QuickBooks Online
- QuickBooks Online versus QuickBooks Desktop
- QuickBooks Sync Installation for QuickBooks Online
- Fields Mapping Between TimeSolv and QuickBooks Online
- Specifying Sync Settings for Employees
- Specifying Sync Setting for Vendors
- Specifying Sync Setting for Customers & Jobs
- Specifying Sync Setting for Service Items (Task Codes)
- Specifying Sync Setting for Other Charge Items
- Specifying Sync Setting for Time Entries
- Specifying Sync Setting for Expenses
- Specifying Sync Setting for Invoices
- Specifying Sync Setting for Payments
- Specifying Sync Settings for Trust Transactions for QuickBooks Online
- Specifying Sync Settings for Hard/Soft Cost
- Acceptable Characters in QuickBooks Online
- Payments not syncing to QuickBooks Online
- How to Uninstall TimeSolv QuickBooks Sync Online App From a MAC
- Data Synchronization with QuickBooks using TimeSolv QuickBooks Sync connection
- Can’t Sync Expenses from QBO to TimeSolv
QuickBooks Online versus QuickBooks Desktop
Should you be using QuickBooks Online or QuickBooks Desktop?
QuickBooks Online has fewer features than QuickBooks Desktop, which disallows TimeSolv’s sync capabilities.
Limitations of QuickBooks Online:
- QuickBooks Online will not allow for syncing of Reimbursable expenses from TimeSolv to QuickBooks online.
- QuickBooks Online will not allow for payments to be allocated to invoices.
- You cannot delete things in QuickBooks Online like you can for QuickBooks Desktop. So, if for example you want to delete a Customer, you can make that Customer ‘inactive’ but you will not be allowed to delete it to remove it completely from your system unless you are using QuickBooks Desktop.
QuickBooks Sync Installation for QuickBooks Online
Click on Account>Integrations>QuickBooks.
In order to use TimeSolv QuickBooks Sync for QuickBooks Online you need to grant access to QuickBooks Online account. To do this, click on the Connect to QuickBooks button:
Sign in to your account. You must log in with an admin user account.
Note: You will not see this sign-in page if you are already logged into QuickBooks.
After logging in, you will be asked for permission to authorize the sharing of data between TimeSolv Sync for QuickBooks. Click on the Authorize button at the bottom of the screen.
Back on the TimeSolv app, you can now see the Download Full Installer button is available under the QuickBooks tab. Click on the button and install TimeSolv QuickBooks Sync for QuickBooks Online.
macOS Ventura users need to download a separate app to sync with QuickBooks Online, which can be downloaded from the ‘Download for macOS Ventura‘ link provided at the bottom of the screen.
Note: When Intuit/QuickBooks make an update, no matter how minor, some users can get disconnected from QuickBooks Online. You will have to come back here onto this page and click on the Connect button again. See this article for more information on connection issues.
Fields Mapping Between TimeSolv and QuickBooks Online
Specifying Sync Settings for Employees
To sync employees from TimeSolv to QuickBooks Desktop/Online and vice versa, follow these steps:
Select the Employees node.
Enable the Sync Employees checkbox.
Select TimeSolv or QuickBooks from the Source dropdown. This choice will determine the direction of the sync.
Select the Transfer All Info checkbox if all employee-related information is desired to be synced.
Click Save>Synchronize.
Specify a date range.
Click on the Sync button to initiate the sync process.
Specifying Sync Setting for Vendors
You can have your employees set up as ‘Vendors’ in QuickBooks if you need to reimburse them for expenses. This is more towards the payroll side of things, so if that is not something you need to track then leave this sync checkbox off.
Select the Vendors node.
Enable the Sync Vendors to QuickBooks checkbox.
Enable the Create Vendors for Employees checkbox and specify a suffix. QuickBooks requires all Employees, Vendors, and Customers to have unique names. The employee’s name can’t be used in the vendor list if is already being used in the employee list.
Select the Transfer All Info checkbox if all vendor-related information is desired to be synced.
Click Save>Synchronize.
Specify a date range.
Click on Sync button to initiate the sync process.
Specifying Sync Setting for Customers & Jobs
To sync Customers and Jobs (referred to as Clients and Matters in TimeSolv) from TimeSolv to QuickBooks and vice versa, follow these steps:
Note: Opening balances can only be synced over from TimeSolv to QuickBooks the first time the Matter/Job is being synced through.
Select the Customers & Jobs node.
Enable the Sync Customers and Jobs checkbox.
Note: ‘Customers’ in QuickBooks are the same as ‘Clients’ in TimeSolv. ‘Jobs’ in QuickBooks are the same as ‘Matters’ in TimeSolv.
Select TimeSolv or QuickBooks from the Source dropdown. This choice will determine the direction of the sync.
You do not have to sync all of your Customers & Jobs (aka Clients and Matters) data between QuickBooks and TimeSolv. You can enable the Sync Active Customers & Jobs Only checkbox, allowing you to choose just the active Customers & Jobs to sync over.
Select the Transfer All Info checkbox if all customers and jobs (i.e. Clients & Matters) related information (i.e. contact details) is desired to be synced.
Select the Transfer Opening Balance checkbox to sync the current account balance. This will only happen the first time the job (i.e. matter) is synced.
Click Save>Synchronize.
Specify a date range.
Click on Sync button to initiate the sync process.
Specifying Sync Setting for Service Items (Task Codes)
Select the Service Items node
Enable the Sync Task Codes checkbox.
Select TimeSolv or QuickBooks from the Source dropdown.
Enable the Sync Expense Codes checkbox.
Select TimeSolv or QuickBooks from the Source dropdown.
Note: If you have Expense Entries turned on for QuickBooks Sync, the Expense Codes option will be selected and greyed out, so it cannot be unchecked. To uncheck it, you will first have to disable the Expense Entries checkbox by clicking on the Expense Entries node.
Click Save>Synchronize.
Specify a date range.
Click on the Sync button to initiate the sync process.
Specifying Sync Setting for Other Charge Items (Expense Codes)
Click on Other Charge Items node.
Select the Sync Other Charge Items (Expense Codes) checkbox.
QuickBooks Other Charge Items (Expense Codes) can be transferred to and from TimeSolv.
Note: all active and inactive Other Charge Items are transferred, as they may be referred to by subsequent transactions.
Select the source you want to pull the Other Charge Items (Expense Codes) from, either TimeSolv or QuickBooks.
Click Save>Synchronize.
Specify a date range.
Click on the Sync button to initiate the sync process.
Specifying Sync Setting for Time Entries
Select Time Entries node.
Note: Syncing TimeSolv Time Entries into QuickBooks is done for payroll purposes. Due to limitations in QuickBooks and differences in the two systems, we can only transfer time entries durations. You will need to set up QuickBooks to handle the amount to charge customers for time and the amount to pay employees and vendors. If you do not need Time Entries for payroll purposes, you do not need to turn this on.
Click Save>Synchronize.
Specify a date range.
Click on Sync button to initiate the sync process.
Specifying Sync Setting for Expenses
Note: Expenses can only be synced from QuickBooks into TimeSolv, not the other way around. Reimbursable expenses cannot be synced from TimeSolv to QB.
To sync billable expenses from QuickBooks to TimeSolv, follow these steps:
Select the Expenses node.
Enable the Sync Billable Expenses to TimeSolv checkbox.
Select the Employment Status to be used when selecting Expense Entries from TimeSolv.
Click Save>Synchronize.
Specify a date range.
Click on Sync button to initiate the sync process.
Specifying Sync Setting for Invoices
Note: If you have Hard/Soft Costs node turned on, you cannot sync Invoices. You will have to turn off sync for Hard/Soft Costs first to sync Invoices.
Select Invoices tab.
Enable the Sync Invoices to QuickBooks checkbox.
Select a QuickBooks account receivable from the A/R Account dropdown. If you do not have on set up, please set it up in QuickBooks then come back here into the TimeSolv Sync tool and click ‘Refresh‘.
Select an Invoice Detail option such as Summary/Condensed/Detailed.
Note: Invoice Detail is dependant on the type of QuickBooks Online account you have.
QuickBooks Essentials – will only allow invoices to sync as a Summary.
QuickBooks Online Plus – will allow invoices to sync as Condensed or Detailed.
QuickBooks Online Advanced – will allow Invoices to sync as Condensed or Detailed.
If the Summary option is selected from the Invoice Detail drop down then select a service item from the Summary Item dropdown.
If the Condensed/Detailed option is selected then the few more dropdowns will be provided. Specify a Service Item (i.e. Time entries), Expense Item, Interest Item, Discount Item, Adjustment Item, Tax Item from the drop-down.
If you select ‘Detailed‘ under Invoice Detail field, it will look identical in terms of item options as the ‘Condensed’ option, but you are actually picking a catch-all account for Service Items and Expense Items (the other fields will work the same as for ‘Condensed’ Invoice Detail). The reason being that for Detailed invoices, you are syncing everything line by line. So let’s say you have 20 time entries and 10 expense entries in your invoice, QuickBooks will show those 30 items by using Task and Expense Codes. So any entry that has a code, either Task or Expense Code, will show a separate line when converted over to QuickBooks. If anything is not listed with a code, then it will fall into one of the two items that you have set up, either Time or Expense – and those are the catch-alls. Also note, you can designate any general ledger account for those Task and Expense Codes.
Note: If you void an invoice in TimeSolv after syncing it to QuickBooks, you must delete that invoice from QuickBooks also. You will create a duplicate invoice in QuickBooks if you change the invoice date reusing the same invoice number while using a different sync period.
Specifying Sync Setting for Payments
Note: If you have Hard/Soft Costs node turned on, you cannot sync Payments. You will have to turn off sync for Hard/Soft Costs first to sync Payments.
Click on Payments node.
Select Sync Payments to QuickBooks checkbox.
Specify your QuickBooks Accounts Receivable Account.
Credit Memo Item – this item list is specific to each user.
Write Off Item – this list of items is specific to you.
If you are using QuickBooks for Desktop, you will see an extra checkbox for syncing allocations at the bottom of the Payments screen. This checkbox allows you to sync over all your allocations so that you can sync over all of your payments and the entries, and do not then have to key all that information in yourself.
Click Save>Synchronize.
Specify a date range.
Click on Sync button to initiate the sync process.
Specifying Sync Settings for Trust Transactions for QuickBooks Online
When users allocate money to an invoice or create a disbursement in TimeSolv, it means the money has moved. With this new QuickBooks Sync capability between trust and operating, we will be doing corresponding journal entries in QuickBooks sync.
Note: Assets and Liabilities – these are the two sides of a transaction. Your ledger entry will not know which it is unless you specify. That’s why we allow users to choose which account to credit (asset) and which to debit (liability). This credit and debit can mean different things; money is either coming in or going out, according to the type of transaction.
Select the Trust Transactions node.
Select the Sync Trust Transactions to QuickBooks checkbox.
The Asset Account and Liability Account drop-down list options are taken from your QuickBooks Online account Trust transaction settings.
Click Save>Synchronize.
Specify a date range.
Click on Sync button to initiate the sync process.
Specifying Sync Settings for Hard/Soft Costs
The Hard/Soft Costs node will replace the use of Invoices and Payments node – so you cannot have Payments and Invoices turned on for the sync tool if you are syncing Hard/Soft Costs.
You can specify an item as a Hard Cost in TimeSolv by selecting the Hard Cost checkbox under Expense Codes. Leaving the box unchecked will recognize it as a Soft Cost.
TimeSolv Invoices and Payments within the specified date range can be transferred as Journal Entries to QuickBooks. When an invoice is generated and you sync the Hard/Soft Costs from TimeSolv to QuickBooks Online, the sync tool will generate a Journal Entry and send it to QuickBooks. This will move the Hard Cost/Soft Cost amount from the unbilled General Ledge (GL) account to the billed GL account.
Note: Make sure you have your General Ledger account all set up in QuickBooks Online before you sync. To access this, click on the gear icon in QuickBooks Online (top right) and then click on All Lists, then click on Chart of Accounts to view, edit, and add General Ledger accounts. To create a new GL account click on the New button.
To sync Hard/Soft Costs:
Click on the Hard/Soft Costs node.
Click on the Sync Hard/Soft Costs to QuickBooks checkbox to enable sync.
Unbilled Client Advances Account
Billed Client Advances Account
Discount Account
Cash Account
Suspense Account
Fee Income Account
Soft Cost Income Account
Interest Account
Taxes Account
Click Save>Synchronize.
Specify a date range.
Click on Sync button to initiate the sync process.
Acceptable Characters in QuickBooks Online
Invalid characters in your QuickBooks Online company name, or in the name of one of your list items (such as Customers, Suppliers, Products and Services, or the Chart of Accounts), can lead to server errors or other problems in the application. To avoid or remedy these errors, make sure your company name in QuickBooks Online only contains accepted characters from this list.
Here is a list of accepted characters:
- Alpha-numeric: A-Z, a-z, 0-9
- Comma: ,
- Dot or period: .
- Question mark: ?
- At symbol: @
- Ampersand: &
- Exclamation point: !
- Number/pound sign: #
- Single quote: ‘
- Tilde: ~
- Asterisk: *
- Space: ( )
- Underscore: _
- Minus sign/hyphen: –
- Semi-colon: ;
- Plus sign: +
If you have any special characters in your company name that aren’t listed above, edit the company name:
- Go to Settings ⚙, then select Account and settings.
- From the left menu, select Company.
- Select Edit ✏️ in the Company Name section to edit the entry.
- Remove any invalid special characters.
- Select Save, then select Done.
- Go to Bookkeeping, select Transactions then select All Sales or Expenses or go to Employees to check your lists, then look for special characters in the names listed there.
You can access all other lists from the Settings ⚙️ icon in the Toolbar, then All Lists. Check each list for any entries that contain special characters in their names and edit them if necessary.
Once you have removed any invalid special characters from your company name and any lists, you should be able to use QuickBooks Online without any of these errors.
Payments not syncing to QuickBooks Online
While syncing payments from TimeSolv to QuickBooks, if you are getting an error on QuickBooks Sync: “QuickBooks error message: Transaction not in balance”, one of the issues that can cause this error message is when multiple payments entered in TimeSolv are identical. When QuickBooks Sync sends payments over to QuickBooks, it evaluates for the following attributes to determine if a payment should be synced:
- Date
- Client name
- Reference number i.e. check number or transaction number
- Amount
To avoid this issue, please make sure that at least one of these attributes is different for each payment.
How to Uninstall TimeSolv QuickBooks Sync Online App From a MAC
Select Finder from the dock at the bottom of the screen.
Select Applications from the left menu, and either drag and drop the TimeSolv QuickBooks Sync Online app into the Trash can in your bottom dock, or right-click on the TimeSolv QuickBooks Sync Online app and select ‘Move to Trash’.
Right-click on your Trash can and select Empty Trash.
Data Synchronization with QuickBooks using TimeSolv QuickBooks Sync
Data synchronized between TimeSolv and QuickBooks:
Data Synchronization with QuickBooks using TimeSolv QuickBooks Sync connection
When Intuit/QuickBooks make an update, no matter how minor, some users can get disconnected from QuickBooks Online. To re-connect your TimeSolv QuickBooks Sync Tool for QuickBooks Online:
Click on Account>Integrations>QuickBooks.
Click on the Connect to QuickBooks button. The user will only see this button if disconnected, otherwise, you will see a ‘Disconnect from QuickBooks’ link instead.
Enter in QuickBooks log in information and sign in to your account. You must log in with an admin user account.
Note: you will not see this sign-in page if you are already logged into QuickBooks.
After logging in, you will be asked for permission to authorize the sharing of data between TimeSolv Sync for QuickBooks. Click on the Authorize button at the bottom of the screen.
Now open up your TimeSolv QuickBooks Sync Tool for QuickBooks Online and you should be able to connect.
Can’t Sync Expenses from QBO to TimeSolv
To sync expense entries in TimeSolv remove the Plan Task Item requirement under Clients>Clients & Matters>[Matter name]>Matter Plan.