QuickBooks setup checklist
The setup sequence — company settings, chart of accounts, opening balances, bank feeds — in the order that avoids a cleanup later.
OpenFlorida · QuickBooks Setup
Florida QuickBooks setup, done right the first time.
A QuickBooks ProAdvisor sets up your Florida file properly — a FL-correct chart of accounts, 6%+surtax sales-tax items by county, the taxability of services configured, a fixed-asset schedule for the TPP return, and payroll — so the books are right from transaction one. Fixed-fee, all 67 counties.
QuickBooks setup: $750–$5,000+What sets the price
If your file needs our paid diagnostic first, its fee is credited in full against the cleanup. Either way, you get a fixed fee in writing before any work starts.
State rule
Florida rule: a business is a reemployment-tax employer once it pays at least $1,500 in wages in a calendar quarter, or employs someone in 20 different calendar weeks, of the current or preceding year; QuickBooks Payroll then carries the reemployment-tax account and rate. Source: s. 443.1215, Florida Statutes.
§ The short version
Florida QuickBooks setup builds your file right from transaction one, for a fixed fee of $750–$5,000+: a Florida chart of accounts, sales-tax items at 6% plus each county’s surtax, taxable services configured, a fixed-asset schedule for the TPP return, and Florida payroll with its reemployment-tax account.
They took something that felt overwhelming to me as a first-year business owner and made it simple.
What stood out the most was TechBrot Inc’s attention to detail.
Intuit QuickBooks Certification Level 2 and QuickBooks Workforce Certification,
§ 01 · Florida tax realities we build into the setup
Three Florida facts the setup gets right from day one.
A generic QuickBooks setup misses these — and fixing them later is a cleanup. We configure them up front.
6% + surtax
Sales tax by county, not one rate
Florida combined sales tax (6% + a discretionary county surtax) varies by county, so QuickBooks must apply the correct rate by county, not a flat statewide rate — with single-item surtax caps handled. It’s the single most-missed Florida setup step.Services
Florida taxes some services
Unlike most states, Florida taxes a range of services — commercial cleaning, pest control, certain repairs, security, commercial laundry. Owners who assume services are exempt routinely under-collect, so we flag taxable vs. exempt service lines in QuickBooks and apply the right rate.TPP
A fixed-asset schedule from day one
Florida’s annual tangible personal property return (DR-405) needs a maintained fixed-asset schedule. Set it up at the start and the return is a quick export, not a year-end reconstruction.§ 02 · What a Florida setup includes
A file built for how Florida taxes.
Setup decisions made now shape years of bookkeeping — so the Florida specifics go in from the start.
01
Florida chart of accounts
A chart of accounts built for your Florida industry — structured for the reporting and tax positions you actually need.QuickBooks accountant
02
Sales tax by county
6%+surtax sales-tax items configured to the correct combined rate by county, with single-item caps — the single most-missed Florida setup step.Sales tax help
03
Service taxability configured
Taxable service lines set up from day one so Florida’s tax on services is rated correctly — the line generic setups miss.Sales tax help
04
TPP fixed-asset schedule
Equipment and furniture tracked from day one so the annual tangible personal property return (DR-405) is a quick export.Bookkeeping services
05
Florida payroll config
QuickBooks Payroll configured for Florida — no state income-tax withholding, but federal and reemployment tax set up cleanly with your provider.Payroll
06
Clean go-live or migration
Opening balances, integrations, and reporting right — or migrated cleanly from Desktop or another system.QuickBooks migration
§ 03 · The scope
What we do — and what we don’t.
What TechBrot does
- Configure a Florida-correct chart of accounts
- Set 6%+surtax sales-tax items by county, with single-item caps
- Configure service taxability set up correctly
- Build a fixed-asset schedule for the TPP return and configure Florida payroll
- Set opening balances, integrations, and reporting cleanly
- Train your team on the new file if you want it
What your CPA does
- File the Florida sales tax, corporate income tax, or taxability of services
- File the tangible personal property return or federal returns
- Represent you before the Florida Department of Revenue
- Provide legal or tax advice
- Step 1
Free scoping call
A QuickBooks ProAdvisor reviews your business, entity, payroll, leases, and industry to scope the setup. - Step 2
Written fixed-fee scope
A written scope and fixed fee within 3 business days — QBO or Desktop, with the Florida specifics listed. - Step 3
Build & configure
We build the chart of accounts, by-county sales tax, service taxability, fixed-asset schedule, and payroll. - Step 4
Go-live & handoff
Opening balances set, integrations connected, and your team trained — or straight into monthly bookkeeping.
§ 05 · The advisory line
Automation handles the data entry. We handle the judgment.
A Florida QuickBooks setup is the cheapest insurance you’ll buy — getting by-county sales tax, the taxability of services, and the TPP fixed-asset schedule right at setup avoids the cleanup that costs many multiples later.
Once the file is built right, the same preparer can keep it clean in monthly bookkeeping and extend into fractional-CFO advisory when you’re ready.
§ 06 · Around this page
Around Florida.
Florida QuickBooks ProAdvisor & bookkeeping
The state page: services, industries, cities and the Florida tax terms in one place.QuickBooks setup, nationally
The national engagement this page is the Florida version of — same scope, same written fixed fee.Also in Florida
Florida cities
Not sure where your file stands? Start with the free QuickBooks file review · how Florida compares: state-by-state tax quirks.
§ 07 · Around the engagement
Before you engage anyone.
QuickBooks Online plan selector
Which QBO plan actually fits — including whether you need Plus for project profitability and job costing.
OpenFlorida QuickBooks training
A file set up correctly still has to be run correctly. Training covers the day-to-day for the person who will actually be in it.
Open§ 08 · Common questions
Florida QuickBooks setup questions.
What does Florida QuickBooks setup include?
A QuickBooks ProAdvisor configures a FL-correct chart of accounts, 6%+surtax sales-tax items by county (with single-item caps), the taxability of services configured by service line, a fixed-asset schedule for the TPP return, and Florida payroll, with opening balances, integrations, and reporting set cleanly — in your own QuickBooks Online or Desktop file.
Why does a Florida setup need a ProAdvisor?
Because the Florida specifics are either configured at setup or fixed later as a cleanup. Sales tax has to be applied by county surtax rather than a flat statewide rate, the taxability of services has to be set up by service line, and a fixed-asset schedule should exist from the start for the TPP return. A generic setup misses all three and turns into an expensive cleanup.
Should I use QuickBooks Online or Desktop?
Whichever fits your business — we configure either in your own file. QuickBooks Online suits most Florida small businesses, hospitality, and SaaS; Desktop or Enterprise can suit inventory- or job-cost-heavy operations like construction or marine. We recommend on fit and set it up.
How much does Florida QuickBooks setup cost?
Fixed-fee against a written scope, never hourly — typically $750–$5,000+ depending on entity complexity, payroll, inventory, and integrations. You get the exact fee in writing within 3 business days of a free discovery call and the file information needed to quote.
Can you set up Florida payroll too?
Yes — we configure QuickBooks Payroll for a Florida employer. Florida has no state income-tax withholding, but we set up federal withholding, federal unemployment, and the Florida reemployment tax (RT-6) correctly, coordinated with your payroll provider.
Do you keep the books after setup?
If you want. You can move from setup straight into monthly bookkeeping with the same preparer, so the file stays as clean as the day it went live. A setup-only engagement is also fine.
Checked against the Florida Department of Revenue.
Florida businesses start here