How to Export Lists to IIF Files from QuickBooks Desktop

This guide shows you how to export multiple lists—including customers, vendors, employees, and chart of accounts—to IIF files from QuickBooks Desktop in a single operation. You might need this when migrating to a new company file, creating list backups, or transferring master data between QuickBooks installations.

Prerequisites

• QuickBooks Desktop (Pro, Premier, or Enterprise)
• Administrator login credentials
• No other users logged into the company file (single-user mode required)

Steps

1. Switch to Single-User Mode

Go to File > Switch to Single-user Mode.

If other users are logged in, ask them to log out first. The export function is disabled in multi-user mode.

2. Open the Export Dialog

Navigate to File > Utilities > Export > Lists to IIF Files.

3. Select the Lists to Export

Check the boxes for each list you want to export:

List	What It Contains
Chart of Accounts	All accounts with types and numbers
Customer:Job	Customer names, addresses, contacts, terms
Vendor	Vendor names, addresses, 1099 settings
Employee	Employee names and contact info (not payroll data)
Item	Products and services
Class	Transaction categories
Other Names	Names not in customer/vendor/employee lists
Customer Type	Customer category labels
Vendor Type	Vendor category labels
Payment Terms	Net 30, Due on Receipt, etc.
Payment Method	Cash, Check, Credit Card, etc.
Ship Method	FedEx, UPS, etc.
Customer Message	Messages for invoices
Sales Rep	Sales representative list
Sales Tax Code	TAX, NON, etc.
Price Level	Custom pricing tiers
To Do	Reminder notes

To export customers, vendors, employees, and chart of accounts together, check these four:

• Chart of Accounts
• Customer:Job
• Vendor
• Employee

Click OK.

4. Save the File

1. Select a location (Desktop works well for easy access)
2. Enter a filename (e.g., company-lists-2024-12.iif)
3. Confirm the file type shows IIF Files (*.IIF)
4. Click Save

Verification

Open the exported file in Excel or a text editor:

• Right-click the file > Open with > Microsoft Excel
• If prompted about the format, click Yes
• Confirm each list type appears (look for rows starting with ACCNT, CUST, VEND, EMP)

Importing the IIF into Another Company File

1. Back Up the Target Company

Go to File > Create Backup > Local Backup before importing.

2. Switch to Single-User Mode

Go to File > Switch to Single-user Mode.

3. Import the File

1. Go to File > Utilities > Import > IIF Files
2. Browse to your exported IIF file
3. Click Open
4. Wait for the confirmation message

4. Check for Duplicates

If names already exist in the target file, import creates duplicates. Merge duplicates via each list’s edit menu.

Troubleshooting

Export option is grayed out

Switch to single-user mode. Only administrators can export IIF files—log in as Admin.

Employee list not appearing in export dialog

The Employee list option only appears if employees exist in your company file. In some Enterprise versions, employee export may have restrictions.

”Payroll Item List” is missing

QuickBooks no longer supports IIF export for payroll items. This limitation applies to Enterprise 2023 and later. Export payroll items via Reports > List > Payroll Item Listing to Excel instead.

Import creates duplicate entries

IIF import doesn’t check for existing names. Clean up duplicates after import by merging entries in each list.

Excel shows garbled data

Use the Text Import Wizard:

1. Open Excel
2. Go to File > Open
3. Change filter to All Files (.)
4. Select the IIF file
5. Choose Delimited > Tab in the wizard

Cannot import across country versions

IIF files from US QuickBooks won’t import into Canadian QuickBooks (and vice versa). This is a QuickBooks limitation.

Limitations

• No transaction data: IIF exports lists only—not invoices, bills, or payments
• No balances: Customer and vendor balances are not included
• No payroll data: Employee wages, tax info, and pay history are excluded
• No attachments: Documents attached to list entries don’t export
• Per-item price levels: Price levels set per-item don’t export correctly

Related

• How to Export Vendors from QuickBooks Desktop
• How to Export General Ledger from QuickBooks Desktop
• QuickBooks IIF Import Kit — Official Intuit sample files and documentation