QuickBooks Desktop

Quickbooks Online has a different IIF format than Quickbooks Desktop. Please refer the help page for the version of Quickbooks that you are using.

Neither version accepts the format of the other.

For step by step instructions on importing IIF files into QuickBooks, visit the QuickBooks Community at Learning how to import Intuit Interchange Format (.IIF) files into QuickBooks.

 

QuickBooks Desktop Pro - Detail

The QuickBooks - Detail export exports each detail line within the G/L Entry. Each deposit and sales posting are exported as their own separate entries within the export file. This allows an exact match of each GL entry to crossover into QuickBooks (line for line).

 

QuickBooks Desktop Pro - Summary

The QuickBooks - Summary export creates a summarized version of the deposit and sales postings for each posting date. The deposit and sales postings lines are summarized into a single entry for each posting date within the export file.

 

Parts of the QuickBooks Export File

TRNS The keyword for a transaction.
  • TRNS identifies the start of a new transacation.
  • SPL identifies each distribution line within a transacation.
  • ENDTRNS identifies the end of the existing transacation.
TRNSTYPE A keyword that identifies the type of transaction.
  • (2007-2018 export) It will default to Journal for General Journal transactions.
  • (2019 and later export) It will default to General Journal for General Journal transactions.
DATE
  • (detail export) The Journal Entry Date. The date is always in MM/DD/YYYY format.
  • (summary export) The Journal Posting Date. The date is always in MM/DD/YYYY format.
ACCNT The name or account number of the QuickBook's account. Theatre Manager's External Account value (name or number) will be used to create the export file.
QuickBooks is able to match on either Account Name or Account Number. Theatre Manager will place in the export file the contents of the External Account field.
If the QuickBooks account cannot be found, QuickBooks will automatically create the account during the import process.
CLASS The name of the class that applies to the transaction.
  • (ticket sales) The value will default to the Event Code.
  • (payments) The value will default to the Payment Method description as its defined in the Payment Methods Code Table.
AMOUNT The amount of the transaction. Debit amounts are always positive, credit amounts are always negative.
DOCNUM Journal Entry Reference Number.
  • (detail export) The Journal Number from the sales posting or deposit posting. i.e. SP-0005044, DP-0003855
  • (summary export) The combination of TM+yyyy+mm+dd based on the Journal Posting Date plus an extension of E+mm+dd+hh+mm+ss based on the E for exported and the exported date/time. For example, if the Journal Posting date was April 18, 2019 and the exported date was April 19, 2019 at 10:42:25am, the DOCNUM would be TM20190418-E0419104225.
MEMO The memo text associated with the transaction.
  • (detail export) The description or memo for this particular G/L transaction from Theatre Manager's journal entry.
  • (summary export) The description will identify the Journal Posting Date.
NAME The name of the Agency Vendor.
If QuickBook's has setup Vendor Name as a Sales Tax Agency for an account (i.e. tax collected account), the vendor name must be provided exactly as it was named in QuickBooks otherwise QuickBooks will reject the import file.

 

Vendor is a Sales Tax Agency

In QuickBooks, you may have set a Vendor as a Sales Tax Agency for your tax account(s).

If QuickBooks is set up in this manner, the following example illustrates how to set up the External Account description. It must be set as [AccountNameOrNumber]\[VendorName] where a backslash (\) separates the 2 fields.

During the export process, the External Account field will be automatically parsed into the 2 separate values for ACCNT and NAME when a backslash (\) is within the External Account field.

Common Questions

QB IIF: TRNSTYPE error - if you receive this error during the QuickBook's import process, it means you have set Theatre Manager to use the incorrect QuickBook's version that you are using. The TRNSTYPE, is a keyword that identifies the type of transaction.
  • (2007-2018 export) It will default to Journal for General Journal transactions.
  • (2019 and later export) It will default to General Journal for General Journal transactions.
The solution is to alter the QuickBook's Export version in the Account Export Formats to use the correct version.
QuickBooks has a requirement that a valid Customer/Vendor is included when posting to the built-in Accounts Receivable or Accounts Payment accounts. QuickBooks can not assign a receivable or a payable to 'nobody', it requires a Customer/Vender that is previously set up within QuickBooks.

The solution is as simple as avoiding any postings directly to the QuickBooks account types of Accounts Receivable and Accounts Payable. Rather, create a separate standard (non A/R) asset account and call it (for example) "A/R for Theatre Manager" and separate liability account and call it (for example) "A/P for Theatre Manager" and reference those account numbers in Theatre Manager's External Account value (name or number) used to create the export file. This way, there is no need to maintain Customers/Payees/Vendors in the export file as these accounts are just standard Asset / Liability and not linked to a special account type.

This way when you import the amount into QuickBooks, it will go against the standard asset account and not against the built-in accounts receivable account in QuickBooks.

When you want to see the details that make up the "A/R for Theatre Manager" or the "A/P for Theatre Manager" account, go directly to Theatre Manager for the details, rather than QuickBooks.

To recap, create a standard Asset & and a standard Liability account to use to post to in QuickBooks.

Diataxis: 
Reference