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Setting Up Or Adding a Business

Applies to: Quicken Business & Personal only

If you earn self-employed income, invoice clients, or want to separate business and personal spending, setting up a business in Quicken Business & Personal helps you stay organized and tax-ready year-round.


Overview

Setting up a business in Quicken Business & Personal creates a dedicated workspace for your business finances, with tools designed for small business management—like invoicing, expense tracking, mileage tracking, and business reporting.

Quicken Business & Personal keeps your business and personal finances separate, while still letting you view everything in one place. Business accounts are grouped under your business name, and personal accounts remain in their own section—so your records stay clear and organized.

After setup, you’ll be able to:

  • track business income and expenses separately from personal spending

  • send professional invoices with your business details

  • capture deductible expenses and receipts throughout the year

  • track mileage in the same system as your finances

  • run reports like Profit & Loss and tax-ready summaries

You’ll want to set up a business when you’re:

  • starting a new business

  • adding another business venture

  • converting from mixed personal/business finances

  • organizing business activity that has been spread across personal accounts

You can add up to 10 businesses, which makes it easy to manage multiple ventures under one subscription while keeping finances separated.


Before You Begin

Having your information ready makes setup faster and helps ensure accurate reporting.

Required business details

  • Business name (as it appears on tax forms)

  • Industry type (Consulting, Retail, Construction, etc.)

  • Business structure (Sole Proprietor, LLC, S-Corp, Partnership, Corporation)

  • Business email address (for invoices and client communication)

Tax and accounting details

  • Accounting method

    • Cash basis: income and expenses are recorded when money changes hands

    • Accrual basis: income and expenses are recorded when they’re earned or incurred

    • If you’re unsure which to choose, check with a tax professional.

  • Tax form (for example, Schedule C for sole proprietors)

Optional (recommended)

  • Business logo (for invoices)

  • Business address and phone number (for invoices)

  • Dedicated business bank and credit card accounts (for cleaner reporting)

Tip: Using dedicated business accounts makes your reports cleaner and tax prep easier. If you use the same account for business and personal spending, you can still track expenses—but you may need to split transactions more often.


How to Set up Your Business

You can set up a business during your initial Quicken setup or add one later from Settings. Both options create the same business workspace.


Option 1: Add a business during initial setup

Best for: New Quicken users who want to start managing both personal and business finances right away.

During setup:

  1. Select Add a Business when prompted.

  2. Enter your business details (name, structure, industry, and contact information).

  3. Choose your accounting method and tax form.

  4. (Optional) Upload a logo for invoices.

  5. Connect your business bank and credit accounts.

  6. Confirm that business and personal accounts are assigned correctly.

Example
Maria launches Rodriguez Landscaping LLC. During setup, she adds her business details, selects cash basis, uploads her logo, and connects her business checking account. Her personal accounts remain separate, but she can still view everything in one dashboard.


Option 2: Add a business later

Best for: Existing users who are starting a business or adding another venture. You can add up to 10.

You can add up to 10 businesses.

  1. Go to SettingsBusinesses.

  2. Select + Business.

  3. Enter your business details (name, structure, and industry).

  4. Choose your accounting method and tax form.

  5. Connect or assign the appropriate accounts to this business.

  6. Review and confirm your setup.

Example
David uses Quicken Business & Personal for personal finances and a tutoring side gig. When he starts a wedding photography business, he adds a new business from Settings → Businesses, connects a dedicated checking account, and keeps each income stream separate for cleaner reporting.


Tips and Best Practices

Quicken Business & Personal can keep your finances organized automatically—as long as your accounts are assigned correctly and business activity is tracked consistently.

Account setup strategy

  • Choose the business structure and name you’ll use for tax reporting

  • Select your accounting method carefully (ask a professional if needed)

  • Assign accounts correctly from the beginning to avoid cleanup later

Account organization

  • Connect business accounts right away to avoid missing transactions

  • Assign each account as business OR personal (not both)

  • Use dedicated business bank and credit accounts when possible

  • Name accounts clearly so they’re easy to recognize

  • If you operate multiple businesses, create a separate business for each

Professional appearance (invoices and client communications)

  • Add a logo to create polished invoices

  • Use a business email address for client communication

  • Include business contact details so invoices look complete and professional

Ongoing maintenance

  • Review your business settings annually

  • Update your tax information if your business structure changes

  • Check account assignments occasionally to ensure everything stays accurate


Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Rushing through setup and needing cleanup later

  • Using personal accounts for business transactions (creates extra work at tax time)

  • Mixing multiple businesses in one business profile

  • Skipping tax form selection, which can affect reporting

  • Leaving transactions uncategorized, which reduces report accuracy


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