Why do duplicate bank accounts show up in QuickBooks Online's chart of accounts after reconnecting, and how do I remove them for good?

When QuickBooks Online treats a bank reconnection as a brand new connection instead of linking back to your existing account, it creates a second account in your chart of accounts and adds its own opening balance entry. This will show as a duplicate connection and it will keep coming back until the extra account is removed and the bank is reconnected the right way.

Removing the duplicate and reconnecting correctly

1. Go to Settings, then select Chart of accounts.
2. Find the duplicate account.
3. Select the dropdown in the Action column, then select Make inactive.

Making an account inactive also disconnects it from online banking, so this step alone stops the duplicate from downloading anything further. Your other transactions and reports aren't affected.

Next, reconnect your bank to the account you actually want to use:

1. Go to All apps, then Accounting, then Bank transactions.
2. Select Connect account, or Link account if you've already connected a different one.
3. Search for your bank, then select Continue.
4. Sign in with your online banking credentials and follow the on-screen steps. Your bank may ask for extra security checks.
5. Select the accounts you want to connect, such as checking or savings.
6. From the account type dropdown, choose the account type that matches your existing account in the chart of accounts. This is the step that keeps QuickBooks from creating another new account.
7. Choose how far back to download transactions, then select Connect and Done.

Once connected, transactions download automatically, and you can review and categorize them from the Bank transactions tab.

If the connection stays tied to the inactive account

Sometimes the bank connection stays linked to the account you just made inactive, which blocks a fresh connection to the active one. This comes down to the difference between disconnecting an account and making it inactive:

• Disconnecting stops new transactions from downloading, but keeps the account active in your chart of accounts. You can reconnect it anytime.
• Making an account inactive disconnects it from online banking too. The account isn't deleted. You can still view it and its transactions, and reactivate it later if needed.

To clear a connection that's stuck on the inactive account:

1. Go to Settings, then Chart of accounts.
2. Select the Gear icon in the Chart of accounts section, then select Include inactive.
3. Find the account, then select Make active.
4. Go to All apps, then Accounting, then Bank transactions.
5. Select the tile for that account.
6. Select the pencil icon, then select Disconnect account, and confirm.

You can then reconnect to the correct active account using the steps above.

Before you disconnect any account

A few checks up front make reconnecting go smoothly:

• Fix any bank connection errors first. Disconnecting while there's an active error can lead to duplicate transactions when you reconnect.
• Add or match everything in your Pending tab before disconnecting. QuickBooks removes anything still sitting there once you disconnect.
• Confirm the account balance is at zero, or check with your accountant, since a remaining balance triggers an automatic adjusting entry.
• Note your opening balance from the reconciliation screen. If QuickBooks treats the reconnection as new, it can create another account along with its own opening balance entry.

Combining duplicate accounts instead

If you'd rather merge two duplicate accounts into one rather than making one inactive, that's possible, but not while either account is still connected to online banking. Disconnect the duplicate first using the steps above, then make sure both accounts have the exact same account name, account type, and detail type before merging. If both accounts already have an opening balance entry, delete the more recent one first, since the older entry becomes the new opening balance after merging. Merging itself is permanent and can't be undone, so save any reconciliation reports for the account being merged away beforehand.

Have more questions about your chart of accounts or reconnecting a bank feed? Let us know how we can help.