Learn what to do after you move from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online

Learn more about the steps you should take after you move from QuickBooks Desktop for Windows or Mac to QuickBooks Online.

If you still need help finding the right solutions for your unique business needs, call our sales consultants at 800-730-0605.

Once you’ve moved your data to QuickBooks Online, you’ll need to review your data to make sure it moved correctly. You can go to qbonboarding.com to schedule a Personalized Setup call and let us teach you QuickBooks Online. We'll review your migration, show you around QuickBooks Online, and make sure you can tackle your everyday tasks with confidence.

You can cancel your QuickBooks Desktop subscription after your data is moved to QuickBooks Online. You’ll still have view-only access to your data for 12 months. This does require QuickBooks Desktop 2023 R3 or QuickBooks Desktop for Mac 2024 and newer. 

Note: check out the QuickBooks Online Desktop app to use the homepage, bookmarks, and shortcuts the way you’re used to.

For a better experience, open this article in QuickBooks Online. Launch side-by-side view

Step 1: Compare your financial reports

Compare these reports in QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop to make sure your data copied successfully:

• Profit and Loss
• Balance Sheet

When you run your reports, make sure of the following:

• The Report period is set to All Dates.
• The Accounting method is set to Accrual.
• To check the balance of each of your Accounts Receivable (A/R) and Undeposited Funds accounts.
  
  Note: When you switch from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online, you may notice differences in how your books appear. Learn what doesn’t come over from QuickBooks Desktop to Online. Alternatively, you may consult your accountant for further assistance.

Step 2: Review your accounts’ detail types in QuickBooks Online

When you move your data to QuickBooks Online, take note of the following:

• The process assigns detail types to accounts. For example, Undeposited Funds.
• It’s indefinite what the detail type should be for most accounts.
• QuickBooks Online assigns a generic detail type, such as Other Miscellaneous Income to these accounts.
• You may change this later.

Step 3 (optional): Complete your payroll setup in QuickBooks Online

Make sure you're the primary admin to set up and run payroll in QuickBooks Online.

You may also watch this webinar for more info:

To watch more how-to videos, visit our video section.

Step 4: Review and link your existing QuickBooks Payments account to QuickBooks Online

Your merchant account copies automatically to QuickBooks Online, you don't need to manually link it.

If you have an active GoPayments account, take not of the following.

• You don’t need to sign up for a new one for QuickBooks Online.
• You may unlink your existing GoPayments account from your QuickBooks Desktop company. Then, link it to your QuickBooks Online company.

Step 5: Learn about the first-in-first-out (FIFO) concept

When you move your inventory to QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks uses the FIFO concept to calculate inventory. Make sure to take note of the following:

• You need to notify the IRS about this change. To do this, file a Form 3115.
• Use the “as of/effective” date you entered during the import.
• Check out how QuickBooks Online accounts for inventory.