Importing Transactions via IIF File for past years

Hello there, Jim Culpepper.

I'd like to share with you some information about importing transactions via IIF file in QuickBooks.

In QuickBooks Desktop, you can importing transactions but there are certain limits that QuickBooks can only process. The error message you're getting when trying to import data from the year 2003 means that a quantity, rate, or amount is larger than what Quickbooks allows. 

If wish to be more familiar about exporting or importing IIF files and it's limitations in QuickBooks, you can visit this article: Export or import IIF files.

Should there'll be anything else you need with importing transactions in QuickBooks, just let me know as I'm here to help.

Thank you for your response, but I don't think that is my problem.  I have 10 transactions.  8 that affect only balance sheet accounts post fine.  2 that affect 1 Balance Sheet account and 1 P&L account do not post.  All dates are in 2003.  The AMOUNT of the 2 transactions that do not post are both under $100.  The only difference that I can see is that the transactions that do not post involve P&L accounts.

Thanks for the response.  I kept looking and found a 1 character typo in the header row.  Once corrected, all transactions imported correctly.  thanks for the help.

Hello,

Can QB Pro 2009 do export IIF to excel files?  If so how is that done, I wanted to import transactions so I thought if I exported several, I'd see the exact format required.  However I can't see the export transactions option, only lists to IIF and timer lists and addresses to text.  Given that limitation, what is the exact format for transactions for QB 2009, I've had no luck getting it to work so far.  I have several months of data in Excel I'd like to import to the check register.

Thanks,

Frank

Garlyn,

     Thanks, so I decided to try a basic simple import to try to get it going at all.  What I found is I can't get any transaction to import, even though the header, trans and spl (and endtrns) are all in place. I did only 1 simple deposit and 1 simple expense, neither posted but the import said it was successfully imported.  I uploaded a file with the information from my 2009 "about" file, my transactions and the sample transactions from the files I was told to use as a model from QB.  Since I am out of ideas, and I know any subtile (or not so subtile) detail goof up the import, I need anyone's assistance to get the thing to work at all. I don't know if the header is the issue, I don't have the proper number of fields (too many or not enough or in the improper order or whatever else that can go wrong), there may be a typo on some field, I didn't use the proper tab delimited vs comma separated format, et al.

     I included a .pdf of my system, however  for the header I had to guess at the Version number, the product name, the time format was most confusing so I guessed at that as well, I included also a couple of screen shots of the check register showing typical entries I am hoping to import if I can get anything to work at all, and I also included a side by side listing of the QB provided general examples of the header, trans spl and endtrns as well as my feeble attempt to match my specific system to those examples for comparison.  During my fun times, I have made modifications to the number of fields (like the 41 showing in the sample from QB for trns, the format of the data, etc. all to no avail.)

     I also googled sample .IIFs for QB, found a 3rd party app for ~$170 or so, but since I am an hyper user of excel, I can easily structure the excel sheet in whatever manner QB requires if I could only figure out what it is (SPECIFICALLY to the ASCII chars) required for my friend's specific QB version, account names, etc. 

     So any assistance would be appreciated prior to my throwing in the towel and $170 to a gamble that the 3rd party SW will be any better than my feeble attempts to decipher QB's requirements from their general assistance .IIF help file.

Frank

I appreciate the details that you've provided, @franksi.

Allow me to provide additional insight about importing transaction in QuickBooks Desktop. Let's get this sorted out. 

You can download the .IIF sample file and follow the format to import your transaction. This way you'll be able to manually enter the details of the transaction. Just edit the columns of the header to make it similar to the sample. 

Here's how:

1. Download the sample kit.
2. Select the Save button to download the IIF_Import_Kit.zip file to your Windows desktop.
3. Use WinZip or any compatible file compression utility to extract the contents of the downloaded file. The contents will automatically extract into a subfolder called .IIF 
4. Open the IIF Import Kit folder to view its contents.

To learn more about this process, please refer to these articles:

• IIF Overview: import kit, sample files, and headers.
• Export or import IIF files.
• Maximum number of QuickBooks Desktop list entries.

Please let me know if you have any other question about this concern. I'll be here to help you out. Have a great day!

BettyJane,

     Since this is New Year's Day, I didn't expect a response, given I received one and it more or less answered my specific questions with general answers, I will assume it was an automated response. Whether that is an accurate assumption or not, here is still the issue I pointed out in the last post:

1.

Your "answer"/suggestion:

You can download the .IIF sample file and follow the format to import your transaction. This way you'll be able to manually enter the details of the transaction. Just edit the columns of the header to make it similar to the sample. "

     I uploaded a .pdf showing the provided sample header and my "about" data from the QB 2009 installation, that I attempted to "match" to the sample header.  Again, since the data in that "about" screen doesn't match well to the sample header contents, I did my best to match it the best I could by guessing and morphing what I had  from my QB installation, into the fields I needed to match. 

If you were to look at the .pdf data I provided, and what I created to match the sample provided, you can see there are obvious dissimilarities.  Is that my problem why my import says it is successful, but nothing gets posted?  How important is the header details and format?  Is its specificity/details crucial to the proper functioning of the subsequent import TRNSs and SPLs?

2.   The sample TRNSs and SPLs provided and my "matched" TRNs and SPLs are also provided in the .pdf I included.  Again there are obvious dissimilarities, both in number of the fields utilized, their account/list names, etc. . It this the crucial issue with why my two transactions are not being posted?  How many of the 41 fields of the TRNS command line need to be "exactly" matched, and with my "about" file provided, how do I do this since my names of some of the accounts are not identical to the sample provided?

3.   Can you provide me a similar 2009 version HDR, TRNS, SPL command line that would do 2 simple transactions, 1) a deposit to a bank account in the check register and 2) an expense paid (check written) in the check register?

4.  For each of the commands, HDR TRNS SPL, what are the critical fields that need to be included and exactly identically accurately created and included, and what (if any) fields are default(able) and can be left blank?  For the TRNS command for instance, it seems rather obvious that 41 fields to do a 5-field (date,  entry #, account, note, amount) content deposit is a bit of an overkill and over complicated, so I assume some of those fields could easily left blank and QB manages them w/default assumptions/actions, is this not true?

     I don't think the import should be this difficult to accomplish, and it has taken far too much time and energy thus far, and I apologize if I have made this too difficult for you to answer, but any specific assistance beyond the "download the sample...." would actually be appreciated.

Frank

Hi @franksi,

Thanks for clarifying what you're trying to accomplish. I'd like to share some information about this concern.

Headers are designed to match the requirement of the system to successfully import the .IIF file into QuickBooks. Based on the screenshots that you've provided the header isn't similar the way that it should be. For now, let's try to match the header with the sample .IIF file and import it again. In terms of providing similar 2009 version HDR, TRNS, SPL command line that will do on two transactions, we can no longer provide it since the QuickBooks version that you're currently using has been discontinued.  Also, QuickBooks won't manage to default actions with those blank fields of your transaction.

Please let me know how it goes. I'll be around to provide additional assistance. Have a good one!

BettyJane,

Thanks for the response. 

I noticed that QB has an online subscription with support.  If I sign up for the service, (I assume with the current 2019 version?) will I get specific support on how to import my tab delimited format .IIF file?

Frank

Hey there, Frank.

Yes, we have an Online version. Though, it doesn't support the IIF file format. Then, you're unable to import transactions in the system.

You can only import customer, vendor, items, and bank transaction lists using the Excel (CSV) file.

You can check these articles for reference:

• Import customer, vendor, or supplier contacts from Outlook, Excel or Gmail
• How to import products and services from Excel
• How to import bank transactions using Excel CSV files

Feel free to drop by anytime if you have other concerns. Have a nice day!