❓How to Edit My Chart of Accounts Excel File Exported from QuickBooks Desktop to Import into QuickBooks Online
If you’re transitioning from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online and want to bring your Chart of Accounts with you, here’s how to clean up your file for a smooth import.
Step 1: Download Your Chart of Accounts from QuickBooks Desktop
To begin, you’ll need to export your Chart of Accounts from QuickBooks Desktop:
Open QuickBooks Desktop.
Navigate to Lists > Chart of Accounts.
Click the Excel or Export button.
Choose Create a new worksheet and save the file in Excel format (.xlsx).
💡 Make sure to save the file somewhere easy to find, such as your desktop or downloads folder.
Step 2: Clean the Excel File for QuickBooks online Import
Now that you have your file, it’s time to prepare it for upload to QuickBooks Online:
Open the downloaded Excel file.
Delete any extra sheets or tabs — keep only the tab that contains your Chart of Accounts.
Remove all unnecessary columns in the sheet.
Only keep the following three columns:
Account NameTypeDetail Type
Make sure your accounts are listed one per row and that there is no blank data in the columns you’ve kept.
Save the updated file. We recommend saving it as a new version (e.g.,
COA_for_QBO.xlsx) to avoid overwriting the original.
✅ What You’re Left With
You should now have a clean and simple file that looks like this:
Account Name | Type | Detail Type |
|---|---|---|
Bank of America | Bank | Checking |
Office Supplies | Expense | Office/General Admin |
Sales Income | Income | Sales of Product Income |
This file is now ready to import into QuickBooks Online.
Next Steps
To learn how to upload this file to QuickBooks Online, check out our article:
📤Upload a Chart of Accounts Using a Template
And if you need any help during this process, don’t hesitate to reach out — we’re here for you!