QuickBooks rebranded TSheets as QuickBooks Time Tracking. However, the functions and procedures are still the same. In this tutorial, we’ll cover most of the functions of QuickBooks Time Tracking for the web and mobile, from setup to clocking in.
A great way to learn is to follow along in your own QuickBooks account. If you don’t have one yet, sign up for the free 30-day trial for QuickBooks Time Tracking—and consider a trial of QuickBooks as well. QuickBooks almost always ranks well in our accounting and payroll reviews because of its range of features and ease of use. If you already have an accounting or payroll program, you may be able to integrate QuickBooks Time Tracking, increasing the functionality of this versatile program.
Getting Started With QuickBooks Time Tracking (for Administrators)
When you first sign up with QuickBooks Time Tracking, you can take the in-product tour or sign up to attend a hosted webinar. The online help section also includes refreshers on each task.
QuickBooks Time Tracking has three primary levels: Administrator, Payroll Manager, and Team Member. So, how you use QuickBooks Time Tracking depends on your assigned role. We cover each below.
Screenshot of Logging in to QuickBooks Time Tracking
The view you see when you log in will differ depending on your role. This is an Admin view.
Review Company Settings
To get started, you’ll need to set up your settings to align with how your company operates. Note: Only administrators can create and change company settings. Go to Company Settings in the side menu. You can input company info, your contact as admin, and add a custom logo. The recommended file size for a logo is 150 x 50 pixels.
Other information you need to update is:
Overtime: Overtime rules are set under Company Settings > Payroll & Overtime. You can also set the pay rate engine to add settings and rules such as holiday overtime, overtime after a set number of hours in a day, week, or pay period, time of day, and more. Overtime can be a multiplier, such as {1.5 x rate of pay} or a fixed rate, such as (pay + $3 per hour).
Time Off: These rules are set in Company Settings > Advanced.
Click on Time Options > Time off and enable time off.
Click on Allow team members to submit time off.
To add time off codes, go to Featured Add-ons and select Time Off Codes. Click Add New, give it a name, and select Paid or Unpaid. Click Save.
Once codes are saved, go back to it and click the pencil icon, and select Track Accruals > Edit Settings. Choose from None, Manual, Yearly, Every Pay Period, or Based on Hours Worked.
Select Apply New Settings.
Integrate QuickBooks Time Tracking with QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Payroll
QuickBooks Time Tracking also works seamlessly with QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Payroll. If you need an accounting, payroll, and time tracking all-in-one system, it’s an easy suite of products to use together to run your business. Learn more how to integrate QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Payroll with QuickBooks Time Tracking.
Set Up Software Integrations
Add Team Members
Add Groups and Managers
Add Jobs
If you integrate QuickBooks Time Tracking to QuickBooks, Reckon, or Xero, jobs populate as Customer in QuickBooks Time Tracking. To change them to jobs—or another title—go to the Manage Jobs Window and click More > Rename Jobs Label.
If you need to create a job, a sub-level job, or assign a job to an employee, select the appropriate option in the drop-down below:
To Create a job
To Create a Job
Got to Jobs.
Select Add Job.
Enter a name.
Add Location and enter an address. The location will bring up a dropdown list. Check the correct suggestion.
Select Save.
Set Custom Fields
Custom fields let you add and track extra data like mileage, equipment, or anything else you need to cost out.
Read:- Also A COMPLETE GUIDE OF QUICKBOOKS COMMERCE
Custom fields give you more power for tracking billables and more.
To add a custom field in QuickBooks Time Tracking, do the following:
Go to Feature Add-on, and select Custom Fields.
Select Add Field.
Add a name and choose a type.
List: for items or options for users to pick, such as equipment or task lists
Text: for free-form text so employees can enter their own comments
Whole Number
Decimal Number
Assign the field to a job or customer
Assign the Field to a Job or Customer
From Custom Fields, click the field you want.
Clear Show for All Jobs and
In the Edit field window, select None selected.
Check desired jobs or customers from the Jobs list.
Select Save and the field will only show up for the selected jobs or customers.
Or
Go to Jobs or Customers.
Select the pencil icon next to the job or customer to which you want to adjust the assignment.
Under Custom fields, select the desired field(s) to have that field appear on a time sheet for that job.
Select Save and the field will only show up for the selected jobs or customers.
Screenshot of Viewing and Selecting Certain Fields
You can determine what team members can view and select certain fields.
Set Up Employee Schedules in QuickBooks Time Tracking
Adding a schedule is easy. If you do not see the option in the sidebar, then start by going to Featured Add-ons and install Schedule. Then click on Schedule on the side menu. A screen will pop up with all the employees already pre-populated. Then click on Actions > Add a Shift or click on a box. When you click on a box, the shift editor pops up with some items already filled out.
Screenshot of Setting up Employee Schedules in QuickBooks Time Tracking
The shift editor will populate the default date and both the work start and end times.
You can choose to make this an all-day or repeating event.
Title is optional, but you may want to use it for general shift titles. There’s a box below for assigning specific jobs.
You don’t have to select a color, but it can make it easy to find something at a glance.
Adjust the start date and start and end times as needed. Type them in manually or use the drop-down menu that shows up when you click on the arrow.
You can add multiple team members if they are all on the same schedule.
Select a specific job that has already been created in the setup. It may automatically populate with a location. This is especially helpful for employees because if they click on the location in the mobile app, it will pull up driving directions.
Add notes, which could be specific directions or reminders.
Save as a draft or publish. If you save it as a draft, it will show up on the schedule with an outline in the color you chose. When published, it is a full block of color.
When the entire schedule is created, click on Publish Week in the upper right. Time will then give you the option to send notifications to the employees.
Once published, you can edit or delete by clicking on the box in question and selecting Edit to edit or edit or the trash can icon to delete. It also lets you drag-and-drop a box to move a schedule piece to someone else.
Unassigned: If you are not sure who should get a shift, you can park it in the unassigned area (above the team members’ names) and move it later.
Screenshot of Color Coding Schedule
Color coding helps make the schedule easier to view.
If you need to see shifts by job, click on View As and select job. The employee’s name will show up in the box.
Repeating Schedule: You can click on Repeat Schedule if this is a standard schedule. If the schedule is one you use often but is not recurring, you can save it as a template. Click on Actions > Save Week As Template. You can also click “Copy Previous Week” to copy the week before.
Save to another calendar: If you want to save the schedule to another calendar, such as Outlook, click on Actions > Subscribe to Calendar. It will give you a URL for integrating the schedule into another calendar program.
How to Track Time With QuickBooks Time Tracking (for All Employees)
There are multiple ways to track time with QuickBooks Time Tracking: clocking in and out on a computer, inputting time manually, using the mobile app, or using QuickBooks Time Tracking Kiosk. You can use any or all of these means and have the information feed into your admin account, giving everyone multiple options for logging time worked.
Time Clock
Screenshot of Switching Between Jobs When Tracking Hours
It’s easy to switch between jobs when tracking hours.
When employees click on Time Clock, a box pops up. Across the top are totals.
Current refers to hours worked on a specific job.
Day refers to total hours worked in a day at all jobs.
Week tracks total hours worked in a week at all jobs.
Clock In or Clock Out: The button on the lower right lets employees clock in and out.
Select a job: If you are charging billable hours or have different pay rates for different jobs, then allowing your employees to select their job is vital. If they’re assigned different jobs, they show up in the Job list. It’s easy to change between jobs by clicking on the new job, then on Switch. The Current section will change to the total time worked that day on that particular duty. There’s no need for them to clock out and back in!
Clocking Breaks: If your company mandates or allows breaks, there will be a break option for employees to select under Options.
Clocking lunches: If your company has not set a rule for lunch breaks under Options, employees will clock out and back in.
Time Entries
Time Entries provides a manual way to log hours but not exact time in or time out.
Employees will click on Time Entries, and a spreadsheet pops up for the week.
They can select a job (including one not currently listed) and add bulk time worked by date.
There’s a note section. If they add notes, the system will create a red triangle in that box to show that there’s a note.
The Actions Tab lets users copy the previous weeks’ jobs or time sheet. This is handy if the employee’s schedule does not change.
Screenshot of Logging Work Hours Manually with Time Entries
Log work hours manually with Time Entries.
Admins can access the time entries of other workers. You can review and modify their time sheets if needed. You can also see the history of changes in the Actions Tab. This is useful if more than one person can modify a time sheet.
Mobile
Employees can clock in and out or add manual time entries on the mobile app. It works in the same way as the desktop version.
You can set up geofencing which has three advantages:
Admins and managers can see where employees are at a given time
Employees get reminders to clock in when they enter a geofenced area
Employees are reminded to clock out when they leave a geofenced area
Because it’s tied to GPS, employees can also get directions if needed.
QuickBooks Time Tracking Kiosk
The kiosk can be used on an iPad or Android tablet. To access, go to Feature Add-ons > Manage Add-ons > Install Kiosk. You have the option of enabling photo capture and facial recognition. Then add the device, get the authorization code, and set your preferences.
Employees will need an individual PIN. If you enable facial recognition, it will snap a photo of the person clocking in. If this does not match the image on file, admins will get a notification. This feature is a good way to avoid problems with “buddy punching,” where someone else clocks in for a fellow employee.
How to Manage Time Sheets with QuickBooks Time Tracking (for Managers and Admins)
There are several ways to manage time sheets from reports to time entries.
To access employee information, click on Who’s Working. The box pops up on the upper right. Depending on the permissions granted, admins and managers can see members of their different teams or all workers. They can also sort by clock-in, day totals, names, locations, or jobs. They can also filter by who is actively on the clock.
Time Sheets Using Who’s Working
To make changes, click on the pencil-and-paper icon. A new popup for that employee will appear. You can edit status (working/not working), time in/out, jobs, time zone, and add notes.
Screenshot of Who’s Working Function
The Who’s Working function is one way to edit time sheets.
Time Sheets Using Time Entries
If you click on Time Entries, you’ll see three tabs. It defaults to Manual Time Card, so click on Time Sheets. This gives you all the time sheets, which you can search by day, week, month, or pay period. You can also use the calendar icon to set a specific period of time.
Screenshot of Editing Timesheets in a Spreadsheet Format with Time Entries
Edit time sheets in a spreadsheet format with Time Entries.
To view fields: The spreadsheet can show six fields at a time. If you need to view something else, click on the gear icon to select something different. Fields may include:
Time in/out
Job
Location
Places
Attachments
Billable hours
Class
Service item
Tasks
Notes
Flags
You can also choose to Wrap Text for longer entries.
“Location” refers to the way the user clocked in and out—web, mobile, or kiosk—not the location of the work.
Make or view edits to time sheets
Select your worker. If you cannot find them quickly, you can put the name in the team member search in the upper right corner.
To see your own time entries, click on the My button beside Team Member Search.
To make edits, click on the pencil icon. A box pops up with all the information, so you can make changes and click Save.
To view previous edits of a line, click on the paper icon. To view all other manager edits, click on Actions > View Manager Edits.
To delete an entry, click on the trash can icon.
To add a new time sheet, click on Add Time in the upper left corner. A box will pop up where you can add information.
Time Sheets Using Reports
Screenshot of Reports Offering Another Way to Edit Timesheets
Reports offer another way to edit time sheets.
When you run a report, you can access the time sheets used for the report by clicking View Time Sheet at the top of the report, under the date range. From there, the time sheet pops up. Hover over an entry and a pencil icon shows up on the left-hand side. Click and edit the data in the popup box. Click Save.
To delete an entry, click the red circle on the left-hand side by the pencil icon.
Approvals
With the approvals tab, you or your manager can quickly review and approve schedules. You can also unapprove to make edits. There is an approval report in the Reports section as well. If you do not see Approval in the menu, go to Featured Add-ons and install it.
Select the options you need.
Click on Preferences and set up reminders in the Notifications and Reminders window.
If an employee has worked overtime, their hours will be in red. Also, once a time sheet has been approved, it will be locked, and you will see a lock icon beside it. To make changes, go to Reports > Approvals and click Unapprove by the person’s name.
How to Create Reports in QuickBooks Time Tracking
QuickBooks Time Tracking offers several pre-made reports which you can customize, including reports on payroll, job costing, time off balances, approval history, and even time tracking exceptions. If you are unable to find a report to meet your needs, contact QuickBooks, and a rep can help you adjust one for the information you want.
Screenshot of Customizing Reports by Changing Parameters
You can customize reports by changing parameters such as date ranges and information included.
To create reports in QuickBooks Time Tracking, do the following:
Click on Reports in the side menu.
Select the report you want.
Select the dates and fields you need. Note that you can select individuals or groups of people, like shifts or teams.
The report will show up with pie charts, hours, and some buttons at the top for options to change fields or filters, print, or download information. The placement of these may vary by report but are usually at the top.
Here’s an example of how you would run the payroll report:
Click Payroll report
Set the parameters for the fields.
Run the report. The main report gives summaries of hours worked, overtime, and time off.
To see details: Click on Expand All or on the Plus sign of the individual you need to view. Details include a daily breakdown of hours worked, jobs each hour is assigned to, and the time sheets for that period.
To edit: Click on the pencil icon to the left of the line you need to modify. You can even add a time sheet from this report by clicking Add Timesheet.
To download: You can download as CSV, PDF, or Excel.
To download information for all users, click on the download button. You can download it as CSV, PDF, or Excel.
To download for a single user, click on the plus sign to the left of the name, and then on Download in the black ribbon below the name.
To Export: You can adjust report exports for totals, by day or individual time sheets. Click on Report Exports. It will also let you know if some time sheets have not been approved.
Screenshot of Color-Coordinated Payroll Reports
Payroll reports are color-coordinated to reflect different types of hours and pay.
Please note: QuickBooks Payroll report does not do a pay run for you but tells you all the payroll information, such as hours worked, the amount paid, overtime paid, time-off given, and more.
Have the QuickBooks Time Tracking Elite plan? If so, you can set up time estimates and track progress. You can set total hours or break it down by sub job or tasks.
Add a Project With Time Estimates
Click on Projects in the side menu.
Select Add Project.
If you are integrated with QuickBooks, you can choose an existing customer or sub customer from the list to use as a project. If it’s not there, add it to QuickBooks first.
If you are not integrated with QuickBooks, enter a project name. Choose a customer (optional).
Add the project start and end dates.
Add a description.
Add the location using an address or GPS coordinates.
Select Continue to add an estimate.
Click Add Estimate.
Choose By Hours or Tasks. Hours is total hours, while Tasks lets you break up total hours into tasks.
Go to My Team and choose team members by name.
Select Permissions, and assign permissions as Off, View, or Create/Edit.
Team members will see projects in their Projects Tab and can select it when they clock in or change projects.
Learn more about Projects in the QuickBooks Help section.
How to Use QuickBooks Time Tracking Mobile App
Like the computer version, QuickBooks Time Tracking Tracker has user roles for administrator, payroll manager, and team member. The functions you can access are almost the same, just in a different setting optimized for mobile. For example, rather than all the functions listed in a side menu, you have the most common ones as buttons on the bottom, with the More (ellipse) button giving you access to the rest.
Help: To access customer support or view help articles, click on More > Settings > Help & Support
Account Information: Tap your profile photo to view account info, make changes to your profile, sync the app, or sign out.
Screenshot of Time Mobile App
The mobile app has nearly the same functionality but is arranged differently.
Customer Support and Help Center
You can call QuickBooks Time Tracking support Monday to Friday, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pacific time, or chat with QuickBooks help in the chatbot at the bottom of the screen. The help center is also accessible from the program, or you can access it online.
