Skip to main content
J
john reece
December 29, 2024
Solved

Why are my Business ID Numbers obfuscated?

  • December 29, 2024
  • 1 reply
  • 0 views

I am working in a company file for a Canadian nonprofit organization. Recipients of donations from the organization were entered as Suppliers and those with CRA charitable status as Type = Business and Business ID No. = their CRA Charitable Registration No.

 

When I view the Supplier profile the Business ID Number is obfuscated (XXXXXXXXXXXXX0001). Why is this? Is there any way for me to view the number I entered?

Best answer by john reece

Hi beetbox,

 

For security of personal identifiable information, QuickBooks Online won't show the full business ID number, or SIN numbers for contractors or employees.  Although you're not able to view these numbers, once you've entered them in your QuickBooks product, when the forms are uploaded, the information is visible to the CRA.

 

Let us know if you have other questions.  We would be glad to assist!


Finally an answer to my question. And an explanation of how information I entered in QBO is used and why I can edit or enter it but not view it. I am still not persuaded that data privacy laws would prevent a user with full admin rights to view the number. However, the behaviour as explained in the answer should be explicit in QBO documentation and easily found in a search of support.

 

I am disappointed it took this long to get a straight answer to a straightforward question. It seems that any SAAS question is assumed to be a "nail" (browser-related) and the answer a "hammer" (clear your cache, use incognito mode). Failing that call support for a web session whether called for or not. 

1 reply

J
JamesM4
December 30, 2024

Hello John, 

 

It's important you're able to view your business number. Rest assured, I'll be glad to guide you in the right direction so you're on the right track. 

 

I recommend making sure you're logged in as an admin user so you can view the business number. Here's how:

 

  1. Go to Settings ⚙ and select Accounts and settings.
  2. Select Company, then ✎ Edit in the Company name section.
  3. Enter the new name in the Company name field.
  4. If the company's legal name is different from the Company name you entered:
  5. Enter/edit/view your Business Number (BN) in the field provided.
  6. Select Save, then select Done.

In case you're having issues after following the steps above, I recommend clearing cache and cookies on your browser. Doing this helps with fixing most browser-related issues. You can do this by following the steps in this article: Clear Cache and Cookies. I encourage you to give this a try.

 

Feel free to let me know what happens. I'll be here in case you have other questions.

J
john reeceAuthor
December 30, 2024

Thx for your quick reply James. Let me preface my reply by saying I have followed the steps in Clear Cache and Cookies before posing my question and again a second time.

 

I want to clarify that I am not asking about the Business Number in the Company Name your instructions refer to. I am asking about Business ID No. in Supplier > Additional info highlighted in the attachment. I entered the charity's CRA Charitable Registration no (in this case [removed] RR 0001) and after saving it displays as XXXXXXXXXXXXX0001 - obfuscated like a credit card number in a bank feed.

 

I am an administrative user so I expect to able to view the actual number.

J
JamesM4
December 30, 2024

At this point, I recommend getting in touch with our phone support team so they can share your screen and help get to the bottom of this ASAP. You can reach out by dialing 1-855-253-1536 from Monday to Friday between the hours of 9 AM and 8 PM EST. Feel free to keep me posted on how you make out.

Terms & ConditionsAccessibility statement