Outstanding Features of This Book

Organization

The book is designed in such a way that the accounting concepts, as well as the software mechanics, get more complex with each section. Other books focus primarily on software data entry. This book allows the students to see why events are recorded the way they are in a computerized accounting system while refreshing students’ knowledge of accounting concepts and reinforcing the accounting and journal entries behind transactions.

Clear Writing

The book is written clearly to aid student understanding of difficult concepts. Clear explanations of why certain procedures are used in QuickBooks Online (QBO) are supported by relevant examples and relatable end-of-chapter assignments, serving to bridge the gap between computerized accounting concepts and real-world application.

Real-World Scenarios

Most computerized accounting textbooks on the market approach the teaching of QuickBooks in a prescriptive manner, going through the procedures of the software while overlooking how an accountant would actually utilize the software in the real world. Williams’s Computerized Accounting takes a practical approach and shows the student how the software is used in a business environment. In addition to the standard financial reports, students are exposed to job, segment, and variance reports.

Unique Pedagogy

The book’s four-color format facilitates student understanding and draws attention to the key concepts and pedagogy. Ample screenshots provide students realistic snapshots of what they will see when working in the software. A host of pedagogical elements serve as helpful illustrations, providing additional context and further concept reinforcement.

End-of-Chapter Material

End-of-chapter review material includes:

• Chapter shortcuts.

• Chapter review with matching of terms to definitions and multiple choice questions that are a combination of accounting concepts and QuickBooks application questions.

• An end-of-chapter assignment featuring a fictional company that moves from selling services exclusively in the early chapters to selling both services and products in the later chapters.

The assignments include check numbers for students. This allows them to focus on the process and reduces student frustration.

Appendices

There are a number of additional topics that are helpful to students as they master QBO, and these have been included as end-of-chapter and end-of-book appendices. Instructors may wish to cover these topics in class or have students go over them on their own time.

Certiport-Mapped

The book has been mapped to the 10 domains that comprise the exam objectives for the QuickBooks Certified User Exam.

What Is the QuickBooks Certified User Exam?

The Intuit® QuickBooks Certification exam is an online exam that is proctored at Certiport Authorized Testing Centers. The certification program validates QuickBooks accounting skills while providing students with credentials that demonstrate real-world abilities to prospective employers. Once passed, test takers receive an official digital certificate representing their skills in QuickBooks. A map correlating the chapter content to the Certiport domains will be available to students so they can streamline their exam preparation.

Supplements

For Instructors:

• Solutions Manual files contain solutions to all the assignment material.
• PowerPoint presentations illustrate chapter concepts and outline key elements with corresponding screenshots for each chapter.
• Test Bank questions include true/false and multiple choice questions for each chapter.
• myBusinessCourse, our web-based learning and assessment program includes:
  • Question banks comprised of:
    • Practice exercises
    • Test Bank questions
    • Assignment questions related to the end of chapter content that can be automatically graded.
  • eLecture videos created and narrated by the author.

For Students:

• Access to QuickBooks Online software with purchase of new copy of the book.
• myBusinessCourse, our web-based learning and assessment program. Includes homework, quizzes, and test material and access to eLecture videos created and narrated by the author.
• QuickBooks student data files 
• Check Figures are included for assignments, allowing students to focus on the procedures and reduce frustration.

Structure

• Section One—Introduction

• • The first chapter introduces students to the basic structure of QuickBooks Online Plus (QBO).
    • Getting in and out of QuickBooks Online
    • QBO organization
    • Customizing and navigating QBO
    • Reporting using QBO
    • Setting up company files
• Section Two—Service Companies
  • The next three chapters (Chapters 2, 3, and 4) cover the sales, purchase, and end-of month cycles in a service company.
  • Students are introduced to accounting for basic accounting transactions in a computerized environment.
    • Sales on account and cash sales
    • Purchases on account and cash purchases
    • Customer collections and vendor payments
    • Bank reconciliations
    • Standard end-of-month adjusting entries
    • Financial statement reporting
• Section Three—Merchandising Companies
  • The section introduction includes a description of internal controls in QBO.
  • Chapters 5, 6, and 7 cover the sales, purchase, and end-of-month cycles in a merchandising company.
  • Students are introduced to accounting for more complex transactions in a computerized environment.
    • Purchase and sale of inventory
    • Sales tax
    • Sales and purchase discounts
    • Inventory tracking, adjustment, and valuation
    • Bad debts and bounced checks
• Section Four—Paying Employees, Project Costing, and Billing for Time
  • Chapter 8 covers basic payroll functions that would be used in all types of companies (service, merchandising, and manufacturing).
    • Compensation (salaried and hourly)]
    • Paycheck creation
    • Payroll taxes (withholding and remittance)
  • Chapter 9 covers billing for time and expenses.
    • Tracking time
    • Billing for time and expenses
    • Tracking and reporting profitability by project
• Section Five—Beyond the Basics
  • Chapter 10 covers budgeting and segment reporting.
    • Creating budgets and budget variance reports
    • Using location and class tracking to report on business segments
  • Chapter 11 covers a number of special tools in QBO.
    • Saving customized reports
    • Customizing forms
    • Managing attachments
    • Exporting reports to Excel
    • Creating recurring transactions
    • Creating reversing entries

Teaching QuickBooks: Online or Desktop Version? with author Gayle Williams       

Author Gayle Williams created the below videos to walk through the differences between the QuickBooks Online cloud-based software and the QuickBooks desktop software.