The error message you’re encountering when importing a CSV file into QuickBooks Self-Employed (QBSE) indicates an issue with the file format or a temporary browser-related problem, Donald. Let’s work through some troubleshooting steps to help resolve this.
To better assist you, could you please clarify what type of entry you are trying to import? Are you importing financial transactions or trip data related to mileage tracking? This information will enable me to provide you with the most accurate guidance to resolve the file upload error.
If you are importing bank transactions, please ensure your CSV file follows one of the two supported formats:
- 3-column format: Date, Description, Amount.
- 4-column format: Date, Description, Credit, Debit.
Here are some tips to check and correct your CSV file before importing:
- While reviewing your file formatting, ensure that you remove any zeros from cells that should remain blank, leaving them empty.
- Ensure the Description column contains no numbers or special characters.
- Remove the word "amount" if it appears in the Credit or Debit column header.
- Use a consistent date format throughout the file such as dd/mm/yyyy.
- Mac users should save the CSV file in a Windows CSV format to avoid compatibility issues.
- In some cases, banks include the day of the week in the Date column (e.g., 20/11/2018 TUE). You need to remove the day of the week by splitting the date and day into separate columns using Excel’s “Text to Columns” feature with space as the delimiter.
For more detailed formatting guidelines and troubleshooting steps, you can refer to this resource article (note: although it references QuickBooks Online, the same principles apply to QBSE). The article also includes helpful visuals to guide you through the process: Format CSV files in Excel to get bank transactions into QuickBooks.
If you continue to see the error after these adjustments, I recommend clearing your browser’s cache and cookies. Outdated or corrupted files stored in your browser can sometimes disrupt the import process in QBSE. Additionally, please ensure you’re using a supported and up-to-date browser, as this can improve both performance and security when working with the software.
I’ve included this article for your convenience, providing a clear guide to help you review and accurately categorize your transactions within your chart of accounts once they are successfully uploaded: Categorize transactions in QBSE.
Feel free to Reply with any additional questions or for further assistance. I’m here to help ensure your import process goes smoothly.
