Occasionally, errors happen especially during busy season. One common error is duplicate names, even accountants make this error. One way we can find these errors is to view our QuickBooks Online Accountant Client List. If we see duplicate names, we now have a tool to merge these duplicates. One note is, this is not a tool for merging for duplicate QuickBooks Online data files.
The new tool named Merge Duplicate Clients, consolidates duplicate clients. The transaction and notes for both clients are kept. Team access permissions to the QuickBooks Online subscriptions are retained, and only the master admin and firm users with full access can perform a consolidation. Other users will not see this option.
To merge duplicate clients:
1) Start with the Gear Icon
2) Select Merge Duplicate Clients (as highlighted in the red box under the 'Tools' options in the illustration below)
The new 'Merge Duplicate Client' tool in QuickBooks Online Accountant.
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3) Choose the green Get Started button (as shown below)
The new Merge Duplicate Clients 'wizard' found in QuickBooks Online Accountant begins with 'Get started'...
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4) Select the checkbox for each QuickBooks Online client to merge
Match the target client with the selected duplicate client to merge.
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5) For each match, use the drop-down lists on the Select client contact info screen to specify the client contact data
Pick the contact details to keep by selecting the client contact information that is correct.
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6) Click the green Verify changes button to save your selection(s), and
7) Select Merge clients to finalize the process.
When you click the green 'Merge clients' button your selection(s) are merged together by QuickBooks.
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Once clients are merged all the customer accounts receivable, work history and notes are visible under the merged name. All history is saved, and work for this client can continue. This error most often happens when accountants add a client in the customer list and in the QBOA client list. To avoid this in the future choose one location for adding clients.
With great simple tools like this showing up, it appears 'there is a Santa Claus after all.'