What is an Adjustment?
An adjustment is a financial entry you create in BuildOps to correct or change a customer balance without editing the original invoice. Common examples include:
Write‑offs for small remaining balances
Refunds or credits for overbilling or disputed work
Corrections when the original invoice amount needs to be reduced
For QBD integrations, adjustments are the primary tool for sending credits and write‑offs from BuildOps into QuickBooks.
Before you start
Your BuildOps account is integrated with QuickBooks Desktop.
You have permission to:
Create and manage adjustments in BuildOps.
Run accounting exports from BuildOps.
View transactions in QuickBooks Desktop.
Note: For QuickBooks Desktop, BuildOps does not rely on “negative invoices” to create credits. Customer credits flow from the Adjustments module and then sync to QBD as credit memos or journal entries, depending on your configuration.
When to use an Adjustment (vs. editing an invoice)
Use an adjustment when:
You want to reduce or clear a customer’s balance without changing the original invoice.
You are issuing a credit or refund after billing.
Your accounting team prefers an audit trail that shows the original invoice and a separate correcting entry.
The invoice has already been exported to QBD and should not be edited further (e.g., the period is closed or heavily reconciled).
Avoid using adjustments when:
You are still drafting an invoice and can safely correct it directly before posting/exporting.
The change is correcting non‑financial details only (e.g., description text) and does not affect the total.
Create an Adjustment in BuildOps
Use these steps whenever you need to create a write‑off, refund, or other credit that affects a customer’s receivable balance.
1.Open the Adjustments module
In BuildOps, go to Accounting.
Click Adjustments
2. Create a new adjustment
Click New Adjustment (or Create Adjustment).
Fill in the required fields:
Customer – the customer whose balance you’re adjusting.
Job / Invoice (optional) – link the adjustment to a specific job or invoice if that’s part of your workflow.
Adjustment Type – choose the correct type, such as:
Write‑off – to remove all or part of a remaining balance.
Refund – to return money already collected.
Other custom types your team uses for credits or corrections.
Amount – enter the adjustment amount as a positive number in BuildOps.
Date – the effective date of the adjustment.
Description / Memo – short explanation (e.g., “Price adjustment for overbilled labor”, “Customer satisfaction credit”).
3.Save and (optionally) apply the adjustment in BuildOps
Depending on your configuration, you may:
Apply the adjustment to a specific invoice within BuildOps so the invoice balance in BuildOps reflects the credit, or
Leave the adjustment unapplied in BuildOps if your accounting team prefers to manage application only in QBD.
Click Save or Save & Post (per your internal process).
If your workflow supports it, apply the adjustment to the correct invoice in BuildOps so the balance and AR reports reflect the change.
How Adjustments Sync to QuickBooks Desktop
When you export adjustments from BuildOps, they are sent to QBD through the QuickBooks Web Connector.
Export adjustments from BuildOps
From Accounting → Adjustments, locate the adjustments that are ready to export (for example, status “Pending Export” or similar).
Select the adjustment(s) you want to send to QuickBooks.
Click Export or Send to QuickBooks Desktop.
Run the QuickBooks Web Connector to process the export.
After a successful export:
BuildOps marks the adjustment as exported and often closed on the BuildOps side.
QBD creates a corresponding transaction (typically a Credit Memo or General Journal entry) for that customer, based on your accounting configuration.
How adjustments usually appear in QBD
Depending on how your integration was set up:
Many customer write‑off/refund adjustments export as Credit Memos in QBD.
In some cases, adjustments may export as Journal Entries that reduce the customer’s AR balance.
Your implementation or accounting team will choose the best pattern for your chart of accounts and reporting.
Finding the Adjustment in QuickBooks Desktop
Once the Web Connector export completes successfully:
Open QuickBooks Desktop.
Go to Customers → Customer Center.
Select the Customer you adjusted.
In the customer’s transaction list, look for:
A Credit Memo for the credit amount, or
A Journal Entry that references the adjustment amount.
Tip: You can use the amount, date, or memo/description from the BuildOps adjustment to quickly identify the matching transaction in QBD.
Applying the Credit in QuickBooks Desktop
If your adjustment exported as a credit memo, it will be unapplied until you attach it to an invoice in QBD.
Option A – Apply the credit from the invoice
In QBD, open the invoice that should receive the credit.
Click Apply Credits (button label may vary by QBD version).
In the Apply Credits window:
Select the credit memo created from the BuildOps adjustment.
Confirm the amount to apply (full or partial).
Click Done, then Save & Close.
Result:
The invoice balance in QBD is reduced by the credit amount.
AR aging and customer statements in QBD reflect the applied credit.
Option B – Apply the credit from the Receive Payments screen
Go to Customers → Receive Payments in QBD.
Select the Customer.
QBD shows:
Open invoices for that customer.
Available credits (credit memos).
Check the invoice(s) to receive the credit.
Select or apply the Credit Memo to those invoices.
Click Save & Close.
Note: If your adjustments export as journal entries instead of credit memos, your accountant may manage application and AR impact through journal‑based workflows in QBD rather than the Apply Credits screen.
Closed Accounting Periods in QBD
If your accounting period is closed in QuickBooks Desktop:
QBD may reject imports that attempt to change invoices dated in that closed period (including adjustments exported from BuildOps).
The error originates from QuickBooks and is enforced by QuickBooks’ period‑locking rules.
Common options your accounting team may consider:
Handle the credit fully in QBD and bypass export from BuildOps
Manually create a credit memo or journal entry in QBD.
Apply it to the invoice in QBD.
In BuildOps, record a matching adjustment but choose a workflow that does not export to QBD, so you don’t duplicate the entry.
Temporarily reopen the period in QBD
Temporarily reopen the closed period.
Export the adjustment from BuildOps and run the Web Connector so QBD can accept it.
Re‑close the period after verifying the transaction.
Your accountant or admins should choose which approach fits your internal controls and audit requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Do I have to use adjustments for every credit?
Not necessarily. If you catch an issue before an invoice is posted or exported, you can usually edit or correct the invoice directly in BuildOps. Adjustments are best when you want a separate, auditable entry that changes the balance after billing, or when invoices are already exported to QBD.
Does every adjustment in BuildOps sync to QuickBooks Desktop?
Only adjustments that go through your export process are sent to QBD. If you mark an adjustment to bypass export, it will affect balances in BuildOps only and will not create a new transaction in QBD.
How do I know if my adjustment became a credit memo or a journal entry in QBD?
Your implementation team sets this up during onboarding. In practice, you can always:
Export the adjustment.
Check the Customer Center in QBD for that customer.
Look for either a Credit Memo or a Journal Entry dated the same day and for the same amount as your adjustment.
If you’re unsure, your accountant or CSM can confirm how your integration is configured.
Can a single adjustment be applied to multiple invoices?
Yes—if it exports to QBD as a credit memo, you can apply that credit memo partially across multiple invoices using the Apply Credits or Receive Payments screens in QuickBooks Desktop. In BuildOps, whether an adjustment is applied to one or multiple invoices depends on your standard AR process.
What if I accidentally exported an adjustment I didn’t want in QBD?
Because QuickBooks is your financial system of record, corrections need to be made inside QBD (for example, by voiding/reversing the credit memo or journal entry) and then mirrored in BuildOps with additional adjustments or corrections. If this happens, coordinate with your accounting team before making changes so both systems stay aligned.