How to create budgets using spreadsheet sync in QuickBooks Online Advanced, by Intuit QuickBooks on YouTube. 3 min 57 s.
- Video length
- 3 min 57 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Open QuickBooks Online Advanced and check that Budgeting is turned on under Settings, then Advanced or the apps menu. If it is missing, ask your admin to enable it for the company.
Install Spreadsheet Sync from the QuickBooks app store or the Excel add-in menu, then sign in with your QuickBooks credentials.
Open a blank workbook and launch the Spreadsheet Sync panel. Choose to create a new budget template so the account list and periods pull from your company file.
Pick the budget period, such as a fiscal year split into 12 months, and select the accounts you want to plan for. Keep the chart of accounts structure unchanged.
Enter your planned amounts for each account and month in the spreadsheet cells. Use formulas to spread annual figures evenly or to grow them month by month.
Check the totals row and confirm income minus expenses gives the profit you expect. Fix any typos or blank cells before syncing.
Click Sync to QuickBooks Online and confirm the upload. Wait for the success message, then open the Budgets list in QuickBooks to verify the figures landed.
Run the Budget vs Actuals report from Reports, set the date range to match your budget period, and review the variance column.
Save the report and the workbook so you can update the same budget next month instead of starting over.
Tips and common mistakes
Do not rename or reorder columns in the sync template, or the upload can fail.
Sync after every major edit so QuickBooks and the spreadsheet do not drift apart.
Use the variance column to spot accounts that are far off, then adjust next month's plan.
Only users with the right permissions can sync budgets, so check your role first.
Questions
Do I need QuickBooks Online Advanced for this?
Yes. Spreadsheet Sync and the budgeting tools shown are part of QuickBooks Online Advanced, not the simpler plans.
Can I edit a synced budget later?
Yes. Open the same workbook, change the numbers, and sync again. QuickBooks updates the existing budget rather than making a duplicate.
Does this work with Google Sheets?
Spreadsheet Sync works with Excel and Google Sheets. Install the add-on for whichever one you use before starting.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
