BLUF: Job costing works when every relevant estimate, invoice, expense, and bill points to the same project and the exceptions are visible to the reviewer.
Why this matters
Project reports are only as useful as the project assignments behind them. A VA can keep the transaction queue complete, but should not hide missing project links by guessing.
Before you start
- Confirm Projects is available and enabled in the client's QBO plan.
- Get the approved project list, customer mapping, start and end dates, and budget or estimate.
- Define how labor, materials, subcontractors, and reimbursable costs should be labeled.
Step-by-step walkthrough
- Create or review the project record using the client's naming convention. Flag duplicate projects and projects without an owner or status.
- Review new estimates, invoices, bills, expenses, and time entries for a project assignment. Match each item to the source document before changing a field.
- Run the project income and cost view for the agreed period. Separate missing assignments, unusual amounts, and transactions posted outside the project dates.
- Compare the approved estimate with actual income and costs. Show the variance, evidence, and proposed follow-up in a review table.
- Hand the queue to the owner or accountant before changing a disputed classification or approving a margin conclusion.
Project review table
| Review field | What to capture | Escalate when |
|---|---|---|
| Project identity | Customer, status, and dates | Duplicate or inactive project |
| Income | Estimate and invoice references | Missing project link |
| Costs | Bill, expense, or time reference | Unsupported or late cost |
| Variance | Estimate versus actual | Material difference or unclear cause |
Expert tip
Keep the project report period identical to the estimate period. Otherwise a timing difference can look like a profitability problem.
Common mistakes
- Assigning a transaction to a project because the customer name looks similar.
- Treating an estimate as revenue before an invoice or other approved posting exists.
- Changing a cost classification without preserving the original evidence.
Owner CTA
QBOAssistant can prepare project queues, variance notes, and evidence packets for review. Final margin, tax, and accounting decisions stay with the authorized reviewer.
Frequently asked questions
Project tracking is a workflow for organizing transactions and reports. It does not replace the owner's approval of estimates, costs, or accounting treatment.
Related content
Pair this workflow with the QBO budget versus actual review and the QBO owner review cadence. For current plan and feature details, see Intuit's QBO Projects guidance.
QuickBooks VA workflow table
| Workflow area | What the VA prepares |
|---|---|
| Daily queue | Invoices, receipts, bank feeds, and open QuickBooks questions |
| Weekly review | Owner approvals, exception list, and unresolved transaction notes |
| Monthly packet | Reports, missing documents, and accountant-ready source material |
Related resources
Compare the service fit on the QuickBooks VA services page, then use the free consultation form to map the first handoff. For platform context, review QuickBooks Online.