Measure Initiative, Inc (formerly Peterson Business Services): QBD to QBO: Workaround for Importing Large Lists

The way that we convert data to QBO is changing. If you have tried to import customer names and accounts, you may have been bogged down with addresses and account types not matching up with the new formatting in QBO. I have discovered that since you cannot import an IIF, sometimes it is quicker to make a new desktop file and convert that to QBO instead (yay!).

Example: Client is wanting to begin in QBO, but wants to leave the old transactional data behind. Rather than exporting the lists to CSV and having to separate address portions and add in account types, you can export the lists to IIF and create a new desktop file from the existing file.

Open the file that you want to convert
File > Utilities > Export > Lists to IIF Files (choose the lists you would like to keep)
File > New Company File from Existing Company File
Enter a new name for the file copy
Once the new copy is open, File> Utilities > Import > IIF Files

Now you have a beautiful empty file that mirrors the way you want your QBO file to be setup. You can clear out any inactive names or items that you want removed and revise any account structuring. This is where you would make changes to the COA or Customer:Job hierarchy that you may not have been able to modify in the original file because or links to historical transactions.

Follow the import instructions in QBO to import the QBD file. Importing your file this way will save you time formatting CSV's to match the address and account formatting requirements for importing new lists in QBO.

Please note that our walkthroughs assume QuickBooks knowledge on an advisor level and are not intended to be a step-by-step for new users.

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