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John_TN
November 18, 2021
Question

QB Desktop 2021 will not send tax forms to excel

  • November 18, 2021
  • 2 replies
  • 0 views

I have been on QB Pro 2012 for years and finally decided to upgrade (?) to QB Pro Desktop 2021 (nonsubscription).  I am on Windows 10.  Office 2013.    I do not subscribe to Payroll b/c I have one employee, a spouse, and she is exempt from almost everything to my CPA says he only wants and needs the excel form.

I did not overwrite the 2012 program or data.  I installed QB 2021, put it in the default directory, and COPIED the 2012 datafile to a new 2021 data directory.   I am able to open the file and generate most reports (that I have tried) and even some EXCEL reports. 

However, the EXCEL report I use the most is the Tax Forms worksheets from QB to Excel.   These work fine in QB2012 even after doing the upgrade.  However, when I try to do the export in 2021 I get an error message. 

When I select the Tax Forms worksheets in QB2021 it seems to load QB_Taxform_Link1.xlt and, if marcros are enabled, it loads the menu that lets you select Quarterly 941, Annual 940, etc. almost as normal.   However, when I make any selection and hit "create report" it generates a message box with "Unable to connect to Quickbooks" and provides "Error: -2137221164:  Class not registered".

I have called and talked with tech support - but all they wanted to do was to "repair" QB 2021, reapply all updates within QB, "repaired" Office. 

In trying to "google" the issue, it seems that this was and still may be a problem in QB 2020 as well.

I would appreciate steps to identify and actually correct this problem.

UPDATE:   Since I still had the 2012 version of QB installed, I loaded QB 2021.  I then edit only the payroll net pay on the last check in the 2021 data file.  I then loaded Excel and a blank worksheet.  I then opened the QB_Taxform_link that is in the QB2012 (the old one) template directory.  When I opened it, it ran and generated accurate data from the 2021 data file.   This may indicate that the problem is in the 2021 XLT file and not an installation or configuration issue.

2 replies

A
AileneA
November 19, 2021

Thanks for reaching out to the Community about your concern, John_TN. 

 

It’s my priority that you can export the tax form worksheets seamlessly. We’ll be performing some troubleshooting steps to fix this, which includes the following:

 

  • Checking the system requirements
  • Repairing the Excel file.

 

Let's make sure your computer meets the program’s system requirements.


This will ensure the application is compatible with your setup and will help avoid unexpected behavior when using it. This link provide detailed information about the system requirements for QuickBooks version: System requirements for QuickBooks Desktop 2021. 

 

However, if your version is compatible, repair Excel to fix the issue. The Repair an Office application link contains detailed instructions about the process. If none of these suggestions work, perform Steps 4-5 in the Repair an Office application article.

 

Here's a helpful resource about exporting reports to Excel: Export reports as Excel workbooks in QBDT 

 

Please don't hesitate to respond in this thread if you have any other questions. The Community will be here to help. Have a great weekend. Stay safe!

J
John_TNAuthor
November 21, 2021

Before I posted this on the community, I had called Quickbooks and talked with what I assume was a first level tech support b/c all they could do is have me do the same steps you posted here.  Those steps did not work nor did your suggestions.

What seems to be an indicator that the problem is with the distributed 2021 QB template file is that when I have QB 2021 loaded and use Excel to load the QB2012 template of the same name the report runs fine AND it is running on the 2021 data file since edited the last paycheck in the 2021 datafile to adjust the last paycheck by $10,000.   

There is a problem and that is the hint.  I don't know how to fix or edit b/c the QB template file are password protected.

M
Mich_S
November 21, 2021

I recognize the importance of being able to export worksheets to Excel, @John_TN.

 

Thank you for going through the steps provided by @AileneA. 

 

Since you're still experiencing the same issue, I suggest contacting our Customer Support team. This way, they can look into this further and follow up on the cases associated with your account. They'll also be able to provide a timely solution.

 

Here's to get a call or chat from us:

  1. Open your QuickBooks company.
  2. Open the Help menu, then choose QuickBooks Desktop Help.
  3. Click on Contact Us.
  4. Enter a brief description of your concern, then hit Let's talk, and then select a way to connect.

 

Please note their support hours to make sure they're available to assist.

 

 

Keep us updated by leaving re ply on the comment box. The Community is always willing to help. Stay safe!

J
John_TNAuthor
November 22, 2021

UPDATE

I have Quickbooks Pro Desktop 2012 and was trying to upgrade to Quickbooks Pro Desktop 2021 (nonsubscription).  The problem was that QB2021 would not generate the Tax Forms to Excel function but instead gave an error message.

I called Intuit support but all I got was scripted "uninstall this" and "reinstall that" recommendations.

I started testing.  I noted that the specific file that QB2021 was trying to load appeared to be QB_Taxform_Link.XLT (file size 854KB and date 10/11/2021) which was in the QB's template directory.   When it executed, it would start and allow me to select which tax form I wanted to generate but then it would generate the same error message (see attachment) no matter which report I selected.  

I then looked back to see whether that template was also in the QB2012 template directory.  A file of the same name was there but it had a different size and date.  So, I renamed the template file in the QB2021 directory and copied the file of the same name from the QB2012 template directory into the QB2021 directory.  I reloaded QB2021 and ran the Tax Forms to Excel function from within QB2021 using the QB2012 XLT file and it worked.  I confirmed it was hitting the QB2021 datafile(s) by editing the last payroll check and adding $10,000 to the amount and regenerating the report.

I called Intuit support with this new information, but all I got was the script readers again.

Finally, I logged out of QB2021, I shut down all the QB services that I could identify, I closed all Microsoft office files and I loaded QB2012 and reran the Tax Forms to Excel function with the original QB2012 XLT file.  It processed as it has the last decade.  I then edited the last paycheck in the QB2012 database and ran it again and confirmed that the function was  hitting the QB2012 datafile.  I edit the paycheck back to its correct disbursement.

When I went back into QB2021 and confirmed that the QB2021 XLT file was in place, I tried the Tax Forms to Excel function again but this time it worked.  I have no idea what changed or why it worked but it did.

I would like some insight from Intuit as to this situation because I want to confirm operations before migrating fully from QB2012 to QB2021. 

RenjolynC
RenjolynC
November 22, 2021

Thanks for your prompt reply, John_TN.

 

We're glad to know that you can now generate the Tax Form to Excel. The error you encountered might be caused by a program or installation problem. Restarting or removing the programs from the Control Panel helps resolve these issues. 

 

As for the migration process, you will need to gradually upgrade your file using the trial links from 2015 to make the final update in 2021. This is to avoid any data issues due to some feature or version differences. 

 

Before you upgrade your company file, it's always best to create a back up in the 2012 version. The steps are included in this article: Back up your QuickBooks Desktop company file.

 

After you backup the company file, you can now install QuickBooks 2021. Here's a link to download the program: Downloads & Updates.

 

Once done, you can check out this guide for further details about installing QuickBooks and restoring the backup: 

 

For additional help, I'm adding these articles that you may find helpful:

 

Please let me know in your reply if you have any additional questions or need help with other concerns. We're always available to help you out some more. Take care and stay safe.

J
John_TNAuthor
November 24, 2021

Thank you.  I have been using QB Pro Desktop 2012 ( I also have some company files however in QB 2008). I am in the process of upgrading to QB Pro Desktop 2021. In reading on the QB community as well as your comment above there seems to be some posts which say that QB Desktop Pro 2021 needs to have the 2008 and 2012 company data files converted to perhaps the 2015, 2016 and/or 2018 editions before conversion to the 2021 data file?  I assume these conversions can be done with trial versions since those editions are no longer retail available. 

How do I download or get access to the prior trial versions?

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