How to Create an Expense Report in QuickBooks (Step-by-Step Guide)
How to Create an Expense Report in QuickBooks (Step-by-Step Guide)
Managing business expenses can be overwhelming — especially when tax season or investor meetings come around. Fortunately, QuickBooks makes it easy to create accurate, professional expense reports that keep your finances organized and audit-ready.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to create an expense report in QuickBooks, why it matters for your business, and how Lionhood Financial can help you stay on top of your books every month.
🧾 What Is an Expense Report?
An expense report summarizes all your business spending over a specific period — things like travel costs, office supplies, meals, software subscriptions, and more. It helps you:
- Track where your money goes
- Monitor cash flow
- Identify tax-deductible expenses
- Make informed budgeting decisions
If you’re self-employed or managing a small business, keeping this report accurate is critical to financial health.
💻 How to Create an Expense Report in QuickBooks
Here’s a simple breakdown of how to do it step-by-step:
Step 1: Log In to QuickBooks
Open your QuickBooks dashboard. From the left menu, go to “Reports.”
Step 2: Search for ‘Expense Report’
Use the search bar to type “Expenses by Vendor Summary” or “Transaction Detail by Account.”
These reports are customizable and show detailed spending data.
Step 3: Customize Your Report
Select the date range you want to review — monthly, quarterly, or yearly.
You can also filter by vendor, category, or account to narrow results.
Step 4: Review and Categorize Expenses
Before generating your report, ensure all transactions are properly categorized (e.g., “Utilities,” “Supplies,” “Meals”).
If you need help with categorization, Lionhood Financial offers coaching sessions to help you clean up and automate this process.
Step 5: Export or Print
Once you’re satisfied, click “Export to Excel” or “Print” to save your report for filing or sharing with your accountant.
⚙️ Pro Tips for Better Expense Management
- Connect your bank accounts to QuickBooks for automatic transaction imports.
- Use receipts capture to attach proof of purchase directly to each expense.
- Review transactions weekly to prevent backlog and confusion.
- Schedule monthly reconciliations to catch missing or duplicated entries early.
🦁 How Lionhood Financial Can Help
At Lionhood Financial, we help business owners master their finances through:
- Bookkeeping setup and cleanup
- QuickBooks coaching and automation
- Expense categorization and reporting
- Financial strategy coaching to help you scale profitably
Our mission is to help you go from confusion to clarity — and from debt to generational wealth.
🧠 Final Thoughts
Creating an expense report in QuickBooks isn’t just about compliance — it’s about control.
When you know exactly where your money is going, you can make smarter decisions that move your business forward.
If you’re struggling to stay organized, schedule a session with Lionhood Financial today and let’s make your books work for you — not against you.