How to Start Over in QuickBooks Online & Desktop?

QuickBooks accounting software stores company data regarding your business. However, there can be occasions when you want to delete your QuickBooks data and start it all over again. The process of doing so is quite different in QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks. For better information, you can read with us how to start over in QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop.

How to Start Over in QuickBooks Desktop?

Before you begin to delete the data to start company over in QuickBooks, one should remember that this process is not reversible. Thus, you have to make sure that you keep your important documents, files, or company data within the desktop by creating a backup. 

When you are sure about starting over in QuickBooks Online or QuickBooks Desktop, you can continue following this guide.

Delete the Imported CSV Files

If you have imported the CSV files, you need to delete that first. This can be done by following these steps:

• Open “QuickBooks” accounting software on your computer.
• Then, navigate through the “Gear icon” and click on it.
• Here, you can choose the “Imports” option from the drop-down arrow.
• Once done, you can select the bank name to which you want to import the CSV files.
• When you see the imported files list, select the “Trash” icon. Here you will see all the transactions imported.

Delete the QuickBooks Data

If you want to delete all the data from your connected account then the following steps can be pursued:

• Click the “Gear” icon in “QuickBooks Desktop”.
• Then, choose the “Bank Accounts” option from the drop-down option.
• Here, you can find the account you want to delete.
• Now, click on the “Cross (X)” sign located on the top right.
• After this, you have to input “Delete” to confirm your action.
• Once done, you can click on the “Delete” button to successfully remove the account.

What Happens After Deleting QuickBooks Data?

As you delete the account permanently, it will also delete all the data linked to such accounts. For instance,

• Any calculation such as split percentages you made before will also be deleted.
• After you delete the account, it will also delete other transactions of your account.

However, after deleting the accounts, you may view some numbers in the place of zero. This happens because these are the projection numbers that are remaining. If you reconnect the account, the numbers will automatically get updated. However, the process of data deletion cannot be undone.

How Can I Start Over in QuickBooks Online?

Before starting over in QuickBooks Online, one should find out how long it has been running the QuickBooks account after the signup. You can reset the account to start all over again depending on if the account is 90 days older or not. In the following details, we will discuss both the conditions so you can delete QuickBooks data and start with fresh one.

How Can You Start Over in QuickBooks If the QuickBooks Account is 90 Days Older?

If you have been using QuickBooks for a while and it is more than 90 days now, the data deletion won’t be possible for you. However, you can cancel the account and start with a new subscription. Have a look at the following to learn how to start over in QuickBooks Online:

Cancel the QuickBooks Account

• Log in to the “QuickBooks Online” account.
• Then, navigate to the “Settings” icon.
• After this, choose the “Account and Settings” option.

Note: If you are unable to find the Account and Settings, choose the Your Account option, go to the Account Activities section and click on the Cancel Subscription. After that, you can follow the on-screen prompts.

• Here, click on the “Billing and Subscription” option.
• Hit the “Cancel” option.
• Now, you can pursue the instructions given on your screen.

Get Started with a New QuickBooks Account

• Go to the “Homepage” of QuickBooks.
• Make sure you sign up as a new user for a new account.
• Thereafter, you can enter the same user ID as well as the password you used previously.

These steps should be followed when your QuickBooks account has been running for more than 90 days. All you have to do is cancel the subscription and log in with the same credential you used earlier.

How Do I Start Over in QuickBooks If the QuickBooks Account is Not 90 Days Older?

In case your QuickBooks account has not crossed 90 days after you signed up then you can easily reset the account. All you have to do is make changes to the URL by adding the /purgecompany. This should be noted, these steps can be followed by QuickBooks Online Essentials or Plus. The QuickBooks Online Simple Start users have to cancel the account first then start with a new one.

Warning: Following this process will remove all the data contained in your company file. Also, the process cannot be reversed thus you cannot restore the data once deleted.

To find out how to delete everything in QuickBooks and start over, you can continue following these steps:

• Make sure you are logged into “QuickBooks Online Company”.
• At this point, you will have to change the URL by adding “/purgecompany”. It should go from https://sg.qbo.intuit.com/app/homepage to https://sg.qbo.intuit.com/app/purgecompany
• As you do so, you will see the item’s summary to delete. You can type “YES” in order to delete the data.
• Press the “OK” button to complete the process.

By making changes to the URL, you can easily delete the company data and start company over in QuickBooks Online.

A Few Important Considerations

• In case the industry you wish to use is quite different from the one displaying then you can feel free to make changes.
• You should mark if you want to start with the fresh Chart of Account or your system should generate accounts according to the industry you want.
• Once you mark the important selection, click on the Wipe Data button.

As you perform these steps and the deletion process is completed, you will automatically be redirected to the QuickBooks homepage. Thereafter, you can continue using QuickBooks company with a fresh start.

To Sum Up

If you want to start over QuickBooks, you will have to wipe data or delete company data to login again. This should be noted that you cannot restore the company data once deleted. Delete the company files only when you are sure about starting over. Here, we have shown you how to start over in QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop. We hope you have got your answer.

Those who want to make their QuickBooks accounts inactive or record the deposits in different ways, check out the following guides:

• How to Make an Account Inactive in QuickBooks Online?
• How to Record Deposits in QuickBooks Online?