QuickBooks helps you keep financial records, prepare invoices and record sales, pay bills, settle up at the end of the year, and more. In this guide, a top accounting and tax planning consultant tells you what you need to do to be ready for QuickBooks, then how to install and set up the program for your business. Discover how to:

• Use the latest version of QuickBooks to maintain your accounting records in compliance with tax laws
• Create invoices and credit memos, record sales receipts, set up inventory items, and monitor your inventory
• Record and pay bills, print checks, and process payroll, including withholding
• Balance accounts and generate financial reports
• Set up a business budget and reconcile your account
• Perform weekly, monthly, and annual record-keeping
• Create job estimates that can be easily converted into invoices or compared with actual costs
• Track accounts receivable and payable
• Produce reports that help you understand your customer list, vendors, job expenses, inventory, payroll, budget, and more
• Use job-costing procedure that help you estimate, bill, and track jobs
• Decide whether to use accrual-basis accounting or cash-basis accounting

Handling the financial chores with QuickBooks can put the fun back into owning your own business. QuickBooks 2009 For Dummies makes it easier!

QuickBooks keeps your business books, and this book makes it easy!

Book a little time to make your small-business accounting easier! QuickBooks makes business bookkeeping a breeze, and this guide gives you just what you need to get going. Install and set up QuickBooks for your business, keep financial records, prepare invoices and record sales, pay bills, settle up at the end of the year, and more.

• Quick, get started — discover what you need to do to be ready for QuickBooks, then install and set up the software

• Satisfy the IRS — use QuickBooks to maintain your accounting records to comply with tax laws

• Everyday stuff — prepare customer invoices and credit memos, record sales, pay bills, and monitor inventory

• Regular record-keeping — rely on QuickBooks for the activities you need to perform weekly, monthly, and annually

• Be budget wise — set up a business budget, print checks and manage payroll, and reconcile your account

• It''s just business — create job estimates that can be easily converted into invoices or compared with actual costs

• Report it — create reports to help you understand your customer list, vendors, job expenses, inventory, payroll, budget, and more

Open the book and find:

• How to track accounts receivable and payable

• Easy ways to keep track of inventory levels

• Tips for keeping your business checkbook

• How to produce common financial reports

• Job-costing guidance to help you estimate, bill, and track jobs

• Advice on whether to use accrual-basis accounting or cash-basis accounting

• Ways to simplify tax preparation

• How to handle payroll and withholding

Stephen L. Nelson, MBA, CPA provides accounting, business advisory, tax planning, and tax preparation services to small businesses. He belongs to the American Institute of CPAs and holds an MBA in Finance and a Masters in Taxation. His 100-plus books have sold more than four million copies.