Integration
ServiceM8 and QuickBooks Online: what syncs, and how GST codes map
ServiceM8 sends invoices to QuickBooks Online when you approve them, and payments sync both ways. On connection it imports every QuickBooks tax code, and while connected you cannot change tax settings in ServiceM8, according to ServiceM8's help centre. So GST is set up in QuickBooks first, and each ServiceM8 material uses one of those codes.
Last checked 25 Sep 2026 against the sources listed at the end of this page.
What syncs, and when
| What | Direction | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invoices | ServiceM8 to QuickBooks Online | Approved on the Invoicing page | Zero value invoices are not sent. A later change to the total re-syncs the lines. Hover the red X on the Invoicing page for the reason an invoice failed. |
| Payments | Both ways | Recorded in either system | A payment deleted in QuickBooks is deleted in ServiceM8. Once sent, a payment cannot be deleted in ServiceM8. |
| Customers and items from QuickBooks | Both ways | Imported after connecting; later changes within 20 minutes | Inactive customers and sub-customers set to Bill with parent are not imported. |
| Clients and materials from ServiceM8 | ServiceM8 to QuickBooks, then both ways | Only when sent with an invoice | Purchase cost only syncs if the QuickBooks item is marked I purchase this item. |
| Tax codes | QuickBooks Online to ServiceM8 | All imported on connection, then on change in QuickBooks | Tax settings are locked in ServiceM8 while connected. |
| ServiceM8 Pay deposits | ServiceM8 to QuickBooks Online | When the deposit is paid | Posted as a sales receipt (item ServiceM8Deposit) to the liability account you choose, then applied to the invoice once the job is completed, fully paid and approved. |
| Custom fields (QuickBooks Online Advanced) | ServiceM8 to QuickBooks Online | With each invoice | Only the first three Text and number custom fields are supported, and they appear in ServiceM8 after at least one invoice has been exported. |
What does not sync
- Invoices created in QuickBooks Online.
- Staff.
- Tax code edits made in ServiceM8, which are blocked while connected.
- Zero value invoices.
- Deposits, if the default account code for deposits is not a liability account.
- A ServiceM8 client that has not synced yet is overwritten if the same client is keyed into QuickBooks by hand.
Set it up
- In QuickBooks Online, tidy the tax codes before connecting: every code comes across, including ones you no longer use. Ask your bookkeeper which code is for taxable sales, which for GST free sales and which for input taxed sales.
- Mark inactive any old customers and items you do not want in ServiceM8, and tick I purchase this item on items where you want cost prices to sync.
- In the ServiceM8 Online Dashboard go to Settings, ServiceM8 Add-ons, find QuickBooks Online Integration and click Connect.
- Select QuickBooks Online, click Connect to QuickBooks, review the access and click Connect.
- On the Tax Settings step, set up your tax settings, then click Next and Finish.
- Check a sample of materials in ServiceM8 carry the right imported tax code, especially GST free items.
- If you take deposits with ServiceM8 Pay, set Settings, Preferences, Invoicing, QuickBooks Online, Default account code for Deposits to a liability account.
- Send one test job: set it to Completed, approve it in Invoicing, Awaiting Approval, and compare the GST on the QuickBooks invoice with the ServiceM8 invoice.
Why GST mapping is where it goes wrong
In Australia a sale is taxable unless it is GST free or input taxed, and your accounting file needs a tax code for each case. With QuickBooks Online connected, ServiceM8 does not keep its own tax list. It imports every tax code from QuickBooks when you connect, follows changes made in QuickBooks, and blocks tax edits inside ServiceM8. That is the right design, but it means any mess in QuickBooks arrives in ServiceM8 too: two codes that both look like GST, retired codes still attached to items, or a default that is not the one your bookkeeper expects.
The symptom is usually an invoice total or GST figure that differs between the two systems, or a BAS where GST on sales does not match what the jobs say. Fix it at the source. Clean up the QuickBooks tax codes, set the right code on each item, and let the change flow down to ServiceM8. Trying to fix tax on a ServiceM8 material while connected will not work.
Fees carry GST too
If you take card payments through ServiceM8 Pay, ServiceM8 can post the processing fees to QuickBooks as bills from a clearing account. ServiceM8's reconciliation notes point out that in Australia bank fees are normally GST free, but Stripe and ServiceM8 fees include GST. Pick the fee tax code with your bookkeeper, or you will under claim GST credits.
How it compares with Xero and MYOB
ServiceM8 says its Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks Online integrations are built for the same workflow and work in very similar ways, and it supports Xero and QuickBooks Online worldwide. The QuickBooks link is stronger than MYOB on payments (it syncs payments in both directions, including deletions made in QuickBooks), and it adds custom field mapping on QuickBooks Online Advanced.
Sources
- Invoices are sent to QuickBooks Online when approved; zero value invoices are not sent; payments sync both ways and payments deleted in QuickBooks Online are deleted in ServiceM8; changes to clients and materials update the other system within 20 minutes. ServiceM8 Help Center, checked 25 Sep 2026.
- On integration all QuickBooks Online tax codes are imported into ServiceM8, changes in QuickBooks Online sync to ServiceM8, and tax settings cannot be changed within ServiceM8 while integrated. ServiceM8 Help Center, checked 25 Sep 2026.
- The QuickBooks Online connection wizard is started from Settings, ServiceM8 Add-ons, QuickBooks Online Integration, Connect, and includes a Tax Settings step. ServiceM8 Help Center, checked 25 Sep 2026.
- ServiceM8 Pay deposits sync to QuickBooks Online as a sales receipt against the client only when the default account code for deposits is a liability account, and are applied to the invoice once the job is completed, fully paid and approved. ServiceM8 Help Center, checked 25 Sep 2026.
- Only the first three Text and number custom fields in QuickBooks Online Advanced are supported, and at least one invoice must be exported before they appear in ServiceM8's settings. ServiceM8 Help Center, checked 25 Sep 2026.
- In Australia, fees from banking institutions are normally GST free, but Stripe and ServiceM8 fees include GST; the fee reconciliation feature supports Xero and QuickBooks Online only. ServiceM8 Help Center, checked 25 Sep 2026.
- Goods and services sold in Australia by a GST registered business are taxable sales unless they are GST free or input taxed. Australian Taxation Office, checked 25 Sep 2026.
- ServiceM8 supports connections with Xero and QuickBooks Online worldwide, and MYOB in Australia and New Zealand. ServiceM8 Help Center, checked 25 Sep 2026.