How to switch accounting software without losing your balances.

The short answer

Pick a switch date. Export your reports from the old system as of that date. Enter them in the new system as one opening entry, then compare the two trial balances line by line. When every account matches, start working in the new system.

You're moving balances, not history. Keep your old system, or a full export of it, so you can still look up old transactions. Check how long you need to keep records before you delete anything.

What to export from your old system

Run every report as of the switch date, not today. Save each one as Excel or CSV, and keep a PDF copy as your record of where you started.

How to switch, step by step

1. 01
   Choose a switch date

   The last day of your financial year is cleanest. The last day of any month also works, because your statements and reports end on the same day.

2. 02
   Finish the old books

   Enter everything dated on or before the switch date, and reconcile every bank and card account. If the old system changes after you export, the two will no longer agree.

3. 03
   Export your reports

   Export the four reports above, all as of the same date.

4. 04
   Match your accounts

   Every system names accounts differently, so decide where each one goes: Sundry Debtors becomes Accounts receivable, for example. Keep each bank separate, so two real accounts never merge into one.

5. 05
   Enter one opening entry

   Post all the balances as a single entry dated on the switch date. Total debits must equal total credits.

6. 06
   Add your unpaid invoices

   Enter each one with its own number and the amount still owed, not the original total. Together they must equal Accounts receivable on your trial balance.

7. 07
   Compare, then lock

   Run a trial balance in the new system for the switch date and check it line by line against the old one. Agree each bank balance, then lock the period so nobody changes it by accident. From here, work only in the new system.

Example: an opening balance journal entry

This business switches on 31 December. Its trial balance becomes one entry, dated that day:

Debits equal credits, so the entry balances. At a year-end switch, income and expenses have been closed, so only these balance sheet accounts come across. If you switch mid-year, your trial balance also shows income and expenses for the year so far. Bring those too, so your reports for the year stay complete.

Mistakes that cause most problems

• Exporting as of today. Reports from different dates never agree.
• Using original invoice totals. Part-paid invoices then overstate what customers owe.
• Merging bank accounts. Two banks in one account can never be reconciled.
• Forgetting uncleared cheques. Your statement and your books will differ by exactly those amounts.
• Hiding a difference in a suspense account. If something doesn't balance, find it before you go live. It only gets harder later.
• Working in both systems. Once you switch, stop using the old one. Two sets of books drift apart quickly.

Accounting software migration checklist

• Switch date chosen
• All entries up to the switch date finished in the old system
• Every bank and card account reconciled
• Trial balance, unpaid invoices and contacts exported as of the switch date
• Bank statements saved for the switch date
• Each old account matched, with each bank kept separate
• Opening entry posted, with debits equal to credits
• Unpaid invoices add up to Accounts receivable
• New trial balance matches the old one, line by line
• Period locked, and the old system kept for reference

Leaving QuickBooks Online

We tested our import with real QuickBooks Online reports. Set each report's date to your switch date, then export it to Excel:

• Trial Balance, for every account's balance;
• A/R Aging Detail, under Who owes you, for unpaid invoices;
• Customer Contact List, for your customers and their details.

QuickBooks has no switch-date bank report, so use your bank statement balance. Export everything you might want later before you cancel, and check Intuit's current rules on how long you can still see your data afterwards.

QuickBooks is a trademark of Intuit Inc. SnapBooks is independent and is not endorsed or sponsored by Intuit.

Coming from another system or a spreadsheet

Any system that can export a trial balance to Excel (.xlsx) or CSV can work, including Xero, Tally and Zoho Books, though we haven't tested their exports yet. If we don't recognise a file, we show it to you and you point to the right columns. Save older .xls files as .xlsx first.

No system at all, or starting from a spreadsheet? Copy your balances into these free templates:

• Opening trial balanceExcel (.xlsx)
• Unpaid invoicesExcel (.xlsx)
• Customers and suppliersExcel (.xlsx)
• Bank balancesExcel (.xlsx)

How SnapBooks handles the switch

SnapBooks turns these steps into a guided import on the website, then keeps your double-entry books and bank matching from there.

• It reads your trial balance and suggests a match for each account. You confirm them.
• It checks that debits equal credits, that invoices add up to Accounts receivable and that each bank balance agrees, and lists every problem at once.
• It shows each account's old balance beside its new one. Nothing reaches your books until the last step.
• It values foreign-currency invoices at the switch-date rate, or your accountant's rate, and shows any difference.
• Money you owe suppliers comes across as one total, and you record payments against it as you pay.
• It posts one opening entry and locks the books up to the switch date.
• You can undo the import, as long as nothing newer depends on it.

You can upload your files and see the full review on a free account. Posting needs Pro or Team. Pro posts into your own books. Team gives a business its own workspace, which starts empty. Books that already have records on or before the switch date can't take an opening entry, so choose an earlier date or use a Team workspace.