Convert QBO to IIF Free for QuickBooks Desktop
Is QuickBooks Desktop rejecting your bank's QBO file? Convert it to IIF here, then finish the QBO IIF import under File › Utilities › Import › IIF Files, with accounts already assigned.
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How to convert QBO to IIF
- 01
Upload your QBO file.
Drag in the .qbo file you downloaded from your bank, or click to browse. Prefer a dry run? Use Try a sample QBO file.
- 02
Name the two accounts.
Enter the existing bank account name and the account for the other side of the entry. The names must differ. Choose Checks and deposits (default) or General journal entries, then review.
- 03
Confirm the preview and download.
Scan the first 10 IIF transactions in the preview. If the dates, amounts and account names look right, click Download IIF file.
QBO IIF file example: before and after
This fictional QBO download becomes balanced CHECK and DEPOSIT entries by default. The real IIF output below uses Checking and one offset account, Uncategorized Expense. Both account names must already exist in QuickBooks. General journal entries are an alternative setting.
QBO input
<OFX> <SIGNONMSGSRSV1><SONRS> ... <INTU.BID>00000 </SONRS></SIGNONMSGSRSV1> <BANKMSGSRSV1><STMTTRNRS><STMTRS> <CURDEF>USD <BANKACCTFROM><BANKID>000000000<ACCTID>0000<ACCTTYPE>CHECKING</BANKACCTFROM> <BANKTRANLIST><DTSTART>20260101<DTEND>20260131 <STMTTRN><TRNTYPE>DEBIT<DTPOSTED>20260105<TRNAMT>-84.20<FITID>202601050001<NAME>Office Depot</STMTTRN> <STMTTRN><TRNTYPE>CREDIT<DTPOSTED>20260108<TRNAMT>2500.00<FITID>202601080001<NAME>Client payment – Acme LLC</STMTTRN> <STMTTRN><TRNTYPE>CHECK<DTPOSTED>20260112<TRNAMT>-1200.00<FITID>202601120001<CHECKNUM>1042<NAME>Check 1042</STMTTRN> </BANKTRANLIST> ... </OFX>
IIF output
!TRNS TRNSTYPE DATE ACCNT AMOUNT DOCNUM MEMO !SPL TRNSTYPE DATE ACCNT AMOUNT DOCNUM MEMO !ENDTRNS TRNS CHECK 01/05/2026 Checking -84.20 Office Depot SPL CHECK 01/05/2026 Uncategorized Expense 84.20 Office Depot ENDTRNS TRNS DEPOSIT 01/08/2026 Checking 2500.00 Client payment – Acme LLC SPL DEPOSIT 01/08/2026 Uncategorized Expense -2500.00 Client payment – Acme LLC ENDTRNS TRNS CHECK 01/12/2026 Checking -1200.00 1042 Check 1042 SPL CHECK 01/12/2026 Uncategorized Expense 1200.00 1042 Check 1042 ENDTRNS
How QBO fields map to IIF
The converter reads each transaction block in your QBO file and writes a balanced IIF transaction. Here's where each value ends up, and what IIF can't carry.
| QBO field | IIF field | Note |
|---|---|---|
| DTPOSTED (20260105) | DATE (01/05/2026) | Written as MM/DD/YYYY on both lines. |
| TRNAMT | AMOUNT | The TRNS line keeps the bank's sign. The SPL line gets the opposite sign, so each transaction nets to zero. |
| TRNAMT sign | TRNSTYPE | By default money out becomes CHECK and money in becomes DEPOSIT. The General journal option writes GENERAL JOURNAL instead. |
| NAME and MEMO | MEMO | Payee and memo text are written into MEMO. The generated IIF does not include a NAME column. |
| CHECKNUM | DOCNUM | Check numbers carry over. |
| BANKACCTFROM (ACCTID) | ACCNT on the TRNS line | Replaced by the bank account name you typed in the options. |
| Not in QBO | ACCNT on the SPL line | The account you chose for the other side of each transaction. |
| FITID | Not carried | IIF has no transaction ID, so QuickBooks Desktop can't spot a repeat. Import each file once. |
| INTU.BID | Not used | IIF imports don't check a bank ID, which is why they work when Web Connect fails. |
How to do a QBO IIF import in QuickBooks Desktop
IIF files import into QuickBooks Desktop only. QuickBooks Online doesn't accept IIF. If you use QuickBooks Online, upload the original .qbo file instead.
QuickBooks Desktop
QuickBooks Desktop 2019 and later IIF tool · Documentation checked
- Back up your company file: File › Back Up Company › Create Local Backup.
- Open your chart of accounts. Check that the bank account and the other-side account exist, spelled exactly as you entered them in the converter.
- Go to File › Utilities › Import › IIF Files.
- Select the .iif file you downloaded and open it.
- Open the bank account register and review the new transactions. Recategorize the Uncategorized lines as you go.
- If QuickBooks lists errors, don't import the same file again. Restore your backup, fix the account names, reconvert, and import once more.
Where to get your QBO file
Show me where to download it
Sign in to your bank's online banking and open the account's activity page. Look for a Download or Export option. Pick the format labeled QuickBooks Web Connect (.qbo) or simply QuickBooks.
Choose the exact date range you need. IIF imports don't skip transactions you already have, so start the day after your last import. Then save the file and upload it above.
Did your bank give you a .qfx or .csv file instead? Convert it with our QFX to QBO or CSV to QBO converter first. Then bring that QBO file back here. Only have a PDF statement? See the PDF option below.
What are QBO and IIF files?
What is a QBO file?
A QBO file is QuickBooks Web Connect, a bank-transaction format used by QuickBooks Online and supported QuickBooks Desktop editions. It is based on OFX and includes Intuit institution details. Transaction IDs help the importer recognise previously imported entries; review matches and duplicates before accepting them.
What is an IIF file?
An IIF (Intuit Interchange Format) file is tab-separated text for QuickBooks Desktop only. It can post transactions straight to named accounts. QuickBooks Online doesn't import it, and QuickBooks Desktop doesn't check IIF imports for duplicates.
Convert QBO to IIF when QuickBooks Desktop rejects your bank's Web Connect file, or you want transactions posted to set accounts.
QBO IIF import errors and fixes
| Error | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "QuickBooks is unable to verify the financial institution information for this download" | The institution is not accepted, the identifiers do not match, or Web Connect services are unavailable for this edition. | IIF does not use Web Connect bank IDs. Back up your company file, confirm your account names and review the IIF import before accepting it. |
| Web Connect import won't run in your QuickBooks Desktop | The QuickBooks Desktop edition no longer has supported Web Connect services. | Convert to IIF and import under File › Utilities › Import › IIF Files. |
| QuickBooks lists errors for some lines after the import | An account name in the IIF file doesn't match your chart of accounts exactly. | Restore your backup. Fix the spelling in the converter options, including Parent:Sub for subaccounts, then reconvert and import again. |
| Every transaction shows up twice | The same IIF file was imported twice. QuickBooks Desktop doesn't de-duplicate IIF imports. | Restore the backup made before the second import, or delete the extra entries in the register. |
| You can't find an IIF option in QuickBooks Online | QuickBooks Online doesn't import IIF files. | Upload the original .qbo file: Transactions › Bank transactions › Link account ▾ › Upload from file. |
QBO to IIF questions
A QBO file is a Web Connect download from your bank. It lands in Bank Feeds, where you match or add each transaction. An IIF file is Intuit Interchange Format, a tab-delimited text file for QuickBooks Desktop only. It posts transactions straight to the accounts named inside it.
Use QBO when your supported QuickBooks edition accepts it. Transaction IDs help recognise previous imports, but always review duplicate matches. Use IIF for supported QuickBooks Desktop workflows when you need named accounts or cannot use Web Connect. Back up first and import each IIF only once.
No. QuickBooks Online doesn't import IIF. Upload your .qbo file under Transactions › Bank transactions › Link account ▾ › Upload from file.
Yes. Converting a QBO file to IIF costs nothing, and you don't need an account. Files are encrypted with AES-256 and deleted automatically.
Not with IIF. The format has no transaction ID, so QuickBooks Desktop imports every line it reads. Download only the dates you haven't imported yet, and import each IIF file once.
This page converts QBO files. For a CSV export, use the CSV to IIF converter directly, or convert CSV to QBO first if you also need a Web Connect file.
Enter an existing bank account and an existing offset account, spelled exactly as in your chart of accounts. The single offset account is used unless your source provides an applicable mapping. Choose accounts with your accountant; the converter does not automatically choose a different expense or income category for each transaction.
Limitations
Back up before importing. IIF has no bank transaction IDs for matching repeated imports, and zero-amount entries are not exported. Existing bank and offset account names must be supplied; the converter does not decide accounting categories for you.
File privacy
File-converter uploads and results are temporarily stored in private storage. Uploads are deleted after a successful conversion; abandoned uploads and results are automatically deleted after about an hour. Download links are temporary.