“No Item” simply means you did not use an Item when you entered the expense. In the above example, that expense will be a part of that “No Item” number on a Job Profitability Detail report.
How often have you run a Job Profitability report and then needed to double-click on “No Item” to get your detail? So you end up running/printing 2 reports instead of one. While the Expense or Cost of Goods account may be the correct account for that expense, several of your reports will be incomplete. But for contractors who want to job cost in QuickBooks, I recommend using the Items tab. Most people use the Expense tab and select an expense or Cost of Goods account (like Job Materials).
You have a choice of using either the Expense tab or the Items tab. However, that’s not the case for a bill (or check or credit card charge). On an Invoice, you have no choice but to use an Item. Items let you see detail in your business instead of having to put all the detail in your Chart of Accounts (which is often what I see). I will admit that for many years, I was guilty of this, too – but I thought I understood them (just as many others do)! What I’ve seen is many really don’t understand how Items work in QuickBooks, from bookkeepers to accountants to QuickBooks consultants. I’ve been discussing how to setup and use Items in QuickBooks.
