Step 4: Configuring VRAccountant: Items & Listings
Map invoice items from your property management software (PMS) to products & services in QuickBooks Online (QBO)
Items section: Select which invoice items from your PMS you want to use on QBO invoices
About the Items section
VRAccountant retrieves each invoice item from your PMS and allows you to select which of those items you want to use on QBO invoices.
Steps (Item Section)
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Click the Guesty Items dropdown list in the Items section.
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Check the box next to each invoice item from your PMS you want to call out specifically on a QBO invoice. To select all items, check the box next to Select All.
Each item you select here will be individually mapped to a QBO product/service in the next section. We generally recommend selecting all items. If you have a long list of items, select those you use most frequently.
At a minimum, select the items Guesty uses in its integrations with your channels, like Airbnb, HomeAway/VRBO, and Booking.com. These typically include:
- Accommodation Fare
- Cleaning Fee
- Host Channel Fee
- City tax
- VAT
- Goods and services tax
- Local tax
- Tourism tax
- Tax
- Tax paid to host
- Accommodation Fare Adjustment
- Accommodation Fare Discount
- Length of Stay Discount
- Weekly Discount
- Monthly Discount
- Cancellation Fee
(It's okay if you don't see all of the above during your VRAccountant configuration.)
Create your default item mapping
In the Default section, you'll map each PMS invoice item you selected in the Items section to a QBO product/service.
A QBO Product/Service determines which account in your chart of accounts gets posted to when that product/service is used on a sales form (like an invoice) or expense form (like a bill) in QBO.
What is the default item mapping?
VRAccountant affords you the flexibility to choose which invoice items from your PMS map to which QBO products/services on a per-listing basis.
The default item mapping allows you to configure your desired mapping once and apply it to each listing in the sections that follow, changing only what you need listing by listing.
Steps (Item Mapping)
First, select a default class from the Class dropdown list. We recommend using the Owners class you added when setting up your QBO file.
Don't see a generic class like Owners? You may not have added one during your QBO configuration. That's okay - refer to these steps to add one now.
Then,
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Return to the onboarding wizard.
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Select Save at the bottom of the page.
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Select Workflow Configurator to return to the onboarding wizard and see your updates listed.
In the following sections, you'll map each listing from your PMS to a class in QBO.
VRAccountant will use the default class you select here to the tag transactions it creates for new listings in your PMS until you return to the workflow configurator to map those listings.
Second, for each item you selected in the Items section, select the corresponding QBO product/service. For example:
Don't see the Product/Service you want to use? Refer to these steps to add it now.
Then,
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Return to the onboarding wizard.
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Select Save at the bottom of the page.
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Select Workflow Configurator to return to the onboarding wizard and see your updates listed.
What does the "default" item do?
The default item acts as a safety blanket in case you use a new item on an invoice in your PMS but you haven't mapped it to a product/service in VRAccountant. This ensures that the sync continues uninterrupted and there aren't any gaps in the creation of invoices.
Tip: Keep your books accurate and the maintenance of your items mapping to a minimum. Stick to a specific list of items you'll use on your PMS invoices moving forward.
Tip: Consider using a product/service specifically intended to catch and direct your review towards unmapped items. For example, create a product/service called "Uncategorized Item" and map it to the "Uncategorized Income" account.
Configure your listings
VRAccountant affords you the flexibility to choose which invoice items from your PMS map to which QBO products/services on a per-listing basis.
In each of the following listing sections, you'll apply the default, then change anything you need to on that listing.
Apply your default item mapping to your listing
To apply the default item mapping to each specific listing in your configuration, simply check the Use Default Item Settings box.
Each item mapping field will populate with the default settings you selected above. Change the default product/service on any given item as needed. Doing so will cause the Use Default Item Settings box to become unchecked.
IMPORTANT: After applying your default settings to a listing, even if you make no changes to the defaults, be sure to uncheck the Use Default Item Settings box before moving on.
Leaving the box checked will cause VRAccountant to also apply the default class you configured in the Default section above.
Assign a QBO class to your listing
From the Class dropdown list, select the QBO class that corresponds to the listing from your PMS.
Don't see the class you need? You may not have added it during your QBO configuration. That's okay - refer to these steps to add one now.
Then,
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Return to the onboarding wizard.
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Select Save at the bottom of the page.
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Select Workflow Configurator to return to the onboarding wizard and see your updates listed.
Pass cleaning fees to owners
If you include the cleaning fee collected from the guest in your owner's payout, select the Pass Cleaning Fees to Owner box.
This setting is configurable on a per-listing basis.
We'll revisit this configuration in the next section, Configuring VRAccountant: Owner Fees & Commissions.
This setting is only applicable if you use two separate QBO company files: one dedicated to owner/trust accounting, another to your property management operations.
If you use a single QBO company file for both owner and property manager accounting, simply leave the Use MC Class box unchecked to include the cleaning fee collected from the guest in your owner's payout.
Ignore a listing
In some circumstances, you may want not want VRAccountant to post transactions for one or more listings. If that's the case, you can bypass the sync for those listings by selecting the Ignore Listing box in that listings section in VRAccountant.
Doing so will cause the settings to collapse for this particular listing. VRAccountant will not create any QBO records or transactions for any reservations on this listing.
Common reasons you may want to ignore a listing include:
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You're in the process of offboarding a property, and it's status is active but unlisted (Guesty users)
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You're a cohost, and your owner receives guest payments directly from the OTA (ex: Airbnb), and you invoice them separately for commissions & expenses
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You own a listing and receive deposits directly from the OTA
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You use one Guesty account for two or more different businesses and want VRAccountant to post to separate QBO accounts (requires setting up a second VRAccountant workflow)
In general, if you're receiving guest payments into a trust account on behalf of an the owner, you do not want to ignore the listing.
You can proceed to step 5 here.
