Using Accounting Integrations with BambooHR Payroll
How do I install and use an accounting integration with BambooHR Payroll?
Purpose: Your accounting software is just as crucial as your payroll software, which is why we partner with QuickBooks Online (QBO) and Xero to make it easier than ever to share data across our platforms. This guide will walk Account Owners through installing your accounting app, mapping accounts to the Journal Entry report, and sending the data after payroll is processed.
Installing Your Accounting App
Before beginning the installation process, please ensure you are the Account Owner in BambooHR and have Administrative access to QuickBooks Online or Xero.
Our integration with QuickBooks or Xero does not include their desktop versions.
Navigate to Settings > Apps and locate the QuickBooks Online (QBO) or Xero application. Click Install to confirm your pricing and install the app directly in BambooHR. Only Account Owners will have access to this app installation.
Once the app finishes installing, a blue "Connect Account" link will appear next to the downloaded app. Click that link to begin the setup. You can also set up the integration directly in the Payroll > Journal Entry section of Settings.
If you have multiple EINs, you must select which EIN you would like to pair the integration with before continuing with the setup. Select the EIN from the dropdown menu at the top of the Journal Entry page. A purple banner with a "Connect" button will appear for you to begin the setup.
Clicking Connect on the banner within the Journal Entry page will open up an authentication modal, which will walk through the steps necessary to sync BambooHR to QBO.
Confirm you are a QBO Admin, review your data permissions, and then log in to QBO directly from this modal.
After logging in, find and select your company name from the dropdown and click Next. You will then be prompted to confirm your connection with Merge. BambooHR's integration with QuickBooks Online (QBO) utilizes our partnership with Merge to provide an even more seamless accounting experience. Merge will help increase data accuracy and reduce time spent on manual data entry by sending Journal Entry reports directly from BambooHR to QBO.
Click Connect to finish.
Clicking Connect on the banner within the Journal Entry page will open up an authentication modal, which will walk through the steps necessary to sync BambooHR to Xero.
Confirm you are an Xero Admin, review your data permissions, and then log in to XERO directly from this modal.
Mapping Accounts in the Journal Entry Report
Please note you must run and process payroll at least once before creating and mapping a Journal Entry report.
Upon completing the integration setup and running at least one payroll, you can map your QBO or Xero Chart of Accounts accounts to the Journal Entry report in BambooHR by clicking Start Now on the Journal Entry section of Settings > Payroll.
A modal will appear, allowing you to select the report you would like to map these accounts to, out of the four Journal Entry reports BambooHR offers: Summary (No Segmentation), Segmented by Division, Segmented by Department, or Build a Custom Journal Entry. Choose the correct one from the drop-down menu, then click Map Accounts.
Please note that this integration only works with custom Journal Entry reports--separate from a custom General Ledger report. If you are working with our Payroll Specialized Services team to build a custom General Ledger report, you will continue your processes with the report they have created for you outside of QBO or Xero.
The search and filter functions on the report mapping page are linked to your accounting integration (QBO or Xero) and will populate your chart of accounts so you can quickly find the correct account name. You can also assign accounts in bulk by checking the box next to the account within the Memo Name column and then choosing the account name from the dropdown menu.
Once you have finished mapping your accounts, click Review & Update.
Did you know you can also utilize smart filtering to sort your memo lines by a specific timeframe (Last Three Months, Last Six Months, Last 12 Months, & All Time)? Click the dropdown next to the "Show Memo Lines Used" field in the top right of the report to help narrow down your accounts.
To validate that you mapped the accounts correctly, a preview of your last payroll data will display with the accounts you chose on the previous page. You can go back to mapping or wrapping up the setup via the "Back to Mapping" and "Finish Setup" buttons.
The report will display on the Journal Entry page with a plug icon indicating it is ready to be sent on your next payroll. Review the section below for more specifics on how to send the report data once payroll has been processed.
Sending Payroll Data
After you have mapped your QBO or Xero accounts in the Journal Entry report and approved payroll, you can now send the data to your accounting software with a few simple button clicks. Navigate to Reports > Payroll Reports > Pay Date tab and locate the Journal Entry report. Hover on the report and click the paper airplane button to initiate the process. Your most recent payroll data will be previewed with the mapped QBO or Xero accounts (aka Memo Names in BambooHR). Any missing memo lines will be highlighted for your review. When everything looks correct, click Send to [QuickBooks Online or Xero] to complete the process.
Please note that Account Owners, Full Admins, and Payroll Admins with access to the correct EIN can send this report. If two people try to submit the report simultaneously, BambooHR will prioritize sending one and send an error to the other user. If a second user tries to submit the report after it has already been submitted once, they will receive a notification that the report has already been sent and have the option to cancel the request or resend the data.
After you submit the report, the status will update on the Journal Entry page in Settings > Payroll when you hover over the plug icon and display the last sync date.