How to Use Audit Trail for QuickBooks Desktop

QuickBooks Audit Trail is a necessary tool to have when you lose a transaction that was present just a while ago. You cannot locate the lost transaction anywhere; this is where Audit Trail comes in. If you give multiple user access to the QuickBooks data file, then also QuickBooks desktop Audit Trail feature will be of great help.

QuickBooks Audit Trail feature enables you to keep a record of who is making changes to the QuickBooks Data file. A good record or check is vital if there is more than one person, i.e. multiple users changing info in QuickBooks.

In this blog, we will learn and understand what an audit trail in QuickBooks desktop, how to turn on this feature is, and how can you customize reports in audit trail QuickBooks. 

How to turn-on QuickBooks Audit Trail Feature?

To turn on QuickBooks Audit Trail Feature, perform the below steps:

• Choose ‘Edit Menu’ and then select ‘Preferences’ command.
• You will have a dialog box saying ‘Preferences’ displayed.
• Now to change ‘Accounting preferences’ indicate the changes you want to make
• Use the icon bar on the left corner and choose the ‘Accounting set of preferences’
• Click on ‘Company Preferences tab.’
• Now call ‘QuickBooks’ and make them aware you need to use ‘Audit ’
• Check the ‘Audit Trail check box,’ and Click OK for calling QB for using the Audit Trail

After this is done, QuickBooks will keep a record of the users that make changes to the ‘Accounting file.’

Also Read: How to deal with ‘Scrap’ in QuickBooks Manufacturing?

How to Customize reports?

QuickBooks Audit trail allows you to customize reports as per your choice and preference. You can make necessary changes to various sections as required.

To customize reports as per your choice, start with:

• Go to the left corner and Click on the report
• Click on the ‘Modify report’ option in the Audit Trail window

You can see four tabs here – Display, Filters, Header/Footer and the Fonts& Numbers. You need to make/change settings for each of these tabs as per preference.

• Display

Once you are on the ‘Display tab’ you can view several options in this tab. In the report date range, fill in the date ‘that is there on the transaction.’ You can view ‘days entered/ last modified’ filter. Remember, not get confused with this option as there will be no transaction date here, and only the ‘date’ when the transaction was modified or entered will be reflected. Next, you will view columns options, and here you can select what columns to show in the report. When you go to the right side, you have the option to display the deleted transactions.

• Filters

Utilize the filters option to have an advanced search for transactions. There are several filters you can choose, i.e. name, amount, account, customer: job, etc. To utilize the filter, fill in the required info in the middle. Once you select Options, the filter will be applied, and you can see the ‘Filter tab.’ To remove the filter, do a left click and select the ‘Remove selected filter’ option.

• Header/Footer

Now it’s time to edit/modify the Header/footer option.  The option gives you a choice to put the desired content in the header/ footer of the report.  It is a simple process to change/modify these sections.

• Fonts & Numbers

The fourth option is that you can modify the ‘report design’ with the fonts & numbers. If you do not want to modify the report then choose the ‘default report settings’ found in the –Edit >> Preferences>> Reports and Graphs>> company preferences>> Format.

Note: The duration in which QuickBooks removes the old, closed transactions, there will not be ‘audit trail’ available for those transactions.

That’s all for this article. QuickBooks Desktop Audit trail is a great feature that helps and escorts you through unexpected hard times. You should also know that using ‘Audit Trail’ may slow down QuickBooks speed, but still, it is an essential feature as you get a ‘permanent record’ of who is doing and what is happening in QuickBooks.

In case, your problem remains unfixed or in other cases. Then contact at our QuickBooks Error support phone number 1-877-263-2742. We will be glad to serve with all your QuickBooks errors.