A five-stage roadmap for getting up and running
Most businesses follow the same five stages when setting up AccountEdge for the first time. This guide walks through each one in order so nothing gets missed — skip any stage that doesn't apply to your business.
Step 1 of 5 — Install & Register
Download and install AccountEdge for your platform. Mac and Windows are separate versions — they're not cross-platform for simultaneous use on the same file, so pick the one that matches how your team works. Full steps: Install and Register AccountEdge.
For accountants: if a customer is on Windows but their CPA is on Mac (or vice versa), the customer can still send their company file to the CPA. As long as the CPA has the same AccountEdge version installed, they can open the file and read/write to it, then send it back. The customer should pause work in the file while it's with the CPA and resume only once they get it back — this avoids double-entry.
Step 2 of 5 — Create Your Company File
Use the New Company File Assistant to create your company file — it walks you through entering your business name, address, fiscal year, and chart of accounts. Full steps: Create a Company File.
A few things to decide up front:
Where to store the file: Keep it on a local drive (not a network share, USB, or cloud-synced folder) for best performance. If you need multi-user access, see AccountEdge Hosted or Network Edition.
Fiscal year: Set this to match your actual fiscal year — it affects reporting periods and year-end procedures. Changing it later is possible but messy.
Chart of accounts: The Assistant offers starter templates by industry. Pick the closest match — you can always add, rename, or remove accounts later.
Step 3 of 5 — Build Your Lists
Not every list applies to every business — set up only what you'll actually use.
Accounts List (Chart of Accounts): Confirm your linked accounts and enter opening balances so your Balance Sheet starts accurate. Full walkthrough: Getting Started With Accounts.
Card File: Create Cards for your Customers, Vendors, and Employees — only the categories you'll use. See Getting Started With Cards.
Tax Codes: Needed if you collect or pay sales tax. Skip if your business or location doesn't require it. See Setting Up Tax Codes and Adding Them to Customers or Vendors.
Items List: Needed only if you sell inventory or track items/SKUs. Invoicing for services with nothing to track? You can skip this and enter sales by account instead. See Setting Up The Things You Sell.
Payroll: Needed only if you run payroll inside AccountEdge. Historical payroll from a prior system must be recreated manually — it doesn't import automatically. See US Payroll Setup for initial setup, or Setting Up Payroll When Switching from QuickBooks if you're bringing payroll over from QuickBooks.
Preferences: Go through Setup > Preferences (System, Sales, Purchases, Banking, Security, etc.) and check the boxes that match how you work — these shape default behavior for every step that follows. See Setup AccountEdge Preferences for what each tab controls.
Step 4 of 5 — Start Recording Income & Expenses
AccountEdge gives you a few ways to record activity — most businesses only need one or two:
Sales & Purchases: Best if you invoice customers or receive vendor bills and need to track what's owed (Accounts Receivable/Payable). Browse: Creating & Sending Invoices and Paying Your Bills.
Banking — Spend Money / Receive Money: Best for straightforward cash-basis income and expenses with no invoice or bill to track. See How to Spend and Receive Money.
General Journal (Accounts module): Best for accountant-prepared entries, adjustments, or bringing in historical balances.
Recurring Transactions: Best if you have monthly recurring income or expenses — set up the transaction once and AccountEdge will save it and record it automatically or notify you on your schedule. See Recurring Transactions.
Record your first invoice, bill, or journal entry to confirm your Accounts List and Cards are working the way you expect.
Step 5 of 5 — Customize & Send Your Forms
Before you send anything to a customer or vendor, take a few minutes to make your forms look right and confirm they print correctly.
Customize your forms: Set up your sales invoice (and check form, if you print checks) with your logo and layout under Setup > Customize Forms. See Customize Forms for a walkthrough of the layout editor.
Print a test: Print a sample invoice or check to confirm margins, alignment, and your logo look correct on paper. Adjusting this now saves a reprint later.
Email setup: If you'll email invoices or statements directly from AccountEdge, configure your email settings under Setup > Preferences > Email. See Web Mail Setup for supported providers and SMTP configuration.