Moving from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online

To make your move from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online as smooth as possible we’ve teamed up with Movemybooks, a self-service data conversion tool that automatically converts and transfers your data.

You'll need to work with Movemybooks directly to convert and move your desktop data to online. To help you prepare, we've summarised the process in 4 steps.

Before you get started

• You can migrate up to two years worth of historical data. This means you can move all of your transactions for the current year to date, plus all previous accounting periods.
• Make sure you read Limitations when converting to QuickBooks Online.

Important: If you are using the 2008 edition of QuickBooks Desktop (or earlier versions), our support team can help you update your company file.

Step 1. Prepare your desktop file

Before shifting all your data to QuickBooks Online, make sure that your data is backed up and readily available. This way you won’t lose important information in case something goes wrong while migrating. 

Step 2. Create a Movemybooks account

The first thing you need to do is create an account if you don’t already have one. To do this:

1. Go to the Movemybooks website and select Get started now. 
2. Select Create an account. 
3. Complete the online registration form. 
4. Read and accept the Terms of Use, and then select Create account.
   You’ll get an email confirmation containing your account details.

Step 3. Upload your Desktop file to Movemybooks

You can now sign in to your Movemybooks account! Once you sign in, you’ll see the All Conversions page, which will list any conversions that are currently in progress or not yet completed. 

1. Select New Conversion to upload your QuickBooks Desktop data and follow the instructions.
2. Authorise Movemybooks to connect with your QuickBooks Online account.
3. In QuickBooks Online, select Authorise to confirm the migration.

Converting data can take up to an hour to complete for most companies, but it may take longer depending on how much data there is to be converted. Movemybooks will email you to confirm when the conversion is complete.

Tip: If you need any help during a conversion, reach out to the Movemybooks support team or refer to their troubleshooting guide.

Step 4. Check your data has been correctly imported

There may be some things that can’t be moved because of limitations in the software. You can be confident, however, that your financial data will be accurate overall. 

Now that you’ve moved from desktop to online – congrats! – there are a couple of things you need to check to make sure that your data is correct. Read Post-conversion checks – we recommend completing these checks as soon as possible after the conversion. 

Tip: You may notice differences in how your books appear, find out how your books will look in QuickBooks Online.

Need more help?

Our support team can help answer any questions you have about the migration process. If you encounter issues at any point when migrating to QuickBooks Online, email support@movemybooks.co.uk.

Frequently asked questions

What if I need to move more historical data?

When you move from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online, you can move up to two years of financial data free of charge. For any additional years of transaction history that you’d like to take with you there will be a charge. Refer to the Movemybooks pricing guide for more details.