How to Keep Your Invoices Neat in QuickBooks Online

If you’re a contractor running a CRM with complimentary QuickBooks Online sync, you know the dream: send an invoice in the field, watch it appear in QuickBooks, and never touch it again.

The reality? Sometimes things get messy - duplicate invoices, mismatched customer names, or tax rates that don’t line up. Here’s how to keep your QuickBooks neat so your books are ready for tax time.

1. Check Your Sync Daily (Takes 2 Minutes)

• Open QuickBooks → Sales → Invoices.
  
  
• Sort by Last Modified to see the most recent imports from your invoicing software.
  
  
• Look for duplicates, missing payments, or invoices stuck in “Open” that should be “Paid.”
  
  

Pro tip: If you catch an error right after sync, fixing it is way faster than cleaning it up months later. Some software even display sync logs, where you can check this info inside the CRM app, without needing to switch to QuickBooks.

2. Keep Customer Names Consistent

• Use the same spelling in both systems (“ABC Plumbing” vs. “ABC Plumbing LLC”).
  
  
• A CRM will create a new customer in QuickBooks if the name is even slightly different. This is a QuickBooks limitation, so be aware of it.
  
  

Quick fix: In QuickBooks, merge duplicates by editing one customer name to match the other exactly.

3. Double-Check Sales Tax Settings

• Make sure your tax rates in the invoicing software match your QuickBooks tax rates and settings.
  
  
• If they don’t match, you might see small balance differences on “Paid” invoices.

4. Lock Down Your Invoice Numbering

• Decide where invoice numbers will be generated - in the invoicing software or QuickBooks.
  
  
• Having both generate numbers can cause duplicates or skipped numbers, which is an audit headache.

5. Do a Weekly “Invoice Health Check”

• Reconcile the number of invoices in your invoicing software with QuickBooks for that week.
  
  
• This takes 5 minutes and keeps your accountant (or future-you) happy.
  
  

Bottom line: If you sync a CRM or an invoicing software with QuickBooks Online, a little weekly maintenance will save you hours of cleanup later. Keep names consistent, check for duplicates, and match your tax settings - and your books will stay tidy even without having an accountant on speed-dial.

QuickBooks Online is excellent for accounting, but it’s not built to run a contracting business end-to-end. Adding MotionOps to your workflow gives you a field service management layer that QuickBooks simply doesn’t cover. And best of all, MotionOps integrates with QuickBooks Online, so you never have to worry about double-entry. Learn more about the sync here.