Hello, John.
I appreciate the details about the reconciliation and beginning balance issues. Since you've already called and left empty-handed, I'll take this opportunity to help you with these problems.
There are possibilities as to why this happened. I'll list the three common factors on why there's an incorrect beginning balance (with no prior reconciled transactions):
- Possible data corruption (could've happened during the transition to QuickBooks Desktop Pro from Mac).
- A wrong company file was used when converting (could've been a backup copy).
- Your reconciled transactions were all unreconciled (errors during the transition).
Let's do a simple run by running the Verify and Rebuild utilities to fix the data corruption:
Run the Verify utility:
- Go to File, then hover on Utilities.
- Select Verify Data.
- Follow the prompts to proceed with the Verify process.
Once done, run the Rebuild utility:
- Go to File again, then hover on Utilities.
- Select Rebuild Data this time.
- Follow the prompts to start the data fixes.
Check your beginning balances again. We also need to review your bank register for the reconciled transactions.
If there are no issues, then it's likely that a wrong backup copy or file was used during the transition. Check your recent backups from your Mac, then convert it again with the correct file.
Alternatively, we can stick with the current company file in QuickBooks Desktop Pro. Then, we'll create a journal entry as what your accountant mentioned. Generally, we would want to correct the beginning balance and ensure the amount is correct.
A guide can be found here: Fix beginning balance issues in QuickBooks Desktop.
Although, if you need help with this, I suggest consulting your accountant again. They'll guide you on what accounts to select for the journal entry.
If everything is correct, then it's likely that your records were unreconciled when transitioning to QuickBooks Desktop Pro. Happens when there are potential data issues, then the system somehow pushes with the conversion.
In this case, we'll want to do a special reconciliation. We'll want to look at the bank statement as our reference.
Make sure to enter the correct amount in the Ending Balance field. Set the correct Statement Date for your accounting period as well.
If you need help with the reconciliation, check out this article: Reconcile an account in QuickBooks Desktop.
After fixing the issues, do you need help following up with your customers' balances, receipts, and invoices? We can email their transactions within QuickBooks. Take a look at this guide if you need help: Email sales forms, invoices, and statements in QuickBooks Desktop.
Feel free to drop by again if you need more help with the reconciliation process. If you'd like to take care of other things like your expenses, taxes, or payroll, let me know and I'll gladly help out again.
