QuickBooks Online - Install & Setup

Created:

Jan 15, 2024

Updated:

April 1, 2024

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The CereTax QuickBooks Online app can add tax to transactions in the following ways:

Apply tax using the native QuickBooks tax fields: If you are currently using QuickBooks' automated sales tax engine, the CereTax app can be configured to override the QuickBooks tax amount on transactions. This will result in CereTax applying the appropriate tax amount to transactions using QuickBooks' native tax fields. If you plan to use this option, skip the prerequisite steps below and start at "Installing CereTax"
‍Apply tax as an individual line item on invoices: If you are not using QuickBooks' automated sales tax engine, the CereTax app can be configured to add taxes as line items on transactions. With this option, CereTax will add 1 line item with the total tax for every tax type applicable to the transaction. This option will require the selection of an Item to assign taxes to. If you plan to use this option, you must complete the prerequisites below before installing the CereTax app.

Installing and setting up CereTax for QuickBooks Online

Prerequisites

Before you connect the CereTax App to your QuickBooks Online account, a new Item must be created.

Create “Taxes” Item

The “Taxes” Item will be used when tax lines are added to an invoice. It will determine the account that sales (and other) taxes are posted to when a transaction is posted.

1. Go to Sales > Products & services

2. Click on “New” and select “Non-inventory”

3. Enter “Taxes” or another name in the Name field.

4. Select the account from the income account drop-down menu you want taxes posted to.

5. Under Sales tax, click “Edit sales tax” and select “Nontaxable”.

6. Verify the set-up of the new product and select “Save and close” .

Installing CereTax

After the applicable prerequisites are completed, open the CereTax QuickBooks app and follow the steps below to install and connect CereTax:

1. Enter your CereTax username and password on the CereTax QuickBooks app login page

4. After signing in, click on “Connect to QuickBooks”.

5. If you are not currently logged into QuickBooks, you will be prompted by QuickBooks to login.

6. After you log into QuickBooks (or if you are already logged in), you will be prompted to select a Company from a drop-down menu that you want to connect to CereTax. After selecting your Company, click “Next.

7. The CereTax-QuickBooks Online connect page will appear. To approve the connection, click “Connect”.

8. If the connection is successful, you will navigate back to the CereTax QuickBooks app page. Enter your CereTax username and password and click “Sign in”. It is important that you login directly from the page you are redirected to after connecting CereTax to QuickBooks.

9. After you log back into the CereTax app, it will show that you are connected to QuickBooks with your CereTax company name in parenthesis.

Integration settings

Now that QuickBooks and CereTax are connected, the integration can be configured and turned on.

1. Under Integration Settings within the CereTax QuickBooks app, configure the following settings:

Enable CereTax for tax calculation: This controls whether the integration is enabled. When enabled, CereTax will calculate tax on every transaction. When disabled, CereTax will not calculate tax on any transaction.
Enable CereTax for address validation: Turn this setting on if you want CereTax to validate the addresses included in your transactions.
Profile: Select the CereTax profile you are using for your QuickBooks connection.
Default Business Type: Select a business type that best represents your business.
Default Customer Type: Select a customer type that best represents the majority of your customers.
CereTax tax calculation start date: This setting gives you an option to select a date for CereTax to calculate tax on QuickBooks transactions. If you want CereTax to start calculating tax on a specific date, enter that date here. Otherwise, leave this option blank.
Integration Type
- Apply tax using the native QuickBooks tax fields: Select this option if you are using QuickBooks' automated sales tax engine and you want CereTax to override the tax amount.
- Apply tax as an individual line item on invoices: Select this option if you are not using QuickBooks' automated sales tax engine and want CereTax to add tax to transactions with a line item. This option will also require the selection of an Item to assign taxes to.

2. When all necessary settings are completed, click Save Settings. If the Save Settings button is not enabled, review the required fields and ensure there is a selection for each one.

Integration settings can be updated at any time. Always click “Save Settings” after updating your integration settings.

Customers & Items

All customer and product & services settings are managed within the CereTax portal.

Customers

When creating exemptions rules or other rules in the CereTax portal that need to reference a customer, use the following QuickBooks and CereTax fields for mapping:

QuickBooks Online Field	CereTax Field
Customer Name	customerAccount

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Items

When creating product mapping rules or other rules in the CereTax portal that need to reference items/products/services, use the following QuickBooks and CereTax fields for mapping:

QuickBooks Field	CereTax Field	Example(s)	Notes
Product/Service > Category:Name	itemNumber	Sofware subscription Landscaping:Gardening	If an item is associated with a Category, QuickBooks sends a concatenated string of Catetory:Name. If the product is not associated with a category, only Name is sent to CereTax.
Product/Service > Description	itemDescription	Monthly software license Weekly Gardening Service

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Consult with your implementation specialist for help configuring customer exemptions and product mappings.

Calculating and Viewing Tax on Transactions

Tax is calculated on transactions any time the document is saved. To view the calculated tax for a transaction, save the transaction, close it, and re-open it within QuickBooks. Depending on how you have configured your QuickBooks integration, tax will either display as one or more lines on the transaction or will display in QuickBooks’ native Tax field. Below are examples of how tax will display based on the integration type selected in your integration settings.

Apply tax as an individual line item on invoices (invoice example)

Apply tax using the native QuickBooks tax fields (invoice example)

Uninstalling the CereTax QuickBooks App

If you need to uninstall the CereTax QuickBooks app, follow the steps below:

1. Go to Apps from your QuickBooks Online menu.

2. Locate the CereTax App and expand the menu options.

3. Select “Disconnect".

4. Choose a reason for why you are disconnecting the App and select “Disconnect”.

The CereTax App will now be disconnected, and subsequent transactions will not be updated with tax details from CereTax.

The CereTax App can be reconnected by following the Installation Steps outlined in this document.

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