QuickBooks Tip: Keep Track of Your Transaction History with Audit Log
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Have you ever a wanted to see a chronological list of all your QuickBooks activity? With the QuickBooks audit log report, you can keep track of added, deleted, and modified transactions, as well as user entries. The audit log feature allows you (and any other viewer with access rights) to see history of changes made to individual transactions or a range of multiple transactions. Tracked changes also include: changes to the chart of accounts or products and services list; sending, deleting and modifying invoices or bills, adding and matching payments and deposits, and when accounts were reconciled.
Prior to QuickBooks 2006, users could turn off the audit log; however, since this time it has become an automatic feature that cannot be disabled in either the Online or Desktop versions. For this powerful reporting tool to work properly, it’s essential that all users have their own username and password.
Audit log benefits
The QuickBooks audit log report can be helpful to business owners, accountants, and bookkeepers alike. Here are some examples of how it can be used:
- Assisting in finding deleted transactions that may be causing discrepancies in opening balances and bank reconciliations
- Locating previous account names that may have been merged with new accounts
- Tracking user login times and activity
- Identifying users who may require further training by noting an increase in their voided or modified transactions
- Helping identify transactions that have been entered incorrectly or lost due to accidental deletion
- Keeping informed as to who is accessing the books and what tasks they are performing.
Where can I find it?
The audit log report is different from a transaction history report. While the transaction history report is certainly useful, the audit log serves as a more comprehensive and detailed log.
If you are a QuickBooks Desktop user, you can access the audit log report by following these steps:
- Go to “Reports”
- Select “Accountant and Taxes”
- Click “Audit Trail”
If you are a QuickBooks Online user, use these steps:
- Go to the “Gear” icon
- Select “Audit Log”
By default, the report is sorted by user, date range, and event type (transactions, lists, sign in/sign out, templates, etc.). Users may further filter and sort the data to meet their specific needs.
Contact me or another one of Kaufman Rossin’s QuickBooks ProAdvisors to learn more about how to use the audit log report.
Hello Kautman,
I hope this email finds you well there!
Kindly advise on the treatment of monthly ledger fee, sending commission and transfer fee in QuickBooks as used by the Banks?
Hello Ayella,
Fees and commissions should be recorded as an expense in your bank register when being deducted from the bank account. If the bank is charging a fee for a transfer made, you would record to Bank Fees and if the original transaction was a commission paid, then you would record to Commission Expense. If further guidance is needed, please provide specific details on the items you require assistance with, and we’ll get back to you. Thank you!