QuickBooks Online Is Phasing Out Tags: Here’s Your Action Plan
If you use Tags in QuickBooks Online to track your transactions, it’s time to start planning for a change. Intuit has announced the phased removal of the Tags feature. This post will explain the timeline, what to use instead, and how to make the transition smoothly.
The official Intuit support pages for the US, UK, and Canada have published this timeline:
- 16 May 2025: No more creating new tags (they become read-only).
- 15 May 2028: Full removal, including all historical tag data and reports.
Resources on Phasing Out Tags:
A Note for QuickBooks Online Singapore Users:
There is no official announcement yet for QuickBooks Singapore.
The official announcement currently details the timeline for specific regions; however, Intuit typically rolls out such changes globally. Even if your edition is on a different schedule, it is extremely likely that the Tags feature will be phased out here as well. We strongly recommend beginning the migration to Custom Fields now to avoid a last-minute scramble.
What Are Tags and Why Were They Useful?
Tags were a flexible tracking feature that allowed you to categorise transactions using multiple custom labels. Unlike Classes, Locations, or Projects—where you are typically limited to one per transaction—you could apply multiple tags to a single transaction.
Think of them like labels in your email inbox. You don’t just file an email under “Client”; you might also tag it as “Urgent,” “Project-X,” and “Follow-up.” Tags in QBO worked the same way for your money.
Example: To track both a “Festive Sale” and the “Salesperson” on a single invoice, you could apply both the Christmas tag (festive sales) and the Grace Tan tag (salesperson). This multi-dimensional tracking solved many complex reporting needs.
The Replacement: Enhanced Custom Fields
As Tags are phased out, Intuit is promoting its enhanced Custom Fields as the replacement. This is a significant upgrade from simple text fields. You can now create dropdown lists, number fields, and date fields (especially in QuickBooks Online Advanced).
According to Intuit, each custom field dropdown can hold up to 100 values, which is sufficient for most small businesses.
How to Replace Tags with Custom Fields
You cannot automatically migrate tags, but the process of setting up Custom Fields is straightforward.
- Plan: Map your old Tag Groups to new Custom Fields. For example:
- Old Tag Group: Festive Sales -> New Custom Field: “Festive Sale” (Dropdown: CNY, Hari Raya, Deepavali, Christmas)
- Old Tag Group: Salesperson -> New Custom Field: “Salesperson” (Dropdown: Grace Tan, Maria Yong, David Kim)
- Create: Go to the Gear Icon > Custom Fields (or from the All Lists). Click “New” and define your field (see screenshot below):
- Name: Festive Sale
- Data Type: Dropdown List
- Add Options: Enter your list values (CNY, etc.)
- Category: Transaction
- Forms: Select which forms (Invoices, Bills, etc.) should display this field.
Repeat this process for each category you need. These new fields will then appear on the transactions you selected.
Different QuickBooks plans have limitations on the number of custom fields you can create. Please check with your QuickBooks consultant or contact the QuickBooks Support Team for plan-specific details. Note that each custom field dropdown is currently limited to 100 values, as shown in the screenshot above.
As you can see, even Simple Start users get 100 total values, while Advanced users can create up to 12 different custom fields with 1,200 total values – providing significant flexibility for complex tracking needs.
Alternatively, you may check with the QuickBooks Online resources: Resources on Custom Field (QuickBooks US)
What About Your Old Data?
Your existing transactions will retain their tags until the final removal date. This change does not affect your core financial data (Chart of Accounts, Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet). Your historical tag data will become unavailable after May 15, 2028. If you need a permanent record, export your Tag reports to PDF or Excel now.
Conclusion
The phasing out of Tags is a significant change, but the enhanced Custom Fields provide a more powerful and structured replacement. While automatic migration isn’t possible, the process of switching is a chance to review and improve your tracking system.
Your Action Plan:
- Audit: Review how you currently use Tags.
- Plan: Map your existing Tag groups to new Custom Fields.
- Build: Create your new Custom Fields in QuickBooks (check your plan’s limits first).
- Implement: Start using them on all new transactions.
By starting this process now, you’ll ensure your reporting remains robust and uninterrupted.