# Should I create separate accounts for each location, department or job, or use classes, tags or another tracking dimension instead? - **[not stated · business generally]** In the worked example a single transaction carries both a division code and an account code, the invoice being coded WH-500 where 500 is the legal-expense account and WH identifies the division. → [CG-MCE-004#S05](#s-CG-MCE-004-S05) - **[QuickBooks Online · QuickBooks Online Plus and QuickBooks Online Advanced; help article updated 8/25/2026 · United States · Businesses using the stated QuickBooks Online products]** QuickBooks Online provides classes, which track income, expenses or profitability by business segment, and the feature is available in QuickBooks Online Plus and QuickBooks Online Advanced. → [CG-MCE-004#S11](#s-CG-MCE-004-S11) - **[not stated in the document · organizations that compile expense information by department]** Many organizations compile expense information separately by department, giving each department the same set of expense accounts. → [CG-MCE-004#S09](#s-CG-MCE-004-S09) - **[QuickBooks Online · QuickBooks Online Plus; QuickBooks Online Advanced; Intuit Enterprise Suite · not stated · not stated]** The balance sheet cannot be filtered by class, because headers are not linked to classes. → [CG-MCE-004#S46](#s-CG-MCE-004-S46) ## What this page establishes - Platform reference: which dimensions exist, where they apply, how many — Partly established - Platform reference: dimensions and the balance sheet — Partly established - Bookkeeping convention: the account records the nature, the segment the part of the business — Established - Platform reference: re-coding already-posted transactions in bulk — Partly established - An account and a segment are two different things — Partly established - How to decide between more accounts and a tracking dimension — Partly established (Required authority: high quality professional secondary reference, official platform documentation. Highest achieved: official platform documentation.) - What each approach can actually report — Not established - What happens when you duplicate accounts for every segment — Partly established - What a dimension demands of every transaction you enter — Partly established - Finding and fixing amounts entered without a segment — Partly established (Required authority: official platform documentation. Highest achieved: official platform documentation.) - The kinds of tracking dimension small-business software offers — Partly established - Whether the breakdown can reach the balance sheet — Established - When you need more axes of breakdown than the software supports — Not established (Required authority: high quality professional secondary reference, official platform documentation. Highest achieved: official platform documentation.) - Applying the decision to transactions already posted — Established - Who may add a segment value, how it is named, and how it is retired — Established ## An account and a segment are two different things - Responsibility accounting is the practice of reporting revenues and expenses separately for each responsibility center in a business. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: businesses generally)_ `CG-MCE-004#S01` > “Responsibility accounting involves the separate reporting of revenues and expenses for each responsibility center in a business.” — [AccountingTools, Inc. — Responsibility accounting](https://www.accountingtools.com/articles/what-is-responsibility-accounting.html), 2026-09-07; Section: What is Responsibility Accounting?. Verified 2026-09-08. - In the profit-center example, several different account categories (sales revenue, cost of goods sold, controllable operating expenses) are reported against one unit, allowing per-unit contribution to overall profit to be assessed. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: retail store unit (as the stated example), conditions: stated as an example)_ `CG-MCE-004#S03` > “For example, a retail store manager may be accountable for sales revenue, cost of goods sold, and controllable operating expenses, helping higher management assess which units contribute most to overall profits.” — [AccountingTools, Inc. — Responsibility accounting](https://www.accountingtools.com/articles/what-is-responsibility-accounting.html), 2026-09-07; Section: When to Use Responsibility Accounting — Profit centers. Verified 2026-09-08. - In the worked example a single transaction carries both a division code and an account code, the invoice being coded WH-500 where 500 is the legal-expense account and WH identifies the division. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: business generally, conditions: stated as a worked example)_ `CG-MCE-004#S05` > “For example, when the Whine division incurs an expense for its legal activities (account code 500), the payables clerk codes the invoice to account WH-500, which is more easily remembered than the previous numeric account code for the division, which was 140.” — [AccountingTools, Inc. — What are Alphanumeric Department/Subsidiary Codes?](https://www.accountingtools.com/articles/alphanumeric-departmentsubsidiary-codes), AccountingTools article, current revision; site copyright 2026; Example of Alphanumeric Department/Subsidiary Codes. Verified 2026-09-08. - QuickBooks Online provides classes, which track income, expenses or profitability by business segment, and the feature is available in QuickBooks Online Plus and QuickBooks Online Advanced. _(jurisdiction: United States, entity_scope: Businesses using the stated QuickBooks Online products, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online Plus and QuickBooks Online Advanced; help article updated 8/25/2026)_ `CG-MCE-004#S11` > “Learn how to use classes to track income, expenses, or profitability by business segment. You can do this in QuickBooks Online Plus and QuickBooks Online Advanced.” — [Intuit Inc. — Get started with class tracking in QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/class-list/get-started-class-tracking-quickbooks-online/L04INPWiy_US_en_US), 2026-08-25; Body, opening paragraph. Verified 2026-09-08. - Classes represent meaningful segments of the company, such as store departments or product lines. _(jurisdiction: United States, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online Plus; QuickBooks Online Advanced)_ `CG-MCE-004#S17` > “New to class tracking? Classes represent meaningful segments in your company, like store departments or product lines.” — [Intuit Inc. — Track your transactions by class or dimension](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/class-list/track-transactions-class/L927QQfNV_US_en_US), 8/4/2026 04:34; Main Article > Introduction. Verified 2026-09-08. - Where the setting is 'One to entire transaction', a single class is assigned to the whole invoice or receipt via the Class dropdown. _(jurisdiction: United States, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online Plus; QuickBooks Online Advanced; Intuit Enterprise Suite, conditions: if you set One to entire transaction)_ `CG-MCE-004#S18` > “To assign one to entire invoice or receipt, select the Class ▼ dropdown (if you set One to entire transaction)” — [Intuit Inc. — Track your transactions by class or dimension](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/class-list/track-transactions-class/L927QQfNV_US_en_US), 8/4/2026 04:34; Section: "Tag a class to a transaction" > Instructions > step 4. Verified 2026-09-08. - Where the setting is 'One to each row in transaction', a class is added per item/row in the Class column. _(jurisdiction: United States, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online Plus; QuickBooks Online Advanced; Intuit Enterprise Suite, conditions: if you set One to each row in transaction)_ `CG-MCE-004#S19` > “To assign one to each item (or row), add the class in the Class column (if you set One to each row in transaction)” — [Intuit Inc. — Track your transactions by class or dimension](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/class-list/track-transactions-class/L927QQfNV_US_en_US), 8/4/2026 04:34; Section: "Tag a class to a transaction" > Instructions > step 4. Verified 2026-09-08. - Tags are customizable tracking labels that monitor specific areas of the business without affecting the accounting books (General Ledger). _(jurisdiction: United States, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online)_ `CG-MCE-004#S68` > “Tags are customizable tracking labels used to monitor specific areas of your business without affecting your accounting books (General Ledger).” — [Intuit Inc. — Custom fields and tagging in QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/class-list/tag-transactions-quickbooks-online/L7x3G0aLv_US_en_US), 8/5/2026 05:17; What are tags in QuickBooks?. Verified 2026-09-08. _Partly established. Established: the account and the segment are two independent properties of a transaction - the nature of the amount and the part of the business it belongs to (S05). Missing: most systems let one entry carry both._ ## How to decide between more accounts and a tracking dimension - Location tracking is available only on the QuickBooks Online Plus and QuickBooks Online Advanced subscription levels. _(jurisdiction: US, entity_scope: QuickBooks Online subscribers, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: Plus and Advanced, conditions: subscription level Plus or Advanced)_ `CG-MCE-004#S29` > “This feature is only available for QuickBooks Online Plus and QuickBooks Online Advanced.” — [Intuit Inc. — Set up and use location tracking](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/track-location/set-use-location-tracking/L2raFkEBC_US_en_US), 2026-08-04; Introduction — Note. Verified 2026-09-08. - The balance sheet cannot be filtered by class, because headers are not linked to classes. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: not stated, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online Plus; QuickBooks Online Advanced; Intuit Enterprise Suite)_ `CG-MCE-004#S46` > “You can't filter your balance sheet by class since headers aren't linked to classes.” — [Intuit Inc. — Run a balance sheet by class or location in QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/balance-sheet/run-balance-sheet-class-location/L2wj2NQT2_US_en_US), 2026-09-04; Filter by class. Verified 2026-09-08. - Both the balance sheet and the profit and loss can be filtered by location, because a location saved on a transaction is linked to both its header and its detail. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: not stated, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online Plus; QuickBooks Online Advanced; Intuit Enterprise Suite)_ `CG-MCE-004#S48` > “Unlike filtering by class, you can filter both your balance sheet and profit and loss by location because when you save a location on a transaction, it's linked to both the header and detail.” — [Intuit Inc. — Run a balance sheet by class or location in QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/balance-sheet/run-balance-sheet-class-location/L2wj2NQT2_US_en_US), 2026-09-04; Filter by location. Verified 2026-09-08. - QuickBooks Online applies usage limits that vary by subscription tier and that cap the number of billable users, chart-of-accounts entries, classes, locations and custom fields that can be added. _(jurisdiction: United States, platform: QuickBooks Online)_ `CG-MCE-004#S60` > “QuickBooks Online has usage limits that vary by subscription tier. These limits define how many billable users , chart of accounts , classes , locations , and custom fields you can add to QuickBooks.” — [Intuit Inc. — Learn about usage limits](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/intuit-subscriptions/learn-usage-limits-quickbooks-online/L6THMltE4_US_en_US), 2026-08-05; Article body, opening paragraph. Verified 2026-09-08. - QuickBooks Online Simple Start does not offer classes or locations. _(jurisdiction: United States, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online Simple Start)_ `CG-MCE-004#S61` > “Classes and locations (combined) : Not available for this subscription.” — [Intuit Inc. — Learn about usage limits](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/intuit-subscriptions/learn-usage-limits-quickbooks-online/L6THMltE4_US_en_US), 2026-08-05; Section: Usage limits by subscription > QuickBooks Online Simple Start. Verified 2026-09-08. - QuickBooks Online Essentials does not offer classes or locations. _(jurisdiction: United States, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online Essentials)_ `CG-MCE-004#S62` > “Classes and locations (combined) : Not available for this subscription.” — [Intuit Inc. — Learn about usage limits](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/intuit-subscriptions/learn-usage-limits-quickbooks-online/L6THMltE4_US_en_US), 2026-08-05; Section: Usage limits by subscription > QuickBooks Online Essentials. Verified 2026-09-08. - QuickBooks Online Plus permits 40 classes and locations combined. _(jurisdiction: United States, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online Plus)_ `CG-MCE-004#S63` > “Classes and locations (combined) : 40 combined classes and locations.” — [Intuit Inc. — Learn about usage limits](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/intuit-subscriptions/learn-usage-limits-quickbooks-online/L6THMltE4_US_en_US), 2026-08-05; Section: Usage limits by subscription > QuickBooks Online Plus. Verified 2026-09-08. - QuickBooks Online Advanced permits unlimited classes and locations. _(jurisdiction: United States, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online Advanced)_ `CG-MCE-004#S64` > “Classes and locations : Unlimited classes and locations.” — [Intuit Inc. — Learn about usage limits](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/intuit-subscriptions/learn-usage-limits-quickbooks-online/L6THMltE4_US_en_US), 2026-08-05; Section: Usage limits by subscription > QuickBooks Online Advanced. Verified 2026-09-08. - QuickBooks Online Plus caps the chart of accounts at 250 accounts. _(jurisdiction: United States, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online Plus)_ `CG-MCE-004#S65` > “Chart of accounts : Maximum of 250 accounts.” — [Intuit Inc. — Learn about usage limits](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/intuit-subscriptions/learn-usage-limits-quickbooks-online/L6THMltE4_US_en_US), 2026-08-05; Section: Usage limits by subscription > QuickBooks Online Plus. Verified 2026-09-08. - QuickBooks Online Advanced permits an unlimited number of chart-of-accounts entries. _(jurisdiction: United States, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online Advanced)_ `CG-MCE-004#S66` > “Chart of accounts : Unlimited accounts.” — [Intuit Inc. — Learn about usage limits](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/intuit-subscriptions/learn-usage-limits-quickbooks-online/L6THMltE4_US_en_US), 2026-08-05; Section: Usage limits by subscription > QuickBooks Online Advanced. Verified 2026-09-08. - On reaching a usage limit and being unable to add more items, the two options are to upgrade the subscription or to reduce usage. _(jurisdiction: United States, platform: QuickBooks Online)_ `CG-MCE-004#S67` > “When you reach your usage limits and can’t add any more items, like users or accounts, there are two options. You can either upgrade your subscription , or reduce your usage.” — [Intuit Inc. — Learn about usage limits](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/intuit-subscriptions/learn-usage-limits-quickbooks-online/L6THMltE4_US_en_US), 2026-08-05; Section: What happens when I reach my limit?. Verified 2026-09-08. - Zoho Books allows a maximum of 10 reporting tags, each with a maximum of 500 options. _(jurisdiction: not stated in the document, entity_scope: Zoho Books organizations (businesses using Zoho Books), platform: Zoho Books)_ `CG-MCE-004#S80` > “Note: You can create a maximum of 10 reporting tags and each reporting tag can have a maximum of 500 options.” — [Zoho Corporation Pvt. Ltd. — Reporting Tags | Help | Zoho Books](https://www.zoho.com/us/books/help/settings/reporting-tags.html), no last-updated date published on the page (retrieved 2026-09-08); Create Reporting Tags — Note. Verified 2026-09-08. - The Wave Tag Comparison report compares tags chosen by the user, up to a maximum of 7 tags at one time. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: Users of Wave accounting software, platform: Wave, platform_edition: Pro Plan, conditions: Tags are part of Wave’s Pro Plan subscription)_ `CG-MCE-004#S105` > “Choose the tags to compare. You can select up to 7 tags at one time.” — [Wave Financial Inc. — View and understand your Tag Comparison (Profit & Loss by tag) report](https://support.waveapps.com/hc/en-us/articles/44469817056916-View-and-understand-your-Tag-Comparison-Profit-Loss-by-tag-report), 2026-08-26; Section 'View your Tag Comparison report', step 5. Verified 2026-09-08. _Partly established. Established: the number of segments (S60, S63, S64, S80); whether the breakdown must reach the balance sheet or only the profit and loss (S46, S48). Missing: how many accounts a per-segment replication would create; whether segments are added and retired over time._ _Required authority: high quality professional secondary reference, official platform documentation. Highest achieved: official platform documentation._ ## What each approach can actually report - The Profit and Loss by Class report, in the Business overview report group, groups income, expenses and net income by class. _(jurisdiction: United States, entity_scope: Businesses using the stated QuickBooks Online products, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online Plus and Advanced; help article updated 8/5/2026)_ `CG-MCE-004#S31` > “Go to the Business overview group of reports, then run Profit and Loss by Class . This groups your income, expenses, and net income by class.” — [Intuit Inc. — Run reports by class in QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/class-list/run-reports-class/L73XjI7rG_US_en_US), 2026-08-05; See your profitability by class. Verified 2026-09-08. - The Sales by Class Detail report groups sales by class and shows date, type, product or service, quantity, rate, amount and balance. _(jurisdiction: United States, entity_scope: Businesses using the stated QuickBooks Online products, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online Plus and Advanced; help article updated 8/5/2026)_ `CG-MCE-004#S32` > “Sales by Class Detail . This groups your sales by class, and shows more info, like date, type, product or service, quantity, rate, amount, and balance.” — [Intuit Inc. — Run reports by class in QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/class-list/run-reports-class/L73XjI7rG_US_en_US), 2026-08-05; See sales performance by class. Verified 2026-09-08. - Some other reports can be customized to group their information by class. _(jurisdiction: United States, entity_scope: Businesses using the stated QuickBooks Online products, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online Plus and Advanced; help article updated 8/5/2026)_ `CG-MCE-004#S33` > “You can also customize some reports like (expenses by vendor summary) to group info by class.” — [Intuit Inc. — Run reports by class in QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/class-list/run-reports-class/L73XjI7rG_US_en_US), 2026-08-05; See transactions and balances by class in other reports. Verified 2026-09-08. - QuickBooks cannot directly produce a Profit & Loss report showing only the same subclass appearing under several classes; the article gives a workaround as the best available. _(jurisdiction: United States, platform: QuickBooks Desktop, platform_edition: QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus / Premier Plus / Mac Plus (article updated 8/4/2026))_ `CG-MCE-004#S34` > “If you have the same subclass under several classes, you may want to see a P&L report showing only the same subclass (Example: Subclasses 1C, 2C, and 3C). The best that QuickBooks can do is:” — [Intuit Inc. — Filter, sort or total reports by class in QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/list-management/filter-sort-total-reports-class/L6VZni5Ba_US_en_US), 2026-08-04; Section: P&L report showing subclasses only. Verified 2026-09-08. - A Business Overview report such as Profit and Loss is filtered by a reporting tag through Customize > General > Advanced Filters, choosing the tag, a comparator and an option. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: Zoho Books organizations, platform: Zoho Books, conditions: Advanced Reporting Tags enabled for the organization)_ `CG-MCE-004#S92` > “Under Advanced Filters , select the reporting tag you want to filter the report by in the first dropdown, choose the comparator in the second dropdown, and select the option you want to filter the reporting tag with in the third dropdown.” — [Zoho Corporation Pvt. Ltd. — Reporting Tags | Help | Zoho Books](https://www.zoho.com/us/books/help/settings/advanced-reporting-tag.html), Zoho Books US help site, Advanced Reporting Tags flow; no version or revision label printed; Section: Generate Reports - filtering steps. Verified 2026-09-08. - A Business Overview report can be compared across reporting tags by choosing Compare With and then Compare Based on Reporting Tags. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: Zoho Books organizations, platform: Zoho Books, conditions: Advanced Reporting Tags enabled for the organization)_ `CG-MCE-004#S93` > “Click Compare With and select the Compare Based on Period/Year dropdown in the Compare With pop-up. Then, select Compare Based on Reporting Tags .” — [Zoho Corporation Pvt. Ltd. — Reporting Tags | Help | Zoho Books](https://www.zoho.com/us/books/help/settings/advanced-reporting-tag.html), Zoho Books US help site, Advanced Reporting Tags flow; no version or revision label printed; Section: Generate Reports - comparison steps. Verified 2026-09-08. - The Balance Sheet report can be compared with a specific period/year, projects or reporting tags. _(jurisdiction: not stated in the document, entity_scope: Zoho Books organizations (businesses using Zoho Books), platform: Zoho Books)_ `CG-MCE-004#S94` > “Compare You can compare the report with a specific period/year, projects or reporting tags.” — [Zoho Corporation Pvt. Ltd. — Business Overview Reports](https://www.zoho.com/us/books/help/reports/business-overview.html), no last-updated date published on the page (retrieved 2026-09-08); Balance Sheet — Customize > General, Compare filter. Verified 2026-09-08. - Comparing by reporting tags and branches generates equity statements for multiple reporting tags and branches, whereas reporting tags and branches used in advanced filters only filter the generated report. _(jurisdiction: not stated in the document, entity_scope: Zoho Books organizations (businesses using Zoho Books), platform: Zoho Books)_ `CG-MCE-004#S95` > “Note: Comparing based on reporting tags and branches allows you to generate equity statements for multiple reporting tags and branches created in the organization, while reporting tags and branches in advanced filters are used solely to filter the generated report.” — [Zoho Corporation Pvt. Ltd. — Business Overview Reports](https://www.zoho.com/us/books/help/reports/business-overview.html), no last-updated date published on the page (retrieved 2026-09-08); Movement of Equity — Customize > General, Note. Verified 2026-09-08. - See above: The Wave Tag Comparison report compares tags chosen by the user, up to a maximum of 7 tags at one time. ([CG-MCE-004#S105](#s-CG-MCE-004-S105)) - The Wave Tag Comparison report shows a side-by-side comparison of the income and expenses of multiple tags for a specified time period. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: Users of Wave accounting software, platform: Wave, platform_edition: Pro Plan, conditions: Tags are part of Wave’s Pro Plan subscription)_ `CG-MCE-004#S106` > “The Tag Comparison report allows you to see a side-by-side comparison of the income and expenses of multiple tags for a specific time period.” — [Wave Financial Inc. — View and understand your Tag Comparison (Profit & Loss by tag) report](https://support.waveapps.com/hc/en-us/articles/44469817056916-View-and-understand-your-Tag-Comparison-Profit-Loss-by-tag-report), 2026-08-26; Section 'Understand your Tag Comparison report', first paragraph. Verified 2026-09-08. - The Wave Tag Comparison report presents, at the top, the net profit of each tag and the combined total net profit of all tags shown. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: Users of Wave accounting software, platform: Wave, platform_edition: Pro Plan, conditions: Tags are part of Wave’s Pro Plan subscription)_ `CG-MCE-004#S107` > “At the top of the report, review the net profit of each tag and the total net profit of all tags combined.” — [Wave Financial Inc. — View and understand your Tag Comparison (Profit & Loss by tag) report](https://support.waveapps.com/hc/en-us/articles/44469817056916-View-and-understand-your-Tag-Comparison-Profit-Loss-by-tag-report), 2026-08-26; Section 'Understand your Tag Comparison report'. Verified 2026-09-08. - The Wave Tag Comparison report is divided into income, cost of goods sold and expense sections. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: Users of Wave accounting software, platform: Wave, platform_edition: Pro Plan, conditions: Tags are part of Wave’s Pro Plan subscription)_ `CG-MCE-004#S108` > “The report is divided into sections to show income, cost of goods sold, and expenses.” — [Wave Financial Inc. — View and understand your Tag Comparison (Profit & Loss by tag) report](https://support.waveapps.com/hc/en-us/articles/44469817056916-View-and-understand-your-Tag-Comparison-Profit-Loss-by-tag-report), 2026-08-26; Section 'Understand your Tag Comparison report'. Verified 2026-09-08. - The Wave Tag Comparison report excludes asset, liability and equity accounts. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: Users of Wave accounting software, platform: Wave, platform_edition: Pro Plan, conditions: Tags are part of Wave’s Pro Plan subscription)_ `CG-MCE-004#S109` > “Asset, liability, and equity accounts are not included in the comparison report.” — [Wave Financial Inc. — View and understand your Tag Comparison (Profit & Loss by tag) report](https://support.waveapps.com/hc/en-us/articles/44469817056916-View-and-understand-your-Tag-Comparison-Profit-Loss-by-tag-report), 2026-08-26; Section 'Understand your Tag Comparison report'. Verified 2026-09-08. - A department-masked report shows data only for the accounts matching the specified mask; in the example, only accounts ending in C for the Construction Department appear. _(jurisdiction: Not stated in the document (published on the Sage US knowledge base; a US support telephone number is given), entity_scope: Users of the named Sage 50 product editions, platform: Sage 50, platform_edition: Sage 50 Pro or Complete (per document title); Applies to: Sage 50, Sage 50 Cloud)_ `CG-MCE-004#S124` > “The report will display data for the accounts that fit into the department mask that you have specified. In the example here, accounts that end in the letter C (for Construction Department) will be shown.” — [Sage Group plc — How to create departmental financial statements in version Pro or Complete](https://us-kb.sage.com/portal/app/portlets/results/viewsolution.jsp?solutionid=221924550011651), 2022-11-21; Section II — final paragraph (Preview step). Verified 2026-09-08. - A correctly masked rollup report displays the total of the specified departmental accounts under the master account's description. _(jurisdiction: Not stated in the document (published on the Sage US knowledge base; a US support telephone number is given), entity_scope: Users of the named Sage 50 product editions, platform: Sage 50, platform_edition: Sage 50 Pro or Complete (per document title); Applies to: Sage 50, Sage 50 Cloud)_ `CG-MCE-004#S125` > “When the Rollup Mask has been used properly, the report will display the total of the departmental accounts specified with the description of the Master account.” — [Sage Group plc — How to create departmental financial statements in version Pro or Complete](https://us-kb.sage.com/portal/app/portlets/results/viewsolution.jsp?solutionid=221924550011651), 2022-11-21; Section III — Note after step 10. Verified 2026-09-08. _Not established from an authoritative source._ ## What happens when you duplicate accounts for every segment - Many organizations compile expense information separately by department, giving each department the same set of expense accounts. _(jurisdiction: not stated in the document, entity_scope: organizations that compile expense information by department)_ `CG-MCE-004#S09` > “Many organizations structure their chart of accounts so that expense information is separately compiled by department; thus, the sales department, engineering department, and accounting department all have the same set of expense accounts.” — [AccountingTools, Inc. — Chart of accounts definition](https://www.accountingtools.com/articles/the-chart-of-accounts), undated at census time; AccountingTools re-dates articles on revision (page footer: Copyright 2026); What is the Chart of Accounts?. Verified 2026-09-08. - The multi-segment format carries multiple segments or dimensions such as department, location or project within the account number, and is described as ideal for medium to large businesses needing detailed financial tracking. _(jurisdiction: not stated in the document, entity_scope: medium to large businesses needing detailed financial tracking)_ `CG-MCE-004#S10` > “Uses multiple segments or dimensions (like department, location, or project) within account numbers. This format is ideal for medium to large businesses needing detailed financial tracking.” — [AccountingTools, Inc. — Chart of accounts definition](https://www.accountingtools.com/articles/the-chart-of-accounts), undated at census time; AccountingTools re-dates articles on revision (page footer: Copyright 2026); Types of Chart of Accounts Formats > Multi-Segment (Segmented) Format. Verified 2026-09-08. - See above: QuickBooks Online applies usage limits that vary by subscription tier and that cap the number of billable users, chart-of-accounts entries, classes, locations and custom fields that can be added. ([CG-MCE-004#S60](#s-CG-MCE-004-S60)) - See above: QuickBooks Online Plus caps the chart of accounts at 250 accounts. ([CG-MCE-004#S65](#s-CG-MCE-004-S65)) - See above: QuickBooks Online Advanced permits an unlimited number of chart-of-accounts entries. ([CG-MCE-004#S66](#s-CG-MCE-004-S66)) - See above: On reaching a usage limit and being unable to add more items, the two options are to upgrade the subscription or to reduce usage. ([CG-MCE-004#S67](#s-CG-MCE-004-S67)) - Departmental reporting in Sage 50 is carried by General Ledger accounts that embed the department code, and that code must sit at the end of the account ID. _(jurisdiction: Not stated in the document (published on the Sage US knowledge base; a US support telephone number is given), entity_scope: Users of the named Sage 50 product editions, platform: Sage 50, platform_edition: Sage 50 Pro or Complete (per document title); Applies to: Sage 50, Sage 50 Cloud)_ `CG-MCE-004#S119` > “You will then create General Ledger accounts that contain the department code. It is essential to have the department code at the end of the account ID.” — [Sage Group plc — How to create departmental financial statements in version Pro or Complete](https://us-kb.sage.com/portal/app/portlets/results/viewsolution.jsp?solutionid=221924550011651), 2022-11-21; Section I: Creating General Ledger department accounts. Verified 2026-09-08. - The article's example shows a separate General Ledger account 40000-C named Sales-Construction for the Construction department. _(jurisdiction: Not stated in the document (published on the Sage US knowledge base; a US support telephone number is given), entity_scope: Users of the named Sage 50 product editions, platform: Sage 50, platform_edition: Sage 50 Pro or Complete (per document title); Applies to: Sage 50, Sage 50 Cloud)_ `CG-MCE-004#S120` > “40000-C Sales-Construction” — [Sage Group plc — How to create departmental financial statements in version Pro or Complete](https://us-kb.sage.com/portal/app/portlets/results/viewsolution.jsp?solutionid=221924550011651), 2022-11-21; Section I — worked example of departmental account IDs. Verified 2026-09-08. - The article's example shows a second, parallel General Ledger account 40000-R named Sales-Retail for the Retail department, alongside the Construction one. _(jurisdiction: Not stated in the document (published on the Sage US knowledge base; a US support telephone number is given), entity_scope: Users of the named Sage 50 product editions, platform: Sage 50, platform_edition: Sage 50 Pro or Complete (per document title); Applies to: Sage 50, Sage 50 Cloud)_ `CG-MCE-004#S121` > “40000-R Sales-Retail” — [Sage Group plc — How to create departmental financial statements in version Pro or Complete](https://us-kb.sage.com/portal/app/portlets/results/viewsolution.jsp?solutionid=221924550011651), 2022-11-21; Section I — worked example of departmental account IDs. Verified 2026-09-08. - The masked design is saved as a separate, newly named financial statement, such as Department C Income Statement. _(jurisdiction: Not stated in the document (published on the Sage US knowledge base; a US support telephone number is given), entity_scope: Users of the named Sage 50 product editions, platform: Sage 50, platform_edition: Sage 50 Pro or Complete (per document title); Applies to: Sage 50, Sage 50 Cloud)_ `CG-MCE-004#S123` > “To save the new financial statement design, select the Save button in the design window. Enter a new name (i.e., Department C Income Statement) and click OK.” — [Sage Group plc — How to create departmental financial statements in version Pro or Complete](https://us-kb.sage.com/portal/app/portlets/results/viewsolution.jsp?solutionid=221924550011651), 2022-11-21; Section II — step 10. Verified 2026-09-08. - See above: A correctly masked rollup report displays the total of the specified departmental accounts under the master account's description. ([CG-MCE-004#S125](#s-CG-MCE-004-S125)) - Under the example rollup, every account beginning with 4 that carries a department code is rolled into its master account, while any account without a department code is printed on its own line. _(jurisdiction: Not stated in the document (published on the Sage US knowledge base; a US support telephone number is given), entity_scope: Users of the named Sage 50 product editions, platform: Sage 50, platform_edition: Sage 50 Pro or Complete (per document title); Applies to: Sage 50, Sage 50 Cloud)_ `CG-MCE-004#S126` > “All accounts that start with a 4, and have a department code, will be rolled up into their respective master accounts. Any account that does not have a department code will be printed on its own line.” — [Sage Group plc — How to create departmental financial statements in version Pro or Complete](https://us-kb.sage.com/portal/app/portlets/results/viewsolution.jsp?solutionid=221924550011651), 2022-11-21; Section III — closing paragraph. Verified 2026-09-08. - Rollup can be applied to any section of the financial statement being customized, each section requiring its own Line Description to be modified; the article's examples are Cost of Goods Sold and Expenses. _(jurisdiction: Not stated in the document (published on the Sage US knowledge base; a US support telephone number is given), entity_scope: Users of the named Sage 50 product editions, platform: Sage 50, platform_edition: Sage 50 Pro or Complete (per document title); Applies to: Sage 50, Sage 50 Cloud)_ `CG-MCE-004#S127` > “You can rollup account activity in any section of the Financial Statement you are customizing. For example, if you rollup accounts in the Cost of Goods Sold or Expenses sections, you would go back to the design screen and modify the corresponding Line Descriptions for those sections.” — [Sage Group plc — How to create departmental financial statements in version Pro or Complete](https://us-kb.sage.com/portal/app/portlets/results/viewsolution.jsp?solutionid=221924550011651), 2022-11-21; Section III — closing paragraph. Verified 2026-09-08. _Partly established. Established: the multiplication effect of creating parallel accounts for each segment (S09, S121); its consequences for consolidating (S125, S126, S127). Missing: its consequences for reading the chart; its consequences for maintaining the structure as segments are added._ ## The kinds of tracking dimension small-business software offers - See above: QuickBooks Online provides classes, which track income, expenses or profitability by business segment, and the feature is available in QuickBooks Online Plus and QuickBooks Online Advanced. ([CG-MCE-004#S11](#s-CG-MCE-004-S11)) - QuickBooks provides a Projects feature that tracks job costs and income for project work. _(jurisdiction: United States, entity_scope: Businesses using the stated QuickBooks Online products, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: Help article updated 8/25/2026, conditions: the business works on projects)_ `CG-MCE-004#S12` > “If you work on projects, use the Projects feature to track your job costs and income. You can manage your work and see your progress from a single dashboard.” — [Intuit Inc. — Get started with class tracking in QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/class-list/get-started-class-tracking-quickbooks-online/L04INPWiy_US_en_US), 2026-08-25; Pick the tool that’s right for you. Verified 2026-09-08. - QuickBooks provides categories for grouping the products and services a business sells, as a way of classifying sales. _(jurisdiction: United States, entity_scope: Businesses using the stated QuickBooks Online products, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: Help article updated 8/25/2026, conditions: the things sold need to be classified)_ `CG-MCE-004#S13` > “If you need to classify the things you sell, group them into different categories . This way of grouping gives you a clearer picture of your sales.” — [Intuit Inc. — Get started with class tracking in QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/class-list/get-started-class-tracking-quickbooks-online/L04INPWiy_US_en_US), 2026-08-25; Pick the tool that’s right for you. Verified 2026-09-08. - Classes are assigned to transactions in QuickBooks Online Plus and QuickBooks Online Advanced, while dimensions are the corresponding facility in Intuit Enterprise Suite. _(jurisdiction: United States, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online Plus; QuickBooks Online Advanced; Intuit Enterprise Suite)_ `CG-MCE-004#S16` > “Learn how to assign classes to transactions in QuickBooks Online Plus and QuickBooks Online Advanced or by dimensions in Intuit Enterprise Suite.” — [Intuit Inc. — Track your transactions by class or dimension](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/class-list/track-transactions-class/L927QQfNV_US_en_US), 8/4/2026 04:34; Main Article: "Track your transactions by class or dimension" > Introduction. Verified 2026-09-08. - See above: Classes represent meaningful segments of the company, such as store departments or product lines. ([CG-MCE-004#S17](#s-CG-MCE-004-S17)) - See above: Where the setting is 'One to entire transaction', a single class is assigned to the whole invoice or receipt via the Class dropdown. ([CG-MCE-004#S18](#s-CG-MCE-004-S18)) - See above: Where the setting is 'One to each row in transaction', a class is added per item/row in the Class column. ([CG-MCE-004#S19](#s-CG-MCE-004-S19)) - See above: Location tracking is available only on the QuickBooks Online Plus and QuickBooks Online Advanced subscription levels. ([CG-MCE-004#S29](#s-CG-MCE-004-S29)) - QuickBooks Desktop provides classes and subclasses as an additional way to categorize data, alongside account, customer and vendor. _(jurisdiction: United States, platform: QuickBooks Desktop, platform_edition: QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus / Premier Plus / Mac Plus (article updated 8/4/2026))_ `CG-MCE-004#S35` > “Classes and subclasses are additional means to categorize data in QuickBooks Desktop (in addition to account, customer, vendor, etc.).” — [Intuit Inc. — Filter, sort or total reports by class in QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/list-management/filter-sort-total-reports-class/L6VZni5Ba_US_en_US), 2026-08-04; Article body, first paragraph. Verified 2026-09-08. - See above: Tags are customizable tracking labels that monitor specific areas of the business without affecting the accounting books (General Ledger). ([CG-MCE-004#S68](#s-CG-MCE-004-S68)) - Tags, unlike Classes or Locations, do not impact the P&L or Balance Sheet reports unless a 'Profit and Loss by Tag' report is specifically run. _(jurisdiction: United States, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online)_ `CG-MCE-004#S69` > “Unlike Classes or Locations, tags are highly flexible and don't impact your P&L or Balance Sheet reports unless you specifically run a "Profit and Loss by Tag" report.” — [Intuit Inc. — Custom fields and tagging in QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/class-list/tag-transactions-quickbooks-online/L7x3G0aLv_US_en_US), 8/5/2026 05:17; What are tags in QuickBooks?. Verified 2026-09-08. - QuickBooks Desktop users track comparable data using Classes, Job Costing or Custom Fields. _(jurisdiction: United States, platform: QuickBooks Desktop, platform_edition: QuickBooks Desktop)_ `CG-MCE-004#S71` > “QuickBooks Desktop users track similar data using Classes, Job Costing, or Custom Fields.” — [Intuit Inc. — Custom fields and tagging in QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/class-list/tag-transactions-quickbooks-online/L7x3G0aLv_US_en_US), 8/5/2026 05:17; Tags in QuickBooks Online vs. QuickBooks Desktop > QuickBooks Desktop. Verified 2026-09-08. - From May 16, 2025 tags can no longer be created for reporting; instead tags may be migrated to a custom field for tracking and reporting across all QuickBooks Online plans. _(jurisdiction: United States, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: all QuickBooks Online plans, effective_from: 2025-05-16)_ `CG-MCE-004#S72` > “Beginning May 16, 2025, there will no longer be an option to create tags for reporting. Instead, there is an option to migrate tags to a custom field for tracking and reporting purposes for all QuickBooks Online plans.” — [Intuit Inc. — Custom fields and tagging in QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/class-list/tag-transactions-quickbooks-online/L7x3G0aLv_US_en_US), 8/5/2026 05:17; QuickBooks Online Tags discontinuation dates. Verified 2026-09-08. - All QuickBooks Online plans support dropdown-list custom fields, but the number of available fields and the data formats vary by subscription level. _(jurisdiction: United States, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: all QuickBooks Online plans)_ `CG-MCE-004#S74` > “While all QuickBooks Online plans support dropdown lists, the number of available fields and data formats vary by subscription level.” — [Intuit Inc. — Custom fields and tagging in QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/class-list/tag-transactions-quickbooks-online/L7x3G0aLv_US_en_US), 8/5/2026 05:17; Plan limits and data types. Verified 2026-09-08. - See above: Zoho Books allows a maximum of 10 reporting tags, each with a maximum of 500 options. ([CG-MCE-004#S80](#s-CG-MCE-004-S80)) - Reporting tags are created as tags with options and can be applied at both the transaction level and the line item level to filter and track transactions. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: Zoho Books organizations, platform: Zoho Books, conditions: Advanced Reporting Tags enabled for the organization)_ `CG-MCE-004#S84` > “Reporting Tags in Zoho Books allow you to filter and track transactions with precision by creating tags and options that can be applied at both the transaction and line item level.” — [Zoho Corporation Pvt. Ltd. — Reporting Tags | Help | Zoho Books](https://www.zoho.com/us/books/help/settings/advanced-reporting-tag.html), Zoho Books US help site, Advanced Reporting Tags flow; no version or revision label printed; Intro paragraph. Verified 2026-09-08. - Reporting tags can be associated with Customers, Vendors, Items, Quotes, Sales Orders, Invoices, Recurring Invoices, Credit Notes, Expenses, Recurring Expenses, Purchase Orders, Bills, Recurring Bills, Vendor Credits, Retainer Invoices, Customer Payments, Vendor Payments, Inventory Adjustments, Sales Receipts, Fixed Assets, Banking and Journal Entries. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: Zoho Books organizations, platform: Zoho Books, conditions: Advanced Reporting Tags enabled for the organization)_ `CG-MCE-004#S85` > “You can associate reporting tags with Customers, Vendors, Items, Quotes, Sales Orders, Invoices, Recurring Invoices, Credit Notes, Expenses, Recurring Expenses, Purchase Orders, Bills, Recurring Bills, Vendor Credits, Retainer Invoices, Customer Payments, Vendor Payments, Inventory Adjustments, Sales Receipts, Fixed Assets, Banking, and Journal Entries.” — [Zoho Corporation Pvt. Ltd. — Reporting Tags | Help | Zoho Books](https://www.zoho.com/us/books/help/settings/advanced-reporting-tag.html), Zoho Books US help site, Advanced Reporting Tags flow; no version or revision label printed; Paragraph following the Scenario box. Verified 2026-09-08. - For the Sales, Purchases, Journals and Inventory Adjustments modules the user chooses whether the reporting tag applies at transaction level or at line item level. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: Zoho Books organizations, platform: Zoho Books, conditions: Advanced Reporting Tags enabled for the organization)_ `CG-MCE-004#S86` > “For certain modules such as Sales, Purchases, Journals, and Inventory Adjustments, you can choose to apply the reporting tag either At Transaction Level or At Line Item Level .” — [Zoho Corporation Pvt. Ltd. — Reporting Tags | Help | Zoho Books](https://www.zoho.com/us/books/help/settings/advanced-reporting-tag.html), Zoho Books US help site, Advanced Reporting Tags flow; no version or revision label printed; Section: Create Reporting Tags - step on 'Associate This Reporting Tag To'. Verified 2026-09-08. - Reporting tag options can be organised in a parent-child hierarchy, their visibility controlled by mapping them to other tags or locations, and user access to transactions restricted based on associated tags and locations. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: Zoho Books organizations, platform: Zoho Books, conditions: Advanced Reporting Tags enabled for the organization)_ `CG-MCE-004#S87` > “You can organize options in a parent-child hierarchy, control their visibility by mapping them with other tags or locations, and restrict user access to transactions based on associated tags and locations.” — [Zoho Corporation Pvt. Ltd. — Reporting Tags | Help | Zoho Books](https://www.zoho.com/us/books/help/settings/advanced-reporting-tag.html), Zoho Books US help site, Advanced Reporting Tags flow; no version or revision label printed; Intro paragraph. Verified 2026-09-08. - Reporting tag options can be arranged as a parent-child hierarchy of up to five levels, and the options can be reordered. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: Zoho Books organizations, platform: Zoho Books, conditions: Advanced Reporting Tags enabled for the organization)_ `CG-MCE-004#S88` > “You can also arrange these options in a parent-child hierarchy. This means you can create a main option and add sub-options under it. You can create up to five levels in this hierarchy. Additionally, you can reorder the options if needed.” — [Zoho Corporation Pvt. Ltd. — Reporting Tags | Help | Zoho Books](https://www.zoho.com/us/books/help/settings/advanced-reporting-tag.html), Zoho Books US help site, Advanced Reporting Tags flow; no version or revision label printed; Section: Configure Options. Verified 2026-09-08. - See above: A Business Overview report such as Profit and Loss is filtered by a reporting tag through Customize > General > Advanced Filters, choosing the tag, a comparator and an option. ([CG-MCE-004#S92](#s-CG-MCE-004-S92)) - See above: A Business Overview report can be compared across reporting tags by choosing Compare With and then Compare Based on Reporting Tags. ([CG-MCE-004#S93](#s-CG-MCE-004-S93)) - See above: Comparing by reporting tags and branches generates equity statements for multiple reporting tags and branches, whereas reporting tags and branches used in advanced filters only filter the generated report. ([CG-MCE-004#S95](#s-CG-MCE-004-S95)) - Wave tags are custom labels that can be added to transactions and invoices to track things such as events, properties and projects. _(platform: Wave, platform_edition: Wave web, current help article)_ `CG-MCE-004#S102` > “Tags are custom labels that can be added to your transactions and invoices to track specific events, properties, projects, and more.” — [Wave Financial Inc. — Create or edit a tag](https://support.waveapps.com/hc/en-us/articles/43933110874388-Create-or-edit-a-tag), Wave (web), Pro Plan feature; current help-centre article; Article body, introduction. Verified 2026-09-08. _Partly established. Established: the kinds of tracking dimension a small-business platform offers (S35, S71); whether they can be combined in a single report (S95). Missing: how they differ in what they attach to; whether more than one can be used at once._ ## Whether the breakdown can reach the balance sheet - In QuickBooks every transaction consists of two parts, a header and a detail. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: not stated, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online Plus; QuickBooks Online Advanced; Intuit Enterprise Suite)_ `CG-MCE-004#S42` > “Every transaction is separated into 2 parts: the header and the detail. For example:” — [Intuit Inc. — Run a balance sheet by class or location in QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/balance-sheet/run-balance-sheet-class-location/L2wj2NQT2_US_en_US), 2026-09-04; Header and detail. Verified 2026-09-08. - The balance sheet report draws its data from transaction headers and the profit and loss report draws its data from transaction details. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: not stated, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online Plus; QuickBooks Online Advanced; Intuit Enterprise Suite)_ `CG-MCE-004#S43` > “Depending on the type of report you run, QuickBooks uses info from the headers or details. For example, the balance sheet uses data from headers, while profit and loss uses data from the details.” — [Intuit Inc. — Run a balance sheet by class or location in QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/balance-sheet/run-balance-sheet-class-location/L2wj2NQT2_US_en_US), 2026-09-04; Header and detail. Verified 2026-09-08. - The class dimension is linked only to the detail part of a transaction. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: not stated, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online Plus; QuickBooks Online Advanced; Intuit Enterprise Suite)_ `CG-MCE-004#S44` > “* Classes are only linked to details.” — [Intuit Inc. — Run a balance sheet by class or location in QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/balance-sheet/run-balance-sheet-class-location/L2wj2NQT2_US_en_US), 2026-09-04; Header and detail - bullet list. Verified 2026-09-08. - The location dimension is linked to both the header and the detail part of a transaction. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: not stated, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online Plus; QuickBooks Online Advanced; Intuit Enterprise Suite)_ `CG-MCE-004#S45` > “* Locations are linked to both headers and details.” — [Intuit Inc. — Run a balance sheet by class or location in QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/balance-sheet/run-balance-sheet-class-location/L2wj2NQT2_US_en_US), 2026-09-04; Header and detail - bullet list. Verified 2026-09-08. - See above: The balance sheet cannot be filtered by class, because headers are not linked to classes. ([CG-MCE-004#S46](#s-CG-MCE-004-S46)) - The profit and loss report can be filtered by class, because details are linked to classes. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: not stated, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online Plus; QuickBooks Online Advanced; Intuit Enterprise Suite)_ `CG-MCE-004#S47` > “However, you can filter your profit and loss by class since details are linked to classes.” — [Intuit Inc. — Run a balance sheet by class or location in QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/balance-sheet/run-balance-sheet-class-location/L2wj2NQT2_US_en_US), 2026-09-04; Filter by class. Verified 2026-09-08. - See above: Both the balance sheet and the profit and loss can be filtered by location, because a location saved on a transaction is linked to both its header and its detail. ([CG-MCE-004#S48](#s-CG-MCE-004-S48)) - QuickBooks Desktop has a Balance Sheet by Class report that presents the balance sheet by fund, location or other user-defined classes. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: not stated, platform: QuickBooks Desktop, platform_edition: QuickBooks Desktop)_ `CG-MCE-004#S51` > “Balance Sheet by Class lets you see your balance sheet by fund, location, or other classes that you set up.” — [Intuit Inc. — What transactions are not supported by Balance Sheet by Class in QuickBooks Desktop?](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/business-reports/transactions-supported-balance-sheet-class-desktop/L7I9cjyfa_US_en_US), 2026-08-05; Article introduction. Verified 2026-09-08. - For a class-assigned journal entry, debits must equal credits within each class; otherwise the entry is class-unbalanced and shows as unclassified on the Balance Sheet by Class on both bases. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: not stated, platform: QuickBooks Desktop, platform_edition: QuickBooks Desktop, accounting_basis: accrual and cash)_ `CG-MCE-004#S53` > “When you assign classes in journal entries, debits must equal credits for each class. Otherwise, the entry becomes "unbalanced" from the classes' perspective and shows as unclassified on both accrual and cash basis of Balance Sheet by Class.” — [Intuit Inc. — What transactions are not supported by Balance Sheet by Class in QuickBooks Desktop?](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/business-reports/transactions-supported-balance-sheet-class-desktop/L7I9cjyfa_US_en_US), 2026-08-05; Journal entry with unbalanced classes. Verified 2026-09-08. - The Balance Sheet by Class report supports only one class per paycheck, and paychecks carrying multiple classes produce unclassified amounts on both bases. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: not stated, platform: QuickBooks Desktop, platform_edition: QuickBooks Desktop, accounting_basis: accrual and cash)_ `CG-MCE-004#S54` > “The Balance Sheet by Class report only supports one class per paycheck. Paychecks with multiple classes create unclassified amounts on both accrual and cash basis of Balance Sheet by Class.” — [Intuit Inc. — What transactions are not supported by Balance Sheet by Class in QuickBooks Desktop?](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/business-reports/transactions-supported-balance-sheet-class-desktop/L7I9cjyfa_US_en_US), 2026-08-05; Paycheck with multiple classes. Verified 2026-09-08. - QuickBooks does not automatically assign classes to payroll liability checks, so the check amount shows as unclassified on both bases of the report. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: not stated, platform: QuickBooks Desktop, platform_edition: QuickBooks Desktop, accounting_basis: accrual and cash)_ `CG-MCE-004#S55` > “QuickBooks doesn't automatically assign classes to payroll liability checks. The check amount shows as unclassified on both accrual and cash basis of the report.” — [Intuit Inc. — What transactions are not supported by Balance Sheet by Class in QuickBooks Desktop?](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/business-reports/transactions-supported-balance-sheet-class-desktop/L7I9cjyfa_US_en_US), 2026-08-05; Payroll liability check. Verified 2026-09-08. - A class cannot be assigned to a sales tax payment, so the payment shows as unclassified on both bases of the Balance Sheet by Class. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: not stated, platform: QuickBooks Desktop, platform_edition: QuickBooks Desktop, accounting_basis: accrual and cash)_ `CG-MCE-004#S56` > “You can't assign a class to a sales tax payment. The payment shows as unclassified on both accrual and cash basis of Balance Sheet by Class.” — [Intuit Inc. — What transactions are not supported by Balance Sheet by Class in QuickBooks Desktop?](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/business-reports/transactions-supported-balance-sheet-class-desktop/L7I9cjyfa_US_en_US), 2026-08-05; Sales tax payment. Verified 2026-09-08. - Multi-currency transactions produce unclassified amounts and unbalanced classes on the Balance Sheet by Class on both cash and accrual bases. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: not stated, platform: QuickBooks Desktop, platform_edition: QuickBooks Desktop, accounting_basis: accrual and cash)_ `CG-MCE-004#S57` > “Multi-currency transactions create unclassified amounts and unbalanced classes, both on cash and accrual basis of Balance Sheet by Class.” — [Intuit Inc. — What transactions are not supported by Balance Sheet by Class in QuickBooks Desktop?](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/business-reports/transactions-supported-balance-sheet-class-desktop/L7I9cjyfa_US_en_US), 2026-08-05; Multi-currency transactions. Verified 2026-09-08. - Classes cannot be assigned to inventory build assemblies and QuickBooks cannot classify those items on the Balance Sheet by Class report. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: not stated, platform: QuickBooks Desktop, platform_edition: QuickBooks Desktop)_ `CG-MCE-004#S58` > “You can't assign classes to inventory build assemblies. QuickBooks can't classify these items on the Balance Sheet by Class report.” — [Intuit Inc. — What transactions are not supported by Balance Sheet by Class in QuickBooks Desktop?](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/business-reports/transactions-supported-balance-sheet-class-desktop/L7I9cjyfa_US_en_US), 2026-08-05; Inventory build assemblies. Verified 2026-09-08. - See above: The Balance Sheet report can be compared with a specific period/year, projects or reporting tags. ([CG-MCE-004#S94](#s-CG-MCE-004-S94)) - See above: The Wave Tag Comparison report is divided into income, cost of goods sold and expense sections. ([CG-MCE-004#S108](#s-CG-MCE-004-S108)) - See above: The Wave Tag Comparison report excludes asset, liability and equity accounts. ([CG-MCE-004#S109](#s-CG-MCE-004-S109)) - In the Financial Statement Designer a Department Mask is entered in the Column Description properties so that the specified column pulls information for one department only. _(jurisdiction: Not stated in the document (published on the Sage US knowledge base; a US support telephone number is given), entity_scope: Users of the named Sage 50 product editions, platform: Sage 50, platform_edition: Sage 50 Pro or Complete (per document title); Applies to: Sage 50, Sage 50 Cloud)_ `CG-MCE-004#S122` > “The Financial Statement Design screen will display. In the Financial Statement Designer, you will be entering the Department Mask in the Column Description properties, so that a column you specify will pull the information only for one department.” — [Sage Group plc — How to create departmental financial statements in version Pro or Complete](https://us-kb.sage.com/portal/app/portlets/results/viewsolution.jsp?solutionid=221924550011651), 2022-11-21; Section II: Customizing departmental financial statements — step 2. Verified 2026-09-08. ## What a dimension demands of every transaction you enter - Class tracking is switched on by a setting, and can additionally be turned on for Intuit QuickBooks Workforce so that classes can be assigned to employees. _(jurisdiction: United States, entity_scope: Businesses using the stated QuickBooks Online products, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: Help article updated 8/25/2026, conditions: classes are to be assigned to employees, for the Workforce option)_ `CG-MCE-004#S14` > “When you're ready, here's how to turn on class tracking . If you need to assign classes to your employees, you can also turn on class tracking for Intuit QuickBooks Workforce.” — [Intuit Inc. — Get started with class tracking in QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/class-list/get-started-class-tracking-quickbooks-online/L04INPWiy_US_en_US), 2026-08-25; Turn on class tracking. Verified 2026-09-08. - See above: Where the setting is 'One to entire transaction', a single class is assigned to the whole invoice or receipt via the Class dropdown. ([CG-MCE-004#S18](#s-CG-MCE-004-S18)) - See above: Where the setting is 'One to each row in transaction', a class is added per item/row in the Class column. ([CG-MCE-004#S19](#s-CG-MCE-004-S19)) - An unmatched downloaded bank transaction can have a class assigned to it when it is added as a new record. _(jurisdiction: United States, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online Plus; QuickBooks Online Advanced; Intuit Enterprise Suite, conditions: if a downloaded bank transaction doesn't match with any existing transaction)_ `CG-MCE-004#S21` > “But if a downloaded bank transaction doesn't match with any existing transaction, you can assign a class to it and add it as a new record.” — [Intuit Inc. — Track your transactions by class or dimension](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/class-list/track-transactions-class/L927QQfNV_US_en_US), 8/4/2026 04:34; Section: "Tag a class to a transaction" > Subsection: "If you download bank transactions". Verified 2026-09-08. - Class tracking must be enabled in settings before classes can be created. _(jurisdiction: United States, entity_scope: QuickBooks Online / QuickBooks Online Accountant users, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online Plus / Advanced / Intuit Enterprise Suite)_ `CG-MCE-004#S22` > “Before you can create classes, you must enable class tracking in your settings.” — [Intuit Inc. — Create and manage classes in QuickBooks Online](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/class-list/create-manage-classes-quickbooks-online/L1QzEOUxM_US_en_US), 2026-08-03; Prerequisites Section. Verified 2026-09-08. - On bills the class is assigned to the transaction targets (line detail), so a report drawing only source information does not carry the class. _(jurisdiction: United States, platform: QuickBooks Desktop, platform_edition: QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus / Premier Plus / Mac Plus (article updated 8/4/2026))_ `CG-MCE-004#S36` > “If you run the Unpaid Bills Detail report, add the Class column and opt to Sort by Class, you will not see Account = All Accounts Payable which limits the report to source information from the open bills. The class is assigned to the targets and target information is not included in the report.” — [Intuit Inc. — Filter, sort or total reports by class in QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/list-management/filter-sort-total-reports-class/L6VZni5Ba_US_en_US), 2026-08-04; Section: Unpaid Bills Detail report sorted by class. Verified 2026-09-08. - Payments are unclassified while the invoice being paid may be classified, so after partial payments only the Unclassified balances on the AR Aging Detail report are correct. _(jurisdiction: United States, platform: QuickBooks Desktop, platform_edition: QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus / Premier Plus / Mac Plus (article updated 8/4/2026), conditions: partial payments have been received against classified invoices)_ `CG-MCE-004#S37` > “Also, partial payments for invoices showing under a particular class will not reflect properly on this report. This is because the payments are unclassified, while the invoice you are paying may be classified. Because of this, only Unclassified balances will be correct on this report after receiving partial payments.” — [Intuit Inc. — Filter, sort or total reports by class in QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/list-management/filter-sort-total-reports-class/L6VZni5Ba_US_en_US), 2026-08-04; Section: AR Aging Detail report filtered by class, second paragraph. Verified 2026-09-08. - Amounts recorded without a class appear on the Profit & Loss report in a column labelled Unclassified, and those transactions can be assigned their correct class. _(jurisdiction: United States, platform: QuickBooks Desktop, platform_edition: QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus / Premier Plus / Mac Plus (article updated 8/4/2026))_ `CG-MCE-004#S38` > “If your P&L report shows a lot of amounts under the Unclassified column and you want to assign the correct class to these unclassified transactions, you can:” — [Intuit Inc. — Filter, sort or total reports by class in QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/list-management/filter-sort-total-reports-class/L6VZni5Ba_US_en_US), 2026-08-04; Section: A report showing only unclassified transactions. Verified 2026-09-08. - See above: For a class-assigned journal entry, debits must equal credits within each class; otherwise the entry is class-unbalanced and shows as unclassified on the Balance Sheet by Class on both bases. ([CG-MCE-004#S53](#s-CG-MCE-004-S53)) - See above: The Balance Sheet by Class report supports only one class per paycheck, and paychecks carrying multiple classes produce unclassified amounts on both bases. ([CG-MCE-004#S54](#s-CG-MCE-004-S54)) - See above: QuickBooks does not automatically assign classes to payroll liability checks, so the check amount shows as unclassified on both bases of the report. ([CG-MCE-004#S55](#s-CG-MCE-004-S55)) - See above: A class cannot be assigned to a sales tax payment, so the payment shows as unclassified on both bases of the Balance Sheet by Class. ([CG-MCE-004#S56](#s-CG-MCE-004-S56)) - Custom fields cannot be added within bank feeds and rules; they can be added manually to transactions and to sales and expense forms. _(jurisdiction: United States, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online)_ `CG-MCE-004#S77` > “**Can I add custom fields within bank feeds and rules?** No. However, you can manually add them to your transactions and sales and expense forms.” — [Intuit Inc. — Custom fields and tagging in QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/class-list/tag-transactions-quickbooks-online/L7x3G0aLv_US_en_US), 8/5/2026 05:17; Manage custom fields and tags > FAQ. Verified 2026-09-08. - See above: Reporting tags are created as tags with options and can be applied at both the transaction level and the line item level to filter and track transactions. ([CG-MCE-004#S84](#s-CG-MCE-004-S84)) - See above: Reporting tags can be associated with Customers, Vendors, Items, Quotes, Sales Orders, Invoices, Recurring Invoices, Credit Notes, Expenses, Recurring Expenses, Purchase Orders, Bills, Recurring Bills, Vendor Credits, Retainer Invoices, Customer Payments, Vendor Payments, Inventory Adjustments, Sales Receipts, Fixed Assets, Banking and Journal Entries. ([CG-MCE-004#S85](#s-CG-MCE-004-S85)) - See above: For the Sales, Purchases, Journals and Inventory Adjustments modules the user chooses whether the reporting tag applies at transaction level or at line item level. ([CG-MCE-004#S86](#s-CG-MCE-004-S86)) - A reporting tag can be made mandatory so that it is applied to all relevant transactions. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: Zoho Books organizations, platform: Zoho Books, conditions: Advanced Reporting Tags enabled for the organization)_ `CG-MCE-004#S90` > “Enable the Make This Reporting Tag Mandatory option to ensure it is applied to all relevant transactions.” — [Zoho Corporation Pvt. Ltd. — Reporting Tags | Help | Zoho Books](https://www.zoho.com/us/books/help/settings/advanced-reporting-tag.html), Zoho Books US help site, Advanced Reporting Tags flow; no version or revision label printed; Section: Create Reporting Tags - mandatory step. Verified 2026-09-08. - Marking an option as default causes it to be applied automatically whenever the tag is used in a new transaction. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: Zoho Books organizations, platform: Zoho Books, conditions: Advanced Reporting Tags enabled for the organization)_ `CG-MCE-004#S91` > “Marking an option as default for a reporting tag ensures that the selected option is automatically applied whenever the tag is used in a new transaction.” — [Zoho Corporation Pvt. Ltd. — Reporting Tags | Help | Zoho Books](https://www.zoho.com/us/books/help/settings/advanced-reporting-tag.html), Zoho Books US help site, Advanced Reporting Tags flow; no version or revision label printed; Section: Mark an Option as Default. Verified 2026-09-08. _Partly established. Established: what the reporting looks like when the dimension is not applied (S36, S37, S38, S53, S54, S55, S56). Missing: the dimension must be applied on every relevant transaction including split lines, bills, payroll postings and journal entries._ ## Finding and fixing amounts entered without a segment - See above: Payments are unclassified while the invoice being paid may be classified, so after partial payments only the Unclassified balances on the AR Aging Detail report are correct. ([CG-MCE-004#S37](#s-CG-MCE-004-S37)) - See above: Amounts recorded without a class appear on the Profit & Loss report in a column labelled Unclassified, and those transactions can be assigned their correct class. ([CG-MCE-004#S38](#s-CG-MCE-004-S38)) - One way to correct unclassified amounts is to select each amount in the Unclassified column to open the transaction and classify it there. _(jurisdiction: United States, platform: QuickBooks Desktop, platform_edition: QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus / Premier Plus / Mac Plus (article updated 8/4/2026))_ `CG-MCE-004#S39` > “Option 1: Select each amount to open the transaction then classify it.” — [Intuit Inc. — Filter, sort or total reports by class in QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/list-management/filter-sort-total-reports-class/L6VZni5Ba_US_en_US), 2026-08-04; Section: A report showing only unclassified transactions, Option 1. Verified 2026-09-08. - The alternative way to correct unclassified amounts is to run a report listing only all the unclassified transactions. _(jurisdiction: United States, platform: QuickBooks Desktop, platform_edition: QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus / Premier Plus / Mac Plus (article updated 8/4/2026))_ `CG-MCE-004#S40` > “Option 2: Run a report showing only all the unclassified transactions.” — [Intuit Inc. — Filter, sort or total reports by class in QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/list-management/filter-sort-total-reports-class/L6VZni5Ba_US_en_US), 2026-08-04; Section: A report showing only unclassified transactions, Option 2. Verified 2026-09-08. - Once a class is entered on a transaction and the transaction is saved, that transaction drops off the Transaction Detail report of unclassified transactions. _(jurisdiction: United States, platform: QuickBooks Desktop, platform_edition: QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus / Premier Plus / Mac Plus (article updated 8/4/2026))_ `CG-MCE-004#S41` > “Note that as you recall a transaction, enter the appropriate classes and save it, the transaction is removed from the Transaction Detail report.” — [Intuit Inc. — Filter, sort or total reports by class in QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/list-management/filter-sort-total-reports-class/L6VZni5Ba_US_en_US), 2026-08-04; Section: A report showing only unclassified transactions, Option 2, note. Verified 2026-09-08. - See above: The Wave Tag Comparison report presents, at the top, the net profit of each tag and the combined total net profit of all tags shown. ([CG-MCE-004#S107](#s-CG-MCE-004-S107)) _Partly established. Established: how to detect amounts recorded without a segment assigned (S38, S40); how to correct amounts recorded without a segment assigned (S38, S39, S40). Missing: how to prove the segment breakdown reconciles to the corresponding total._ _Required authority: official platform documentation. Highest achieved: official platform documentation._ ## When you need more axes of breakdown than the software supports - See above: Tags, unlike Classes or Locations, do not impact the P&L or Balance Sheet reports unless a 'Profit and Loss by Tag' report is specifically run. ([CG-MCE-004#S69](#s-CG-MCE-004-S69)) - See above: From May 16, 2025 tags can no longer be created for reporting; instead tags may be migrated to a custom field for tracking and reporting across all QuickBooks Online plans. ([CG-MCE-004#S72](#s-CG-MCE-004-S72)) - Up to 60 existing tags can be added as values to a single custom field dropdown in QuickBooks Online to categorize transactions for review. _(jurisdiction: United States, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online)_ `CG-MCE-004#S75` > “In QuickBooks Online, you can add up to 60 existing tags as values to a single custom field dropdown to categorize transactions for review.” — [Intuit Inc. — Custom fields and tagging in QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/class-list/tag-transactions-quickbooks-online/L7x3G0aLv_US_en_US), 8/5/2026 05:17; What are tags in QuickBooks?. Verified 2026-09-08. - A Profit and Loss report cannot be created by custom field; that capability does not exist. _(jurisdiction: United States, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online)_ `CG-MCE-004#S76` > “**Can I create a P&L report by custom field?** No. This capability doesn't exist.” — [Intuit Inc. — Custom fields and tagging in QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/class-list/tag-transactions-quickbooks-online/L7x3G0aLv_US_en_US), 8/5/2026 05:17; Manage custom fields and tags > FAQ. Verified 2026-09-08. - See above: Reporting tag options can be organised in a parent-child hierarchy, their visibility controlled by mapping them to other tags or locations, and user access to transactions restricted based on associated tags and locations. ([CG-MCE-004#S87](#s-CG-MCE-004-S87)) - See above: Reporting tag options can be arranged as a parent-child hierarchy of up to five levels, and the options can be reordered. ([CG-MCE-004#S88](#s-CG-MCE-004-S88)) - Once Advanced Reporting Tags is enabled it cannot be disabled. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: Zoho Books organizations, platform: Zoho Books)_ `CG-MCE-004#S89` > “Note: Once you enable this feature, it cannot be disabled.” — [Zoho Corporation Pvt. Ltd. — Reporting Tags | Help | Zoho Books](https://www.zoho.com/us/books/help/settings/advanced-reporting-tag.html), Zoho Books US help site, Advanced Reporting Tags flow; no version or revision label printed; Section: Enable Advanced Reporting Tags - Note. Verified 2026-09-08. - See above: Under the example rollup, every account beginning with 4 that carries a department code is rolled into its master account, while any account without a department code is printed on its own line. ([CG-MCE-004#S126](#s-CG-MCE-004-S126)) _Not established from an authoritative source._ _Required authority: high quality professional secondary reference, official platform documentation. Highest achieved: official platform documentation._ ## Applying the decision to transactions already posted - Accounts receivable and accounts payable, unearned revenue and retained earnings, fixed accounts and inventory-tracked accounts, and bank accounts are not filtered by bulk update. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: Zoho Books organizations, platform: Zoho Books)_ `CG-MCE-004#S97` > “These are the list of accounts that will not be filtered: Accounts receivable and Accounts payable Unearned revenue and retained earnings. Fixed accounts and inventory tracked.  Bank accounts.” — [Zoho Corporation Pvt. Ltd. — Bulk Update | Help | Zoho Books](https://www.zoho.com/us/books/help/accountant/bulk-update.html), Zoho Books US help site, current page as snapshotted; no version or revision label printed; Section: Filter Transactions and Update Accounts - excluded account list. Verified 2026-09-08. - A bulk update cannot be undone. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: Zoho Books organizations, platform: Zoho Books)_ `CG-MCE-004#S98` > “You will not be able to undo a bulk update.” — [Zoho Corporation Pvt. Ltd. — Bulk Update | Help | Zoho Books](https://www.zoho.com/us/books/help/accountant/bulk-update.html), Zoho Books US help site, current page as snapshotted; no version or revision label printed; Section: Filter Transactions and Update Accounts - Warning. Verified 2026-09-08. - At most 50 transactions can be bulk-updated in a single operation. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: Zoho Books organizations, platform: Zoho Books)_ `CG-MCE-004#S99` > “Only a maximum of 50 transactions can be updated at a time” — [Zoho Corporation Pvt. Ltd. — Bulk Update | Help | Zoho Books](https://www.zoho.com/us/books/help/accountant/bulk-update.html), Zoho Books US help site, current page as snapshotted; no version or revision label printed; Section: Filter Transactions and Update Accounts - Note. Verified 2026-09-08. - Transactions that have been filed cannot be updated by bulk update. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: Zoho Books organizations, platform: Zoho Books)_ `CG-MCE-004#S100` > “transactions that have been filed cannot be updated.” — [Zoho Corporation Pvt. Ltd. — Bulk Update | Help | Zoho Books](https://www.zoho.com/us/books/help/accountant/bulk-update.html), Zoho Books US help site, current page as snapshotted; no version or revision label printed; Section: Filter Transactions and Update Accounts - Note. Verified 2026-09-08. - QuickBooks Online Advanced and QuickBooks Online Accountant allow multiple already-recorded transactions to be moved to a different account, class or location at once. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: not stated, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online Advanced; QuickBooks Online Accountant)_ `CG-MCE-004#S110` > “Move multiple transactions to a different account, class, or location at once in QuickBooks Online Advanced and QuickBooks Online Accountant.” — [Intuit Inc. — Reclassify or move multiple transactions](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/reclassify-transactions/reclassify-move-multiple-transactions/L249lPKyg_US_en_US), 2026-08-05; Article introduction. Verified 2026-09-08. - The reclassify transactions tool corrects or changes already-recorded transactions in bulk, reassigning them to a new account, class or location. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: not stated, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online Advanced; QuickBooks Online Accountant)_ `CG-MCE-004#S111` > “The reclassify transactions tool allows you to efficiently correct or change recorded transactions in bulk. You can reassign transactions to a new account, class, or location.” — [Intuit Inc. — Reclassify or move multiple transactions](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/reclassify-transactions/reclassify-move-multiple-transactions/L249lPKyg_US_en_US), 2026-08-05; Overview. Verified 2026-09-08. - Locations must be set up in settings before transactions can be reclassified by location. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: not stated, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online Advanced; QuickBooks Online Accountant)_ `CG-MCE-004#S113` > “3. To reclassify by location, you must first set up locations in your settings.” — [Intuit Inc. — Reclassify or move multiple transactions](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/reclassify-transactions/reclassify-move-multiple-transactions/L249lPKyg_US_en_US), 2026-08-05; Prerequisites - step 3. Verified 2026-09-08. - Some transactions and fields cannot be reclassified with the reclassify transactions tool. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: not stated, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online Advanced; QuickBooks Online Accountant)_ `CG-MCE-004#S114` > “Certain transactions and fields cannot be reclassified using this tool.” — [Intuit Inc. — Reclassify or move multiple transactions](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/reclassify-transactions/reclassify-move-multiple-transactions/L249lPKyg_US_en_US), 2026-08-05; Limitations. Verified 2026-09-08. - Neither the account nor the class of an inventory adjustment can be changed with this tool, because they are linked to inventory shrinkage and asset accounts. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: not stated, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online Advanced; QuickBooks Online Accountant)_ `CG-MCE-004#S115` > “* Inventory adjustments: You cannot change the account or class, as these are linked to inventory shrinkage and asset accounts.” — [Intuit Inc. — Reclassify or move multiple transactions](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/reclassify-transactions/reclassify-move-multiple-transactions/L249lPKyg_US_en_US), 2026-08-05; Limitations. Verified 2026-09-08. - On invoices, sales receipts, checks or bills containing products or services, only the class can be changed, not the account. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: not stated, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online Advanced; QuickBooks Online Accountant)_ `CG-MCE-004#S116` > “* Transactions with items: For invoices, sales receipts, checks, or bills that include products or services, you can only change the class, not the account.” — [Intuit Inc. — Reclassify or move multiple transactions](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/reclassify-transactions/reclassify-move-multiple-transactions/L249lPKyg_US_en_US), 2026-08-05; Limitations. Verified 2026-09-08. - Payroll transactions cannot be changed with the reclassify transactions tool and are managed in the Payroll app instead. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: not stated, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online Advanced; QuickBooks Online Accountant)_ `CG-MCE-004#S117` > “* Payroll transactions: These cannot be changed in this tool; manage them within the Payroll app.” — [Intuit Inc. — Reclassify or move multiple transactions](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/reclassify-transactions/reclassify-move-multiple-transactions/L249lPKyg_US_en_US), 2026-08-05; Limitations. Verified 2026-09-08. ## Who may add a segment value, how it is named, and how it is retired - Intuit advises keeping the class list simple, because too many classes are time consuming to work with and less straightforward classes make reports harder to understand. _(jurisdiction: United States, entity_scope: Businesses using the stated QuickBooks Online products, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: Help article updated 8/25/2026)_ `CG-MCE-004#S15` > “Remember, it's best to keep it simple. Too many classes can be time consuming to work with. And the more straightforward your classes are, the easier it is to understand your reports.” — [Intuit Inc. — Get started with class tracking in QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/class-list/get-started-class-tracking-quickbooks-online/L04INPWiy_US_en_US), 2026-08-25; Set up your class list. Verified 2026-09-08. - Only admin users in QuickBooks Online Plus and QuickBooks Online Advanced can create classes, and the feature is not available in Simple Start or Essentials. _(jurisdiction: United States, entity_scope: QuickBooks Online / QuickBooks Online Accountant users, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online Plus and QuickBooks Online Advanced (not Simple Start or Essentials), conditions: user has the admin role)_ `CG-MCE-004#S23` > “Note: Only admins in QuickBooks Online Plus and QuickBooks Online Advanced can create classes; this feature isn't available in Simple Start or Essentials.” — [Intuit Inc. — Create and manage classes in QuickBooks Online](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/class-list/create-manage-classes-quickbooks-online/L1QzEOUxM_US_en_US), 2026-08-03; Overview Section - Note. Verified 2026-09-08. - A class may optionally be created as a sub-class of a chosen main class, and classes can be nested up to five levels. _(jurisdiction: United States, entity_scope: QuickBooks Online / QuickBooks Online Accountant users, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online Plus / Advanced / Intuit Enterprise Suite)_ `CG-MCE-004#S24` > “5. (Optional) To create a sub-class, select Is a sub-class and choose the main class it belongs to. You can nest up to five levels of classes.” — [Intuit Inc. — Create and manage classes in QuickBooks Online](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/class-list/create-manage-classes-quickbooks-online/L1QzEOUxM_US_en_US), 2026-08-03; Create a Class Section - step 5. Verified 2026-09-08. - Classes can be edited or deleted as business needs change. _(jurisdiction: United States, entity_scope: QuickBooks Online / QuickBooks Online Accountant users, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online Plus / Advanced / Intuit Enterprise Suite)_ `CG-MCE-004#S25` > “You can edit or delete classes as your business needs change.” — [Intuit Inc. — Create and manage classes in QuickBooks Online](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/class-list/create-manage-classes-quickbooks-online/L1QzEOUxM_US_en_US), 2026-08-03; Manage Classes Section. Verified 2026-09-08. - A class that is no longer needed can be made inactive. _(jurisdiction: United States, entity_scope: QuickBooks Online / QuickBooks Online Accountant users, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online Plus / Advanced / Intuit Enterprise Suite)_ `CG-MCE-004#S26` > “If you no longer need a class, you can make it inactive.” — [Intuit Inc. — Create and manage classes in QuickBooks Online](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/class-list/create-manage-classes-quickbooks-online/L1QzEOUxM_US_en_US), 2026-08-03; Manage Classes Section - Delete or Restore a Class. Verified 2026-09-08. - Making a class inactive removes it from the lists but keeps the historical data. _(jurisdiction: United States, entity_scope: QuickBooks Online / QuickBooks Online Accountant users, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online Plus / Advanced / Intuit Enterprise Suite)_ `CG-MCE-004#S27` > “- This removes it from your lists but keeps the historical data.” — [Intuit Inc. — Create and manage classes in QuickBooks Online](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/class-list/create-manage-classes-quickbooks-online/L1QzEOUxM_US_en_US), 2026-08-03; Manage Classes Section - Delete or Restore a Class. Verified 2026-09-08. - A location that has been made inactive can be reactivated by selecting Make active on it. _(jurisdiction: US, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: Plus and Advanced)_ `CG-MCE-004#S30` > “4. Select **Make active** on the location you want to activate.” — [Intuit Inc. — Set up and use location tracking](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/track-location/set-use-location-tracking/L2raFkEBC_US_en_US), 2026-08-04; Make an inactive location active, step 4. Verified 2026-09-08. - After May 15, 2028 tags can no longer be viewed or reported on; tags are removed from QuickBooks Online and disappear from historical transactions. _(jurisdiction: United States, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online, effective_from: 2028-05-16)_ `CG-MCE-004#S73` > “After May 15, 2028, the ability to view tags and generate reports will no longer be available. Tags will be removed from QuickBooks Online and they will disappear from historical transactions.” — [Intuit Inc. — Custom fields and tagging in QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/class-list/tag-transactions-quickbooks-online/L7x3G0aLv_US_en_US), 8/5/2026 05:17; QuickBooks Online Tags discontinuation dates > Notes. Verified 2026-09-08. - Worked example: a transaction can be tagged for a temporary marketing campaign and the tag removed when the campaign ends without altering historical financial totals. _(jurisdiction: United States, platform: QuickBooks Online, platform_edition: QuickBooks Online)_ `CG-MCE-004#S78` > “For example, you can tag a transaction for a temporary marketing campaign and remove the tag once the campaign ends without altering your historical financial totals.” — [Intuit Inc. — Custom fields and tagging in QuickBooks](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/class-list/tag-transactions-quickbooks-online/L7x3G0aLv_US_en_US), 8/5/2026 05:17; Manage custom fields and tags. Verified 2026-09-08. - Creating a reporting tag requires entering a Tag Name and providing its Options (the tag's values). _(jurisdiction: not stated in the document, entity_scope: Zoho Books organizations (businesses using Zoho Books), platform: Zoho Books)_ `CG-MCE-004#S81` > “Enter a Tag Name and provide the Options .” — [Zoho Corporation Pvt. Ltd. — Reporting Tags | Help | Zoho Books](https://www.zoho.com/us/books/help/settings/reporting-tags.html), no last-updated date published on the page (retrieved 2026-09-08); Create Reporting Tags — step 4. Verified 2026-09-08. - See above: A reporting tag can be made mandatory so that it is applied to all relevant transactions. ([CG-MCE-004#S90](#s-CG-MCE-004-S90)) - See above: Marking an option as default causes it to be applied automatically whenever the tag is used in a new transaction. ([CG-MCE-004#S91](#s-CG-MCE-004-S91)) - Each Wave tag must have its own name; two tags cannot share a name. _(platform: Wave, platform_edition: Wave web, current help article)_ `CG-MCE-004#S103` > “Each tag must have its own name, meaning you cannot have two tags with the same name.” — [Wave Financial Inc. — Create or edit a tag](https://support.waveapps.com/hc/en-us/articles/43933110874388-Create-or-edit-a-tag), Wave (web), Pro Plan feature; current help-centre article; Section: Create a tag. Verified 2026-09-08. - Tag names are not case sensitive, so names differing only in capitalisation are the same tag. _(platform: Wave, platform_edition: Wave web, current help article)_ `CG-MCE-004#S104` > “Names are not case sensitive, so a tag named House and HOUSE are the same.” — [Wave Financial Inc. — Create or edit a tag](https://support.waveapps.com/hc/en-us/articles/43933110874388-Create-or-edit-a-tag), Wave (web), Pro Plan feature; current help-centre article; Section: Create a tag. Verified 2026-09-08. ## Platform reference: which dimensions exist, where they apply, how many - See above: QuickBooks Online provides classes, which track income, expenses or profitability by business segment, and the feature is available in QuickBooks Online Plus and QuickBooks Online Advanced. ([CG-MCE-004#S11](#s-CG-MCE-004-S11)) - See above: QuickBooks provides a Projects feature that tracks job costs and income for project work. ([CG-MCE-004#S12](#s-CG-MCE-004-S12)) - See above: QuickBooks provides categories for grouping the products and services a business sells, as a way of classifying sales. ([CG-MCE-004#S13](#s-CG-MCE-004-S13)) - See above: Class tracking is switched on by a setting, and can additionally be turned on for Intuit QuickBooks Workforce so that classes can be assigned to employees. ([CG-MCE-004#S14](#s-CG-MCE-004-S14)) - See above: Classes are assigned to transactions in QuickBooks Online Plus and QuickBooks Online Advanced, while dimensions are the corresponding facility in Intuit Enterprise Suite. ([CG-MCE-004#S16](#s-CG-MCE-004-S16)) - See above: Where the setting is 'One to entire transaction', a single class is assigned to the whole invoice or receipt via the Class dropdown. ([CG-MCE-004#S18](#s-CG-MCE-004-S18)) - See above: Where the setting is 'One to each row in transaction', a class is added per item/row in the Class column. ([CG-MCE-004#S19](#s-CG-MCE-004-S19)) - See above: An unmatched downloaded bank transaction can have a class assigned to it when it is added as a new record. ([CG-MCE-004#S21](#s-CG-MCE-004-S21)) - See above: Class tracking must be enabled in settings before classes can be created. ([CG-MCE-004#S22](#s-CG-MCE-004-S22)) - See above: Only admin users in QuickBooks Online Plus and QuickBooks Online Advanced can create classes, and the feature is not available in Simple Start or Essentials. ([CG-MCE-004#S23](#s-CG-MCE-004-S23)) - See above: A class may optionally be created as a sub-class of a chosen main class, and classes can be nested up to five levels. ([CG-MCE-004#S24](#s-CG-MCE-004-S24)) - See above: Classes can be edited or deleted as business needs change. ([CG-MCE-004#S25](#s-CG-MCE-004-S25)) - See above: A class that is no longer needed can be made inactive. ([CG-MCE-004#S26](#s-CG-MCE-004-S26)) - See above: Making a class inactive removes it from the lists but keeps the historical data. ([CG-MCE-004#S27](#s-CG-MCE-004-S27)) - See above: Location tracking is available only on the QuickBooks Online Plus and QuickBooks Online Advanced subscription levels. ([CG-MCE-004#S29](#s-CG-MCE-004-S29)) - See above: A location that has been made inactive can be reactivated by selecting Make active on it. ([CG-MCE-004#S30](#s-CG-MCE-004-S30)) - See above: The Profit and Loss by Class report, in the Business overview report group, groups income, expenses and net income by class. ([CG-MCE-004#S31](#s-CG-MCE-004-S31)) - See above: The Sales by Class Detail report groups sales by class and shows date, type, product or service, quantity, rate, amount and balance. ([CG-MCE-004#S32](#s-CG-MCE-004-S32)) - See above: Some other reports can be customized to group their information by class. ([CG-MCE-004#S33](#s-CG-MCE-004-S33)) - See above: QuickBooks cannot directly produce a Profit & Loss report showing only the same subclass appearing under several classes; the article gives a workaround as the best available. ([CG-MCE-004#S34](#s-CG-MCE-004-S34)) - See above: QuickBooks Desktop provides classes and subclasses as an additional way to categorize data, alongside account, customer and vendor. ([CG-MCE-004#S35](#s-CG-MCE-004-S35)) - See above: On bills the class is assigned to the transaction targets (line detail), so a report drawing only source information does not carry the class. ([CG-MCE-004#S36](#s-CG-MCE-004-S36)) - See above: Payments are unclassified while the invoice being paid may be classified, so after partial payments only the Unclassified balances on the AR Aging Detail report are correct. ([CG-MCE-004#S37](#s-CG-MCE-004-S37)) - See above: Amounts recorded without a class appear on the Profit & Loss report in a column labelled Unclassified, and those transactions can be assigned their correct class. ([CG-MCE-004#S38](#s-CG-MCE-004-S38)) - See above: One way to correct unclassified amounts is to select each amount in the Unclassified column to open the transaction and classify it there. ([CG-MCE-004#S39](#s-CG-MCE-004-S39)) - See above: The alternative way to correct unclassified amounts is to run a report listing only all the unclassified transactions. ([CG-MCE-004#S40](#s-CG-MCE-004-S40)) - See above: Once a class is entered on a transaction and the transaction is saved, that transaction drops off the Transaction Detail report of unclassified transactions. ([CG-MCE-004#S41](#s-CG-MCE-004-S41)) - See above: QuickBooks Online applies usage limits that vary by subscription tier and that cap the number of billable users, chart-of-accounts entries, classes, locations and custom fields that can be added. ([CG-MCE-004#S60](#s-CG-MCE-004-S60)) - See above: QuickBooks Online Simple Start does not offer classes or locations. ([CG-MCE-004#S61](#s-CG-MCE-004-S61)) - See above: QuickBooks Online Essentials does not offer classes or locations. ([CG-MCE-004#S62](#s-CG-MCE-004-S62)) - See above: QuickBooks Online Plus permits 40 classes and locations combined. ([CG-MCE-004#S63](#s-CG-MCE-004-S63)) - See above: QuickBooks Online Advanced permits unlimited classes and locations. ([CG-MCE-004#S64](#s-CG-MCE-004-S64)) - See above: Tags, unlike Classes or Locations, do not impact the P&L or Balance Sheet reports unless a 'Profit and Loss by Tag' report is specifically run. ([CG-MCE-004#S69](#s-CG-MCE-004-S69)) - See above: QuickBooks Desktop users track comparable data using Classes, Job Costing or Custom Fields. ([CG-MCE-004#S71](#s-CG-MCE-004-S71)) - See above: From May 16, 2025 tags can no longer be created for reporting; instead tags may be migrated to a custom field for tracking and reporting across all QuickBooks Online plans. ([CG-MCE-004#S72](#s-CG-MCE-004-S72)) - See above: After May 15, 2028 tags can no longer be viewed or reported on; tags are removed from QuickBooks Online and disappear from historical transactions. ([CG-MCE-004#S73](#s-CG-MCE-004-S73)) - See above: All QuickBooks Online plans support dropdown-list custom fields, but the number of available fields and the data formats vary by subscription level. ([CG-MCE-004#S74](#s-CG-MCE-004-S74)) - See above: Up to 60 existing tags can be added as values to a single custom field dropdown in QuickBooks Online to categorize transactions for review. ([CG-MCE-004#S75](#s-CG-MCE-004-S75)) - See above: A Profit and Loss report cannot be created by custom field; that capability does not exist. ([CG-MCE-004#S76](#s-CG-MCE-004-S76)) - See above: Custom fields cannot be added within bank feeds and rules; they can be added manually to transactions and to sales and expense forms. ([CG-MCE-004#S77](#s-CG-MCE-004-S77)) - See above: Worked example: a transaction can be tagged for a temporary marketing campaign and the tag removed when the campaign ends without altering historical financial totals. ([CG-MCE-004#S78](#s-CG-MCE-004-S78)) - See above: Zoho Books allows a maximum of 10 reporting tags, each with a maximum of 500 options. ([CG-MCE-004#S80](#s-CG-MCE-004-S80)) - See above: Creating a reporting tag requires entering a Tag Name and providing its Options (the tag's values). ([CG-MCE-004#S81](#s-CG-MCE-004-S81)) - See above: Reporting tags are created as tags with options and can be applied at both the transaction level and the line item level to filter and track transactions. ([CG-MCE-004#S84](#s-CG-MCE-004-S84)) - See above: Reporting tags can be associated with Customers, Vendors, Items, Quotes, Sales Orders, Invoices, Recurring Invoices, Credit Notes, Expenses, Recurring Expenses, Purchase Orders, Bills, Recurring Bills, Vendor Credits, Retainer Invoices, Customer Payments, Vendor Payments, Inventory Adjustments, Sales Receipts, Fixed Assets, Banking and Journal Entries. ([CG-MCE-004#S85](#s-CG-MCE-004-S85)) - See above: For the Sales, Purchases, Journals and Inventory Adjustments modules the user chooses whether the reporting tag applies at transaction level or at line item level. ([CG-MCE-004#S86](#s-CG-MCE-004-S86)) - See above: Reporting tag options can be organised in a parent-child hierarchy, their visibility controlled by mapping them to other tags or locations, and user access to transactions restricted based on associated tags and locations. ([CG-MCE-004#S87](#s-CG-MCE-004-S87)) - See above: Reporting tag options can be arranged as a parent-child hierarchy of up to five levels, and the options can be reordered. ([CG-MCE-004#S88](#s-CG-MCE-004-S88)) - See above: Once Advanced Reporting Tags is enabled it cannot be disabled. ([CG-MCE-004#S89](#s-CG-MCE-004-S89)) - See above: A reporting tag can be made mandatory so that it is applied to all relevant transactions. ([CG-MCE-004#S90](#s-CG-MCE-004-S90)) - See above: Marking an option as default causes it to be applied automatically whenever the tag is used in a new transaction. ([CG-MCE-004#S91](#s-CG-MCE-004-S91)) - See above: A Business Overview report such as Profit and Loss is filtered by a reporting tag through Customize > General > Advanced Filters, choosing the tag, a comparator and an option. ([CG-MCE-004#S92](#s-CG-MCE-004-S92)) - See above: A Business Overview report can be compared across reporting tags by choosing Compare With and then Compare Based on Reporting Tags. ([CG-MCE-004#S93](#s-CG-MCE-004-S93)) - See above: Wave tags are custom labels that can be added to transactions and invoices to track things such as events, properties and projects. ([CG-MCE-004#S102](#s-CG-MCE-004-S102)) - See above: Each Wave tag must have its own name; two tags cannot share a name. ([CG-MCE-004#S103](#s-CG-MCE-004-S103)) - See above: Tag names are not case sensitive, so names differing only in capitalisation are the same tag. ([CG-MCE-004#S104](#s-CG-MCE-004-S104)) - See above: The Wave Tag Comparison report compares tags chosen by the user, up to a maximum of 7 tags at one time. ([CG-MCE-004#S105](#s-CG-MCE-004-S105)) - See above: The Wave Tag Comparison report shows a side-by-side comparison of the income and expenses of multiple tags for a specified time period. ([CG-MCE-004#S106](#s-CG-MCE-004-S106)) - See above: The Wave Tag Comparison report presents, at the top, the net profit of each tag and the combined total net profit of all tags shown. ([CG-MCE-004#S107](#s-CG-MCE-004-S107)) _Partly established. Established: how many dimensions can be used at once (S80); whether the dimensions can be combined in a single report (S95); how amounts carrying no dimension value are presented in a segment report (S38); how amounts carrying no dimension value can be listed for correction (S40); what becomes of postings that already carry a dimension value (S27, S73, S78). Missing: which tracking dimensions mainstream small-business accounting software provides; what transaction types each dimension can be applied to; whether a dimension value can be added, renamed or retired._ ## Platform reference: dimensions and the balance sheet - See above: In QuickBooks every transaction consists of two parts, a header and a detail. ([CG-MCE-004#S42](#s-CG-MCE-004-S42)) - See above: The balance sheet report draws its data from transaction headers and the profit and loss report draws its data from transaction details. ([CG-MCE-004#S43](#s-CG-MCE-004-S43)) - See above: The class dimension is linked only to the detail part of a transaction. ([CG-MCE-004#S44](#s-CG-MCE-004-S44)) - See above: The location dimension is linked to both the header and the detail part of a transaction. ([CG-MCE-004#S45](#s-CG-MCE-004-S45)) - See above: The balance sheet cannot be filtered by class, because headers are not linked to classes. ([CG-MCE-004#S46](#s-CG-MCE-004-S46)) - See above: The profit and loss report can be filtered by class, because details are linked to classes. ([CG-MCE-004#S47](#s-CG-MCE-004-S47)) - See above: Both the balance sheet and the profit and loss can be filtered by location, because a location saved on a transaction is linked to both its header and its detail. ([CG-MCE-004#S48](#s-CG-MCE-004-S48)) - See above: QuickBooks Desktop has a Balance Sheet by Class report that presents the balance sheet by fund, location or other user-defined classes. ([CG-MCE-004#S51](#s-CG-MCE-004-S51)) - See above: For a class-assigned journal entry, debits must equal credits within each class; otherwise the entry is class-unbalanced and shows as unclassified on the Balance Sheet by Class on both bases. ([CG-MCE-004#S53](#s-CG-MCE-004-S53)) - See above: The Balance Sheet by Class report supports only one class per paycheck, and paychecks carrying multiple classes produce unclassified amounts on both bases. ([CG-MCE-004#S54](#s-CG-MCE-004-S54)) - See above: QuickBooks does not automatically assign classes to payroll liability checks, so the check amount shows as unclassified on both bases of the report. ([CG-MCE-004#S55](#s-CG-MCE-004-S55)) - See above: A class cannot be assigned to a sales tax payment, so the payment shows as unclassified on both bases of the Balance Sheet by Class. ([CG-MCE-004#S56](#s-CG-MCE-004-S56)) - See above: Multi-currency transactions produce unclassified amounts and unbalanced classes on the Balance Sheet by Class on both cash and accrual bases. ([CG-MCE-004#S57](#s-CG-MCE-004-S57)) - See above: Classes cannot be assigned to inventory build assemblies and QuickBooks cannot classify those items on the Balance Sheet by Class report. ([CG-MCE-004#S58](#s-CG-MCE-004-S58)) - See above: The Balance Sheet report can be compared with a specific period/year, projects or reporting tags. ([CG-MCE-004#S94](#s-CG-MCE-004-S94)) - See above: Comparing by reporting tags and branches generates equity statements for multiple reporting tags and branches, whereas reporting tags and branches used in advanced filters only filter the generated report. ([CG-MCE-004#S95](#s-CG-MCE-004-S95)) - See above: The Wave Tag Comparison report is divided into income, cost of goods sold and expense sections. ([CG-MCE-004#S108](#s-CG-MCE-004-S108)) - See above: The Wave Tag Comparison report excludes asset, liability and equity accounts. ([CG-MCE-004#S109](#s-CG-MCE-004-S109)) - See above: Departmental reporting in Sage 50 is carried by General Ledger accounts that embed the department code, and that code must sit at the end of the account ID. ([CG-MCE-004#S119](#s-CG-MCE-004-S119)) - See above: In the Financial Statement Designer a Department Mask is entered in the Column Description properties so that the specified column pulls information for one department only. ([CG-MCE-004#S122](#s-CG-MCE-004-S122)) - See above: A department-masked report shows data only for the accounts matching the specified mask; in the example, only accounts ending in C for the Construction Department appear. ([CG-MCE-004#S124](#s-CG-MCE-004-S124)) _Partly established. Established: whether those tracking dimensions extend to balance-sheet accounts (S46, S48, S51, S94). Missing: what per-segment statements each platform can therefore produce._ ## Bookkeeping convention: the account records the nature, the segment the part of the business - See above: Responsibility accounting is the practice of reporting revenues and expenses separately for each responsibility center in a business. ([CG-MCE-004#S01](#s-CG-MCE-004-S01)) - See above: In the profit-center example, several different account categories (sales revenue, cost of goods sold, controllable operating expenses) are reported against one unit, allowing per-unit contribution to overall profit to be assessed. ([CG-MCE-004#S03](#s-CG-MCE-004-S03)) - Departments and subsidiaries are designated by their own codes within a chart of accounts, and alphanumeric codes are used for that purpose. _(jurisdiction: not stated, entity_scope: business generally)_ `CG-MCE-004#S04` > “Alphanumeric codes are used to designate departments and subsidiaries within a chart of accounts.” — [AccountingTools, Inc. — What are Alphanumeric Department/Subsidiary Codes?](https://www.accountingtools.com/articles/alphanumeric-departmentsubsidiary-codes), AccountingTools article, current revision; site copyright 2026; Alphanumeric Department/Subsidiary Codes — opening paragraph. Verified 2026-09-08. - See above: In the worked example a single transaction carries both a division code and an account code, the invoice being coded WH-500 where 500 is the legal-expense account and WH identifies the division. ([CG-MCE-004#S05](#s-CG-MCE-004-S05)) - In the complete example, one account number 03-07-550 carries the subsidiary (03), the engineering department (07) and travel and entertainment expense (550) as separate segments of the same code. _(jurisdiction: not stated in the document, entity_scope: organizations generally, conditions: given as a complete example)_ `CG-MCE-004#S08` > “As a complete example of the preceding outline of numbering, a parent company assigns the "03" designator to one of its subsidiaries , the "07" designator to the engineering department, and "550" to the travel and entertainment expense. This results in the following chart of accounts number: 03-07-550” — [AccountingTools, Inc. (author Steven Bragg) — Chart of accounts numbering](https://www.accountingtools.com/articles/chart-of-accounts-numbering.html), 2026-07-23; How to Create a Numbering System for a Chart of Accounts (complete example). Verified 2026-09-08. - See above: Many organizations compile expense information separately by department, giving each department the same set of expense accounts. ([CG-MCE-004#S09](#s-CG-MCE-004-S09)) - See above: The multi-segment format carries multiple segments or dimensions such as department, location or project within the account number, and is described as ideal for medium to large businesses needing detailed financial tracking. ([CG-MCE-004#S10](#s-CG-MCE-004-S10)) ## Platform reference: re-coding already-posted transactions in bulk - See above: Accounts receivable and accounts payable, unearned revenue and retained earnings, fixed accounts and inventory-tracked accounts, and bank accounts are not filtered by bulk update. ([CG-MCE-004#S97](#s-CG-MCE-004-S97)) - See above: A bulk update cannot be undone. ([CG-MCE-004#S98](#s-CG-MCE-004-S98)) - See above: At most 50 transactions can be bulk-updated in a single operation. ([CG-MCE-004#S99](#s-CG-MCE-004-S99)) - See above: Transactions that have been filed cannot be updated by bulk update. ([CG-MCE-004#S100](#s-CG-MCE-004-S100)) - See above: QuickBooks Online Advanced and QuickBooks Online Accountant allow multiple already-recorded transactions to be moved to a different account, class or location at once. ([CG-MCE-004#S110](#s-CG-MCE-004-S110)) - See above: The reclassify transactions tool corrects or changes already-recorded transactions in bulk, reassigning them to a new account, class or location. ([CG-MCE-004#S111](#s-CG-MCE-004-S111)) - See above: Locations must be set up in settings before transactions can be reclassified by location. ([CG-MCE-004#S113](#s-CG-MCE-004-S113)) - See above: Some transactions and fields cannot be reclassified with the reclassify transactions tool. ([CG-MCE-004#S114](#s-CG-MCE-004-S114)) - See above: Neither the account nor the class of an inventory adjustment can be changed with this tool, because they are linked to inventory shrinkage and asset accounts. ([CG-MCE-004#S115](#s-CG-MCE-004-S115)) - See above: On invoices, sales receipts, checks or bills containing products or services, only the class can be changed, not the account. ([CG-MCE-004#S116](#s-CG-MCE-004-S116)) - See above: Payroll transactions cannot be changed with the reclassify transactions tool and are managed in the Payroll app instead. ([CG-MCE-004#S117](#s-CG-MCE-004-S117)) _Partly established. Established: whether a tracking dimension can be applied to transactions already posted (S110, S111); by what mechanism a tracking dimension is applied to transactions already posted (S111); whether transactions already posted can likewise be re-coded in bulk to different accounts where the breakdown is carried in the account structure instead (S110, S111). Missing: what limits apply to applying a tracking dimension in bulk._ ## Not yet fully established from an authoritative source - Establish which tracking dimensions mainstream small-business accounting software provides, what transaction types each can be applied to, how many can be used at once, and whether they can be combined in a single report, how amounts carrying no dimension value are presented in a segment report and how they can be listed for correction, and whether a dimension value can be added, renamed or retired and what becomes of postings that already carry it. _(partly established)_ - Establish whether those tracking dimensions extend to balance-sheet accounts and what per-segment statements each platform can therefore produce. _(partly established)_ - Establish whether a tracking dimension can be applied to transactions already posted, by what mechanism, and what limits apply to doing so in bulk, and whether transactions already posted can likewise be re-coded in bulk to different accounts where the breakdown is carried in the account structure instead. _(partly established)_ - Establish that the account and the segment are two independent properties of a transaction - the nature of the amount and the part of the business it belongs to - and that most systems let one entry carry both. _(partly established)_ - Establish the decision criteria between the two approaches, including the number of segments, how many accounts a per-segment replication would create, whether segments are added and retired over time, and whether the breakdown must reach the balance sheet or only the profit and loss. _(partly established; below the required authority class)_ - Establish what each approach can actually report - a per-segment view, a consolidated view, and a comparison across segments - and what neither approach delivers. _(not established)_ - Demonstrate the multiplication effect of creating parallel accounts for each segment and its consequences for reading the chart, for consolidating, and for maintaining the structure as segments are added. _(partly established)_ - Establish the discipline the dimension approach requires: it must be applied on every relevant transaction including split lines, bills, payroll postings and journal entries, and state what the reporting looks like when it is not. _(partly established)_ - Establish how to detect amounts recorded without a segment assigned and how to correct them, including how to prove the segment breakdown reconciles to the corresponding total. _(partly established; below the required authority class)_ - Distinguish the kinds of tracking dimension a small-business platform offers, and establish how they differ in what they attach to, whether more than one can be used at once, and whether they can be combined in a single report. _(partly established)_ - Establish the options when the business needs more axes of breakdown than the software supports, including combining a small number of segment-specific accounts with a dimension, and state the cost of each option. _(not established; below the required authority class)_ ## Related - [How do I set up a chart of accounts for my small business, and what accounts should it contain?](https://uppago.com/resources/how-do-i-set-up-a-chart-of-accounts-for-my-small-business-and-what-accounts) - [I run more than one business - should they share one set of books or have separate ones?](https://uppago.com/resources/i-run-more-than-one-business-should-they-share-one-set-of-books-or-have-separate) - [How do I clean up a chart of accounts that has too many accounts, duplicates, or accounts of the wrong type?](https://uppago.com/resources/how-do-i-clean-up-a-chart-of-accounts-that-has-too-many-accounts-duplicates-or) _Reference date 2026-09-07. Statements are quoted verbatim from their sources; scope and verification dates are shown on each._