1. Head to the Reports tab in the left navigation.
2. Search for Balance Sheet. It's a standard report, listed under Business overview or searchable directly by name.
3. Set the "as of" date. Unlike the income statement, a balance sheet is a snapshot at one point in time, not a range, so a single date is all it needs.
4. Choose cash or accrual basis. This changes whether unpaid invoices and unbilled bills show up in the numbers; pick whichever basis matches how the business actually reports.
5. Add comparison columns if you want them. Display columns by can show this period next to last period, last year, or broken out by class or location, instead of one flat total.
6. Check that it balances. Total assets should equal total liabilities plus equity, which is where the report gets its name. If it doesn't, something upstream in the books is off, not the report itself.
7. Save the customization or export it. Save customization keeps your date range and column choices for next time; Export sends it to Excel or PDF if someone outside QuickBooks needs a copy.