I can't believe I missed this!  An entire year ago, Intuit introduced a free reports library, so QuickBooks users could share memorized reports. 

While we're on the subject of templates, I have reported several times that Intuit has free form templates but I thought I'd mention it again.  We've been using the groovy orange invoice for several years now.  Orange is my favorite color and no, they don't actually call it groovy but they should.  Instead it has the very snazzy name "E-Mail Orange target remit Inv.DES".  Once we imported and customized it, we duplicated it to create our other templates (sales receipts, estimates, etc.)

• QuickBooks Reports Gallery
• QuickBooks Forms Gallery

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The QuickBooks Reports Library contains memorized reports you can download and use in QuickBooks 2008 and after. It also contains three special Excel workbooks you can use to pull transaction and other data from QuickBooks, and then create your own custom detail or summary reports. These Excel reports work with QuickBooks 2008, and Enterprise 8.0 and after.

To use a report from the library, create a reports folder on your computer, click the download button and save the report in the reports folder. Double-click the downloaded report to add it to your QuickBooks memorized reports list. To run the report, double-click the name in the memorized reports list.

To use the special Excel workbooks, save them to your computer, open them with Excel, and follow the instructions and tips included in the worksheets.

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Written by +Ruth Perryman, CMA, CFE, CFM, MBA

Ruth is the president of The QB Specialists, an Intuit Premier Reseller that offers huge savings and expert advice on QuickBooks POS and QuickBooks Enterprise. She is an Advanced Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor and a member of Intuit’s Trainer/Writer Network. She is also certified in QuickBooks POS and QuickBooks Enterprise and has provided expert QuickBooks help to thousands of businesses all over the world since 1996.

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We've recently been receiving reports of .tlg files growing out of control, up to 1.7GB a day!  I just checked our .tlg file and it's fine, so this isn't happening to everyone.  But if you are suddenly experiencing performance issues or getting error messages you might want to check yours.  It's in the same directory as your QuickBooks file, and you can easily find the path to your file by going to File > Open Previous Company.

Fortunately, one of our brilliant blog readers, Peter Venlet from Agritek Industries, stumbled upon the solution last night.  He contacted us for help and, thinking it could be a corrupted file, we gave him the standard drill:

1.    Use F2 and check to see if you’re updated to the latest release (R5).  R4 is buggie so try to skip straight to R5.

2.    While you’re there, check to see how many DB File Fragments you have.  If it’s more than 10, you can bring it down by doing a few portable file roundtrips (create a portable file, then restore it).  You might need to do this as many as three times to bring it down.  If your DB File Fragments are really high (say, over 1000), I recommend you defrag your hard drive.

3.    You might also want to try re-sorting your lists.  The easiest way to re-sort all your names at the same time is to go to Write Checks, position your curser in Pay to the Order of, and select Ctrl + L.  Select the Name button, then Re-sort List.  You have to re-sort your other lists manually – chart of accounts, items, classes, memorized reports, etc.  They’re all shown in the Lists dropdown menu.

You can just delete the .tlg file, but I’d copy it first.  It has valuable information that can help Intuit restore a corrupted file.  This is actually the most important reason to do a manual update with full verify every week or so.  Not only does it reduce your .tlg file size but it fixes problems with your file.  If you don’t do this often, you could find yourself with a file you can’t open and needs to be sent to data recovery.  It’s much easier for them to fix if you send the .tlg file as well.  But, they take up to 5 business days and there’s no guarantee they’ll actually be able fix it.  They usually do, I’ve only had one case when they haven’t been able to (and they did have the .tlg file), but you want to avoid this if at all possible.  Not being able to use QuickBooks for so long wreaks havoc on most businesses.

I’m sorry to say this, but manually backing up with full verify is the key to a healthy file.  Plus it’ll reduce your .tlg file size.

Soon after, he emailed us back with the real solution.  It appears that the new Search feature in QuickBooks 2011 can cause some .tlg files to grow exponentially especially if you have your preferences set to automatic update (which is the default).  Just uncheck it (Edit > Preferences > Search > Company Preferences) and your problem is solved!  However, if you use Search this means you'll need to manually update, which will probably also cause your .tlg file to grow again.  So you'll probably want to follow it up with a manual backup with full verify.

You can read his full story on Live Community.

Written by +Ruth Perryman, CMA, CFE, CFM, MBA

Ruth is the president of The QB Specialists, an Intuit Premier Reseller that offers huge savings and expert advice on QuickBooks POS and QuickBooks Enterprise. She is an Advanced Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor and a member of Intuit’s Trainer/Writer Network. She is also certified in QuickBooks POS and QuickBooks Enterprise and has provided expert QuickBooks help to thousands of businesses all over the world since 1996.

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To support National Earned Income Tax Credit Awareness Day, Intuit Inc. today reaffirmed its commitment to help more than 1 million low- to moderate-income and active military taxpayers prepare and file their taxes for free.

Through theIRS Free Fileprogram, Intuit provides free online tax preparation and electronic filing for individuals who qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit, or EITC. The program is also available to active duty military with an adjusted gross income of $58,000 or less, or those who have an adjusted gross income of $31,000 or less. Since 1998, Intuit has donated more than 22 million returns to low- and moderate- income taxpayers.

Last year, California taxpayers alone left more than $1 billion unclaimed in EITC funds. Intuit is working with nonprofit groups and public and private sector partners to promote financial literacy through free tax preparation and assistance. The company’s Free File product offering, TurboTax Freedom Edition, is designed to help taxpayers keep more of what they earn.

TheIntuit Financial Freedom Foundationsupports programs serving the public interest and is partnering with the following not for profit groups in local communities:

• IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Programs – At IRS VITA sites in 12 communities across the country, taxpayers can prepare their returns on their own or with the assistance of an onsite coach using TurboTax Freedom Edition.
• New York City Department of Consumer Affairs, Office of Financial Empowerment –Taxpayers can prepare and file their federal, state and city returns online with TurboTax Freedom Edition at 20free tax assistance sitesthroughout New York City. The program is a cornerstone of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s campaign designed to increase awareness about EITC.
• Computer and Communications Industry Association – Throughout tax season, Intuit is participating in more than 30 CCIA sponsored events across the country that help the public experience the benefits of free online self tax preparation through the IRS Free File program and 21 State Free File programs.

“Programs like this help economically disadvantaged or underserved individuals achieve financial independence,” said Dan Maurer, senior vice president and general manager of Intuit’s Consumer Group. “By partnering with nonprofits, as well as the public and private sector, we’re able to share our expertise in innovative online tax preparation and electronic filing and help them get the money they deserve.”
Find Assistance in Your Community

Attax assistance eventsaround the country, eligible tax filers can accurately and easily prepare their returns for free with TurboTax Freedom Edition, ensuring they claim all the deductions and credits they deserve. Intuit has also simplified the process of helping taxpayers determine if they are eligible for EITC by creating the EITC Calculator. The free, online tool asks a few questions and empowers tax payers to determine if they can claim the credit of up to $5,600 for a family.

About Intuit Inc.

Intuit Inc.is a leading provider of business and financial management solutions for small and mid-sized businesses; financial institutions, including banks and credit unions; consumers and accounting professionals. Its flagship products and services, including QuickBooks®, Quicken® and TurboTax®, simplify small business management, payment andpayroll processing, personal finance, and tax preparation and filing. ProSeries® and Lacerte® are Intuit’s leading tax preparation offerings for professional accountants. Intuit Financial Services helps banks and credit unions grow by providing on-demand solutions and services that make it easier for consumers and businesses to manage their money.

Founded in 1983, Intuit had annual revenue of $3.5 billion in its fiscal year 2010. The company has approximately 7,700 employees with major offices in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, India and other locations. More information can be found at www.intuit.com.

Intuit, the Intuit logo, and TurboTax, among others, are registered trademarks and/or registered service marks of Intuit Inc. in the United States and other countries.

Written by +Ruth Perryman, CMA, CFE, CFM, MBA

Ruth is the president of The QB Specialists, an Intuit Premier Reseller that offers huge savings and expert advice on QuickBooks POS and QuickBooks Enterprise. She is an Advanced Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor and a member of Intuit’s Trainer/Writer Network. She is also certified in QuickBooks POS and QuickBooks Enterprise and has provided expert QuickBooks help to thousands of businesses all over the world since 1996.

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