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QuickBooks FAQs

QuickBooks

What are IIF files?

IIF stands for Intuit Interchange Format, a file format for importing data into financial software. QuickBooks will export IIF files that contain lists & will import IIF files that contain both lists & transactions. The format is daunting for many non-programmer types. Several of our tools make it easier, including the IIF Transaction Creator, the List Importer, and the Transaction Copier.

QuickBooks doesn’t support my bank or credit card for online banking. How can I import my Online Banking data into QuickBooks?

The IIF Transaction Creator can use CSV and other text files opened in Excel.  It will help you convert these files to IIF files for import into QuickBooks.  This is a good way to imported banking or credit card transactions where you don’t enter them as you go.  They’re imported directly into your register.

The QIF to OFX Converter will import QIF files or use worksheet data downloaded from your bank. It will create OFX, QFX, and QBO files you can import into the online banking center in QuickBooks  or Quicken.  This is useful is you enter most transactions as you go, and want to reconcile them against the bank’s data.

Can QuickBooks import opening balances for lists?

Yes. Opening balances for lists are created by importing transactions in combination with lists. For import, this means both a new list item & an accompanying transaction must be imported.

Setting this up manually is rather cumbersome, though it’s easy when using our List Importer where all you have to do is specify the opening balance amount for each account or name and the rest is taken care of.

Can QuickBooks export transactions?

No, it does not include built- in export for transactions.  However, QuickBooks does expose its data to 3rd party tools and that can be used to create IIF files with transactions.   Then those files can be imported into another QuickBooks file.  Our Transaction Copier takes advantage of this capability and allows you to copy transactions from one QuickBooks file to another.

Can QuickBooks import transactions?

Yes! QuickBooks can import transactions using the IIF file standard. Generally, this can be quite complicated to setup and is considered ‘programming’ by Intuit, and they don’t support questions about IIF. Several of our addins can help with this task, allowing you to convert simple spreadsheets into IIF files.

What can’t be imported into QuickBooks?

QuickBooks does have some limits in the import area.  This is a partial list of limitations:

– QuickBooks will import most transaction types, but not all.  Paychecks & Sales Orders are two transaction types that can’t be imported.

– For those using Advanced Inventory, QuickBooks does not support Advanced Inventory fields for import, but also requires them to be filled out on transactions.  To import you need to first turn off Advanced Inventory, then import, then turn it back on.

– QuickBooks won’t import custom fields on transactions.

– QuickBooks will import transactions using only your home currency.

– Links between transactions, such as invoices and payments, are not imported.

– For Employee records, only basic information such as Name and Address and a few other fields common to other types of names can be imported.

– For Lists, such as Items, Customer,  & Vendors, some lesser used and newer fields are not supported.  These fields include credit card fields for names and units of measure, the MPN, and location information for items.

 

What types of data can be imported into QuickBooks?

QuickBooks can import most data using IIF files.  Different types of IIF files can be created using our tools.

QuickBooks will import most types of financial transactions, time records, most types of list records, and budgets using IIF files.

We offer tools that can help you import import transactions (e.g. the IIF Transaction Creator, Transaction Copier, and QIF to IIF Converter), time records (using the Excel Timesheet Link), and may types of lists (using the QB List Importer.)  We don’t offer any tools that work with budgets.

QuickBooks will also import *.QBO files (a type of *.OFX file) for use in the bank feeds feature.  Use our QIF to OFX Converter, OFX Cleaner, or the Excel to OFX Converter to create QBO files.