The short answer
Datplan Audit Analytics reviews supported QuickBooks accounting data using seven analyses: Benford's Law, exceptional values, period-end activity, round amounts, possible duplicates, post-period reversals and rare high-value counterparties. Each chart has Audit Evidence drill-down to the underlying records.
The purpose is to help a professional identify and investigate unusual activity. Datplan does not label a transaction as fraudulent.
QuickBooks Audit Log and Datplan Audit Analytics answer different questions
Intuit's QuickBooks Online Audit Log records account activity such as sign-ins, settings changes and edits to records. That is valuable history about who changed what.
Datplan Audit Analytics is different. It asks pattern questions across the selected financial population: which values are unusually large, which records look duplicated, what activity clusters near period end, which entries reverse after the period, and which counterparties are both rare and high-value.
For an audit or fraud-risk review, those evidence sources can be complementary rather than substitutes.
The seven QuickBooks audit analyses
| Analysis | Default visual | Review purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Benford's Law | Combo Bar + Line | Compare observed first- or second-digit frequencies with expected Benford frequencies. |
| Exceptional values | Horizontal Column | Surface the largest values meeting the selected threshold. |
| Period-end activity | Column | Count transactions within the configured number of days around month end. |
| Round amounts | Horizontal Column | Find values near selected round-number multiples within tolerance. |
| Possible duplicates | Horizontal Column | Group records matching counterparty, date and amount, optionally reference. |
| Post-period reversals | Column | Identify opposite-value matching entries in the bounded post-period window. |
| Rare high-value counterparties | Horizontal Column | Highlight high-value activity involving infrequent counterparties. |
From a QuickBooks exception to Audit Evidence
The chart should make the population easier to understand, but it should not hide how the result was produced. Audit Evidence exposes the records behind the analysis so the reviewer can inspect the transaction, counterparties, dates, amounts and other available fields used by the test.
That supports a traceable workflow: pattern → exception → underlying record → corroborating evidence → documented conclusion.
A practical QuickBooks review workflow
- Confirm the company and period. Make sure the correct authorised QuickBooks company and reporting population are being analysed.
- Choose the test for the assessed risk. Use a targeted procedure rather than treating seven charts as a checklist that must all produce exceptions.
- Set thresholds and matching rules. Parameters should reflect the purpose of the test and the entity's context.
- Inspect Audit Evidence. Review the actual records that produced the result.
- Use other evidence. Where relevant, check the QuickBooks Audit Log, source documents, approvals, explanations, controls and subsequent activity.
- Document the outcome. Record why an item was or was not considered significant and what further work followed.
Supporting ISA (UK) 240 fraud-risk work
ISA (UK) 240 (Revised March 2026) applies to periods commencing on or after 15 December 2026. The FRC describes the revision as strengthening and clarifying fraud responsibilities, including risk assessment. ISA (UK) 315 continues to govern the broader identification and assessment of risks of material misstatement.
Datplan can support the data-analysis and evidence-inspection part of that work. It does not decide the engagement's risks, prescribe every required response, determine intent or certify compliance.
See the full Audit Analytics overview, the revised ISA (UK) 240 guide or the equivalent Xero audit analytics workflow.
Frequently asked questions
What audit analytics are available for QuickBooks in Datplan?
The same seven analyses as Xero: Benford's Law, exceptional values, period-end activity, round amounts, possible duplicates, post-period reversals and rare high-value counterparties.
Is Datplan Audit Analytics the same as the QuickBooks Audit Log?
No. The QuickBooks Audit Log records account activity and changes. Datplan Audit Analytics analyses selected accounting populations for transaction patterns and exceptions. They are different sources of evidence and can be complementary.
Can I inspect the QuickBooks transactions behind a chart?
Yes. Audit Evidence drill-down exposes the records used by the selected analysis so the reviewer can investigate the exception rather than relying on an aggregate chart.
Does Datplan certify ISA 240 compliance for QuickBooks data?
No. It supports analytical review and evidence inspection. The auditor remains responsible for the engagement's risk assessment, procedure design, corroboration, documentation and conclusions.