I'll provide information for you to delete your duplicate accounts in QuickBooks Online (QBO), Zanele.
To begin, if you're referring to deleting your bank account from your transactions screen, refer to the instructions below for guidance on how to delete it:
- Go to Transactions, then Bank Transactions.
- Select the tile for the bank account.
- Select the pencil icon, then select Edit account info.
- Select the Disconnect this account on save checkbox. Note: If QuickBooks is downloading new transactions, you won't see this option. Wait a few minutes for the update to finish and try again.
- Select Save and Close.
For more detailed information on how to delete or disconnect a bank or credit card account, check this article:
Disconnect accounts connected to online banking in QBO.
However, if you're looking to delete duplicate accounts in the Chart of Accounts (COA), please review the information below on important considerations before making an account inactive:
- Accounts cannot be permanently deleted unless merged with another account.
- Deactivating an account doesn't remove its transactions; they remain unchanged.
- Transactions linked to an inactive account can't be modified. To edit or delete such a transaction, reactivate the account first, access the register, and delete the individual entry. After that, ensure the account balance is zero before deactivating it again.
- Before deactivating a balance sheet account, ensure its balance is zero. If it isn't, QBO will automatically create an adjustment entry to zero out the balance of the inactive account. This entry is posted to the Opening Balance Equity account, similar to the posting in previous years, which could result in incorrect tax information being filed.
Moreover, before you make the account inactive to delete it, I suggest reaching out to your accountant to make sure this change is right for you. When you're ready to make an account inactive, follow the steps below:
- Go to Settings and select Chart of Accounts.
- Find the duplicate account you want to delete.
- Select the Action dropdown and select Make inactive.
For comprehensive guidance on making accounts inactive and additional considerations before doing so, please refer to this article:
Make an account inactive on your COA.
When you delete a balance sheet account in your chart of accounts in QBO, the account is made inactive rather than being permanently removed, similar to archiving. For more information, refer to this article:
Restore an inactive balance sheet account in QBO.
Furthermore, check this article to learn how to categorize your transactions uploaded to your new account in QBO:
Categorize online bank transactions.
These steps should help you delete your duplicate accounts. If you need further assistance with removing duplicates or referring to something else, feel free to click the Reply button, Zanele. We're here to ensure your experience is smooth and satisfactory.
