How to Add Company Information in QuickBooks

Setting up your company information correctly in QuickBooks is one of the most important early steps when creating or managing your bookkeeping system. Accurate company details not only make your invoices and reports look professional, but also ensure that your tax filings, client communications, and accounting data remain consistent and compliant.

Whether you are setting up a brand-new QuickBooks company or updating an existing one, this guide will walk you through the complete process of adding, editing, and maintaining company information in QuickBooks Online. We’ll also cover best practices, troubleshooting tips, and common mistakes to avoid.

Why Adding Company Information Matters

Before jumping into the technical steps, it’s worth understanding why it’s so essential to get this right.

1. Professional Appearance: Your company name, logo, address, and contact details appear on every invoice, quote, receipt, and email you send through QuickBooks. If those details are incomplete or incorrect, it can make your business look unprofessional to clients.
2. Legal and Tax Accuracy: QuickBooks uses your company’s legal name, tax ID, and address for filings, receipts, and other documents related to compliance. Entering these correctly helps prevent issues when filing taxes or submitting financial statements.
3. Consistency Across Records: Having consistent information ensures all reports, forms, and transactions show the same business name and details. This eliminates confusion for customers, vendors, and accountants.
4. Operational Efficiency: Once your company profile is set up, QuickBooks will automatically populate your details in future documents. This saves time and prevents data entry errors.
5. Future Changes Are Easier: When your business grows or changes locations, knowing how to update this section ensures that your company information remains current without affecting past transactions.

What Information You Can Add

The “Company Information” section in QuickBooks allows you to store several key details about your business. Each field plays an important role in the way your business appears on forms, reports, and tax documents.

1. Company Name and Legal Name

The Company Name is the name you use publicly. It appears on invoices, statements, and customer-facing documents.
The Legal Name is the official name of your business registered with your tax authority. These two names can be different. For instance, you might trade as “Sunrise Café” but your legal name might be “Sunrise Hospitality, LLC.” QuickBooks allows you to enter both separately.

2. Business Identification Numbers

Depending on your country, QuickBooks includes fields for your Tax ID, Business Number, Employer Identification Number (EIN), VAT number, or ABN. This information appears on official tax reports and certain customer invoices.

3. Business Type and Industry

You can specify your business structure (such as sole proprietor, partnership, or corporation) and your industry. This helps QuickBooks tailor chart of accounts templates and reporting options to fit your business category.

4. Contact Information

QuickBooks allows you to enter several forms of contact information:

• Company email: The primary email QuickBooks uses to contact you.
• Customer-facing email: The email that appears on invoices and customer correspondence. You can use a different address such as billing@yourcompany.com.
• Phone number: Displayed on forms and reports.
• Website: Optional, but helps customers contact you directly.

5. Addresses

QuickBooks lets you store three kinds of addresses:

• Company address: Your main business location.
• Customer-facing address: The address printed on invoices and receipts.
• Legal or registered address: Used for tax or regulatory purposes.

These addresses can all be the same or different, depending on your business setup.

6. Logo and Branding

You can upload your company logo so that your invoices and forms match your brand identity. QuickBooks allows you to adjust placement and preview how it appears before saving.

7. Communication Preferences

QuickBooks may ask for your preferences on receiving product updates, promotional messages, or system notifications. While optional, it’s good practice to ensure your primary contact information is up to date so you don’t miss important communications.

Adding or Editing Company Information in QuickBooks Online

The following steps apply to QuickBooks Online, which is the cloud-based version most small and medium-sized businesses use. The desktop version has similar options but with a different interface.

Step 1: Sign In and Access Your Settings

1. Log in to your QuickBooks Online account using an administrator or master user role. Only users with admin privileges can edit company information.
2. In the upper-right corner of your dashboard, click the Gear icon. This icon gives you access to all company settings.
3. From the dropdown menu, select Account and Settings (or sometimes labeled Company Settings).
4. A new window or panel will open with tabs along the left side, such as Company, Billing, Usage, and Advanced.

Step 2: Go to the Company Tab

Select the Company tab on the left. This is where you’ll find fields for your company name, contact info, address, logo, and registration details.

Step 3: Enter Company and Legal Names

1. Click the Edit icon (a pencil symbol) in the “Company Name” section.
2. Type your business name in the Company Name field.
3. If your legal name differs, enter it in the Legal Name field, or check “Same as company name” if they are identical.
4. Enter your tax identification number or other registration numbers.
5. Click Save when finished.

Step 4: Add Contact Information

1. In the “Contact Info” section, click the Edit icon.
2. Fill out your company email, customer-facing email, phone number, and website URL.
3. Double-check that the email you use for customer communication is the one you want printed on invoices.
4. Click Save to record the changes.

Step 5: Add Business Addresses

1. Find the “Address” section and click the Edit icon.
2. Enter your physical Company Address (the main business location).
3. If your customer mailing address or legal address is different, uncheck “Same as company address” and fill in the other fields accordingly.
4. Click Save once you’re done.

Step 6: Upload Your Logo

If you want your logo to appear on invoices and forms:

1. Go back to the “Company Name” section.
2. You’ll see an option to upload your company logo. Click Upload Logo and select your image file.
3. Adjust the size or cropping if prompted, then save the upload.

Step 7: Save and Review Changes

After saving your company details, it’s best to review how your new information appears on documents.

1. Go to the Sales menu and open Invoices or Custom Form Styles.
2. Preview a form (like an invoice or estimate) to confirm that the company name, address, and contact info display correctly.
3. Make adjustments if anything looks incorrect or misaligned.

Updating Company Information Later

Your business information might change over time. You may move to a new office, change your website domain, or rebrand entirely. Updating these details in QuickBooks is simple and doesn’t affect your historical transactions.

Whenever your company information changes:

1. Go back to the Gear icon → Account and Settings → Company tab.
2. Click the Edit icon beside the section you want to change.
3. Enter the updated details and save them.
4. Review your invoice templates to make sure they reflect the latest information.

If your company undergoes a legal name change or rebranding, it’s wise to notify your accountant so that any necessary adjustments can be made in tax filings or reports.

Best Practices When Adding Company Information

1. Use Official Details: Always enter your legal name and registration numbers exactly as they appear on government documents.
2. Double-Check for Accuracy: Even a small typo in your address or name can cause inconsistencies in official records and invoices.
3. Keep Branding Consistent: Use the same logo, colors, and wording across invoices, estimates, and receipts.
4. Maintain Clear Separation Between Legal and Display Names: The legal name should match your registration, while the display name can reflect your trading or brand name.
5. Keep Your Contact Info Updated: If your email, phone, or website changes, update QuickBooks immediately so your customers always have the correct contact details.
6. Review Sales Form Templates: When you edit your company information, invoice templates don’t always update automatically. Always preview and refresh them after making changes.
7. Document Any Changes: For audit or compliance purposes, note down the date and reason for any updates to company details.
8. Set Reminders to Review Annually: Business addresses, websites, and logos can change over time. Make a habit of reviewing your company settings at least once a year.

Considerations

If your business has complex operations or multiple locations, you might want to use QuickBooks features such as Class and Location Tracking to distinguish between business units. However, these features still share one main set of company information at the top level, so you should ensure that your main company profile reflects your parent entity accurately.  When making major changes,  like altering your legal name, restructuring your business type, or changing your tax ID,  consult your accountant. They can help ensure that the updates are reflected correctly in tax and compliance records.

Keeping Your Information Current

Once you’ve entered your company information, you won’t need to revisit it often, but it’s good practice to:

• Review your details at the start of every new financial year.
• Check that your contact info, website, and logo are still current.
• Update your legal or tax information immediately after any business restructuring.
• Inform your accountant or bookkeeper of any updates so that reports remain consistent.

Adding and maintaining company information in QuickBooks is a foundational step that shapes the way your business appears to customers, regulators, and financial partners. By taking the time to enter accurate, complete, and professional details, you set up your QuickBooks file for smooth operations and compliance.

Here’s a quick recap of the process:

1. Sign in as an administrator.
2. Click the Gear icon and open Account and Settings.
3. Go to the Company tab.
4. Enter your company name, legal name, tax ID, and business type.
5. Add contact information like email, phone, and website.
6. Enter your company address, customer-facing address, and legal address.
7. Upload your company logo for professional invoices.
8. Save all changes and preview your forms to verify accuracy.

Once this information is in place, QuickBooks automatically populates it across your transactions, forms, and reports. Taking these steps at the start or revisiting them when needed,  ensures your business maintains a polished, consistent, and compliant presence across every financial document.