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QuickBooks Online interview questions and answers
The questions US-process accounting teams commonly ask about QuickBooks Online (QBO), bookkeeping and US payroll, with short answers in simple English you can practise saying aloud.
Updated · By the Talenta Pros team
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In short
Most QuickBooks Online interviews test five things: accounting basics (cash vs accrual, chart of accounts), daily transactions (invoices, sales receipts, bills, expenses), bank reconciliation, AR/AP and 1099 contractors, and month-end reports. Interviewers then give a scenario, such as a reconciliation that will not balance, and ask what you would check first. Explain the steps you would take in QBO, not just the definition.
Accounting and QBO basics
1. What is QuickBooks Online, and how is it different from QuickBooks Desktop?
QuickBooks Online is Intuit's cloud accounting software. It runs in a web browser on a monthly subscription, so the client, the bookkeeper and the CPA can work in the same company file from anywhere, with bank feeds updating automatically. QuickBooks Desktop is installed on one computer and the file is stored locally. See what is QuickBooks Online.
2. What is the difference between cash basis and accrual basis?
Cash basis records income when money is received and expenses when money is paid. Accrual basis records income when it is earned (when you invoice) and expenses when they are incurred (when you get the bill). In QBO you can switch most reports between the two with the accounting method option.
3. What is a chart of accounts?
It is the list of every account a business uses to record transactions, grouped into five types: assets, liabilities, equity, income and expenses. Assets, liabilities and equity appear on the Balance Sheet; income and expenses appear on the Profit & Loss. The right accounts depend on the client's industry.
4. What is the difference between the Profit & Loss and the Balance Sheet?
The Profit & Loss shows income minus expenses for a period, such as a month or a year, and tells you whether the business made money. The Balance Sheet shows what the business owns, owes and the owner's equity on one date.
Sales and expense questions
5. When do you use an invoice and when do you use a sales receipt?
Use an invoice when the customer will pay later; it increases Accounts Receivable until you receive payment against it. Use a sales receipt when the customer pays at the time of sale, so there is nothing left to collect.
6. What is the difference between a bill and an expense?
A bill records something you owe and will pay later; it increases Accounts Payable until you pay it with Pay bills. An expense (or check) records something already paid, by card, bank transfer or check.
7. What is the Undeposited Funds (Payments to deposit) account used for?
It holds customer payments you have received but not yet taken to the bank. When several payments go into one bank deposit, you group them with Bank deposit so the single amount in QBO matches the single amount on the bank statement.
8. When would you use a journal entry?
For adjustments that do not have their own form: depreciation, accruals, reclassifying an amount posted to the wrong account, or opening balances. Day-to-day sales and purchases should use invoices, bills and expenses so the AR and AP reports stay correct.
Bank feeds and reconciliation
9. How do you reconcile a bank account in QuickBooks Online?
Open Reconcile from the settings (gear) menu or the bank account, choose the account, and enter the statement ending date and ending balance from the bank statement. Tick each transaction that appears on the statement until the difference shows $0.00, then click Finish now. Save or attach the reconciliation report for the client's records. See the full steps in how to reconcile in QuickBooks Online.
10. What is the difference between Match and Add in the bank feed?
Match links the bank line to a transaction already entered in QBO, such as an invoice payment or a bill payment, so nothing is recorded twice. Add creates a new transaction from the bank line. Adding a line that should have been matched is a common cause of duplicate income or expenses.
11. What are bank rules?
Bank rules tell QBO how to categorise repeating bank lines automatically, for example every payment to a phone company goes to Utilities: Telephone. They save time, but you still review what they post.
Receivables, payables and contractors
12. What does the AR Aging report show?
It lists unpaid customer invoices by how long they are overdue, usually Current, 1–30, 31–60, 61–90 and over 90 days. Bookkeepers use it to follow up on collections. The AP Aging report does the same for unpaid vendor bills.
13. What is the difference between a W-2 employee and a 1099 contractor?
A W-2 employee is on payroll: the employer withholds income tax and Social Security and Medicare (FICA), pays employer payroll taxes and issues a Form W-2. A 1099 contractor is self-employed and is paid in full without withholding. Businesses collect Form W-9 from contractors and file Form 1099-NEC for those paid above the IRS reporting threshold. See 1099 vs W-2 explained.
14. How do you track 1099 contractors in QBO?
Mark the vendor as a 1099 contractor, store their W-9 details (name, address and tax ID), and map the expense accounts used to pay them to the right 1099 box. At year end, QBO's 1099 workflow lists contractors who meet the threshold. Card payments are left out because the card processor reports them.
Payroll questions
15. What taxes come out of a US paycheck?
Federal income tax (based on the employee's Form W-4), Social Security and Medicare (together called FICA), and state or local income tax where the state has one. The employer also pays its own share of FICA, plus federal unemployment tax (FUTA) and state unemployment tax (SUTA).
16. What are Forms 941, 940 and W-2?
Form 941 is the employer's quarterly federal return for income tax withheld and FICA. Form 940 is the annual FUTA return. Form W-2 is the year-end wage statement given to each employee and filed with the Social Security Administration, with Form W-3 as the summary.
Scenario questions interviewers like
17. The reconciliation difference is not $0.00. What do you check?
First, that the beginning balance matches the previous statement; if not, a reconciled transaction was edited or deleted, and the History by account view helps find it. Then compare the statement line by line for missing, duplicate or wrong-amount transactions, and check the statement ending date and balance were typed correctly.
18. A customer has paid, but the invoice still shows as open. Why?
The payment was probably recorded as a deposit or added from the bank feed as income instead of being applied to the invoice. Record it with Receive payment against that invoice, then match the bank line to that payment. Remove the extra entry so income is not counted twice.
19. Income looks too high this month. Where do you start?
Run the Profit & Loss by month and drill into the income accounts. Look for bank lines added as new income that should have been matched to invoice payments, transfers or owner contributions recorded as sales, and duplicate entries.
Practise the work, not just the answers
Interviewers can tell when you have only memorised definitions. Do each task at least once: create invoices and bills, reconcile a month to $0.00, fix a duplicate in the bank feed, and run AR Aging and the Profit & Loss. Then explain the steps aloud in simple English.
The Talenta Pros course covers all of these in 12 modules and 94 lessons, with practice in Talenta Practice Books, a QuickBooks-style practice company inside the portal. Module 11 prepares you for Intuit's free QuickBooks Online Certification exam, and the course includes an interview and job-search toolkit. Interview support is part of Successful Pros and Advanced Pros. See the full curriculum and how to get a US bookkeeping job from India.
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|---|---|---|---|
| Best Pros | ₹999 | English | 1 year |
| Successful Pros | ₹1,499 launch offer (regular ₹1,999) | English + Hindi or Telugu | 1 year |
| Advanced Pros | ₹2,999 | All languages | Lifetime |
All prices exclude 18% GST. Try Module 1 free for 7 days. Talenta Pros provides training and job support; it does not guarantee or offer jobs.
Common questions
What questions are asked in a QuickBooks interview?
Expect basics (cash vs accrual, chart of accounts, P&L vs Balance Sheet), transactions (invoice vs sales receipt, bill vs expense), bank reconciliation, AR/AP aging, 1099 contractors and, for payroll roles, FICA, FUTA, SUTA and Forms 941, 940 and W-2, followed by a scenario such as a reconciliation that will not balance.
Do I need the Intuit QuickBooks certification to get an interview?
It is not always required, but it shows you have studied QuickBooks Online properly. Intuit's QuickBooks Online Certification exam is free, and Module 11 of the Talenta Pros course prepares you for it.
Will I be given a practical test?
Many US-process accounting teams give a short practical task, such as entering transactions or reconciling an account. That is why practising in a QuickBooks-style company matters more than memorising answers.
Can I prepare for a QuickBooks interview in Telugu or Hindi?
Yes. Talenta Pros lessons are available in English, Hindi and Telugu, so you can understand each topic in your language and then practise answering in English.
Does Talenta Pros guarantee a job after the course?
No. Talenta Pros provides training and job support, including interview and job-search support on Successful Pros and Advanced Pros. It does not guarantee or offer jobs.
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