Using QuickBooks integration for invoicing

Forecasts integration with QuickBooks allows for additional financial monitoring and accessibility. With the integration in place, users will be able to export invoices, import purchase orders, and more. The main purpose of the integration is the ability it grants to export invoices to QuickBooks from Forecast. 

This article includes:

• Exporting and Synchronizing Invoices
• Unlinking Invoices from QuickBooks

Exporting and Synchronizing Invoices

The export and synchronization of invoices are available as soon as the integration with QuickBooks is configured. This allows the user to both export invoices they create in Forecast, and update them after changes have been made in QuickBooks, by using the Synchronize button. 

Exporting Invoices

With the QuickBooks integration, it is possible to export invoices created in Forecast to QuickBooks. The only prerequisite to exporting an invoice from Forecast to QuickBooks is that QuickBooks customers need to be linked to Forecast clients so that the invoice falls under a client that has a profile in your QuickBooks account.

To learn more about this, see Linking Clients between QuickBooks and Forecast. 

To export invoices from Forecast to QuickBooks

1. Click Finance in the top bar.
2. Click All Invoices.
3. In the dropdown on the top left, select the time period that covers the project you wish to export. You can also select Custom Range and input a range of dates.
4. Click on New Invoice on the right hand of the screen next to the Synchronize button if it is necessary to create the invoice. If the invoice already exists skip to step 8.
5. Select the project that should be exported. If uncertain as to how to create an invoice please review our article Creating Invoices for your Customers.
6. Once the invoice is created return to the Invoices page where all created invoices appear.
7. Click on the Export button at the end of the invoice line.
8. From the window that appears, select the customer that this invoice is for. If the client you are looking for does not appear make sure that their profile is linked with their profile in QuickBooks.
9. Select the QuickBooks Tax Code the invoice should be associated with.
10. Select the QuickBooks Product/Service the invoice should be associated with.
11. Click on Export to finalize the process.

Once the invoice is exported to Quickbooks, the invoice status in Forecast will show as Exported.

Enabling information to appear in QuickBooks

• Let QuickBooks control invoice reference: By enabling this option QuickBooks will be responsible to add a reference to the exported invoice.
• Use QuickBooks product/service descriptions: This option will override the description of the line items with the description of the chosen product/service per line.
• Include project name in description: Enabling this option will make it so the project name that the invoice belongs to is shown in the invoice in QuickBooks. This option is exclusive to the 'Use QuickBooks product/service descriptions'.
• Use QuickBooks terms: This allows for the use of pre-configured options from QBO. These pre-configured options are, for example, payment dates for customers. Eg. customer A should always be sent invoices with a payment date that is 3 weeks after the invoice date
• Use customer default tax: By enabling this option, and if the customer chosen has a tax that is associated with their profile in QuickBooks, the field 'QuickBooks tax code' will be filled automatically.

To access, view, and enable these options

1. Click Finance in the top bar.
2. Click All Invoices.
3. In the dropdown on the top left, select the time period that covers the project you wish to export. You can also select Custom Range and input a range of dates.
4. Find the invoice to export.
5. Click on the Export button at the end of the invoice line.

Synchronizing Invoices

Once you export an invoice from Forecast, that invoice is un-editable in Forecast. Conceptually, exporting an invoice is handing over control of that invoice to QuickBooks. Any changes made to the invoice, its entries, and payments in QuickBooks are imported back into Forecast on synchronization. 

To synchronize an invoice

1. Click Finance in the top bar.
2. Click All Invoices.
3. In the dropdown on the top left, select the time period that covers the project you wish to export. You can also select Custom Range and input a range of dates.
4. Once the invoice is found click on the Synchronize button on the right of the screen.

After a few seconds of loading (depending on the load), all updated information that resides in QuickBooks will come over and appear in the invoice in Forecast. 

Invoice Statuses

The Quickbooks for Forecast integration also allows users to view certain statuses reflected back from Quickbooks in Forecast. In Forecast this synced status can be seen in the category Quickbooks Status. This gives account and project managers better visibility into the statuses of invoices on their projects and means finance managers spend less time communicating with project/account teams about these statuses.

Overview of QuickBooks statuses

• DEPOSITED: The bank deposit for the invoice payment is recorded in QuickBooks.
• VOIDED: The invoice was voided in QuickBooks.
  Note: Changing the status in QuickBooks to Voided removes any payments recorded for the invoice in QuickBooks. This means, upon Synchronizing, any payments will also be removed in Forecast.
• PAID: The customer paid the invoice in full. 
• PARTIALLY PAID: The customer made a partial payment.
• OVERDUE: Payment is overdue on this invoice.
• OPEN: The invoice has an open balance.

Unlinking invoices from QuickBooks

Once an invoice is exported to QuickBooks no changes can be made to it. It will no longer be possible to edit or delete it. It is possible, however, to unlink it and then edit it or delete it. 

To unlink an invoice from QuickBooks

1. Click Finance in the top bar.
2. Click All Invoices.
3. In the dropdown on the top left, select the time period that covers the project you wish to export. You can also select Custom Range and input a range of dates.
4. Once the invoice appears on the screen click on the three dots that appear when you hover over at the end of the invoice line. 
5. Click on Unlink. This will trigger the confirmation window.
6. Click on Unlink again if the unlinking should proceed. This will allow for the invoice to be edited in Forecast and also for it to be deleted. Once done it is possible to re-link it to QuickBooks.