back to us, @userterri-rich.

You're still able to create a pie chart in QuickBooks Online (QBO) Advanced through the Performance center page from the Reports menu. However, it's currently possible for Accounts receivable and Accounts payable tracking.

I'd recommend checking out this article's Create a custom chart from scratch section for the detailed steps: Create charts to see your business performance. It also includes a guide in creating industry comparison charts and how to edit them to name a few.

Additionally, there are other ways to track your business health and finances. You can do this by pulling up the appropriate report from the Reports menu's Reports tab. Then, you can customize them to focus on the details that matter the most. You can check out this article to learn more about the advanced reporting feature in the Advanced version of QuickBooks: Help with Advanced Reporting powered by Fathom.

Please know that you're always welcome to comment below if you have other concerns about puling up reports and charts in QuickBooks. I'm just around to help. Take care.

That was not helpful at all.  I am facing the same problem. My client wants to see a pie chart of their products and services. Example Service A income was 20k, Service B was 30k and Service C was 50k, the pie chart would show that breakdown.  There is no way to do this and that is disappointing. 

Has this been resolved because I am also having this problem.  My client has sent me a Pie Chart of the P&L and I cannot duplicate it.  I can only create Vertical Bars or Trend Line chart.

Thanks for checking in with us, Tracy95. 

We can create a pie chart in QuickBooks Online (QBO) Advanced through the Performance center page from the Reports menu. However, this option is only available for Accounts receivable and Accounts payable tracking metrics. Here's an article you can refer to for more details on creating charts to see your business performance. From there you can create custom charts, choose the metric and the specific data. The chart will include, products, services, and locations. Here's how:

1. Go to Reports on the left side menu.
2. Choose Performance center. 
3. Tap +Add new chart and the metric you want this chart to track. Then, click Continue.
4. Give your chart a name.
5. Select the type of charts, such as Trend line, Vertical bar, or Pie chart. These options vary based on the metric.
6. In the Time period dropdown, choose the period you want to track.
7. Select the category you want to group for your data in the Group by dropdown. 
8. If you want to see only data from a specific category, hit it in the Filter by dropdown. Then use the Select from multiple to narrow it to items in that category.
9. To compare the results over different periods, hit Compare. Then select the Previous period or Previous year same period option. For some charts, you can also compare against a budget or goal.
10. Press Add to Dashboard.

 Feel free to visit our Reports page for more insights about managing your business reports. 

If you need to take care of other things in QuickBooks, I'm with you every step of the way. Just leave a comment below and I'll get back to you. Take care always.

@userterri-rich @Tracy95 @Anonymous @Cholbrook01 

Reports > Business Snapshot

WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT ADVANCED ACCOUNTS. The issue here is that Basic and Plus accounts used to be able to generate pie charts, and now they can't anymore.

Everyone in this discussion has a Basic or Plus account, and we have all been able to use those accounts in the past to generate pie charts. Did QuickBooks remove one of the most useful features of our accounts, fail to inform us, and then continue to charge us the same amount of money?

I spent an hour the other day trying to get a straight answer from your Help department about why I was no longer able to generate pie charts with our Plus account. Even your own representative had not been informed that there was a change. They could only provide the same unhelpful information about Advanced accounts (not their fault).

Please do not reply with another note about Advanced accounts. We want to know why you removed the pie chart feature from our Basic and Plus accounts.

WE ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT ADVANCED ACCOUNTS. The issue here is that Basic and Plus accounts used to be able to generate pie charts, and now they can't anymore.

Everyone in this discussion has a Basic or Plus account, and we have all been able to use those accounts in the past to generate pie charts. Did QuickBooks remove one of the most useful features of our accounts, fail to inform us, and then continue to charge us the same amount of money?

I spent an hour the other day trying to get a straight answer from your Help department about why I was no longer able to generate pie charts with our Plus account. Even your own representative had not been informed that there was a change. They could only provide the same unhelpful information about Advanced accounts (not their fault).

Please do not reply with another note about Advanced accounts. We want to know why you removed the pie chart feature from our Basic and Plus accounts.

I appreciate the clarifications you've shared, The Pop-Hop.

QuickBooks Online Basic and Plus no longer have the pie chart feature. Though you can still view Business overview graphs on your Dashboard.

Meanwhile, you can create charts to track your business performance. This is available only in QuickBooks Online Advanced and QuickBooks Online Accountant: Create charts to see your business performance.

I'm sharing these articles to help you know more about managing a wide range of reports in QBO without posting a question to the support page:

• How to Customize Reports: Basics, Sorting & Date Ranges
• Run reports in QuickBooks Online
• Memorize reports in QuickBooks Online

It's important that we always meet our customer's needs. While we continue to make improvements, I want you to be updated with the latest QuickBooks news and product release through our QuickBooks blog.

The Community is always open if you have other questions. I'll be around to help. Wishing you a great day ahead!

Honestly if QuickBooks interested in meeting our needs, they should refrain from removing features from our accounts while continuing to charge us the same subscription fees. Pie charts were a very useful resource for our business, and were one of the reasons we subscribed in the first place. Now Quickbooks has taken it away, but continues to charge us $80/month.

Please re-instate pie charts for Plus and Basic accounts.

I am having the same problem. I don't want a pie chart of accts receivable, and that is clearly not what the original poster asked for. I would like the same thing - a pie chart comparing expenditure or income categories during a set period of time, not a bar or line graph over time. 

Hi ElleIlana!

Thanks for joining this post. Let me assist you with the chart.

It is true that the chart feature is only available in QuickBooks Online Advanced. You can select either Trend line, Vertical bar, or Pie chart. However, these options are based on what you want to track or based on the metric. Currently, the Pie chart is not available for Expenses and Revenue.

I understand that you need an option to select a Pie chart for Expenses and Revenue. You'll want to send feedback about this and let our developers know that you need such an option. Go to the Gear icon and select Feedback.

Also, I added these links if you need more help with the chart and running financial reports:

• Run reports in QuickBooks Online
• Create charts to see your business performance

Get back to me anytime if you have any more questions about this. Stay safe!

"It is true that the chart feature is only available in QuickBooks Online Advanced."

It is also true that this very useful feature used to be included in our QuickBooks Plus subscription, but was removed without notice, and QuickBooks continues to charge us all the same subscription fee for fewer features than they originally agreed to. This is dishonest business practice, and poor treatment of your customers.

Either lower our rates, or reinstate the pie charts function to QuickBooks Plus accounts.

"It is true that the chart feature is only available in QuickBooks Online Advanced."

It is also true that this very useful feature used to be included in our QuickBooks Plus subscription, but was removed without notice, and QuickBooks continues to charge us all the same subscription fee for fewer features than they originally agreed to. This is dishonest business practice, and poor treatment of your customers.

Either lower our rates, or reinstate the pie charts function to QuickBooks Plus accounts.

I have quickbooks advanced and still cannot create a pie chart with income or expenses by category. This is the most common metric you would use for categorizing finances.  This makes no sense and I hope QB fixes it as its a major flow. Paying this much for accounting software and cannot do I simple pie chart???

Hi jsrick,

I also find it more convenient to use a pie chart. For some reason, only Vertical bars and Trend lines are available for Expenses and Revenue right now.

I can help by sending a suggestion through my QBO company, and I encourage you to do the same thing by going to the Gear icon and selecting Feedback. This way, our engineers will know how much you need it.

On the other hand, you can check out the exclusive features in the Advanced plan that you can use in your business.

I'm just right here if you need further assistance. 

QB team is back again with useless form answers. Pie charts were a feature before, and they were removed, but you continue to charge the same subscription fee whole

providing less value to your customers. 

ADDRESS THIS. 

This is absolutely ridiculous that we can’t pie chart expenses. That provides crucial information that a line and bar graph does not provide. Come on QuickBooks, you should be providing better service for your customers. Especially when it was available in the past and taken away without notice!

I second this. It was unacceptable that they removed this crucial tool without notice and without lowering subscription rates, and it is unbelievably rude that they keep sending their employees to this chat with tone-deaf, unhelpful form letters about QuickBooks Advanced.

Yeah this remains an issue, even for advanced subscriptions, kind of hilarious that they removed this feature from all subscriptions even though they only meant to remove it from the more affordable subscriptions

Its a pain but you can export the data to a 3rd party spreadsheet application and then generate your own graph - though the purpose of a financial software like QuickBooks is to have the ability to do all of this in one place and increase productivity... which it is not doing in this case

Exactly what our treasurer has had to do.  I give him the numbers, and he is inputting them into Excel to handmake a pie chart there.  The point is, we should not have to do so.  So much easier to use the data in QB to generate the reports we need.