Let’s face it, the weekly timesheets in QuickBooks aren’t very easy to use with employees. This is true for both the desktop and online versions, and it’s a bit surprising that the function hasn’t really improved over the years. They work, but there’s never been a good solution to enter data into the weekly timesheet in the first place, so importing has always been the go-to method for anyone wanting the leverage the functionality.
When Intuit finally purchased one of our competitors in late 2017, they closed a gap in the service that had haunted them for years; however, they left the door wide open for a plethora of time tracking competitors, including Timesheets.com. This let-the-consumer-decide approach has allowed a vital function for many small businesses to remain a competitive marketplace, sometimes to Intuit’s detriment, but with clear advantages for individual businesses.
As straightforward as time tracking seems, tracking time is never very straightforward and varies from business to business. Some companies need to track time for payroll, while others need to track billable time. Many do both. Importing into QuickBooks is also complex and varies between the two main products, along with the payroll versus billing functionality. For instance, the weekly timesheets in QuickBooks Desktop don’t have a field for bill rates, but the online product does. This difference allows QuickBooks Online clients who use third party vendors like us in ways Desktop users can’t by taking advantage of flexible bill rates that vary by clients or jobs.
Another confusing factor is the difference in nomenclature between Intuit services. Jobs in the desktop version are called sub-customers in the online version. Also, the timesheets in QuickBooks Desktop configure work time differently when that time is used for payroll rather than billing. Additionally, the online version is entirely different with its own features and settings. With all these confusing options to navigate, business owners are left scratching their heads as they try to figure out which version and which options are best suited for their needs.
This is why we created a webinar called "Billable Time Tracking for use with QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online," to discuss billable employee time tracking and how to import that time into both versions of QuickBooks. In our webinar, we’ll cover various options for billable time tracking and show you how to import that time into both QuickBooks versions in live accounts. This webinar will not cover hourly time tracking for payroll, so if that’s of interest, you’ll have to reach out to us directly! We hope to see you there on June 2nd at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time. You can register here.