iif import

Hi there, Kim. Let me share with you some information about the error message you're getting when trying to import your employees' hours in QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT).

This error message "The....<name> of the list elements is already in use" happens when the name you're trying to import already exists in QuickBooks. This can be an employee, customer, or vendor.

To isolate the issue, please ensure that the names on your IIF file aren't identical to any of the employees, customers, or vendors added in QuickBooks. If you have one, you may add a special character like the following:

•  John Smith to John Smith Jr.
• Anne Smith to AnneSmithEmployee

You can open these articles to learn more about IFF import: 

• Export, import, and edit IIF files
• Improved IIF Import in QuickBooks 2019 and later

Just in case you need help with importing or exporting  QuickBooks data with MS Excel files in the future, you can also check out this link as your guide: Import or export MS Excel files.

Let me know if you have any other follow-up questions while fixing the error message you're getting when importing the .iif file to QuickBooks. I'm just a post away to help. Keep safe!

Hi Angelyn

Thanks for your response. I do not understand it however. When we import the employees' time, it is the working hours for the current employees. Their names exist in Quickbooks for sure. We also made sure the names in our .iif file match with the names in QB. 

The problem is some names successfully went in and some didn't. And the error message pops up as shown in my previous post.

Hope to hear from you

Thanks 

Thanks for getting back to us, @KimYen2022.

Let me share some information about the "The....<name> of the list elements is already in use" error. As mentioned by my peer above, QuickBooks detected the same name already exists in the program.

To resolve this, you'll want to check your name list (employee, customer, and vendor). Ensure there are no identical entries in their profile.

To check from customer's profile, just go to Customers at the top and then select Customer Center. From there, search for the employee names in question. Do the same on the vendor's profile.

If found, you can append the name by adding a punctuation mark to differentiate the two names.

Please none of the recommendation applies, contact our Customer Care Support so we can investigate further. Here's how to reach out:

1. Go to Help at the top and then choose QuickBooks Desktop Help.
2. Select Contact Us.
3. Enter a brief description of the case and then tap Continue.
4. Click either Chat with us or Have us call you.

I'm attaching this link here in case you need help with other payroll tasks. It has payroll topics with articles: View all help for QuickBooks Desktop Payroll.

Keep me posted if you have follow-up questions or concerns about importing employee time. I'll be here for you. 

Hi

Allow me to clarify my question. I have a number of current employees on QBD. I need to import their hours under .iif file to QB Desktop. Their names are already in QB. I've got the list with their names and their hours in a .iif file. I did check to make sure the file headers match with those in QB, as well as the names in the file .iif match the names in QB.

That's why I don't understand the error "The name.....in the element list is already in use". I am trying to import the time of the current EMPLOYEES, so their names definitely exist in QB. Please advise. Thanks

You're already on the right track in importing your employees' hours in QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT), @KimYen2022. With this, I'm here to guide you on the next steps you need to help isolate this matter and complete your task.

As mentioned by my colleagues above, the error you've encountered happens when QuickBooks detected the same name already exists in the program. Based on your description above, it seems that the error is referring to your inactive employees. You may have ones that aren't included in the IIF file.

With that being said, you can opt to rename or delete your inactive employees to ensure you can import your employees' hours list. To do this, here's how:

1. Go to the Employees menu, then select Employee Center.
2. From the Employees drop-down, select All Employees to show all employees including the inactive ones.
3. Right-click the name of the inactive employee and select Delete Employee.
4. Click the Hide inactive name button to confirm.

To know more about removing an employee profile from your QuickBooks payroll system, please see this article: Delete or hide an employee name in the Employee List.

Once you're done, go ahead and import your IIF file. For the step-by-step guide, please refer to this article: Export, import, and edit IIF files.

Also, to further guide you in managing your workers and employees profile using QBDT, I'd recommend checking out this article: Desktop Payroll Help Articles.

Keep me posted in the comments if you have other importing concerns and questions about managing employees' time in QBDT. I'm always ready to help. Take care, and I wish you continued success, @KimYen2022.

Hi

Thanks for your response.

I just checked the employee and vendor centers. All the names we currently have the error of "name already in use" are only existing as active employees. There are no such names as 'released" employees nor in vendor center. 

Hope to hear from you. 
Thanks

Hi

Thanks for your response.

I thoroughly checked the employee and vendor centers. All the names we have problem of "name already in use" exist as active employees. There is no same name as "inactive employees" or in vendor center. 

Hope you can advise me what to do 

Thanks

I want to ensure this will be taken care of, @KimYen2022.

As per my colleagues discussed in this thread, the error <name> of the list elements is already in use means that you're trying to import what's already exists in QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT). The program will not permit the use of identical names and the import will fail. 

Since you've already performed the recommended troubleshooting steps to fix the issue and still encounter the same thing, I highly recommend reaching out to our Technical support team. They have tools to pull up your account and investigate the root cause of the error that's preventing you in importing your employee hours. 

For your reference in importing and exporting IIF files, feel free to check out this link: Export, import, and edit IIF files. Also, before importing, it's best to create a backup copy of your company data to ensure you can restore the original file in case you run into problems. 

Running payroll reports in QBDT is a breeze. With this, you can easily get a summary of your employee details, company finances, and business information.

Don't hesitate to leave a reply below for any importing issues you may have. I'm always around to help. Keep safe. 

Disappointed at QB Team's response. They finally asked me to contact customer support.

Nobody has ever imported employees' hours that can give me some insight? Thanks 

I'm hoping you figured out how to do this, because I also need to do it. Any luck?

Hello there, JeanG.

I'd love to help you with your concern, but I may need additional details to understand your situation.

What specific help do you need? I would appreciate any details you can share to help me better understand your concern and provide an accurate solution.

In the meantime, you'll want to check out our Help Articles to help you with the tasks and tips when using QBO.

I'll keep an eye out for your response. Any additional information will do. Take care and have a good one!

I too am facing this same issue. I was using an older version of Quickbooks Desktop and was able to successfully import my employee time entries successfully. But now I've moved to QB2024 and I am getting errors when I am trying to import

I get the error: There is already another entity in Quickbooks by this name [11314]; Invalid employee name [15179]

But I want to import the time to an EXISTING employee. If I rename the employee in Quickbooks to another name and then try to import, then it imports fine, but it creates a new employee and has that time imported to the new employee.

But I do NOT want to import a new employee. I want to import to an existing employee.

There is something clearly wrong with the software as it no longer allows imports to existing entities/employees.

Can you help with this?

Thank you for providing information about your situation, @vikctel. I'll make sure to lend the details that can assist in resolving the error and facilitate the import of time for an existing employee in QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT).

When importing data, you'll need to click Import it for me. I'll fix it later. By doing this, you can bypass the error prompt, upload the file, and add a time allocation to the employee you're working with inside QBDT. Follow these steps:

1. Access your QuickBooks Desktop company.
2. Click the File menu and select Utilities.
3. Choose Import and then click IIF Files.
4. Select Import it for me. I'll fix it later.
5. When you're ready, click the Import IFF button.
6. Locate the file that you want to import and then click the Open button.
7. Select OK to confirm the import.

I have included screenshots below for visual reference.

Check out this page for more details: Export, import, and edit IIF files.

If you're using a third-party application to allocate time to an existing employee, it's best to seek assistance from the provider for possible troubleshooting.

In addition, check out this article to help you manage employee details inside the program: Edit or change employee info in payroll.

Please know that I'm always ready if further assistance with importing data is required. I also recommend using the comment section below for more questions about QuickBooks. This way, I can guide you in resolving your queries. Stay safe.