Dataswitcher to QuickBooks Online: Complete migration guide

Make sure to:

• Export and save key reports (Trial Balance, P&L, VAT summary).
• Reconcile your accounts before migration.
• Review retained earnings—Sage 50 may split these into two lines in QuickBooks.
• Disable VAT in QuickBooks Online before migration.
• Enable multicurrency in QuickBooks Online if needed.
• Back up all original data for auditing purposes.

Make sure to:

• Run and save a VAT report up to your conversion date.
• Extract and save these reports:
• Trial Balance
• Profit & Loss
• Outstanding customer and supplier invoices
• Sales Tax Report
• Account Transactions
• Enable multicurrency in QuickBooks Online before the conversion (if applicable).
• Reconcile accounts before migrating.
• Back up payroll data separately (e.g. P60s, payslips).

To begin your move to QuickBooks Online:

1. Open the Dataswitcher migration wizard.
2. Choose your current accounting software (Sage 50 or Xero).
3. Sign up to QuickBooks and select a plan.
4. Select Upload with Dataswitcher.
5. Select your region.
6. Upload your data file and follow the on-screen instructions.
7. Once submitted, you’ll receive email updates to track the progress of your migration.

Your conversion should complete within two to four business days.

Included in your migration

Dataswitcher will transfer the following data to QuickBooks Online:

• Chart of accounts
• Customer and supplier details
• Outstanding balances
• Items list
• Historical transactions (up to two years, free of charge)
• Opening balances

• Retained earnings split: Sage 50 may clear year-end balances differently. Dataswitcher may split retained earnings into:
  • Retained earnings from Sage 50
  • Uncleared earnings from P&L accounts
• Incorrect nominal classifications: If your old nominal codes were misclassified, this can impact how retained earnings or P&L balances appear.
• No VAT filing history: VAT is copied as regular line items, not as recognised filings. You’ll need to make manual adjustments in QuickBooks Online for your first return.
• Corrupt Sage data: In rare cases, corrupted data may lead to small discrepancies in account balances. These can be resolved by making revaluation adjustments post-migration.

• Multi-currency: All data is converted in the home currency only. You’ll need to revalue foreign currency accounts manually after the migration.
• Tracking categories (Projects/Departments): These are converted into Locations in QuickBooks Online.
• Merged journals: To simplify conversion, some journal entries (credits, prepayments, overpayments) may be merged. This may cause slight differences in historical period reporting.
• VAT data: Dataswitcher does not carry over VAT settings or filing history. Manual setup is required post-migration.

Is Dataswitcher endorsed by Intuit QuickBooks?

Yes. Intuit partners with Dataswitcher to provide a smooth, secure migration service for customers switching from Sage 50 or Xero to QuickBooks Online.

How long does the migration take?

Most conversions are completed within two to four working days once your data is uploaded. You’ll receive updates via email.

What does the service cost?

For a limited time, migrations of up to two years of financial data are free. QuickBooks subscription charges still apply, but there’s no separate cost for the data transfer.

Is my data safe?

Yes. Dataswitcher uses SSL encryption during upload and secure offline storage during conversion. Once you confirm the migration is complete, your data is permanently deleted.

What data is converted?

We will transfer the following data to QuickBooks Online:

• Customers and suppliers
• Chart of accounts
• Account balances
• Items list
• Historical transactions (up to two years)
• Outstanding invoices and bills

Can I migrate data into an existing QuickBooks Online account?

Yes—but the account must be completely empty. If there’s existing data, contact QuickBooks support to reset the account before using Dataswitcher.

What if old or extra data appears in QuickBooks after migration?

Dataswitcher converts all compatible data in your file, but only validates data within the requested date range. Keep a backup of your full report history for reference.

Do I need to do anything after the migration?

Yes. You’ll need to:

• Check your data
• Set up VAT
• Reconcile bank transactions
• Adjust VAT balances
• Link open invoices to payments or credits

See after the conversion: Essential setup for step-by-step instructions.