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BookkeepKit

Convert CSV to IIF for QuickBooks Desktop

Turn a bank export or your own categorized spreadsheet into an IIF file QuickBooks Desktop imports as checks, deposits and card charges, each posted to the account you choose. Free, unlimited, and nothing is uploaded.

Drop a CSV or Excel file here

Bank or card export, or your own list with date, description, amount and an optional category column.

Processed in your browser. Your files never leave your computer.

How it works

  1. 1

    Drop the CSV or Excel file

    Date, description and amount (or debit and credit). An optional Category column sets each line's account.

  2. 2

    Name the accounts

    Type the bank or card account and the default accounts for money in and out, exactly as they appear in your chart of accounts.

  3. 3

    Download and import

    Back up the company file, then use File > Utilities > Import > IIF Files.

When IIF is the right format

QuickBooks Desktop can import bank downloads as Web Connect (.qbo) files, which go to the Bank Feeds center where you categorize each transaction. IIF skips that step: transactions are written directly to the register with their accounts already assigned. That's useful when the categorizing is already done, for example a client's spreadsheet of expenses, a year of catch-up work prepared in Excel, or transactions exported from another system.

Preparing the file

  • Date: US format (01/31/2026) or ISO (2026-01-31). Day-first dates can be selected in the column matching.
  • Amount: negative for money out, or separate debit and credit columns. Card exports where purchases are positive are detected; switch the account type to Credit card if needed.
  • Category (optional): the exact QuickBooks account name, with colons for sub-accounts.
  • Check number (optional): written to the transaction's number field.

Importing into QuickBooks Desktop

  1. Back up the company file (File > Back Up Company).
  2. Switch to single-user mode if others are logged in.
  3. Choose File > Utilities > Import > IIF Files and select the file. Recent versions may offer an Import for review option that checks the file first; use it when available.
  4. Open the bank or card register and confirm the transactions and their accounts.

How the transactions are typed

AccountMoney outMoney in
Checking or savingsCheckDeposit
Credit cardCredit card chargeCredit card refund

For entries that aren't bank activity, like depreciation, accruals or reclassifications, use the journal entry template, which also exports IIF.

Frequently asked questions

What does the IIF file contain?

One transaction per row of your file: a check or deposit on a bank account, or a charge or refund on a credit card account, balanced by a split line to the offset account. Dates, amounts, check numbers and descriptions (as memo) are included.

How do I post each transaction to a different account?

Add a column named Category (or Account name, Split or GL account) with the QuickBooks account for each row, for example Office Supplies or Utilities:Electric. Rows left blank use the default accounts.

What happens if an account name doesn't exist in QuickBooks?

QuickBooks Desktop creates it during the import, and the type it picks may not be the one you want. The tool lists every account the file uses so you can check them against your chart of accounts first.

Why is the Name column empty?

Because IIF imports create a new vendor or customer for every name they don't recognize, which quickly clutters the name lists. The description goes in the memo instead. Tick the Name option if you do want names filled in.

Does QuickBooks Online accept IIF files?

No. IIF is a QuickBooks Desktop format. For QuickBooks Online, convert the same file to QBO or upload a QuickBooks CSV.

Can I undo an IIF import?

Not easily: QuickBooks has no one-click undo for IIF imports. That's why backing up the company file first matters. Try a small file first if it's your first import.

Guides

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