The QuickBooks® Software Transaction Copier

In working with numerous accountants, one of the biggest frustrations is the different versions and the challenges it creates in working with client data. If the accountant uses the most recent version and client does not upgrade, there is no way to "save as" an older version. The Accountants" Review Copy works well for some clients but it is very limiting for the accountant which creates another set of challenges.

The QuickBooks® Software Transaction Copier was developed by Big Red Consulting, was designed to transfer transactional and list information from one QuickBooks file to another.  Most posting (i.e. bills, invoices, receive payments, etc) and non-posting (i.e. purchase orders, estimates, etc) can be transferred.  The primary exception is anything relating to payroll will not transfer due to the complicated issues related to payroll (and the fact that Intuit has not released their code).  Any "links" do not transfer (i.e. an invoice and a receive payment will both import, but will not be linked to each other).

The tool works with Excel 97, 2000, and XP for Windows.  It is accessed from within Excel using menus it creates.  It does not change Excel in any way, it only adds to the functionality.

Although it has many uses one of the most common is for Accountants who need to transfer their entries back to the client.  This situation as well as countless others (such as data files that have issues that requires starting over with the desire to not "loose" the transactional information that has been entered; remote locations that need to have transactional data transferred into the "main" file; bookkeepers or other employees who handle specific transactional types of entries but do not have access to the file with all the information; etc.) are processed through the tool in the same easy fashion. 

One of the major advantages of the tool is that is not version specific (although QuickBooks 99 or higher is recommended).  The iif file it creates can be imported into any version.  So, if the client has version 99, and the accountant has version 2003, the file can be converted for the accountant to work on it, the entries are used to create an iif file, and the client can import the entries automatically back into the older version.

Another advantage of the tool is that the accountant can use a full back up and still automatically transfer the entries back to the client without the limitations of the Accountant's Review Copy.

How to obtain the tool

The tool is a downloadable product that can be obtained by clicking on the following links:

For the free trial version that permits a limited number of transactions: http://63.167.252.90/detail.aspx?ID=4 IIF trial

For the fully functioning version: http://63.167.252.90/detail.aspx?ID=71 full version

Once you add the product to the cart, view the cart, and proceed to the checkout, an e-mail with the link to download the product will be received.

1. Download the zip file to your local machine keeping track of where it has been saved.
2. Unzip the file and pay attention to where the file is located.  WinZip or StuffIt Expander is required to unzip the zip file. Both programs are available for free in Mac and PC formats. PC Users: To download a free evaluation version of WinZip 8.1, go to: http://www.winzip.com/ddchomea.htm Mac Users: To download a free version of StuffIt Expander, go to: http://www.stuffit.com/expander/index.html
3. Open Excel
4. Choose Tools > Add Ins
5. Browse to find the file
6. Click on OK then OK again.  You should now see an additional pull down menu option across the top of Excel.

How to use the tool

Step 1 – Complete the work as needed in QuickBooks

Be sure to not "change" an existing transaction, only enter new transactions.  If this rule is not followed, the tool will create an entry for the corrected transaction but the incorrect transaction will still exist in the client's file.  There is no "find and replace" feature available.  Any type of transaction can be entered including bills, invoices, receive payments, etc.

Step 2 – Export the lists

Choose File >Utilities > Export.  Place a check mark in the box to the left of the appropriate lists.  If you are unsure, check them all.  Pay attention to where the file is saved.

Note: All the lists should be in one file to work properly with the tool.

Step 3 – Create a journal report

To create the report, choose Reports > Accountants & Taxes > Journal.  This report will be of all the transactions that have been entered.  For Accountants using the tool, the easiest way to do this is to click on Modify Report then the filter tab and choose the entered/modified date for the range the file has been used by the Accountant, be sure to adjust the transactional date range as appropriate as well.  If there are any columns that are not present on the report that should be transferred (such as the item) they can be added on the display tab.  It is also possible to filter based on transaction type to eliminate the payroll transactions.  Any payroll transactions that are imported are changed into a regular check and will not update the payroll features in the client's file.

Note: If using the QuickBooks Premier 2003: Accountant Edition makes sure the journal report has been expanded.  The way to confirm this is that you will not see –MULTIPLE- in the memo field and the box at the top will say collapse, not expand.

Step 4 – Transfer for Excel

Make sure Excel is open first then click on the Excel button for the report in QuickBooks.  This will automatically transfer the report into Excel for use with the tool.  It is not required that you save the file at this point, although you may choose to save it if you wish.

Note: There are advanced options that can be set to control how the data appears in Excel.  Confirm the choice is set to send header to page set up.  You can also modify the settings to turn off space between columns, auto-filtering, etc.

Step 5 – Use the Tool

1. From within Excel, click on the menu pull down labeled "Transaction Copier for QBooks" then choose option 1 to check the file.  You will see it proceed through checking the data.

2. Choose option 2 to create the iif file.  First you will choose to import the lists you created in Step 2 above.  All the lists should be in the same file.  Importing the lists is important to the proper functioning of the tool, and is often required before the tool will work at all.

3. Select the export options.  The second option of copying the new list entries will transfer the list information into the client's file along with the transactions.  This is important if new list entries have been created.  Keep in mind that if the list entry already exists, the information from the import will overwrite it.

4. Click on Next

5. Choose where the file will be saved.  The default name of "To_Be_Imported.iif" is used if another name is not specified.  Pay special attention to the file name and where it is saved.  Make sure the extension remains .iif to permit importing the data into QuickBooks.

Step 6 – Import the Information

Send the iif file to the client and they will choose File > Utilities > Import to import the transactional information into their existing QuickBooks file.  To see a report of what has been imported, they can choose Reports > Accountants & Taxes > Journal and filter the report for the entered/modified date of today.

More information on this topic

QuickBooks Transaction Copiers