Struggling with getting started and playing catch-up

BLLO

I am taking over the bookkeeping for a small non-profit business and was given beginning balance for 10/1/25, transactions to add and receipts to add. When setting up the account, Simplifi Personal & Business, I connected the checking account, which imported transactions back to January 2024. Since our year started 6 months ago, how can I catch up using the balance I should have added to start keeping books on Quicken? The past bookkeeper handed me a binder of printouts, receipts and the balance.

How can I set this up correctly, so the next person doesn't have such a hard transition? I have only trained in the other company's software, so I am a bit lost. I would like to be able to get this program set up, because it does provide significantly more transparency than the organization has become accustom. Should I be looking at Quicken Classic instead?

Coach Kristina

Hello @BLLO,

Welcome to Quicken Simplifi! Here's a getting started guide that may help a bit with getting accounts and reminders set up, as well as provide links to other resources:

https://support.simplifi.quicken.com/en/articles/4284318-getting-started-in-quicken-simplifi

If I'm understanding correctly, part of the difficulty you're encountering is that too much information downloaded into Quicken Simplifi from the financial institution? You can reduce the transaction history to this year only by hovering your mouse over where it says Showing Transactions Since 20XX, then click the gear icon that becomes visible.

That will bring up a Transaction History Settings window that will allow you to limit how many years of history will show.

Since the balance in connected accounts should match the current balance at the financial institution, regardless of the transactions in the register, you can also delete older transactions that you don't want in the register at all. However, be careful if you choose to do this. Once deleted, they won't download again. If you delete transactions and decide you need them later, you would need to add them manually.

Were there any other features you need help with or want to know more about?

Please provide us details of what you need help with and/or are trying to do, and we'll be happy to help!

BLLO

That is helpful, I did limit them to 2024, but I may delete those I do not need for my current books. Thank you for the heads up about deleting those records, I will be cautious about any potential carry overs around our EOY date.

The other thing I am having a hard time with is setting the business details. None of the business structures fit, as we are an incorporated non-profit. Does it actually matter which is selected?

DryHeat

Hi @BLLO,

Business Structure

I recently set up a small incorporated nonprofit on QBP, choosing "C Corp" as the business structure. This is the best fit, as the LLCs are for non-incorporated entities and the "S Corp" is a pass-through type corporation that passes profits and losses through to shareholder.

I think "business structure" mainly affects the kinds of Categories that are added for the business, ,but I'm not sure. It would be nice if QPB had a "non-profit" structure with it's own Category list, but I think "C Corp" is the best you can do for now.

Setting up the Balance

There are two different ways to attack this. For either one you need to understand how to get a "register balance" in addition to the bank balance that QBP shows.

To do that you select transactions in the register by checking the box next to the transaction. The register will then calculate your balance based on the selected transactions only (this is not the bank balance) and you can compare it to what you expect. (Make sure all transactions you want are visible — meaning no months are collapsed.)

Keeping All Transactions

Make sure all known pre-10/1/25 transactions are in. Then select all transactions before your known balance date (10/1/25?) and see what the total of the selected transactions is (it shows at the top of the register). It will almost certainly be different from the known balance you were given. Add (and select) an Opening Balance before the first transaction in whatever amount is needed to make the 10/1/25 balance come out as you expect. Now you know that the QBP register agrees with your known balance as of 10/1/25.

Deleting pre-10/1/25 Transactions

If I were in your position I might delete all transactions before your starting balance date and just add an Opening Balance transaction with the figure you were given. Like before, you know the QBP register now agrees with your known balance as of 10/1/25.

**However, @Coach Kristina's warning is important here: "Once deleted, they won't download again." I would probably export them to a CSV before deleting them, so I could re-import them if needed. Ask somebody here how so you can make sure you get it right on the first try.

Auditing the Balance

Periodically I expand all the months in the Transaction Activity register and select them all. I then compare the calculated balance to what my bank says to make sure no transactions are missing. (You can select all visible transactions by checking the box next to Date in the header. And you have to make sure that Transaction History is set to "All Time.")