Creating a Project without a customer attached...

gans · ‎May 26, 2021

I wish to track expenses for a project that is not specific to a customer.

How do I create a project that is not specific to a customer?

Need it only to track expenses on the project (will have 3-4) suppliers whose bills will need to be pulled together.

DivinaMercy_N · ‎May 26, 2021

Welcome to the Community, @gans.

I know that it's important for your business to have this option. However, you can only create projects in QuickBooks Online (QBO) if you attached a customer to it. As a workaround, you can create a dummy customer so you can assign it to those projects that don't have one. Here's how:

Go to the Sales menu.
Click Customers.
Select the New customer button.
Enter Dummy customer in the Display name as field.
Then, click Save.

Once done, you can now track your expenses on the project associated with a dummy customer. To start, here's the article that can guide you: Set up and create projects in QuickBooks Online.

Also, to help you track transactions created for your vendors, you can run a transaction report. To do so, please refer to these steps:

Navigate to the Reports menu.
From the search field, enter Transaction List by Vendor.
Click the report to open.

If you need further assistance about creating projects in QBO, please post a response below. I am always available to help in case you need it. Take care.

View solution in original post

DivinaMercy_N · ‎May 26, 2021

Welcome to the Community, @gans.

I know that it's important for your business to have this option. However, you can only create projects in QuickBooks Online (QBO) if you attached a customer to it. As a workaround, you can create a dummy customer so you can assign it to those projects that don't have one. Here's how:

Go to the Sales menu.
Click Customers.
Select the New customer button.
Enter Dummy customer in the Display name as field.
Then, click Save.

Once done, you can now track your expenses on the project associated with a dummy customer. To start, here's the article that can guide you: Set up and create projects in QuickBooks Online.

Also, to help you track transactions created for your vendors, you can run a transaction report. To do so, please refer to these steps:

Navigate to the Reports menu.
From the search field, enter Transaction List by Vendor.
Click the report to open.

If you need further assistance about creating projects in QBO, please post a response below. I am always available to help in case you need it. Take care.

jpalm · ‎June 27, 2021

I have the same issue. I start projects without having a specific customer for them. Once I have a customer for the project, is there a way to move the entire project and all associated expenses to the new customer?

Maybelle_S · ‎June 27, 2021

Thanks for joining the thread, @jpalm.

Allow me to share some insights about setting up projects in QuickBooks Online (QBO).

We'll need to add a customer when creating a project to track its profitability easily.

We can set up your product lines as the project and your company as the customer. However, it's best to consult with an accountant for further help as this may affect your financial reports.

You can also pull up the available project reports to monitor its income and costs. Here's how:

1. Go to the Projects menu at the left pane, and then select the project name you want.

2. Choose the Project Reports tab. From there, you'll see these reports:

• Project profitability report shows how much you're gaining or losing for a certain project.

• Time cost by employee or vendor for vendor and employee time costs for the said project.

• Unbilled time and expenses to know the expenses and time you haven't added to an invoice.

Then, you may want to customize them to personalize their details and formats. I've added a resource for more info: Customize reports.

Just click the Reply button if you have more questions about projects or other QuickBooks-related concerns. I'd be glad to help you.

9910 · ‎April 26, 2023

I have a client that runs adventure trips for their clients. We want to track income and expenses by trip. Since we can't use projects because they have to be assigned to one customer what is the best way to track profitability on a trip basis?

FateCandylaneT · ‎April 26, 2023

Thanks for chiming in on this thread, 9910. Let me help you track the profitability of your trips in QuickBooks.

As of the moment, the option to track income and expenses by trip is unavailable in QuickBooks Online. However, as a workaround, we can create class items to track them in your projects. Beforehand, let's first ensure you've enabled your class tracking feature.

To begin, let's create a class item for your trips. Here's how:

Go to Settings ⚙ and select All Lists.
Select Classes and click on New.
Enter a class name and other details.
Then, click Save.

Once class items are created, you can add income and expense transactions, and enter its class to help you track your profitability. Here's how:

Open your project.
Select the Add to Project button to create a brand-new transaction.
Select income and expense transactions.

You can visit this article for more detailed information: Track hourly labour costs and profitability by project in QuickBooks Online.

Additionally, to help you track the profitability of your trips, you can run the Profit and Loss by Class report. To do that:

Go to the Reports menu.
Enter and select Profit and Loss by Class report from the search bar.
You can add specific data and other customisations on the Customise button.
Once done, click Run report.

We'll be around whenever you need help. You're always welcome to reply in this forum if you require additional assistance tracking the profitability of your trips. Keep safe, and have a good one!