Convert CSV to IIF for QuickBooks Desktop
Turn any CSV into a properly structured IIF file that QuickBooks Desktop imports without errors — balanced entries, correct account mapping, tab-delimited.
For QuickBooks Desktop Pro, Premier, and Enterprise users. Free online — no desktop software needed.
How It Works
Upload Your CSV
Bank export, PayPal report, Stripe payout, or any spreadsheet with transaction data. Any column layout works.
Review Mapped Columns
Date, amount, payee, and account fields detected automatically. Verify the mapping and adjust if needed.
Download IIF
Tab-delimited IIF file with balanced TRNS/SPL/ENDTRNS entries. Import via File > Utilities > Import > IIF Files.
What an IIF File Actually Looks Like
IIF is a tab-delimited text file with a specific structure QuickBooks expects. Every transaction needs three parts.
!TRNS TRNSTYPE DATE ACCNT AMOUNT NAME MEMO !SPL TRNSTYPE DATE ACCNT AMOUNT NAME MEMO !ENDTRNS TRNS CHECK 01/15/2026 Business Checking -149.99 Amazon Office supplies SPL CHECK 01/15/2026 Office Expenses 149.99 Amazon Office supplies ENDTRNS TRNS DEPOSIT 01/16/2026 Business Checking 3200.00 ACME Corp Invoice #1042 SPL DEPOSIT 01/16/2026 Accounts Receivable -3200.00 ACME Corp Invoice #1042 ENDTRNS
TRNS is the bank account side. SPL is the offset account. Together they must sum to zero. Our converter builds this structure automatically from your CSV.
What is CSV?
Comma-Separated Values
Universal export format from banks, payment processors, and spreadsheets. QuickBooks Desktop cannot import CSV files as transactions — it needs them converted to IIF first, with proper account assignments and balanced debit/credit entries.
What is IIF?
Intuit Interchange Format
QuickBooks Desktop's native tab-delimited import format. Each transaction uses TRNS (main line) + SPL (split/offset) + ENDTRNS rows that must balance to zero. Supports CHECK, DEPOSIT, CREDIT CARD, GENERAL JOURNAL, and TRANSFER types.
Why This Tool
Balanced TRNS/SPL Entries
Every transaction is output as a balanced TRNS + SPL pair that sums to zero. No more "Transaction Amounts Are Out of Balance" errors on import.
Tab-Delimited for QB 2019+
QuickBooks 2019 and later reject comma-delimited IIF files. Our output is always tab-separated — compatible with every Desktop version from 2007 to 2024.
Multiple Transaction Types
CHECK, DEPOSIT, CREDIT CARD, GENERAL JOURNAL, TRANSFER — auto-detected from your data or manually selected. Not limited to one type per file.
Auto-Detect Any CSV Layout
Date, Payee, Amount, Account, Memo — identified regardless of column names, order, or language. Works with 3-column bank exports and multi-column payment processor files.
Special Characters Cleaned
Ampersands, quotation marks, and other characters that crash IIF imports are escaped or removed automatically before output.
Split Transaction Support
PayPal gross/fee/net, Stripe payout breakdowns, or any multi-category transaction — converted into proper SPL records with separate account assignments.
When to Use This
Bank CSV to QB Desktop
Your bank exports CSV but QuickBooks Desktop can't import it directly. Convert to IIF and bulk-import hundreds of transactions in seconds.
PayPal & Stripe Imports
Payment processor CSVs have gross/fee/net columns that need split entries. IIF handles this natively — each fee gets its own account line.
Bulk Journal Entries
Accountants importing dozens of journal entries from spreadsheets. IIF GENERAL JOURNAL type maps debits and credits to specific accounts in one import.
IIF Transaction Types Explained
CHECK / DEPOSIT
Standard bank transactions. CHECK for payments and expenses (money out). DEPOSIT for income and receipts (money in). The most common types for bank statement imports.
CREDIT CARD
For credit card charges and refunds. Posts to a credit card liability account instead of a bank account. Use this when importing Amex, Visa, or Mastercard CSVs.
GENERAL JOURNAL
For journal entries with explicit debit/credit account assignments. Accountants use this to import adjusting entries, accruals, and month-end corrections in bulk.
How to Import IIF Into QuickBooks Desktop
Import Steps
- Back up your company file first — IIF imports cannot be undone in bulk
- Go to File > Utilities > Import > IIF Files
- Browse and select your downloaded .iif file
- Click OK — QuickBooks imports all transactions
- Check the affected accounts to verify entries
Before You Import
- Create all referenced accounts in your Chart of Accounts — names must match exactly
- Test with a small batch (5-10 transactions) first
- Close all other QuickBooks windows during import
- IIF has no undo — bad imports require manual deletion or restoring from backup
IIF Import Errors That Block Your Data
Error [11110]: "The Account Name on a distribution does not exist in QuickBooks"
Every account name in the IIF must match your Chart of Accounts exactly — spelling, capitalization, and parent:child hierarchy (e.g., "Expenses:Office Supplies"). Create missing accounts in QuickBooks first, then re-import.
"Transaction Amounts Are Out of Balance"
TRNS and SPL lines must sum to zero for each transaction. If the check amount is -149.99, the split must be +149.99. Our converter calculates balanced entries automatically from your CSV amounts.
QuickBooks 2019+ silently rejects comma-delimited IIF files
Starting with QB Desktop 2019, only tab-delimited IIF files import correctly. Comma-delimited files either fail or corrupt data. Our output is always tab-delimited.
Special characters crash the import — ampersands, quotes, pipe characters
Characters like &, ", |, and non-ASCII symbols in payee names or memos can cause parse failures. We strip or escape these before generating the IIF output.
Error [11091]: "Distribution line must have the same date as the transaction header"
Every SPL line must have the same date as its parent TRNS line. This happens when dates are inconsistent across rows. Our converter ensures date consistency across all TRNS/SPL pairs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does IIF work with QuickBooks Online?
No. IIF is exclusively for QuickBooks Desktop (Pro, Premier, Enterprise). For QuickBooks Online, use our CSV to QBO converter instead.
Why not just import CSV directly into QuickBooks Desktop?
QuickBooks Desktop cannot import CSV files as transactions. It only accepts IIF, QBO, or direct bank feeds. IIF gives you the most control — you can specify accounts, transaction types, and memos.
I get error [11110] "Account Name does not exist" on import — how do I fix it?
Every account name in the IIF file must match your Chart of Accounts in QuickBooks exactly — including spelling, capitalization, and parent:child hierarchy. Create the accounts in QuickBooks first, then re-import.
What transaction types does the IIF file support?
CHECK (expenses/payments), DEPOSIT (income/receipts), CREDIT CARD (charges/refunds), GENERAL JOURNAL (journal entries), and TRANSFER. We auto-detect the right type from your data.
My import says "Transaction Amounts Are Out of Balance" — what happened?
Every IIF transaction needs TRNS + SPL lines that sum to zero. This error means the debit and credit sides don't match. Our converter builds balanced entries automatically.
I have a PayPal CSV with gross/fee/net columns. Will it convert correctly?
Yes. We detect multi-column amount layouts and create proper split entries — one line for the gross amount, one for the fee, mapped to the correct accounts.
Does it work with QuickBooks Desktop 2019 and later?
Yes. QB Desktop 2019+ requires tab-delimited IIF files (comma-delimited stopped working). Our output is always tab-delimited for maximum compatibility.
Can I import journal entries via IIF?
Yes. IIF supports GENERAL JOURNAL transaction types with proper debit/credit account assignments — the standard way to bulk-import journal entries into QuickBooks Desktop.
Is my data secure?
Encrypted in transit via TLS, processed in memory, never stored on our servers. Your CSV data is deleted immediately after conversion.
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