Can't send 1st invoice without setting up sales tax. I don't charge sales tax. No way to tell QB that. Help doc is wrong.

It's good to see you in QuickBooks Community, katandmouse. I can see how vital it is to send an invoice without getting a prompt message. Let me provide troubleshooting steps so you can send the transaction smoothly.

Beforehand, please keep in mind that the article or steps you've mentioned only apply when the automatic sales tax for old users is enabled on their end. That is why you are unable to complete the process of turning off sales tax.

On the other hand, it could be the automated sales tax is accidentally set up and enabled on your end when setting up your company in QuickBooks. With this, turning off the said feature is currently unavailable.

However, since you're not charging sales tax, I recommend reviewing the customer's profile and making sure that they're set as tax-exempt. Also, the item you're using in your transaction is Nontaxable. This way, the taxes won't be calculated when you create invoices.

Here's how for the customer's details:

1. Go to the Get paid & pay menu or Sales, then Customers.
2. Locate the customer name and click it to expand the page.
3. Click the Edit button.
4. Go to the Additional info section and select the checkbox for This customer is tax exempt. Then, select why they’re tax exempt in the Reason for exemption dropdown.
5. Click Save.

Once done, please follow the steps below for the item.

1. Click the Gear icon and choose Product and services.
2. Locate the item and click the Edit link.
3. Go to the Sales tax field and choose Nontaxable.
4. Click Done.

Furthermore, you also have to uncheck the box on the Tax column when creating an invoice. This ensures the transaction is tax-exempt. Please follow the steps below.

1. Go to the Invoice page.
2. Uncheck the box in the Tax column.
3. Fill in the other needed information.
4. Click Save and Close.

Lastly, refer to this article to see information on how the Sales page allows you to view different statuses of all your sales entries: View sales transactions.

Feel free to click the comment section below if you have other concerns about sending invoices in QBO. I'll be sure to get back to you, katandmouse.

sorry. That didn't help. See other reply. No way to delete this or I would. 

Hi  I responded to this but don't see my reply here, so I'm trying again. If I now have 2 replies, my apologies. Please delete the other or I will if it reappears. 

I made a loom video for you. 

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And I managed to capture the red error message! It says partially set up. I may have checked something yesterday because it gave me NO OTHER OPTION. I thought by selecting one, then I'd be able to just not fill anything in. That's when I got met with having to choose other settings and I knew something was terribly wrong. BTW, I'm a web developer and a conversion/usability specialist, so I'm also speaking through the eyes of an expert on website usability. Even if something is not broken per se, the usability clearly is. I'll have to leave that part in the hands of your development team. Just please help me get through my problem now so I can send an invoice. Thank you.  

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I can't see either of my replies now, not even in a list of "waiting to be approved," so I'm a bit nervous they completely disappeared. I've refreshed several times thinking maybe clearing cache will bring them back, but it didn't. So I'm so sorry. I need to be sure you see my reply so I need to post this again.  I apologize if the other finally resurfaces. Please delete all but one. Thanks. 

Here's a video of the problem.  [Removed]
And I captured the error message. 

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Sorry for all the replies. There literally was no evidence they went through. Now I see the two so I promise not to repeat myself again! 

I appreciate the video and image you've included, katandmouse. However, since both shows your company information, they've been removed for privacy reasons.

I want to make it up with you by ensuring you get the right information about the sales tax feature in QuickBooks Online (QBO) and support about the error message you've encountered while accessing the Sales Tax Center.

The QBO system is rolling out automated sales tax for all its users. All U.S. accounts (newly created) will automatically have the said feature, and the option to turn it off is unavailable (once activated). This is to ensure QuickBooks calculates sales taxes accurately (based on what you sell, where you sell, and where you ship).

On the other hand, based on our records, we have an ongoing issue (INV-90586) where users like you experienced error while accessing the Sales Tax Center in QBO. Rest assured that this issue is currently worked on with utmost urgency. 

In keeping with this, I'd recommend contacting our Customer Care team. They can add your account to the list of affected users. This ensures you're in the loop about the investigation's status and its fix. 

Since you've newly migrated to QBO, I'm also adding this article to help you adjust your company settings, manage users, and contact information: Get started after you sign up for QuickBooks Online.

Please let me know in the comments if there's anything else you need in managing invoices and other sales transactions in QBO. I'm always ready to help. Take care, and I wish you continued success, katandmouse.

I the meantime I can't create invoices and that essentially means I can't use QB. 

Since I can't use QB, can I get my money back? 

Thanks for a prompt reply, @katandmouse. We see that this issue has become challenging on your end. Let us direct you to the best help possible.

We recommend reaching out to QuickBooks Online live support. They have the resources to pull up your account in a safe environment. Moreover, they can review your account and check possible errors as to why you're unable to create invoice.

In addition, as my colleague stated, there's an existing investigation (INV-90586) about users like you who experienced an error while accessing the Sales Tax Center in QBO. On top of that, they can add you to our notification lists, and if updates are available you'll receive a message through email.

Here's how to contact support: 

1. Go to the (?) Help tab. Choose Talk to a Human.
2. Type in a brief description of your concern and click Enter.
3. Tap I still need a Human. Then, select Contact Us to link with our live support.
4. Pick Get a callback.

You can also utilize this link to contact live support: 

https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/contact

After the issue is fixed, you can utilize these articles in managing your QBO account: 

• Get started and adjust settings after you sign up for QuickBooks Online.
• Add and manage users in QuickBooks Online.
• Configure your print settings for printing checks in QuickBooks Online.

For additional questions, don't hesitate to come back here. We'll do our best to help you as soon as possible. Keep safe always.