How to import journal entries into QuickBooks

Turn off account numbers before you begin. Intuit says this keeps the import running smoothly, and you can switch them back on when it's finished.

Build the spreadsheet with these columns: Journal No., Journal Date, Account Name, Description, Debits and Credits. Where a line's Account Name is Accounts Payable (A/P) or Accounts Receivable (A/R), QuickBooks asks for a name in the Name column too. The CSV's column separator depends on your operating system: a semicolon on macOS, a comma on Windows. For help with the layout, select Download an example on the import page.

Get the account names right. Each line's Account Name must be a parent account. To post to a subaccount, give the parent and the subaccount together, joined by a colon, such as Parent account:Subaccount. The subaccount's name on its own causes a "Line Account invalid" error. Any account in the file that isn't already in your chart of accounts must be added there before you import.

Check that each entry balances. Every journal entry needs total debits equal to total credits, the same rule as an entry typed in by hand. If you're unsure about the debits and credits, consult your accountant before importing.

Check one preference as well. If Warn me if duplicate journal number is used is on, in the Other preferences section of the Advanced tab in Account and settings, entries whose numbers already exist in QuickBooks may not upload, so you may have to turn it off for the import. If your file includes classes or locations, turn on class tracking and location tracking first.

1. Go to Settings and select Import data.
2. Select Journal Entries.
3. On the Import journal entries page, select Browse.
4. Find your CSV file and select it, then select Open and Next.
5. Map the columns. The CSV column headers are the headings in your spreadsheet; for each one, use its dropdown to pick the matching QuickBooks Online field.
6. Select Next. If an error appears, correct the file and try again.
7. Select Start import.
8. Select OK.

The imported lines become journal entries in QuickBooks, posted to the accounts named in the file. They show in the account history of those accounts, and the Journal report lists them with any other journal entries.

Use the search to find the imported entries, check them, and edit any that need it. Once you're satisfied, turn account numbers back on if you switched them off.

For an entry that came in wrong, see the how-to on reversing a journal entry, which compares reversing and deleting.

One cause Intuit gives for a "Line Account invalid" error is a line that names only a subaccount. Add its parent account in front, with a colon between the two, and import again.

If some entries won't upload and their numbers already exist in QuickBooks, check the duplicate journal number preference. With Warn me if duplicate journal number is used turned on, those entries can't be uploaded, so turn it off in Account and settings and run the import again. For any other error after mapping, edit the file and try once more.