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R
Rydjor
March 30, 2025
Question

Migrating Quickbooks Desktop file to existing Quickbooks Online problem

  • March 30, 2025
  • 1 reply
  • 0 views

I have QB Online Accountant, have two businesses I manage, one is a retail business and the other is a 501(c)3 non-profit (no payroll).  Both businesses were original set up in QB Desktop.  

I migrated the retail business some time back but continued to use QB desktop for the non-profit (not many transactions, no payroll)

I want to migrate the non-profit to QB Online, but when I tried to bring the file in, QB Online said it was past the 180 days allowed to migrate.  

What do I need to do?

Patrick

1 reply

R
Rea_M
March 30, 2025

Hello, Patrick! It's wonderful to have you back in the Community! I hope you're doing well. Managing all your businesses from one platform is a great way to stay on top of their growth and transactions. I'm here to assist you with the steps you need to take now that the data migration period has passed. Together, we’ll ensure you can quickly get back to focusing on what you do best.

 

The amount of time you have to import data from a QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT) to a QuickBooks Online (QBO) company file varies. It depends on who set up the latter one. Since you're the one who established QuickBooks for a client, you have 180 days from the creation date to import their data.

 

That said, you can either sign up for a new QBO account before moving your data or manually import your non-profit company file. If you opt for the second option, start by exporting your QBDT lists to an Excel or CSV file. Follow these steps to complete the process:

 

  1. Open QuickBooks Desktop.
  2. Go to the File menu and select Utilities.
  3. Click on Export. 
  4. Choose the lists and transactions you want to export
  5. Save the file to your computer. Repeat as necessary.

 

Right after, import them to QBO. Click each item below for the step-by-step guide: 

 

 

For comprehensive instructions about importing data to QBO, please see this article: Common questions about importing data to QuickBooks Online.

 

Additionally, I've included a reference to assist you through the task you'll take after transitioning from QBDT to QBO: Learn what to do after you move from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online.

 

If there are any additional questions or you need further clarification about importing your data from QBDT to QBO, please don’t hesitate to click the Reply button. I’m always here to help. Take care, Patrick, and I hope you have a fantastic day ahead!

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