QuickBooks Help Resources

What versions of Intuit QuickBooks accounting software are supported?

We officially support integration with the current version of QuickBooks Desktop, plus the two previous versions. The current version is QuickBooks 2017, including all editions.

Intuit QuickBooks Technical Support and Customer Care Resources

For more information about your QuickBooks software, please refer to Intuit QuickBooks Support or the help functionality located in your software. Your online payroll provider cannot provide QuickBooks software support or address issues related to QuickBooks.

How to Export Your QuickBooks Chart of Accounts

Your QuickBooks general ledger stores information related to your company’s financial activity. In your QuickBooks software, your business transactions are posted to accounts that compose your general ledger. These accounts are called your “chart of accounts.”

For step-by-step instructions with screenshots, refer to the QuickBooks Setup Guide for your online payroll’s Accounting Integration.

1. Open your QuickBooks software.
2. Select “File” then “Utilities” and then “Export.”
3. An export window will appear.
4. In the export window, select the box next to “Chart of Accounts” and click on "OK."
5. You will be asked where you would like to save your chart of accounts file. Choose a location you will easily remember such as your desktop or a new folder.
6. In the "File Name" box, name your chart of account file. We recommend using "Accounts” in the name followed by the date.
7. Click on "Save."

How to Upload your QuickBooks Chart of Accounts into Online Payroll

NOTE: If this is your first time using Accounting Integration, click on the “Begin Setup Process” button at the bottom of your page.

1. From your online payroll’s Account Center screen, click on “Accounting Integration” in the left-hand navigation. You will be directed to your Accounting Integration pages.
2. Click on “Upload Accounts” from the left-hand navigation of your online payroll screen.
3. Click on the "Browse" button.
4. A “Choose File” window will pop up on your screen. From this window, locate and select the chart of accounts file you exported for your current payroll period.
5. Once you’ve selected the file, and click on "Open." You will be returned to your online payroll “Upload Accounts” page.
6. At the bottom of your screen, click on the button to upload or import your file. You are now ready to assign your QuickBooks accounts to payroll categories.

Accounts that successfully imported into online payroll are shown in a box labeled “Accounts that Uploaded.”

If an error occurs or an account is not recognized, the online payroll system will list the affected account and indicate the reason for the error.

Remember: Only payroll-related accounts will import into online payroll.

How to Assign your QuickBooks Accounts to Payroll Categories

After uploading your chart of accounts into online payroll, the next step is to assign the payroll categories you use for earnings, expenses, taxes, deductions, and liabilities to the accounts from your chart of accounts. This enables you to export your payroll journal entries from online payroll and import them into your QuickBooks general ledger. 

1. To begin this easy process, click on the “Assign Accounts to Payroll Categories” link above your “Accounts that Uploaded” box or click on the “Assign Accounts” link in the left-hand navigation of your screen.
2. You will now assign an account to each of your payroll categories using the dropdown arrow to select the account of your choice. Your online payroll system will guide you through assigning accounts to payroll categories for Earnings and Expenses, Deductions and Liabilities, and Taxes and Expenses.
3. When you’ve assigned an account to each payroll category, click on “Next,” and you’re finished!

To review which payroll categories you assigned to each account, click on the link to view your assigned accounts list.

How to Export Journal Entries from Online Payroll

After you assign your accounts to payroll categories, you may export your journal entries from payroll and import them into your accounting software. One payroll data file may be exported at a time for each payroll period you have processed.

The payroll journal entry file (your payroll data file) contains the same information in your Payroll Summary report's "Totals" area for a pay period. The exception is the data is formatted so you are able to import it into your QuickBooks's general ledger.

1. Click on the “Export Journal Entries” link in the left-hand navigation section of your screen. If you have payroll reports available for export, they will appear under “Most Recent Payroll” and “Previous Payrolls.”
2. Click on the “export” link beside the check date of the file you wish to export.
3. A “File Download – Security Warning” window asking you to select if you want to “Open” or “Save” your payroll file export will pop up. Select “Save” and save your file to a location on your computer or desktop. You may import this file into your accounting software and use it to update your general ledger with your payroll-related journal entries.
4. To access your journal entry export files for previous payrolls, click on the “Export Journal Entries” link in the left-hand navigation section.

Payroll journal entry files will export into comma-separated value (“*.iif” file extension) format for QuickBooks.

How to Import Payroll Journal Entries into QuickBooks

1. Open your account in your QuickBooks software.
2. Go to “File” in the top navigation, select “Utilities,” select “Import,” and select "IIF File." 
3. Within the Import window, locate your previously exported payroll journal entry file, select it, and click on "Open."
4. To view your general journal entries in QuickBooks, including the payroll related ones you just imported:
5. Open your QuickBooks account, go to the "Reports" menu, and click on "Custom Transaction Detail Report."
6. Click on the "Filters" tab.
7. Select "Transaction Type" from the "Filter" scroll box.
8. Click on the "Transaction Type" dropdown list and select "Journal."
9. Click on "OK."

The report will open, and you will need to select the dates you want to view. For more information on QuickBooks reports, please contact Intuit directly.

For step-by-step instructions with screenshots, refer to our online payroll QuickBooks Accounting Integration Product Guide.

It appears I'm missing one of my payroll's journal entry files to export.

Please contact online payroll's Customer Care to request any pay period's journal entry file be made available to you for export. Any of your historical pay period journal entry files can be made available for export, even if you signed up for accounting integration long after running your first online payroll.

What file format does online payroll export my payroll journal entries into for uploading into QuickBooks?

Online payroll will export your payroll journal entries into a QuickBooks-specific “*.iif” file format, which is the required format for importing the file into QuickBooks to update your general ledger.