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Delete your data and start over in QuickBooks Online

SOLVED•by QuickBooks•34•Updated 5 days ago

Learn how to delete your data in QuickBooks Online and start over with new books.

Sometimes you need to start afresh with a new QuickBooks Online company. If you're a new customer, you can purge your data and start over. If you've used QuickBooks for longer than 60 days, you'll need to create a new file.

Things to consider before you get started

This process will delete all your company data. Before you start, be absolutely sure you want to delete everything. Here are few things to keep in mind:

  • These steps help you delete the data for a QuickBooks Online company. If you need to delete all your Intuit data, find out more about managing data or check out our privacy centre.
  • This process doesn’t cancel your QuickBooks Online subscription. If you need to cancel, learn more about how to cancel your QuickBooks Online. 
  • If you have banks or third party apps connected, purging your company can permanently damage these connections for your company.
  • You can reuse your current lists after starting over, find out more about moving your lists to a new file.

Tip: Check out our frequently asked questions section below for more information to help you decide if purge and reset is the best decision for your QuickBooks Online file.

Your next steps depend on your subscription level, and whether you've been using QuickBooks for longer than 60 days.

Tip: If you’re not sure how old your company is, sign in to QuickBooks Online. Then, refresh this page for personalised steps.

You'll need to cancel your current QuickBooks Online company and start a new one.

Step 1: Cancel your current company

Follow these steps to cancel your account.

Note: Once you cancel QuickBooks, we delete your data after one year. This gives you some buffer time if you decide to come back to your previous account.

Step 2: Start a new company

  1. Sign up for QuickBooks Online.
  2. Enter your user ID and password. You can use the same user ID and password as before.
  1. Sign in to your QuickBooks Online account.
    Note: You must be logged in as an admin.
  2. Once you're signed in, open this link. Alternatively, you can go to the URL in your browser's address bar, delete all the text and enter the following web address instead: https://app.qbo.intuit.com/app/purgecompany
  3. To confirm you want to delete your company data, type Yes.
  4. Select OK, then Wipe data.

Frequently Asked Questions

Once you perform a purge and reset, your QuickBooks Online file will delete all historical data. Before you reset your file, you can export your data, reports, lists, and more from QuickBooks Online. 

Once you turn on Multicurrency it’s not possible to turn it off. If you reset your QuickBooks Online file, Multicurrency will be automatically turned off.  Make sure you want to delete everything before you reset your company file. Find out more about Multicurrency in QuickBooks Online.

If you have turned on Multicurrency, you will not be able to change your home currency. Resetting your QuickBooks Online file will allow you to start from scratch using a new  home currency. Before you reset your file, be absolutely sure you want to delete everything.

If you have created a transaction by mistake, you won't have to perform a purge and reset. In QuickBooks, you have the option to void or delete it a transaction. Talk to your accountant to find out the best way to handle a transaction created in error. Find out more about the differences between voiding and deleting transactions.

If you set up a tax rate incorrectly, you won't need to reset your QuickBooks Online file. Currently, there's no way to delete a tax rate in QuickBooks Online however, you can deactivate or make edits to an existing tax rate. 

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