Using Ebay Tools: Accounting Assistant

By Art Micklewraith

For many Ebay resellers one of the most difficult aspects of operating their business is getting sales and other data from Ebay to their own bookkeeping software. Transcription errors and forgotten sales can lead to gross inaccuracies in a businesses’ record keeping and cause no end of trouble and loss of revenue.

For those resellers for whom the organizational aspect of operating their business is a headache Ebay offers a free software package called Accounting Assistant. The free software makes it much easier for an Ebay seller get all the information from their Ebay store to dump directly into the QuickBooks on your personal computer.

Accounting Assistant will allow the user to download all Ebay and Paypal transactions and in a variety of forms that best suit your preferences. When first setting up the Accounting Assistant the program allows you to specify exactly what pieces of a transaction you want entered into your QuickBooks.

The program is able to identify existing customers and will automatically match transaction and the products they purchase in your bookkeeping program. This function will minimize transcription errors and save you a great deal of time. It will also separate different types of sales from each other, a remarkably useful tool for businesses that have traditional retail storefronts as well as Ebay stores.

While, as said before, Accounting Assistant is free but it will not work unless the user has access to one of the following Ebay subscriber services; Seller’s Assistant (basic or pro), Selling Manager (basic or pro), or Ebay Stores. For many people who don’t subscribe to any of these services this might seem like a deal breaker. You can however, use any of these programs for free for thirty days to decide if they work for your business before paying for them. They aren’t expensive and many Ebay resellers swear by them.

Before downloading and installing Accounting Assistant you will need to make sure you meet the basic system requirements. Almost any fairly up to date personal computer should have no problems here. Like many of Ebay’s user tools Accounting Assistant won’t work using Apple’s operating system, so Mac users your out. It does work with Windows 98 or any later version of the Microsoft software.  You must have at least 100 MB of free hard disc space to handle large volume accounts and that’s about it. Oh yes, one other thing if you don’t use QuickBooks you’re out too. Accounting Assistant won’t work with any other accounting software.

So, Ebay resellers with a PC and use QuickBooks can download the Accounting Assistant and install it easily, just a few clicks and your done. However, before using the program you must set things up on your QuickBooks.

To do this start up QuickBooks Desktop edition and select the Edit option from the top tool bar. Select preferences from the scroll of choices. From the row of option on the left hand side of the screen select Integrated Applications. One of the two tabs that appear on your screen is labeled company preferences. Select that tab. Make sure that the box marked “Don’t allow any applications to access this company file” is unchecked.

To use Accounting Assistant with QuickBooks Online Edition Choose preferences from the under company tab and look for sales form entry. Once there check the sales tax box.  From the sales tax account option tab select the appropriate sales tax choice from the scroll down list.

Hopefully one day Ebay as well as much of the online commerce world will come to recognize that a lot of people like and won’t use any computer other than an Apple and start producing program and services catering to Mac users. Until that wonderful day Apple users are out in the cold with Ebay services. If you use and Mac and wish Accounting Assistant was available for you write Ebay and tell them so. In the long run it can only help.

While perhaps not as universally useful as the Turbo Lister discussed in a previous article but for Power Sellers and other high volume Ebay users could easily remove hours of data entry time and prevent the loss of valuable information by putting Accounting Assistant to work for them. As any experienced retailer can tell you any edge can make a huge difference to the profitability of your venture.

Art Mickelwraith is the author of the Wholesale Buyer's Guide at TopTenWholesale.com. He can be reached at artmicklewraith@gmail.com.