Tax amounts on filing report vs. on sales liability report

Hi, Notalemming.

The amounts on the reports may not match due to reasons like different date and the accounting method. To resolve this, watch out for the following that may affect the reports and amount:

• The reports have a different report basis. Businesses that report on the accrual basis often pay sales tax on a cash basis.
• The reports may have different date ranges. Assure that the sales report and the Sales Tax Liability Report (STLR) have the same date ranges.
• Finance charges will not appear on the Sales Tax Liability report.
• Statement charges cannot use sales tax and will not appear on the Sales Tax Liability report.
• Reimbursed expenses may or may not appear on these reports depending on how they are set up.

The report shows a summary of the sales tax you’ve collected and owe to your tax agencies. This includes (by tax agency/district):

• total taxable sales
• total nontaxable sales
• tax rate
• tax collected
• sales tax payable as of

You may find the following article interesting: See Tax Payments And Forms.

I'm always here to help if you have any other concerns or questions. Just tag my name in the comment section and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

Thanks for your reply, RoseMarjorieA, but unfortunately it does not answer my question(s).  We use QBO, and I've discovered that many issues/solutions are not compatible between the online version and the desktop version.  We are an LLC with two managing members, no employees.  We drop ship most, if not all, our products that we sell.  However, we do also provide Sound Engineering services (we're an audio/visual integrator).  We do not typically, and have not so far, set up payment plans for our customers, so finance charges are not an issue. 

Your first bullet point is a statement, but it doesn't tell me how to determine if that is the case.  We use the accrual accounting method, but there's a possibility that our taxes are figured on a cash basis?  How and where can I find that information?

I've been very cautious to ensure I have the correct dates on all reports so as to not cross over from one quarter to another.

Statement charges?

Reimbursed expenses are a factor, but I've gone through the set up for those and the choices are limited.  What would be the proper accounting for such?  We use Billable Expenses Income, set up as a service/fee income account, and Reimbursable Expenses, set up as a COGS account.

I have literally gone through all the invoices for the quarter and can not reconcile what the tax filing statement says is our gross sales, nor can I reconcile the Sales Tax Liability statement to the tax filing statement.  If only, if only, if only the option to click on the numbers on the tax filing statement were available, then I could determine where the differences show.  I can click all day long on the Sales Liability Statement and see where those numbers come from, but when it's time to reconcile these numbers, no bueno.  I've also been through the P&L statement for the quarter attempting to discover where the numbers are generated from...no bueno.

So my quest continues, but my time is running out.  Sales tax is due at the end of the month (btw, we do not have use taxes to consider).  I'm a bit blurry-eyed since I've been working on this trick all day.  Thanks.    

Thank you for getting back to us here on the Community page, @Notalemming.

Yes, RoseMarjorieA is correct. Sometimes, the amounts on the reports won't match especially if they may not have the same date range and/or report basis. Also, the tax amount won't match to the total taxable sales amount because the tax collected amount is just the amount collected from the sales tax, hence, the taxable sales total amount is the total of all sales for a certain period regardless if they were taxed or not.

I've added these screenshots for your visual reference.

I'm also adding these articles for additional reference about taxes in QuickBooks Online:

• Sales Tax in QuickBooks Online
• Sales taxes

Let me know if you have any other QuickBooks questions. I'm a few clicks away to help. Have a good day!

Hmmm....Let me lay it out so we can see if we're on the same page.    

I can not reconcile the tax filing statement numbers.  These are different from the Sales Tax Liability report.  Where do the numbers for the tax filing statement come from?  QBO does not allow you to click on these numbers to determine what they are.  When I file in CA, I have to break down all the numbers to specific categories, but since I don't know from where these numbers are generated, I can not file!!!!!  I've been through ALL the invoices to no avail.  I can match up the Sales Tax Liability numbers, except for the non-taxable number.  But I'm obligated to submit the numbers on the Tax Filing statement, and I can't figure out what is missing.  Just to be sure, I am diligent to ensure the dates are all correct, so that's not the issue.  And the reporting types are consistent.  I've spent endless hours on this to no avail.  IT COULD BE RESOLVED IF QBO WOULD ALLOW US TO CLICK ON THE TAX FILING STATEMENT FOR THE NUMBERS.  

Hi @Notalemming,

if you're still unable to get your issue resolved after following my colleague's provided steps, then I suggest contacting our Technical Support team for further assistance.

They can pull up your Intuit account information within a secure environment, along with having the necessary tools to assist you with looking for the missing amounts you're looking for. 

Here's how:

1. Log in to your QuickBooks Online company.
2. Click the Help menu.
3. Select Contact us.

To ensure you don't miss any year-end tasks, open this article: Year-end guide and checklist.

You can post additional questions in the comments below, in case you have any. I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

Were you able to resolve this conflict.  I am finding some challenges as well with our S&U tax reporting.  We switched to QBO from desktop a little over a year ago.  QBO has pulled in data going back to 2015, but NOT our sales and use tax liability.  We are currently under an audit and need to provide them years 2017 & 2018 and QBO says there is no data.  :(

Let me share some information about sales tax in QuickBooks, @Pinkribbon518.

When you convert from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online, your sales tax won't convert for all transactions. Some taxes will convert as journal entries or import only the list and balances.

However, you’ll see at least two sales tax payable accounts on the Chart of Accounts. You can check this article for more information: What to expect when you switch from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online.

I'd also suggest you to create correcting entries to fix the balances on your reports. To do that, follow the steps below:

1. Go to the + New button and choose Journal Entry.
2. In the Accounts field, enter the adjusting accounts. If unsure, it is best to consult an accounting professional to know which accounts to use.
3. Enter the amount in the Debits or Credits column.
4. Click Save. 

I've added here an article with the complete steps on how to create JE's in QBO: Create a Journal Entry. 

I'm always here if you have any other concerns with your account. Take care and enjoy the rest of the day!