How do I send my tax preparer my QuickBooks company file?

How do I send my tax preparer my QuickBooks company file? How do I warn a user when he/she changes my company file after my tax return is completed?

Q:	How do I send my tax preparer my QuickBooks company file?

A1:	Mail a back up .qbb file* if your tax preparer needs to view and modify your entries. OR
A2:	Mail an Accountant Transfer File .qbx file* if your tax preparer needs to view your entries and makes only General Journal entries. The accountant will not be able to modify your entries. A1) Making a Backup .qbb on your hard drive in QuickBooks 99, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004 and sending the file via email: Make all entries in your QuickBooks company file for the tax year (for instance, 12/31/03). Choose File > Back Up. In QuickBooks 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004: Note the Location and file name: (C:\QuickBooksVERSION\YOURCOMPANY.qbb) Choose OK. (Choose Back Up in QuickBooks 2001 and 2002.) In QuickBooks 99 and 2000: Note the folder name in Save in: (for example, QuickBooksVERSION). Note the File name: (for example, YOURCOMPANY.qbb). Choose Save. Backup may display, "Are you sure you want to back up your company data to your hard disk?" Because you will email the file, choose Yes. IMPORTANT: For regular backup, back up to removable media, such as CD-R or other disks and not your hard disk. Backup may display, "The backup file you chose already exists. Do you want to replace it?" Choose Yes if you want to replace the file. Skip to step 7. If you do not want to replace the file, choose No. Change the filename in step 3 or step 4. IMPORTANT: Keep the .qbb on the end of the filename. QuickBooks Information displays, "Your data has been backed up successfully." Choose OK to close QuickBooks Information. Start your email program. Create a new mail message to your tax preparer. Choose the option to attach a file. In some email programs you click a 'paper clip' icon. Select the folder and file in step 3 or 4 (for example, C:\QuickBooksVERSION\YOURCOMPANY.qbb). After you have attached the .qbb file, type a message to your tax preparer asking for a response from him or her when the .qbb is received. Choose Send. Close your email program. Tips: If you have already backed up your company file .qbb to a CD-R or zip disk, skip steps 1 through 8. You can attach and send the CD-R or zip disk .qbb via email using steps 9 through 15. If you need the steps for backing up to a CD-R or CD-RW, see the Quick Tip in QuickBooks E-news, December 2003. If your tax preparer make changes in their copy of the company file, you cannot merge those changes back into your company file. Errors: Some email systems have file size restrictions. If the .qbb is too large, you may not be able to send the backup file via email. If the tax preparer can't open the .qbb, try re-sending the backup file. A2) Making an Accountant Transfer File .qbx on your hard drive in QuickBooks 99, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004 and sending the file via email: Make all entries in your QuickBooks company file for the tax year (for instance, 12/31/03). Choose File > Accountant's Review.. Choose Create Accountant's Copy. A message may display, "An Accountant Copy already exists. Creating a new copy will invalidate the existing one." Choose OK to create the new copy, or If you need to contact your accountant regarding the status of the previous copy, choose Cancel. Restart at step 1 after you talk to your accountant. If applicable, choose Yes to Close All Windows. In Save Accountant's Copy to, note the: Folder name in Save in: (for example, QuickBooksVERSION) and File name: (for example, YOURCOMPANY.qbx). Choose Save. A message may explain the file already exists and ask if you want to replace it? Choose Yes if you want to replace the file. Skip to step 8. If you do not want to replace the file, choose No. Change the filename in step 6. IMPORTANT: Keep the .qbx on the end of the filename. QuickBooks Information displays, "An Accountant's Copy transfer file has been successfully created." Choose OK to close QuickBooks Information. Start your email program. Create a new mail message to your tax preparer. Choose the option to attach a file. In some email programs you click a 'paper clip' icon. Select the folder and file in step 6 (for example, C:\QuickBooksVERSION\YOURCOMPANY.qbx). After you have attached the .qbx file, type a message to your tax preparer asking for a response from him or her when the .qbx is received. Choose Send. Close your email program. Tips: You can merge your tax preparer's exported changes back into your company file by choosing File > Accountant's Review > Import Accountant's Changes. You will select and import the Accountant Export File (YOURCOMPANY.AIF) that your accountant sends you. If your accountant needs you to cancel the accountant's copy, choose File > Accountant's Review > Cancel Accountant's Copy. Error: Some email systems have file size restrictions. If the .qbx is too large, you may not be able to send the file via email. If the tax preparer can't open the .qbx, try re-sending the Accountant Transfer file (*.qbx).

How do I warn a user when he/she changes my company file after my tax return is completed?

Set a Closing Date in QuickBooks 99 through QuickBooks 2004. In QuickBooks 2002 and later, set a Closing Date Password.

Setting a Closing Date to warn users when changes are made in a previous tax year. In QuickBooks 2002 and later, setting an optional Closing Date Password. IMPORTANT: Setting a closing date does not remove, archive, or condense transactions.

Make all changes in QuickBooks for the income tax year and backup up your company.
To set a closing date, you must be:
1. the QuickBooks Administrator, or
2. a user with Sensitive Accounting Activities permissions.
In QuickBooks 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004, choose Company > Set up Users.
In QuickBooks 99, choose File > Set up Users and Passwords > Set up Users.
If you are logged on as Admin, the User List will display "Admin (logged on)." Skip to step 8.
If you have not set up the administrator,
1. Enter the Administrators Name. (The default name is 'Admin'.)
2. If desired, enter an Administrator's Password.
3. Re-enter the password in Confirm Password.
4. Choose OK to close Set Up QuickBooks Administrator. Skip to step 8.
If you are not logged on as Admin and do not have Sensitive Accounting permissions,
1. Choose Close to close the User List.
2. Choose File > Open Company/Login.
3. Choose Open on Open a Company.
4. Enter 'Admin' as the User Name.
5. Enter the Administrator's Password. (The password may be set as blank.)
6. Choose OK to close QuickBooks Login.
7. In QuickBooks 2000 and later, choose Company > Set up Users.
8. In QuickBooks 99, choose File > Set up Users and Passwords > Set up Users.
Choose Closing Date on the User List.
In QuickBooks 2002, 2003, and 2004,
1. The Accounting Company Preferences displays.
2. Click in the Closing Date field.
In QuickBooks 99, 2000, and 2001, Set Closing Date displays.
Enter the date of the completed income tax year (for many companies this will be 12/31/2003).
In QuickBooks 99, 2000, and 2001, choose OK and skip to step 16.
If you don't want a password in QuickBooks 2002 and later, skip to step 15.
If you want to set a password in QuickBooks 2002, 2003, or 2004, choose Set Password.
1. Enter the Password. (For increased security, do not enter your Admin or User Name password as the Closing Date password.)
2. Enter the password again in Confirm Password.
3. After you set a closing date password, the password will be required for:
  1. Creating, editing, and deleting transactions on or before the closing date.
  2. Merging items/accounts and changing an Item's account.
4. Choose OK to close Set Closing Date Password.
In QuickBooks 2002 and later, choose OK to close the Preferences.
In all versions, choose Close to close the User List.

Tips:

Without a password in all QuickBooks versions: If anyone creates, edits, or deletes a transaction on or before 12/31/03, QuickBooks displays a warning message. The message warns that the change will affect transactions in closed periods and could also affect previous financial reports. The user can select 'Yes' to change the transaction or 'No' to leave the transaction unchanged.
With a password in QuickBooks 2002 and later: If anyone creates, edits, or deletes a transaction on or before 12/31/03, QuickBooks displays a message and requires a password to save the transaction.
If the users selects 'No' in the first tip to the 'change' warning or the user cancels the password in the second tip, the user must choose Revert to restore the transaction.
QuickBooks Premier 2002 introduced a report to track changes made in closed periods. In Premier 2002 and later (and all versions of Enterprise) you run the report from Reports > Accountant & Taxes > Closing Date Exception Report.