Convert a CSV to a QuickBooks IIF with Splits
Have transactions in a CSV? QuickBooks Desktop imports IIF, not CSV. Convert CSV to IIF, mapping a category column to the SPL split for the right account.
TL;DR - Quick Summary
QuickBooks Desktop imports transactions as IIF, a tab-delimited file, not as a plain CSV. Converting your CSV to IIF maps each row into a TRNS line and an offsetting SPL. Because a CSV can carry a category column, each transaction can post to its correct account instead of a single holding account.
QuickBooks Desktop needs IIF, not CSV
A CSV is easy to produce, but QuickBooks Desktop does not import a plain CSV straight into the register; its native transaction-import format is IIF, the Intuit Interchange Format, which is tab-delimited rather than comma-separated. So a CSV of transactions has to be reshaped into IIF before Desktop will take it. Converting the CSV to IIF does that reshaping, turning your rows into the tab-delimited TRNS and SPL lines QuickBooks reads through File, Utilities, Import.
Mapping CSV columns to TRNS and SPL
The conversion lines your CSV columns up with what IIF expects. The date, the amount, and the bank account become the TRNS line that opens each transaction; the description rides along as the memo. Then an SPL line provides the offsetting account with the opposite sign, and an ENDTRNS closes the block. The work is in the mapping: pointing the CSV's date, amount, and account columns at the right IIF fields so each row becomes a balanced, importable transaction rather than a loose line of text.
The category column advantage
This is where a CSV beats a scanned statement. A PDF statement carries no category, so its IIF has to send every offset to one holding account for you to sort out later. A CSV can include a category column, and when it does, the conversion maps that column to the SPL account per row, so each transaction posts to its correct expense or income account on import. The more complete your CSV, the less recategorizing waits for you inside QuickBooks.
Import, and back up first
You bring the IIF in through File, Utilities, Import, IIF Files, and it applies to QuickBooks Desktop only, not QuickBooks Online. Because an IIF writes directly into the company file with no bank-feed review and no easy undo, back up the file before importing so a wrong account or sign can be rolled back. An accurate CSV going in means an accurate IIF, but the backup is still worth the minute it takes.
Accuracy and privacy
Since the IIF posts straight into the books, the amounts, signs, and any category mapping have to be right, and every row is reviewable in the converter before export. The output is a tab-delimited IIF ready for Desktop's import. Because the CSV holds real account activity, it is processed to build the IIF and then deleted automatically, with nothing kept on a server afterward.
How it works
- Prepare the CSV: Have a CSV with date, amount, and description columns, and optionally a category column.
- Map to IIF: Convert the CSV to IIF, mapping date, amount, and bank account to TRNS and the category to the SPL split.
- Back up first: Back up your QuickBooks company file, since IIF imports write directly and are hard to undo.
- Import: Import through File, Utilities, Import, IIF Files in QuickBooks Desktop.
Comparison
| Aspect | CSV | IIF |
|---|---|---|
| Desktop register import | Not directly | Native format |
| Delimiter | Comma | Tab |
| Structure | Flat rows | TRNS, SPL, ENDTRNS |
| Category | A column you provide | Becomes the SPL account |
| Edition | Generic | QuickBooks Desktop only |
A CSV of transactions converts to a QuickBooks IIF in about 25 seconds. Convert your statements now.
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