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Export, import, and edit IIF files

by Intuit Updated 4 months ago
Note: Intuit doesn't offer technical support for the import and export of IIF files. If your IIF file came from a third-party app, contact the app’s technical support for help.

Learn how to import and export Intuit Interchange Format (IIF) files to and from QuickBooks Desktop for Windows.

You can use IIF files to import and export your lists and transactions to and from QuickBooks Desktop. We'll show you how.

Tip: If you use QuickBooks Desktop 2019 and later, here’s how to import your lists and transactions with the improved IIF tool.

  • You can import transactions but you can't export them from QuickBooks. Here are the lists and transactions you can import:
    ListsTransactions
    • Chart of Accounts
    • Employees
    • Supplier types
    • Items
    • Shipping methods
    • To dos
    • Notes
    • Sales tax codes
    • Customers and customer:jobs
    • Other names
    • Classes
    • Payment terms
    • Customer messages
    • Sales reps
    • Suppliers
    • Customer and job types
    • Payment methods
    • Budgets
    • Price levels
    • Account beginning balances
    • Cash sales to customers
    • Checks
    • Deposits
    • Invoices
    • Account transfers of funds
    • Supplier bills
    • Cash refunds to customers
    • Credit card transactions
    • Estimates
    • Payments from customers
    • Supplier bill refunds
    • Credit card refunds to customers
    • Credit memos to customers
    • General journal entries
    • Purchase orders
  • You can only import a certain number of list items. See maximum number of list entries for more info.
  • When you import IIF files, it doesn't link transactions. For example, you still need to link an invoice and an invoice payment after the import.
    To link transactions, go to the Receive Payments or Pay Bills window. You can also use third-party apps to import and link transactions.
  • When you import assembly items, you can't import data in the item's custom fields.
  • You can't export or import price levels that are set up on a per-item basis.
  • You can only use IIF files to export payroll data from Core, Premium, and Elite Standalone Payroll.
  • You can't import and export IIF files to and from a country's version of QuickBooks to another country's version. For example, from the US version of QuickBooks to the Canadian version.
  • When you create an IIF import file, you can't enter numbers with leading zeroes in Microsoft Excel. As a workaround, you can format the column cells as Custom.

Export IIFs

  1. Sign in to your company file as an admin.
    Note: If you’re in Multi-user mode, go to the File menu, then select Switch to Single-user Mode.
  2. Go to the File menu, then select Utilities.
  3. Select Export, then select Lists to IIF Files.
  4. Select the lists you want to export, then select OK.
  5. In the Save in dropdown, select a location to save your IIF file into.
  6. Enter a file name, then select Save.

Import IIFs

Important: Back up your company file before you import IIF files. If you ever run into problems, you can use your backup to restore your data.

  1. Sign in to your company file as an admin.
    Note: If you’re in Multi-user mode, go to the File menu, then select Switch to Single-user Mode.
  2. Go to the File menu, then select Utilities.
  3. Select Import, then select Import IIF.
  4. Select the IIF file you want to import, then select Open.
  5. Select OK to confirm the import.

Edit an IIF file

  1. In Microsoft Excel, go to File and select Open.
  2. In the File type dropdown, select All Files.
  3. Select the IIF file you want to edit, then select Open.
  4. In the Text Import Wizard, select Next, then Next and Finish.
  5. Make the changes to your IIF file.
  6. Go to the File menu, select Save, then Yes.
  7. Exit Excel. You'll get a prompt to save the IIF again. Select Don't Save.

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