Before you start
HoneyBook only integrates with QuickBooks Online, not Self-Employed or Desktop
The sync runs one way—from HoneyBook to QuickBooks
The sync also begins after your integration date
Every HoneyBook invoice line item must map to a QuickBooks product or service tied to an income account
Common reasons totals don’t match
Service mapping incorrect (most common)
Service mapping incorrect (most common)
Symptoms
Incorrect totals
Revenue posted to deposit account
Missing or duplicate amounts
Why it happens
HoneyBook requires every invoice line item to map to a QuickBooks product or service assigned to an income account. If it was mapped to a deposit or wrong category, totals break.
How to fix
Log in to your QuickBooks account
Select Settings > Products and services
Find the service item, then select Edit
Select Save and close
📚 Tip
Review all service mappings at once to prevent future mismatches.
Discounts not enabled in QuickBooks
Discounts not enabled in QuickBooks
Symptoms
Discounts appear in HoneyBook, but not in QuickBooks
QuickBooks invoice total is higher
Why it happens
QuickBooks requires the Discount feature to be turned on before HoneyBook can send discounted totals correctly.
How to fix
Follow QuickBooks’ article on adding discounts to:
Complete the “Prerequisites” section to turn on the Discount setting in QuickBooks
If your invoice synced before discounts were enabled, follow the “Add a discount as an individual line item” section to manually add the discount to the QuickBooks invoice
📣 Note
HoneyBook applies discounts pre-tax, which may differ from QuickBooks.
Closed accounting period in QuickBooks
Closed accounting period in QuickBooks
Symptoms
Changes made in HoneyBook don’t update in QuickBooks
Invoice totals stay outdated
Why it happens
QuickBooks blocks updates to any invoice inside a closed or locked accounting period.
How to fix
To update your invoice, you may need to temporarily reopen the closed period in QuickBooks. Follow QuickBooks’ article to edit your closed books, then refresh the invoice in QuickBooks once the period is unlocked.
Refunds with sales tax
Refunds with sales tax
Symptoms
Totals don’t match after issuing a refund
Incorrect sales tax liability in QuickBooks
Why it happens
Refund syncing with sales tax is still being improved and may require manual correction.
How to fix
In QuickBooks, select + Create > Refund Receipt, then manually correct the sales tax amount so totals align
HoneyBook Capital repayments
HoneyBook Capital repayments
Symptoms
Deposit doesn’t match invoice
Amount appears inflated or broken into incorrect categories
Why it happens
HoneyBook Capital repayments don’t auto-match in QuickBooks. A manual split is required.
How to fix (manual split)
Principal → Liability account
Fees → Expense account
Remaining → Income or repayment category
Multiple active tax rates in QuickBooks
Multiple active tax rates in QuickBooks
Symptoms
Duplicate or incorrect tax lines
Sync or total errors
Why it happens
HoneyBook supports only one active tax rate. Extra active rates cause conflicts.
How to fix
To deactivate unused tax rates, follow QuickBooks' article to “Deactivate a tax rate”, then run a sync again.
Fix $0 or blank invoices synced from HoneyBook
If HoneyBook syncs a $0 or blank invoice to QuickBooks, update the invoice so it matches HoneyBook, then correctly apply the payment:
In HoneyBook from the navigation menu, select Finance > Payments
Find the payment, client, and invoice in question
In QuickBooks, find the matching invoice, often shown as $0 or missing details
Select Edit invoice, then add or update:
Product or service
Description
Amount
If applicable, the quantity, rate, or tax
Select Save
Follow QuickBooks’ article to resolve the “Unapplied Cash Bill Payment Expense” by correctly applying the payment to the updated invoice
Once completed, the invoice should show as “Paid,” the payment should be correctly applied, and “Unapplied Cash Bill Payment Expense” should no longer appear in your “Profit and Loss” report
Preventing future mismatches
Here are some recommended setup checks:
✅ Confirm every HoneyBook service maps to a QuickBooks product or service
✅ Keep only one active tax rate in QuickBooks
✅ Enable the Discount feature in QuickBooks
✅ Ensure your payout bank matches both HoneyBook and QuickBooks dashboards
✅ Adjust locked or closed accounting periods if you need invoice edits
✅ Verify tips or discounts are turned on in QuickBooks if you use them
Still have questions? Feel free to send us a message by clicking the Question Mark icon on any HoneyBook page. Our team is always happy to help!