Troubleshooting
Updated: 2025-01-15 6 min read

CSV to QuickBooks Errors — Troubleshooting Guide (2025)

CSV and Excel conversion errors usually come from formatting issues that are easy to fix. This guide covers the most common problems and their solutions.

Column Errors

Missing or Invalid Columns

Required column 'Date' not found

Cause:

CSV is missing a Date column or it has an unrecognized name

Solution:

1. Check your CSV has a date column 2. Rename to "Date" or common alternatives: - Transaction Date - Trans Date - Posting Date

Before

Settlement Date

After

Date
Required column 'Amount' not found

Cause:

No Amount column or using separate Debit/Credit columns

Solution:

1. If you have "Debit" and "Credit" columns, combine them 2. Create "Amount" column: debits as negative, credits as positive 3. Or rename existing amount column

Before

Debit: 50.00, Credit: (empty)

After

Amount: -50.00
No valid data rows found

Cause:

File only has headers, or data rows are malformed

Solution:

1. Verify data exists below header row 2. Check for blank rows between header and data 3. Ensure columns align with headers
Column Name Detection We auto-detect common column name variations. If your columns aren't recognized, rename them to: Date, Amount, Payee, Account, Memo

Date Errors

Date Format Problems

Invalid date format

Cause:

Date not in a recognized format

Solution:

Use a standard date format: - MM/DD/YYYY (01/15/2025) - YYYY-MM-DD (2025-01-15) - M/D/YYYY (1/15/2025)

Before

January 15th, 2025

After

01/15/2025
Date appears to be in wrong format

Cause:

Ambiguous date like 01/02/2025

Solution:

Clarify month vs day: - Use YYYY-MM-DD to avoid ambiguity - Or use named months (Jan 15, 2025)
Excel changed my dates

Cause:

Excel auto-converts dates when opening CSV

Solution:

1. Import CSV instead of opening directly 2. Or format date column as Text before saving 3. Check dates haven't been reformatted
Excel Date Trap When you open a CSV in Excel, it may auto-convert dates. "2025-01-15" might become "Jan 15, 2025" or a serial number. Import the CSV (Data → From Text) instead of double-clicking.

Amount Errors

Amount Format Problems

Invalid amount format

Cause:

Amounts contain currency symbols, commas, or text

Solution:

Remove formatting from amounts: ✓ 50.00 ✗ $50.00 ✗ 1,500.00 ✗ USD 50.00

Before

$1,234.56

After

1234.56
All amounts are the same sign

Cause:

Not distinguishing between debits and credits

Solution:

Payments/debits should be negative: -50.00 Deposits/credits should be positive: 50.00
Amounts in European format

Cause:

Using comma as decimal separator

Solution:

Convert to period decimal separator: ✓ 1234.56 ✗ 1234,56

Quick Fix: Remove Currency Symbols

In Excel or Google Sheets:

  1. Select the Amount column
  2. Press Ctrl+H (Find & Replace)
  3. Find: $ (or your currency symbol)
  4. Replace with: (nothing)
  5. Click Replace All

File Errors

File Format Problems

File is not valid CSV

Cause:

File is corrupt, wrong format, or has encoding issues

Solution:

1. Open in text editor to verify it's plain text 2. Re-export from your bank or spreadsheet 3. Save as "CSV (Comma delimited)" not "CSV UTF-8"
Unexpected characters in file

Cause:

File has special characters or wrong encoding

Solution:

1. Save as plain CSV (not UTF-8 with BOM) 2. Remove any special characters 3. Check for hidden characters from copy/paste
File has semicolons instead of commas

Cause:

European CSV format uses semicolons

Solution:

Replace semicolons with commas, or re-export with comma separator
Excel Files For Excel files (.xlsx, .xls), we read them directly. If you're having issues with an Excel file, try saving as CSV first.

Output/IIF Errors

IIF Generation Problems

Transaction doesn't balance

Cause:

Internal calculation error (rare)

Solution:

1. Check source amounts are valid numbers 2. Remove any non-numeric characters 3. Contact support if issue persists
Account name contains invalid characters

Cause:

Account column has special characters

Solution:

Avoid these in account names: ✗ Quotes (" or ') ✗ Backslashes (\) ✗ Colons (except for subaccounts)

Quick Fix Checklist

Before Trying Again

  • Verify Date and Amount columns exist
  • Remove currency symbols from amounts
  • Remove thousands separators (commas)
  • Check dates are in standard format
  • Ensure negative amounts for payments
  • Save as plain CSV (comma-delimited)
  • Try with just a few rows first
Test with Minimal Data If you're getting errors, create a test file with just 2-3 rows. Once that works, add more data.

Fixed your CSV?

Try Converting Again

Frequently Asked Questions

Bank CSVs vary in format. Check the specific error message — usually it's a date format or amount formatting issue specific to your bank's export format.
Import the CSV (Data → From Text/CSV) instead of double-clicking it. This gives you control over how columns are interpreted.
Combine them into a single Amount column. Debits become negative amounts, credits become positive. Use a formula like: =IF(Debit>0, -Debit, Credit)
Large files work fine but take longer to process. If you're getting timeout errors, try splitting into smaller batches.

Related Guides

CSV Formatting Guide

Prepare your CSV correctly

CSV Converter

Convert your CSV file

OFX Converter

Alternative: convert OFX bank files