How to Transfer Lists and Balances from QuickBooks Online to Desktop

In case you Move Lists and Balances for any specific reason, your QuickBooks Desktop Company fails to convert to QuickBooks Online directly, you can access the actual Desktop Company to add QuickBooks Online with several lists to get a kick-start.

One possible way to set up a new QuickBooks Online company is to export the list from QuickBooks Desktop to Excel, clean it, and access the Import Data tool in QuickBooks Online to add to the list. This usually works for the four main lists:

• Products and Services
• Chart of Accounts
• Vendors
• Customers

But, instead of exporting the Desktop list and importing it into QuickBooks Online directly while starting a new organization, there are other options to bring in the lists from QuickBooks Desktop.

The other approach is to use the actual existing Desktop Company, which you have selected not to convert, and prepare a new skeleton company with only lists and no balances or transactions. Next, you need to change the skeleton company to QuickBooks Online.

How do you move the Accounts, Vendors, Customers, and Opening Balances?

Before moving ahead with the process, ensure to go to your accountant. Next, you must also ensure the change is perfect for you. Make sure you do not forget that this will not bring over certain transactions related to accounts, customers, or vendors.

This will add their current open balances in QuickBooks Online. To move the transactions too, you will need to export the particular data.

Step 1: Exporting Customer, Account, and Vendor List Reports to Excel

Here are the directions given below to export several reports from QuickBooks to Excel:

• First, you need to sign in to QuickBooks Online as an Admin.
• Next, navigate to the Reports menu.
• Now, you need to search for and open the Account List, Contact List, Customer List, or the particular vendor contact list.
• Now choose the Customize option on the report.
• After it is done, choose Rows and Columns, and then change Columns.
• Now you need to choose and reorder Columns. Now, check the table below to understand what columns you need to choose, along with their correct order.

Here is the column order for every list report:

Account List	Customer Contact List	Vendor Contact List
	Customer	Vendor
	Company Name	Company Name
	Email	Email
Account	Phone Numbers	Phone Numbers
Type	Billing Street	Billing Street
Detail Type	Billing City	Billing City
Balance	Billing State	Billing State
	Billing Zip	Billing Zip
	Billing Country	Billing Country

Once you are done with the steps, ensure to choose the Run Report tab. Now you need to follow the steps to export the report and then save it in the folder.

Step 2: Including the Vendor and Customer open balances

The steps to include the open balances equivalent to the vendor and customer are provided below:

• First, you need to shift to the Sales menu option and then select the Customers tab.
• Now, shift to the Expense menu and select the tab for Vendors.
• Now choose the Export to Excel icon. Additionally, save the Excel file in a folder that you can use with ease.
• Now, get the Open Balances and then open the Excel file that is saved.
• Now you need to copy the Open Balance column.
• Now, open the Excel file of the vendors or customers.
• Now you do not need the first 4 rows, so make sure to erase them from the particular worksheet.
• Finally, include the Open Balance Column and then click Save.

Step 3: Mapping the QuickBooks import and fields

In the third step, you need to map QuickBooks fields and then import them with the help of the steps given below:

• First, you need to sign in to the Company file in QuickBooks as an Admin.
• Now choose Utilities from the File menu.
• Now select Import.
• Now select Excel files and choose No on the Window option that appears.
• Select the Advanced Import tab after that.
• Now, select Browse and then shift to the Excel file of the customer, account, or vendor list you wish to import.
• Once you have done it, select the option, Choose a mapping drop-down, and then click the Add New tab.
• Now, include a Mapping Name depending on the list that is imported.
• Now, choose the option, Import type, and then begin matching QuickBooks fields that have worksheet headers. Now choose Save after it is complete.
• It must be noted that for the customer list, review the mapping sample to map the information for the billing address in the right manner.
• Next, you need to select Preview.
• Now choose the Preferred option.
• Lastly, press the OK tab and select the Import tab after that. With the completion of these steps, you will be able to move lists and balances successfully from
• QuickBooks Online to QuickBooks Desktop.

How to move Products and Services from QuickBooks Online to QuickBooks Desktop?

Here are the steps to shift the products and services in QuickBooks Online to Desktop:

Step 1: Exporting the services and products report to Excel

You must export the list of services or products to Excel. Then you need to make sure that every item has its worksheet in the Excel file.

• Finally, follow the steps for all the item types.
• First, you need to sign in to QuickBooks Online as an Admin.
• Now, go to Settings and select Products and Services.
• Now, click the Export to Excel icon. Now you need to save the Excel file in a particular folder that you can use quickly.
• Now, go to the Folder where the file is saved and then open it.
• Now you need to move to the Type Column Header. Next, you need to filter it to only Non-inventory or Services inventory.
• Now, copy all the data.
• Now include a new worksheet. Now, rename the particular worksheet as per the item type so that there is no hassle to transfer them later.
• After it is done, paste the data copied into the New Worksheet.
• Now, review the column order for every item type table given below and implement the right column order for every item type.
• Now, save the changes.

Services	Inventory	Non-Inventory
	Product/Service Name Sub Item of (Note: Add this if you have sub-items in QuickBooks Online) Sales Description SKU
	Sub Item of (Note: Add this if you have sub-items in QuickBooks Online)
Product/Service Name	Sales Description	Product/Service Name
Quantity as of Date	SKU	Sub Item of (Note: Add this if you have sub-items in QuickBooks Online)
	Sales Price	Sales Description
	Income Account	SKU
	Purchase Description	Sales Price/Rate
	Purchase Cost	Income Account
	Expense Account	Purchase Description
	Quantity On Hand	Purchase Cost
	Inventory Asset Account	Expense Account
	Quantity as-of Date
	Reorder Points (if you set reorder points in QuickBooks Online)

Step 2: Including the Sub-Items

All the items, comprising the sub-items and parent items, are in the Product / Service name column. You need to implement such steps if you also need to shift the sub-items to the desktop file.

• You will need to include a sub-item in the Column after the column for the Product/Service name.
• Also, locate the sub-items in the Product/Service name column.
• Now, arrange the sub-items. Also, make sure the sub-items are in their parent categories or items to keep everything arranged.

Product/Service Name	Sub Item of
Landscaping
Trimming	Landscaping
Gardening	Landscaping

Step 3: Switching on Inventory Preferences

• You must sign in to the company as an Admin on QuickBooks Desktop.
• Now, make sure that you are in Single-user mode.
• From the File menu, select Switch to Single-user mode. If you can view Switch to multi-user, then you are a single user already.
• Post that, shift to the Edit menu, and then select Preferences.
• Now select Items Inventory and then select Company Preferences.
• Now turn on inventory, and Purchases are active.
• Finally, click the OK button.

Step 4: Set up Inventory tracking accounts, importing Inventory

You need to set up inventory accounts in the QuickBooks Desktop file with the help of the steps given below:

• First, you need to select the Chart of Accounts from the Lists menu.
• Now, press right-click anywhere and choose New.
• Now select an Account type. Now, make sure to prepare one account for every type:
  • Cost of goods sold
  • Income account
  • Inventory asset

Step 5: Importing inventory

• To import inventory, you need to open the Excel file of Products and Services created in Step 1:
• Now, add several list items. It is also possible to customize the columns on the screen for the Add/Edit list. It will assist in emphasizing the columns to work on.

Step 6: Changing the Quantity and Value of Inventory Items

Once the inventory import process is complete, it is advisable to include the current value and quantity of each item. Make sure to launch QuickBooks Desktop after completing the aforementioned procedures.

• First, you need to link the Bank and Credit card to the desktop file. Post that it will be easy to download the transactions.
• Now include Checks to record the checking activity.
• Now, create and send an invoice once the job is complete.

Conclusion – Migrating Lists & Balances from QuickBooks Online to Desktop

Switching from QuickBooks Online to Desktop allows more control, advanced features, and local data storage. However, Intuit doesn’t support direct migration anymore, so exporting lists and balances manually or with third-party tools is necessary. Carefully follow each step to export customers, vendors, the chart of accounts, and opening balances. For error-free transfer and complete data mapping, it’s best to work with a QuickBooks conversion expert like AccountsPro.

Frequently Asked Questions