Hi there, @whitebark. I'll help you with setting up your company's legal name in QuickBooks Online (QBO).
I've tried replicating here on my QBO account and I was able to add the full legal name Whitebark Institute of Interdisciplinary Environmental Sciences. 
After the setup, you can try updating the company's legal name following these steps:
- Sign in to QuickBooks.
- Go to the Gear icon, then click on Accounts and Settings.
- Click on Company.
- Enter the name from the Company name section.
- Hit Save, then Done.
In case you're getting the same result, you may abbreviate the name as instructed from the email you've received. Once done, you can reach out to the IRS or to your state agency to inform them about the name recorded in QuickBooks. They can also provide you with the best action about the issue.
Once you're able to set up your account, you can now start tracking your QBO entries.
If you have any other follow-up questions about your account's setup, let me know by adding a comment below. I'm more than happy to help. Keep safe!
