Reducing target count in QuickBooks

 

A target is essentially a detail line or item line in a transaction. For example, if you had an invoice with 10 lines, it would take up 10 targets.

The Targets of a QuickBooks transaction provides detailed information about the transaction and includes the target accounts, target names, target memos, target amounts, etc. Some characteristics of the Targets are:

Differences between Targets and Sources

The source of a transaction is the summary or total of the transaction.  An example of this is the source of a check which includes the amount of the check, the payee, and the bank account from which the check was written. 

The target of a transaction is the distribution of the source into 1 or more other accounts.  For example, a check might be used to pay expenses in 2 different General Ledger accounts, which appear on the Expenses tab below the check payee information.  The targets of this check include the information on these 2 lines.

A transaction can have 1 source and 1 or more targets.  In most instances, the source is equal to the sum of the targets.  Forms or windows in QuickBooks determine what information will be the source and what will be the target.  Your only control over what is the source or target is what you enter (subject to validation) in the appropriate area of the form.  In the check example below, the top part of the check form is always.

Some characteristics of transactions are as follows:

• Transactions usually have multiple targets
• There are a few transaction types that can have only one target (i.e. Payment, Transfer).
• Each element of the target data set can appear multiple times in the transaction.
• In some transactions, the source data is copied into the target data.
• In an invoice, the target names are always copied from the source name.
• In an invoice, the target numbers are always copied from the source number.
• The maximum number of targets you can have in your data file is 350,000 before you can upload it to QBO.

In the case where your QuickBooks has more than 350k targets, you have the option to reduce the target count by a Condense or SuperCondense of the data file. A Condense or SuperCondense will remove all closed transactions prior to the cutoff date to reduce the target count.

Files with inventory do not condense and a SuperCondense is required in such cases. A SuperCondense will also be required if your data file does not condense normally or if you are using an international version of QuickBooks such as QuickBooks Canada or QuickBooks UK.