Before You Begin

This guide will walk you through converting the following information from QuickBooks to AccountEdge:

• Chart of Accounts
• Opening Balances
• Customer, Vendor, and Employee Contacts
• Items

This guide does not address converting transaction history.

If you would like to convert data beyond what is listed above, such as transaction history, a QuickBooks to AccountEdge Conversion Service is available. For more information, click here.

We also have the Get Started with AccountEdge guide that goes into more detail about creating a new company file, setting up your accounts, and importing information. This is a great resource to help you with your DIY conversion. To view the guide, click here.

The first step is to pick a start date, which will be the day you begin using AccountEdge to enter all of your transactions for your business. From that day forward, you will no longer enter transactions in QuickBooks. Your QuickBooks file will now become your ‘file cabinet’. You can quickly review your QuickBooks file to run reports and view historical transactions. Most business owners look back much less than they think over time.

Typically, you would want to start at the beginning of a month, quarter, or fiscal year. Each has its plusses and minuses, so pick the most realistic date for you, even if it means re-entering some data into AccountEdge. For example, it might be two weeks after the quarter ended, so you may want to re-enter the last two weeks of transactions in AccountEdge.

While starting with AccountEdge at the end of a financial quarter or fiscal year is most common, you can switch over at any time that works best for you.

The key to bringing your data from QuickBooks into AccountEdge is being comfortable working with data in Excel, understanding the fields available in QuickBooks and AccountEdge, and using Excel to maximize the data you convert.

Widgets Coffee Co.

A quick trick to get familiar with the AccountEdge data format is to export data from our sample Company File, Widgets Coffee Co., which is included when you install AccountEdge. This is the best way to match your existing data with the correct field names that AccountEdge will use when you import your information.

1. Open AccountEdge and select to open the Sample Company from the AccountEdge Welcome Window.
2. Click on File from the top menu bar, and then from the drop-down, select Export Data > Accounts > Account Information.
3. Keep the defaults on the first window, and click Continue.
4. Select Match All to export all available data, and click Export.
5. Save the exported text file (.txt) to your desktop so it is easy to locate.
6. Open the new text file in your spreadsheet software to view it in an easily readable format.

Use these exported files as a tool to help you better understand the AccountEdge field names and types. They will also help you correctly match and correctly import your QuickBooks information in AccountEdge.

Follow the same steps to export Customer Cards, Lead Cards, Vendor Cards, Employee Cards, Items, and Activities.

AccountEdge fields marked with an asterisk* are required and must be filled in for a successful import.

Fields marked with a caret^ are conditional fields. When importing, at least one of these fields must contain valid entries for matching fields in the company file.

When you begin exporting your data from QuickBooks, carefully review the Excel files you create. We suggest you delete any data you won’t need moving forward (accounts you don’t use, old customers and vendors, items you no longer sell).

Back-Up. Back-Up. Back-Up. Make copies of your AccountEdge Company File after completion of each step. This will allow you to quickly restart a step without starting over completely.

Before you get started converting your QuickBooks data, you will need to install AccountEdge on your computer. Once installed, it is time to create your new AccountEdge Company File.

Launch AccountEdge and select Create from the Welcome Window to start the New Company File Assistant.

You can also create a new Company File from the drop-down menu on the bottom right of the Welcome Window. Click the Company File Maintenance drop-down and select Create Company File.

When you get to Step 4 in the setup process, Accounts List, you can choose how you would like to set up your chart of accounts. You can start with a chart of accounts provided by AccountEdge or import your own list.

• I would like to start with one of the lists provided by AccountEdge. AccountEdge will add an accounts list based on your business type that is commonly used by other similar businesses. If you do not have an existing accounts list, choose this option.
• I would like to import a list of accounts provided by my accountant. You can import an accounts list provided by your accountant or from a previous accounting system. Your new file will be set up with the bare minimum accounts required by AccountEdge. You can import your accounts list after you complete the New Company File Assistant.
• I would like to build my own accounts list. Your new file will be set up with the bare minimum accounts required by AccountEdge. You can add accounts as needed when you begin entering transactions.

If you do not have a detailed account list in QuickBooks, using one of the default lists from AccountEdge and entering your opening balances as of your switch date may be easier. When creating your company file, you can select I would like to start with one of the lists provided by AccountEdge. From there, you can choose your Industry and Business Type, and AccountEdge will create your list of accounts. You can edit, add, and remove accounts from the default list and easily add your opening balances to your accounts.

For more information, view the Get Started with AccountEdge guide.