QuickBooks HelpQuickBooksHelpIntuit

Export your payroll data into QuickBooks

by Intuit•22• Updated 2 months ago

Learn how to export your QuickBooks Online Payroll data to QuickBooks Online or QuickBooks Desktop after you have set up your payroll.

If you're using QuickBooks Online Payroll Core, Premium, or Elite without accounting (standalone payroll), you may have another QuickBooks company file. You may use this file for your accounting without payroll being turned on. To keep your company file updated, export payroll transactions to QuickBooks Online directly or QuickBooks Desktop using Intuit Interchange Format (IIF).

Notes:

  • This article is for customers who have finished payroll setup. Export connection on the standalone payroll will expire if you have payroll attached to your QuickBooks Online account.
  • Export setup must be completed by the Primary Admin. If the Primary Admin is also a Firm user, they must transfer the role to a non-Firm user first.
  • Standalone Payroll can't export transactions to QBO accounts with payroll.

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

Standalone Payroll export blockers and limitations

  • Export setup must be completed by the Primary Admin. If the Primary Admin is also a Firm user, they must transfer the role to a non-Firm user first.
  • Standalone Payroll can't export transactions to QBO accounts with payroll.

Step 1: Setup your preferences in your payroll account

  1. Go to your Core, Premium, or Elite payroll account.
  2. Select Settings ​​⚙, then Payroll settings.
  3. In Export, select Edit ✎.
  4. Choose your accounting software:
    • QuickBooks Desktop for Windows
    • QuickBooks Desktop for Mac
    • QuickBooks Online - You’ll be asked to sign in to your QuickBooks Online account to sync them. Sign in to your QuickBooks Online, then select the company your payroll transactions should sync to.
    • Quicken for Windows or Mac
  5. Select Continue.
  6. QuickBooks will create default accounts for your wages, expenses, and liabilities. Select Edit ✎ to modify these accounts as it appears on your QuickBooks chart of accounts.
  7. When complete, select Done twice.

You can make changes to your preferences at any time.

Step 2: Export your payroll transactions

Each time you process payroll, you'll see an option to export the transactions from the most recent payroll run.

For any other time, you have multiple ways to export your payroll transactions.  Choose the one that best fits your situation.

Export all payroll-related transactions including tax ‌and contractor payments.

  1. Go to Payroll, then Overview (Take me there).
  2. From the Shortcuts, select Export.
  3. Select the transactions you want to export. You can use Filters ▼ to find the transactions you need to export. 
  4. Select Export.
  5. If you selected QuickBooks Desktop for Windows or Mac as your accounting software, proceed to Step 3.

Export paycheck or are missing transactions follow these steps to export.

  1. Go to Payroll, then Employees (Take me there).
  2. Select Paycheck list.
  3. Select the transactions you want to export. You can use Filters ▼ to find the paychecks you need to export.
  4. Select Export selected paychecks. 
  5. If you selected QuickBooks Desktop for Windows or Mac as your accounting software, proceed to Step 3.

Export your client's payroll transactions:

  1. Go to your client's account.
  2. Go to Settings ​​⚙, then Payroll settings.
  3. From the Export, select Export transactions.
  4. Select the transactions you want to export. You can use Filters ▼ to find the transactions you need. You can select up to 20 transactions at a time per category.
  5. Select Export. 
  6. If you selected QuickBooks Desktop for Windows or Mac as your accounting software, proceed to Step 3.

Step 3: QuickBooks Desktop only: Import .IIF into QuickBooks Desktop

After selecting Export or Export selected paychecks, an .IIF file will be downloaded to your Downloads folder. Don’t open the IIF file.

Next, import the exported payroll transactions into your Quickbooks Desktop:

  1. Sign in to your QuickBooks Desktop.
  2. Go to File, then Utilities.
  3. Select Import, then Import IIF.
  4. Select the IIF file you want to import, then select Open. Check your downloads folder to locate the .IIF file.
  5. Select OK.

Check out Export, import, and edit IIF files to learn more.

QuickBooks Desktop Payroll AssistedQuickBooks Desktop Payroll BasicQuickBooks Desktop Payroll EnhancedQuickBooks Desktop Payroll StandardQuickBooks Online Payroll CoreQuickBooks Online Payroll EliteQuickBooks Online Payroll Premium

Sign in now for personalized help

See articles customized for your product and join our large community of QuickBooks users.

More like this