Convert from Excel to Quickbooks

^{🕒 2024-06-15}

Accounting software Quickbooks Desktop does not import CSV/Excel file with transactions directly into the register, and there is no "Intuit CSV plugin", but there is a conversion software to convert CSV/Excel files to QBO or IIF format importable by Quickbooks Desktop. The CSV file needs to be converted to QBO (web connect) or IIF file format first and the imported.

Step 1: Download transactions in CSV or enter in Excel

The first line in the CSV file should be the header with column names like date, amount, payee, memo, check number. Each transaction should take one line in the CSV/Excel file.

If the transactions were created in Excel, save your Excel/CSV file before converting

Step 2: Determine importable format based on your Quickbooks version (QBO or IIF)

Quickbooks imports QBO (web connect) and IIF formats. The QBO format is for bank and credit card transactions only. The IIF format allows entries for all accounts but requires more details.

Quickbooks imports QBO files until it becomes three years old. After this, Quickbooks must be upgraded.

Quickbooks does not stop importing IIF files even if it becomes three years old. 

Quickbooks provides an interface called Bank Feeds for imported QBO files. Once Quickbooks imports a QBO file, you can review imported transactions:

• Match payee names to vendor records
• Assign expense/income account (prefilled from matched vendor)
• Add transactions to the register or ignore (delete) them

Step 3: Convert transactions in CSV/Excel format to QBO or IIF format

Download the ProperConvert app to convert to QBO or IIF format.

Start the converter and open the CSV or Excel file. Examine how transactions are parsed and click Review Mapping if required. Custom mapping helps when the parser cannot detect columns automatically. For example, your CSV file may have more than one amount column or more than one description column.

Before converting to a QBO file, set the bank label (INTU.BID), account ID, and account type.

Before converting to an IIF file, set the account type and account name.

Click the "Convert" button to create a QBO or IIF file. The converter uses your CSV/Excel filename and its location as the base name for the new file. You may adjust the filename and its location before converting.

If you set the "Open after save" checkbox, the converter will do a system call to open the created file. By default, QBO and IIF files should be opened by Quickbooks installed on your computer. If the checkbox was not set, do the following to import created file:

• For QBO files, switch to Quickbooks and select File->Utilities->Import->Web Connect
• For IIF files, switch to Quickbooks and select File->Utilities->Import->IIF file

Related articles

• Import an IIF file into Quickbooks Desktop
• How to import a QBO file into Quickbooks Desktop
• Convert to Quickbooks compatible formats (QBO, IIF, QBJ)
• Convert CSV/Excel to IIF and import into QuickBooks
• Convert CSV/Excel to QBO and import into QuickBooks
• Convert CSV/Excel files to the QBJ, IIF format
• Convert CSV/Excel files to OFX and import into Quickbooks Online, Xero, Microsoft Money