Duplicate account names are created when someone works inconsistently, or several people with different styles have worked with your QuickBooks file. Sometimes a new account is created when the person entering the data fails to find the correct account to which to apply a transaction. Your data entry and reports become inaccurate when there are duplicate accounts, because sometimes one account is used and sometimes the other.

In scanning the Profit and Loss report below we notice that transactions have been applied to both the accounts "Phone" and "Telephone:Office". Only one of these accounts is valid; the other should be deleted.

Procedure:

1) Recreate your Profit and Loss report.

2) QuickZoom into the account you wish to delete (in this case, "Phone") by moving the mouse over the amount so that it becomes a magnifying glass with a "Z" in the center; double-click. The "Phone" transaction detail report will open.

3) QuickZoom into the transaction you wish to change by moving the mouse over the amount so that it becomes a magnifying glass with a "Z" in the center; double-click. As there is only one transaction posted to the "Phone" account, we will edit the transaction instead of merging the "Phone" account with the "Telephone: Office" account.

4) When the erroneous transaction opens, you will need to change the account name.

5) Click on the downward-pointing arrow in the account field so that the pop-up list opens.

6) Scroll down the pop-up list until you see the account "Telephone:Office".

7) Release the mouse and click on the account "Telephone:Office" to select it.

8) Click "Save & Close " to record the transaction.

9) Repeat these steps for any other transactions incorrectly posted to the account "Phone".

10) After you have transferred all the transactions from the incorrect account "Phone" to the correct account "Telephone:Office", you need to delete the superfluous account "Phone" from your Chart of Accounts. Refer to Delete Unsed Accounts on page 12.

14) Recreate your Profit and Loss report and you will notice that the incorrect account "Phone" has disappeared. The transactions that were in that account now appear in "Telephone:Office", which is the correct account.

15) Repeat the process with your Balance Sheet report and accounts.

The results of scanning your Profit and Loss and Balance Sheet reports to remove duplicate accounts are that your reports are more accurate and your data entry is easier, because there are less accounts to make a mistake with.