Troubleshooting
Updated: 2025-01-15 7 min read

QuickBooks IIF Import Errors — Troubleshooting Guide (2025)

IIF import errors can be frustrating, but most have simple fixes. This guide covers the most common errors you'll encounter when importing IIF files to QuickBooks Desktop and how to resolve them.

Account Errors

Account-Related Problems

Account not found

Cause:

The account name in the IIF file doesn't exist in QuickBooks

Solution:

1. Open Chart of Accounts (Lists → Chart of Accounts) 2. Find or create the account with the exact name 3. Check for spelling, spacing, and capitalization differences

Before

ACCNT: Office Supplies

After

Create account named exactly 'Office Supplies'
Account type mismatch

Cause:

Account exists but is the wrong type (e.g., trying to use an Income account as a Bank)

Solution:

1. Check the account type in Chart of Accounts 2. Either change the account type or use a different account 3. Bank accounts must be Bank type, not Other Current Asset
Account name contains invalid characters

Cause:

Account names with colons, quotes, or special characters

Solution:

Use colons only for subaccounts (e.g., "Utilities:Electric") Avoid quotes, ampersands, and other special characters
Account Name Matching QuickBooks requires exact matches: ✗ "checking account" ≠ "Checking Account" ✗ "Office Supplies" ≠ "Office Supplies" (extra space) ✗ "Misc Expense" ≠ "Misc. Expense" (punctuation)

Balance Errors

Transaction Balance Problems

Transaction does not balance

Cause:

The TRNS and SPL amounts don't sum to zero

Solution:

Each transaction must balance: - TRNS amount: $100.00 - SPL amount: -$100.00 - Total: $0.00 ✓

Before

TRNS: 100.00, SPL: -99.00

After

TRNS: 100.00, SPL: -100.00
Amount format error

Cause:

Currency symbols, commas, or wrong decimal format

Solution:

Use plain numbers without formatting: ✓ 1234.56 ✗ $1,234.56 ✗ 1.234,56 (European format)
Rounding Issues If you're getting balance errors, check for rounding. QuickBooks uses 2 decimal places. A difference of even $0.01 will cause failure.

Date Errors

Date Format Problems

Invalid date format

Cause:

Date not in expected format for your QuickBooks region

Solution:

US QuickBooks expects: MM/DD/YYYY Example: 01/15/2025 Not: 2025-01-15, 15/01/2025, Jan 15 2025

Before

2025-01-15

After

01/15/2025
Date in closed period

Cause:

Transaction date falls in a period that's been closed

Solution:

1. Check your closing date (Edit → Preferences → Accounting) 2. Either change the transaction date or adjust closing date 3. May require accountant password
Date out of range

Cause:

Date is too far in past or future

Solution:

QuickBooks has date limits (typically 1901-2038) Verify dates are reasonable

File Format Errors

IIF File Structure Problems

File format not recognized

Cause:

File is not valid IIF format or wrong extension

Solution:

1. Verify file has .iif extension 2. Open in text editor to check structure 3. First lines should be headers starting with !
Unexpected end of file

Cause:

File is truncated or missing ENDTRNS markers

Solution:

Every transaction block needs: - TRNS row - SPL row(s) - ENDTRNS row
Column count mismatch

Cause:

Data rows have different number of columns than headers

Solution:

Count tabs in header vs data rows Each row must have same number of tab separators
Check File Encoding IIF files should be plain text (UTF-8 or ASCII). If created on Mac, line endings may need conversion. Try opening in Notepad and re-saving.

Duplicate Transaction Issues

Duplicate Problems

Duplicate transactions after import

Cause:

Same IIF file imported multiple times

Solution:

1. Restore from pre-import backup 2. Or manually delete duplicates 3. Use Find (Ctrl+F) to locate by amount/date
Some transactions imported twice

Cause:

Overlapping date ranges between imports

Solution:

Track which date ranges you've imported Filter source data to avoid overlap
Prevention is Key Always back up before importing. QuickBooks doesn't prevent duplicate imports, and undoing can be tedious.

Permission Errors

Access Problems

You don't have permission to import

Cause:

User doesn't have Admin or appropriate permissions

Solution:

1. Log in as Admin user 2. Or have Admin grant import permissions 3. Check: Company → Users → Set Up Users
File is read-only or locked

Cause:

Company file opened by another user or in read-only mode

Solution:

1. Have other users log out 2. Check file isn't marked read-only 3. Ensure you have write access to the folder

Quick Fix Checklist

Before Calling Support

  • Back up company file first
  • Verify all accounts exist in Chart of Accounts
  • Check account names match exactly (case-sensitive)
  • Confirm date format is MM/DD/YYYY
  • Verify amounts balance to zero per transaction
  • Open IIF in text editor to check structure
  • Try importing just a few transactions first
  • Check you're logged in as Admin

Need to create an IIF file?

Convert Bank File to IIF

Frequently Asked Questions

The safest way is to restore from a backup made before the import. Otherwise, you'll need to manually delete the imported transactions using Find (Ctrl+F) to locate them.
Account names must match exactly, including capitalization and spacing. 'Checking Account' and 'checking account' are different to QuickBooks.
Yes, you can edit the IIF file in a text editor to remove transactions you don't want to import. Make sure to keep the header rows.
QuickBooks shows an import log after processing. Check the log for specific error messages and line numbers.
Check if account names have changed, periods have been closed, or file got corrupted. Try with a fresh export from the converter.

Related Guides

Import Guide

Step-by-step import instructions

IIF Format Reference

Technical format details

OFX Converter

Create IIF from bank files