How To Run Reports In QuickBooks Pro

QuickBooks Pro offers over 120 reports; don’t let these potential business insights go to waste. You can create valuable reports following these 12 simple steps.

How To Run A QuickBooks Report

First, go to Reports>Report Center or access the Report Center under “My Shortcuts” on the left-hand side of your QuickBooks Pro account.

Step 1: Choose A Report

The hardest part of this whole process will probably be deciding which of the 120 reports to run. QuickBooks tries to help you by keeping things organized.

Across the top of the screen, you’ll see tabs for Standard Reports, Memorized Reports, Favorites, Recent, and Contributed. Until you customize your Reports Center with Memorized and Favorite reports, you’ll go to Standard Reports.

Standard Reports are divided into these report categories:

• Company & financial
• Customer & receivables
• Sales
• Jobs, time & mileage
• Vendors & payables
• Purchases
• Inventory
• Employees & payroll
• Banking
• Accountant & taxes
• Budgets
• Lists

Click on the appropriate category, then select the report you wish to run. If you need help understanding a report, click the magnifying glass icon for more information. For our sample company, we’re going to create a Profit & Loss Standard Report.

Step 2: Select Date Range

Select the date range you want for the report data. You can enter the dates manually underneath the report you selected, or you can choose a default date type, including:

• Today
• This week
• This week-to-date
• This month
• This-month-to-date
• This fiscal quarter
• This fiscal quarter-to-date
• This fiscal year
• This fiscal year-to-last month
• This fiscal year-to-date
• Yesterday
• Last week
• Last week-to-date
• Last month
• Last month-to-date
• Last fiscal quarter
• Last fiscal quarter-to-date
• Last fiscal year
• Last fiscal year-to-date
• Next week
• Next four weeks
• Next month
• Next quarter
• Next fiscal quarter
• Next fiscal year
• Custom

Step 3: Run The Report

You’ll see the four icons pictured below.

The green arrow runs the report; the magnifying glass shows you more information about the report; the heart ‘favorites’ this report for you; the blue question mark is for help. When you’re ready to run the report, click the green arrow.

Step 4: Choose Report Basis

Choose either accrual or cash-basis accounting for your report.

Step 5: Adjust Filters

Click “Show filters.” Then delete filters if needed. You can create additional filters during step 9.

Step 6: Verify Date Range

If you already selected a date, you can move on to step 7. If not, select a date type as well as a start and end date.

Step 7: Select Included Columns

Choose which columns to include in your report (column selections may vary by report). You can choose:

• Total only
• Day
• Week
• Two week
• Four week
• Half month
• Month
• Quarter
• Year
• Customer: Job
• Vendor
• Employee
• Payroll Item Detail
• Payee
• Rep Class
• Item Type
• Item Detail
• Shipping Method
• Terms
• Payment Method
• Sales Tax Code

Step 8: Select Sorting Default

If desired, you can change the sorting default.

Step 9: Customize Report (Optional)

You can customize your reports. While customizations may vary by each report, you will often be able to change the data shown and edit the filters, headers, footers, and overall appearance. Click the blue “OK” button when you’ve finished your alterations.

Step 10: Comment On Report

QuickBooks Pro gives you the option to comment on your report. Click the “Comment on Report” button in the top left-hand corner, then click the small chat bubble next to the lines you wish to comment on.

Type your comment in the box and click “Save” when done.

Step 11: Share Report Template (Optional)

You can choose to share your customized report with the QuickBooks Community if desired by clicking the “Share Template” button on the top of the screen. Your template will be shared with other QuickBooks users who can then use your customized template for their businesses (none of your report data will be shared, only the template format).

Step 12: Take Action

Finally, choose whether to print, email, or export your report.

Print Report

Click the “Print” button and choose whether to print the report or save the report as a .pdf.

Adjust your print settings and click the blue “Print” button when ready.

Email Report

To email your report, click the “E-mail” button and choose whether to email the report as an Excel file or as a .pdf.

You’ll receive a message warning you that email is not secure and could be dangerous if sending sensitive information. If this is okay with you, click the blue “OK” button.

Next, enter the appropriate email recipient address and edit the body of the email message. Click the blue “Send” button when ready.

Export Report To Excel

To export your report, click the “Excel” button. Then choose whether you are creating a new Excel worksheet or updating an existing worksheet.

Tell the software what to do with the report. You can choose between:

• Create new worksheet
• Update existing worksheet
• Replace existing worksheet
• Create a comma-separated values (.csv) file

Certain selection may require additional information. Once everything looks correct, click the blue “Export” button and save the file accordingly.

Repeat this process anytime you’d like to create a report.

For troubleshooting issues, check out the QuickBooks Community or call QuickBooks directly. Don’t forget to check out the rest of our QuickBooks Desktop Pro 101 Series to learn how to export files, create a budget, track time, and more.

Overwhelmed by QuickBooks Pro? Maybe it’s time to switch to QuickBooks Online. QBO is easy to use, cloud-based, and affordable. Best of all, you can easily import your QuickBooks Desktop data into QuickBooks Online.

Outgrown QuickBooks Pro? Switch to QuickBooks Premier. It’s the same QuickBooks Desktop software you love but with more users and advanced, industry-specific features.