Can QuickBooks Online import QIF files directly?

No. Intuit removed QIF import from QuickBooks Online in 2015 and never restored it. QuickBooks Online accepts only .qbo (Web Connect) files and CSV uploads. To use a QIF file, convert it to QBO or CSV first, then import through Banking → Upload transactions.

Can QuickBooks Desktop import QIF files?

Only very old versions (roughly 2004 and earlier) imported QIF directly. Modern QuickBooks Desktop accepts .qbo Web Connect files via File → Utilities → Import → Web Connect File. Convert the QIF to QBO and import that instead.

What is the difference between QIF and QBO?

QIF (Quicken Interchange Format) is a plain-text format from the 1990s with no bank identification and ambiguous date formats. QBO is QuickBooks' branded flavour of OFX (Open Financial Exchange) — a structured XML-like format with bank IDs, currency, and unique transaction IDs (FITID). QuickBooks only trusts the newer format.

Will my categories survive the QIF import?

Partially. QIF category lines ('L' records) can be carried into the QBO memo field so you can see the original label, but QuickBooks always maps imported transactions to its own Chart of Accounts during the review step — plan to re-confirm categories in QuickBooks either way.

QuickBooks says 'file not accepted' after my conversion — why?

The usual causes: the .qbo file is missing valid OFX headers, the FITID values are duplicated (QuickBooks silently skips duplicates), or the file was saved with the wrong encoding. Use a converter that generates OFX 2.x-compliant QBO output rather than hand-editing the file.

Is there a free way to convert QIF to QBO?

Yes — our QIF to QBO converter runs free in your browser. It reads QIF, OFX, and QFX, and produces a Web Connect .qbo file QuickBooks Online and Desktop both accept. The file is parsed locally and never uploaded to a server.

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GuideJuly 8, 2026·4 min read

How to Import QIF Into QuickBooks (Online & Desktop)

How to Import QIF Into QuickBooks Online and Desktop

Quick answer

QuickBooks no longer imports QIF files directly. Convert the QIF to a .qbo Web Connect file (or CSV), then import it: QuickBooks Online via Banking → Upload transactions, QuickBooks Desktop via File → Utilities → Import → Web Connect File. Our free QIF to QBO converter does the conversion in your browser.

QIF was Quicken's interchange format from the 1990s, and a lot of software still exports it — old Quicken installs, Moneydance, GnuCash, some credit unions, and countless accounting tools. But Intuit removed QIF import from QuickBooks Online in 2015, and modern QuickBooks Desktop won't take it either. The reliable path is a two-step: convert, then import.

Step 1 — Convert the QIF to QBO

1Open the QIF to QBO converter — it also accepts OFX and QFX
2Drop in your QIF file — the parser auto-detects dates, amounts, memos, and multi-account files
3Check the transaction count and date range shown after parsing
4Download the .qbo Web Connect file

Step 2 — Import into QuickBooks Online

1In QuickBooks Online, go to Transactions → Bank transactions (older layouts: Banking)
2Click the dropdown next to 'Link account' → Upload transactions
3Choose the .qbo file and pick the QuickBooks account the transactions belong to
4Review the preview — QuickBooks skips duplicates by FITID — and accept

Step 2 (alternative) — Import into QuickBooks Desktop

1Open your company file in QuickBooks Desktop
2Go to File → Utilities → Import → Web Connect File
3Select the .qbo file and choose whether to link it to an existing bank account or create one
4Open the Bank Feeds Center to review and add the imported transactions

Troubleshooting a rejected import

“QuickBooks is unable to verify the financial institution”

The .qbo file's bank ID (INTU.BID) isn't one QuickBooks recognizes. Use a converter that writes a generic accepted institution ID, or import via CSV instead.

Transactions are missing after import

QuickBooks silently skips transactions whose FITID matches one already imported. If you re-import an overlapping date range, only the new FITIDs come in.

Dates are shifted or wrong

QIF dates are ambiguous (US vs UK order). Re-run the conversion and confirm the detected date format matches the source file before downloading.

Amounts have flipped signs

Some QIF exports treat debits as positive. Fix the sign convention at conversion time — QuickBooks expects money out as negative in bank feeds.