This post is for bookkeepers/accountants who share financial reports with clients. However, it’s useful for anyone running financial reports in QuickBooks Online (QBO) who wants to add some additional context.
Financial reports are an important tool for understanding a business’s financial health. But sometimes, numbers alone don’t tell the full story.
Adding notes to financial reports can provide helpful context for anyone reviewing the reports.
Whether for internal purposes, board meetings, or discussions with your clients.
In this post, I’ll guide you through how to add notes to financial reports in QuickBooks Online to ensure your reports are as informative and useful as possible.
NOTE: This does not work for Modern View reports. It’s only available in Classic View.
Quick Instructions:
- Open a classic view report
- Click Add notes at the top of the report
- Write your note
- Click outside the note box to save
- Send report to client
Keep reading for a complete walkthrough with screenshots:
Add Notes to a Report in QBO
There’s a blue Add Notes link at the top of classic view reports.
This adds a notes field at the bottom of the report.
If you’re sending a PDF copy of the report you can view the preview and you’ll see your note at the bottom of the report:
Another option is to append your note to the report title.
Clicking the pencil to the right of the business name allows you to edit both the business name and the report name.
Here’s an example with a note pasted after “Profit and Loss”:
Now I have a note letting the client know this is for management use at the top and a disclaimer at the bottom.
NOTE: These notes do not get saved. Once you leave the report screen it will revert back.
Using ChatGPT For Brainstorming Notes
If you’re a bookkeeper/accountant, you’re probably more into numbers than words. Coming up with the right wording for things can be difficult.
I use ChatGPT to help give me ideas on how to word things to make them clearer.
For example, let’s say I have a client who wants audited financials. I’m a bookkeeper; that’s not what I do.
I can provide them with the reports they want, but I’ll put a disclaimer on it.
Here’s an example ChatGPT prompt I’d use for this:
“I need a quick sentence to put on a financial report that says this info is draft and for management use only. Can you help me with the wording?”
ChatGPT’s response:
“This report is a draft and is intended for management use only. It should not be distributed or relied upon for external purposes.”
That response sounds good enough to me. I’ll copy and paste that at the bottom of the reports.
Final Thoughts
Adding notes to financial reports in QuickBooks Online may take a few extra steps, but it’s a valuable way to enhance the clarity and usefulness of your reports.
Whether you need to add a disclaimer or a little extra explanation, notes ensure everyone has the information they need to make informed decisions.
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