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Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Glossary
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Getting ready to track time

Time tracking XE "time tracking"  is a recent adjunct to QuickBooks Pro.  While most of QuickBooks deals with dollars, this feature counts hours.  Here functions are provided to implement the old adage connecting time and money. You can collect employee time for payroll and/or for billing to customers.  You can also collect time worked by a subcontracting vendor that will eventually be billed to a customer.

Recording time accumulation XE "time accumulation"  was added with the QuickBooks Pro 5 Timer XE "Timer:QuickBooks Pro 5"  accessory program (January, 1997), which is discussed in the next chapter.  Timer is a feeder for time tracking in the main program, which allows time accumulation on one or more separate computers. Time billing, without time accumulation, was introduced as part of the original QuickBooks Pro (3.1) in July, 1995, an unusual mid-year release, apparently to maintain market share.

Time Tracking is chosen on the Preferences Menu, starting XE "preferences:time tracking"  with a switch to turn it on.

QuickBooks Pro 4 and earlier versions use the dialog box shown.  With this dialog box open, set the first workday of your week, time always being collected as a slotting of days within weeks.  Your choice of starting with using Single Activity or WeeklyTimesheet form when you first go to RecordTime is then selected.  This time tracking preference is set for the company currently open, as indicated by the preference being below the bar in the Preferences menu.

QuickBooks Pro 5 has a similar dialog box including the Yes/No switch, and the choice of  First Day.  Single Activity or Weekly Timesheet is selected each time you start recording time.  As in QuickBooks Pro 4, the Time Tracking preference is set for the company currently open. 

Minutes or decimal hours can be selected (depending on version) under File|Preferences|General or Preferences| Data Entry.  If you plan to interface with Timer (next chapter), tracking should use minutes.  That program records hours and minutes. 

Each entry of time can be tailored to your needs by including some or all of the following entities:

Employee                     Employees XE "employee:time tracking"  whose pay is on the basis of time, can have payroll time entered here with provision of the appropriate payroll item.  Employee hours that will subsequently be billed to a customer, must also have the customer name and the appropriate service item.  The employee record must be set up for pay based on hours.

Vendor                         Vendor name is an alternative.  Some businesses buy services by the hour and re-sell them to customers.  Vendor XE "vendor:time tracking"  time is billable as service items on an invoice.  The pass-through expense billing function proceeds separately from time recording.

Customer:Job               must be included in the  XE "customer:job:time tracking" time entry if the work is to be billable.

Service item                  is also needed for billable time.  Only service items may be entered in this field.

Payroll item                  records the hours for employee pay.  The hours will be brought into the paycheck at the declared hourly rate. (You assumed that.)  The separate Timer program does not handle payroll items . Time accumulated with Timer must have the payroll item added when it is returned to QuickBooks.

Classes                         can be entered if the accounting plan includes their use.