Writing off inventory for promotional samples

Welcome to the Community, @ajboutiqueatx.

I appreciate you for searching for a resolution that suits your needs.

Instead of making an invoice for promotional samples, you can use the Sales Receipt. This way, you don’t need to enter a customer’s name on the field. You can use the description or the memo field to identify the transactions. 

I’ll show you how: 

1. Select the + New button at the left top.
2. Click the Sales receipt.
3. Leave the customer’s name as blank.
4. Enter the necessary details.
5. Press Save.

When creating a Journal Entry, I recommend contacting your accountant for this matter. They’ll know the best action for any adjustments. 

You can refer to this resource for guidance with running financial reports and getting the details you need. It also has report features you may use moving forward: Run reports in QuickBooks Online.

Get back to me if there’s anything else I can help you with. I’ll be more than happy to assist you. Have a great day.

How do I handle the sales tax?

Hello, @ajboutiqueatx.

You can add the sales tax to the Sales Receipt, so it'll be calculated as if you were selling the t-shirts to one of your customers. All you have to do is check the Tax checkbox in the product/service section. QuickBooks will automatically calculate the sales tax for you based on the location the sale is at or a custom rate you created. 

To view the calculations, you'll want to press the See the math button in the subtotal section. I've provided a screenshot below to show you where.

I'm only a comment away if you have any other questions. Enjoy the rest of your evening.