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Export reports as Excel workbooks in QuickBooks Desktop

SOLVEDby QuickBooks1Updated January 08, 2024

Learn how to export reports to Excel from QuickBooks Desktop.

Want to take your reports out of QuickBooks and analyze them in Microsoft Excel? You can export reports as Excel workbooks (.xlsx), CSV spreadsheets, or PDFs. We’ll show you how.

In this article, you'll learn how to:



Export a report as Excel in QuickBooks

Any report in QuickBooks can be exported to Excel. 

QuickBooks Desktop for Windows

  1. Go to Reports, then Reports Centre.
  2. Find and double-click the report you want to export.
  3. Select the Excel ▼dropdown, then Create New Worksheet or Update Existing Worksheet
  4. If you see a message that says your report has too many columns, select Advanced, then uncheck the Space between columns checkbox. Select OK.
  5. When you’re ready to export, select OK.


Generate Excel-based payroll reports

Excel-based payroll reports contain data that is only available in Excel. The following are the Excel-based payroll reports available in QuickBooks Desktop for Windows.

  • Payroll Summary
  • Payroll Item detail
  • Payroll Detail Review
  • Payroll transactions by payee
  • Payroll transaction detail
  • Payroll Liability Balances
  • Payroll Item listing
  • Employee Earnings summary
  • TD1 Review List
  • T4 Summary
  • PD7A Summary
  • Relevé 1 Summary
  • Remittance Report
  • Employee Contact List
  • Employee Withholding 
  • Vacation Summary


Get updated reports while working in Excel

After you export, you can get the latest version of the report from QuickBooks while you're in Excel.

Important: The first time you update a report from Excel, make sure QuickBooks Desktop is open. This sets your preferences and permissions. After that, you can update reports from Excel even if QuickBooks is closed.
  1. In Microsoft Excel, go to the QuickBooks tab. Excel adds this automatically the first time you export a report.
  2. Select Update Report to get the latest version of the report from QuickBooks.


Enable Macro Settings in Excel

Macros are small programs that run inside Microsoft Excel. They allow you to automate repetitive tasks and perform complex calculations on your data without having to do it manually.

If there is a security warning and an Enable Content button

  1. Select Enable Content.

If there isn't an Enable Content button

  1. Select File, then Options.
  2. Select Trust Centre, then Trust Centre Settings.
  3. Select Macro Settings, then Disable all macros with notification.
  4. Select OK twice to save the settings.
  5. Close and re-launch the workbook from QuickBooks Desktop.

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