Converting a Quicken for Mac file to QuickBooks for Mac

QuickBooks Accounting 2009 for Mac can convert a Quicken for Mac file created with, or updated by, Quicken for Mac 2007. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .

Step 1: Prepare your Quicken for Mac file

You may need to make some changes to your Quicken Account list and Memorized Transaction list to make the transition from Quicken to QuickBooks as smooth as possible. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .

If you plan to continue using Quicken with this data (for example, if you had combined business and personal finances in your Quicken file), make a copy of your Quicken file to convert before you make any of the following changes. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .

Convert only the accounts you want to use in QuickBooks

Before you convert to QuickBooks, delete accounts in Quicken that you know you won't want in QuickBooks. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, . In QuickBooks, you cannot delete accounts that contain transactions, but in Quicken you can. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, . So it's easier to delete accounts you know you won't want before you convert. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .

You might want to delete some accounts from your Quicken file in the following situations:

• You have personal accounts as well as business accounts in your Quicken file. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .
• You have an investment account in your Quicken file. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .
• Your Quicken investment account would be converted to a QuickBooks Other Current Asset account, because QuickBooks does not have a special feature to track investments. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, . You can keep the QuickBooks Other Current Asset account, using it simply as a way to include the value of your investments in your QuickBooks balance sheet. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, . Continue tracking your investments in Quicken and update the QuickBooks Other Current Asset account balance periodically. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, . Or you can delete the investment account from the file you're converting to QuickBooks and continue to track investments only in Quicken. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .

Review your memorized and scheduled transactions

QuickBooks converts the following Quicken transactions:

• Memorized QuickFill transactions that are “locked” in Quicken are converted into memorized transactions with a frequency of 'Never' in QuickBooks. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, . Unlocked memorized QuickFill transactions are not converted.
• Scheduled transactions in Quicken are converted into memorized transactions in QuickBooks.

Make customer names consistent

When you convert to QuickBooks, names in your Accounts Receivable register become customers, and transactions become invoices and payments. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, . If you used different names for the same customer in Quicken, QuickBooks won't link the customer's invoices and payments correctly. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, . (For example, perhaps you have your customer Daniel Miller listed as Dan Miller, D. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, . Miller, and Daniel G. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, . Miller.) To avoid this problem, edit your customer names in Quicken so that each customer goes by only one name. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .

Step 2: Convert your Quicken file to QuickBooks

QuickBooks does not change your original Quicken files in any way. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, . You can continue to use those original files with Quicken. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, . You may want to continue using Quicken for personal finance and for investment accounts. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, . There is no connection between your Quicken data and your new QuickBooks company file. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .

Convert your Quicken file into a QuickBooks company file

1. Make sure that Quicken is not running.
2. Open QuickBooks Accounting 2009 for Mac.
3. Choose File > Import > From Quicken Files.
4. Click Yes to read important conversion information.
5. In the Select your Quicken data file window, specify the location of your Quicken data file, and then click Open.
6. In the Create a new QuickBooks file window, enter a name and location where you want to save the converted file, and then click Save.
7. Answer the question about whether you've been tracking accounts receivable in Quicken. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .

   If you click Yes:

   • Select the Quicken account or accounts you use for A/R. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .

     Important: Do NOT select a bank account or any account that has employee names in it. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, . You cannot change a customer to an employee or vendor after you have converted. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, . If you select the wrong accounts, you will have to convert again.

   • Click OK. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .

     QuickBooks uses the data from your Quicken A/R account to create a QuickBooks A/R account.

Fill in your QuickBooks company information

• Choose Company > Company Settings, and fill in your company information. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .

Set your QuickBooks preferences

• If you track inventory or write purchase orders, turn on the preference for inventory and purchase orders. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .

  Choose Company > Company Settings, and then choose Inventory/Purchase Orders/Estimates from the Show pop-up menu. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, . Select the “Inventory and purchase orders are used” checkbox and click Apply.

• If you collect sales tax from customers, turn on the sales tax preference and then set up at least one sales tax item. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .

  Choose Company > Company Settings, and then choose Sales Tax from the Show pop-up menu. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, . Select the “Customers are charged sales tax” checkbox and click Apply.

Differences in your new QuickBooks data

Following is a list of the differences in your new QuickBooks file:

• For each account in the Quicken file, QuickBooks creates a balance sheet account of the type closest to the Quicken account type. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .

  Quicken account type	Converted to QuickBooks account type
  Bank	Bank
  Credit Card	Credit Card
  Cash	Other Current Asset
  Asset	Other Current Asset
  Liability	Other Current Liability
  Investment	Other Current Asset

• In a few cases, you may not want to continue using the account that QuickBooks created automatically. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, . For example, in Quicken, equity type accounts are other liabilities. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, . In QuickBooks, you can make them equity accounts. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .
• QuickBooks creates an Opening Bal Equity account. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, . When you create new accounts and enter their opening balances, QuickBooks automatically enters the amount in the Opening Bal Equity account, so that your accounts balance. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, . You can leave the Opening Bal Equity amount, or you can distribute the amount to other equity accounts. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .
• QuickBooks does not convert memorized reports, because QuickBooks reports are too different from Quicken reports. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .
• QuickBooks changes your Quicken categories and subcategories into income and expense accounts with subaccounts. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .

Editing your Other Names list

QuickBooks places the name (or description) from every Quicken transaction (except in your A/R account) in the Other Names list. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, . This list contains not only names of customers, vendors, and employees but also descriptions such as “Deposit,” “Transfer,” and “Interest.”

If you have slightly different versions of the same name (for example, Mike Rhymes, Michael Rhymes, and Michael P. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, . Rhymes), QuickBooks puts each version of the name on the Other Names list. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .

To merge similar names:

1. Choose Lists > Other Names. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .
2. Double-click a name you want to merge into another name. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .
3. Edit the name so that it is exactly like the name you want to keep, and then click OK. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .
4. When QuickBooks asks to merge this name with the existing name, click Yes. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .

To move customers, vendors, and employees to their own lists:

1. Choose Lists > Other Names. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .
2. Double-click the name you want to move. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .
3. Click Change Type. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .
4. In the Select Name Type window, choose Vendor, Customer, or Employee. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .

   This change cannot be undone after you record it. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .

   A name can be on only one list. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, . If you need to have the same person or company on two lists, add a new name that is slightly different from the first name. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .

5. Click OK at this window and again at the Edit Name window. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .

Your converted Quicken A/R transactions

The transactions in your Quicken A/R account are converted in the following ways:

QuickBooks marks invoices as paid by assigning each payment it converts to the oldest invoices for that customer first. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .

The conversion saves you the time of typing in all your accounts receivable transactions, but you'll probably want to make some changes to the converted data. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .

For example, if the category you used in most A/R transactions was “Sales income,” you'll want to change the name of the converted invoice item from “Sales income” to the product or service you actually sell, such as “Consulting hours.” The converted income account, however, may be just fine as “Sales income.”

Changing to QuickBooks accounts payable

The Quicken manual explains how to use Quicken for cash-basis accounts payable and for accrual-basis accounts payable. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, . For a cash-basis system, the manual recommends using a Bank account and simply postdating checks. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, . For an accrual-basis system, the manual recommends using an Other Liability account. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, . The transition to QuickBooks accounts payable is the same for either system. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .

If you used postdated checks to track your bills, treat checks you've already entered in your usual manner. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .

If you had a Quicken Other Liability account for accounts payable, it is now a QuickBooks Other Current Liability account. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, . Continue to use it only for bills you already entered that are still outstanding. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, . Track your payments of these bills as you did in Quicken. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .

QuickBooks automatically adds a new account named Accounts Payable to your Chart of Accounts when you enter your first bill. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, . No matter which method you were using in Quicken, from now on, use the Enter Bills window to enter new bills into the new QuickBooks Accounts Payable account. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .

Change your payees to QuickBooks vendors

Quicken payees are now on the Other Names list in QuickBooks. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, . You must move vendor names from the Other Names list to the Vendor list before you can use them in QuickBooks accounts payable. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .

If the Quicken payee has a balance, continue as you did in Quicken until the balance of your old Quicken A/P account equals zero (you've paid off all your bills for that vendor). data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, . Enter any new bills into QuickBooks accounts payable. data,quicken,quickbooks,mac,files, .

If QuickBooks converted memorized transactions for Quicken accounts payable, delete them because they will not work in QuickBooks accounts payable.