What is an IIF file? QuickBooks Desktop’s import format
An IIF file (.iif, Intuit Interchange Format) is a tab-separated text file that QuickBooks Desktop uses to import and export lists — accounts, customers, vendors, items — and transactions such as checks, deposits and journal entries. Header rows starting with ! name the columns, and each transaction is a TRNS line, one or more SPL lines and an ENDTRNS line. QuickBooks Online does not read IIF.
IIF file example
Two bank transactions as an IIF file: a card payment out of Checking and a deposit into it. Columns are separated by tabs.
!TRNS TRNSID TRNSTYPE DATE ACCNT NAME AMOUNT MEMO
!SPL SPLID TRNSTYPE DATE ACCNT NAME AMOUNT MEMO
!ENDTRNS
TRNS CHECK 03/04/2026 Checking Corner Grocer -38.40 Card payment
SPL CHECK 03/04/2026 Groceries Corner Grocer 38.40
ENDTRNS
TRNS DEPOSIT 03/06/2026 Checking J Smith 500.00 Transfer received
SPL DEPOSIT 03/06/2026 Sales Income J Smith -500.00
ENDTRNSHow an IIF file is built
| Row | What it does |
|---|---|
| !TRNS, !SPL, !ENDTRNS | Header rows: name the columns the TRNS and SPL lines below use. Only the columns you need have to be listed. |
| TRNS | The first line of a transaction — for a bank transaction, the bank account side. |
| SPL | A split line: the other side of the entry (an expense, income or other account). One transaction can have several. |
| ENDTRNS | Ends the transaction. TRNS and its SPL amounts must add up to zero. |
| !ACCNT, !CUST, !VEND… | List headers. Rows under them add accounts, customers, vendors and other list entries. |
| Column | Meaning |
|---|---|
| TRNSTYPE | The transaction type: CHECK, DEPOSIT, GENERAL JOURNAL, INVOICE, BILL and others. |
| DATE | The date, in the company file’s date format (MM/DD/YYYY in US editions). |
| ACCNT | The account name, spelled exactly as in the chart of accounts. |
| NAME | The customer, vendor or other name the line is for. |
| AMOUNT | Signed: on a bank TRNS line, money out is negative and money in positive. |
| MEMO | Free text. |
How to import an IIF file into QuickBooks Desktop
- Back up the company file. An IIF import writes into the books, and there is no single undo.
- Check that every account, customer and vendor named in the file already exists, spelled the same.
- Go to File › Utilities › Import › IIF Files, choose the file, and let QuickBooks import it.
- Open the account register and check the new transactions against the source.
IIF and bank statements
Statement Converter AI does not write IIF. For QuickBooks Online it writes a .qbo file, which uploads with nothing to map. For QuickBooks Desktop it writes Excel orCSV for Desktop’s spreadsheet imports — theOnline vs Desktop page covers which file goes where.
If you need IIF itself, ProperConvert ($19.99/month or $179.99/year per user, unlimited pages) and DocuClipper both list IIF among their outputs; both are compared in the best bank statement converters.
Frequently asked questions
What is an IIF file?
An IIF file (Intuit Interchange Format, .iif) is a tab-separated text file that QuickBooks Desktop imports and exports: lists such as customers, vendors and accounts, and transactions such as checks, deposits and journal entries.
How do I open an IIF file?
Import it into QuickBooks Desktop with File › Utilities › Import › IIF Files. To read or edit it, open it in Excel or a text editor — it is tab-separated, so Excel shows it in columns.
Does QuickBooks Online import IIF files?
No. IIF is a QuickBooks Desktop format. QuickBooks Online imports bank transactions from .qbo, .ofx and CSV files instead — see what is a QBO file.
Can I edit an IIF file in Excel?
Yes. Open it in Excel, edit the cells, and save it again as tab-delimited text with the .iif extension. Keep the header rows that start with ! exactly as they are, and keep each transaction balanced.
Why does my IIF import fail or post the wrong amounts?
Usually a transaction does not balance (TRNS plus its SPL lines must add up to zero), an account or name does not exist in the company file, or the header row does not match the columns. Back up the company file first: an IIF import changes the books directly.
Can Statement Converter AI create an IIF file?
No. It writes QBO for QuickBooks Online, and Excel or CSV for QuickBooks Desktop’s own imports. If you need IIF specifically, desktop converters such as ProperConvert, and DocuClipper, list IIF among their outputs.