To export the chart of accounts in QuickBooks Online, go to Reports, then Standard reports, open the Account List report, and choose Export to Excel from the Export/Print menu. In QuickBooks Desktop for Windows, go to File, Utilities, Export, Lists to IIF Files. Use the exported list to map a client's own category names before any import.
Exporting the chart of accounts from QuickBooks Online
Exporting the chart of accounts from QuickBooks Online is done through the Account List report, which lists every account in the client's file. Running that report and exporting it produces an Excel file. The broader Export data tool under Settings bundles reports and lists into a zip file, but Intuit points to the Account List for the chart of accounts.
Intuit's US article Export your QuickBooks Online data gives the steps:
- Go to Reports, then Standard reports.
- Find and select Account List.
- Open the Export/Print dropdown and select Export to Excel.
The same article describes the Export data tool: open Settings, select Export data under Tools, choose the reports and lists to include, and select Export to Excel. The result is a set of Excel files inside one zip file. That route suits a full handover of a client's file; the Account List route is quicker when only the account names are needed.
Keep the export with the engagement and date it. A chart of accounts changes as the client's bookkeeper adds accounts, so a list exported in January may be missing an account by June.
Where is the chart of accounts export in QuickBooks Desktop?
The chart of accounts export in QuickBooks Desktop sits under the File menu, as a list export to an IIF file. IIF stands for Intuit Interchange Format, a file type QuickBooks Desktop reads and writes. On Windows the path is File, Utilities, Export, Lists to IIF Files. On a Mac it is File, Export, Lists to IIF File.
Intuit's Export, import, and edit IIF files article gives both paths, with one step in between: select the lists you want to export. It also notes that IIF exports cover lists only. Transactions can be imported from IIF files but not exported, and Intuit does not provide technical support for IIF import and export.
Desktop reports can also go straight to Excel. Intuit's Export reports as Excel workbooks in QuickBooks Desktop article says to open the Reports Center from the Reports menu, open the report, and use the Excel dropdown to create a new worksheet or update an existing one. For mapping work, an Excel copy is easier to filter and look up against than an IIF file.
Why export the chart of accounts before an import?
Exporting the chart of accounts before an import gives the firm the exact account names already in the client's file. Intuit's journal entry import guide says to add any new accounts to the chart of accounts before importing. A client's spreadsheet often uses its own labels instead, so the export becomes the target list for mapping.
A client's expense log might say "Gas" or "Office stuff", while the books say "Automobile:Fuel" and "Office Supplies". Matching the client's labels to the exported names before building the import file avoids rejected rows and new accounts created by accident. The same idea applies to contacts; matching names before a customer or vendor import is covered in field mapping for customer and vendor CSV imports.
A mapping sheet with the lookup formula
This example uses a fictional client, Larkspur Pottery LLC. All labels and account names are made up. The exported Account List is pasted into a sheet named Accounts, with account names in column A. The mapping sheet looks like this:
| A: Client label | B: Account the firm chose | C: Check against export |
|---|---|---|
| Clay | Cost of Goods Sold:Materials | Cost of Goods Sold:Materials |
| Kiln gas | Utilities:Gas | Utilities:Gas |
| Booth fees | Advertising & Marketing | Advertising & Marketing |
| Shipping boxes | Supplies:Packaging | Not in QuickBooks |
Column C holds this formula in C2, copied down:
=XLOOKUP(B2, Accounts!A:A, Accounts!A:A, "Not in QuickBooks")
Microsoft's XLOOKUP function page explains the parts. XLOOKUP looks for B2 in column A of the Accounts sheet, does an exact match by default, and returns the fourth argument when nothing matches. The "Not in QuickBooks" row is the one to resolve before import: either pick an existing account or ask the client's bookkeeper. The same page notes that XLOOKUP is not available in Excel 2016 or Excel 2019.
Chart of accounts export gaps: inactive and sub-accounts
Chart of accounts export gaps come from two places: accounts marked inactive and sub-accounts. Intuit's export article does not say whether inactive accounts appear in the Account List, so check the exported file against the chart of accounts screen. Sub-accounts need extra care because several imports want them written with their parent.
For sub-accounts, the import rules are explicit. Intuit's Import journal entries article says to write a subaccount as "Parent account: Sub Account"; the subaccount name alone gives a "Line Account Invalid" error. Intuit's Import products and services into QuickBooks Online article says income and expense accounts on an item cannot be subaccounts. If the exported list shows sub-accounts on their own, add a column that joins parent and child before using it as a lookup target.
For inactive accounts, a quick comparison works: count the accounts in the export and the accounts on screen, then look at any difference. An account the client stopped using should not be the target of new mappings without the firm deciding so.
Account mapping usually feeds receipts and statements later in the engagement. How receipt data reaches QuickBooks is covered in QuickBooks receipt capture, uploading source documents into a client's file in QuickBooks document upload, and ledger and trial balance checks in the financial statements and ledgers category. Schema CPA reads general ledgers and trial balances alongside receipts and statements and exports them as Excel or CSV, which is where a mapping sheet like this one is applied; the document types it reads are listed on the homepage.