Exported the COA from a company to import into a new one, same accounts. I figured this would save time recreating the accounts, however had a few hiccups. Import, didn't look right. It seemed to have the same mapping fields repeated 3x. Type, Number, Name... repeated 3x and had to map all 3 or it wouldn't save.Field names didn't match the column names. Name vs Account, for example... I mean, easy to figure out but c'mon Intuit... If I export and import from the same app, make the names match.Couldn't find a way to map the TAX LINE, which was the main reason for doing this since QB won't let me simply type or search Tax Lines, I have to scroll through the entire list. Why is the list repeating 3x? Online tutorials don't seem to be doing that. Also, how do I map the GIFI codes? I swear it was an option before... maybe related to my list repeating 3x?

Question

Import Chart of Accounts - No GIFI Codes

Forum|Forum|11 months ago
August 7, 2025
1 reply
3 views

Exported the COA from a company to import into a new one, same accounts. I figured this would save time recreating the accounts, however had a few hiccups.

Import, didn't look right. It seemed to have the same mapping fields repeated 3x. Type, Number, Name... repeated 3x and had to map all 3 or it wouldn't save.
Field names didn't match the column names. Name vs Account, for example... I mean, easy to figure out but c'mon Intuit... If I export and import from the same app, make the names match.
Couldn't find a way to map the TAX LINE, which was the main reason for doing this since QB won't let me simply type or search Tax Lines, I have to scroll through the entire list.

Why is the list repeating 3x? Online tutorials don't seem to be doing that. Also, how do I map the GIFI codes? I swear it was an option before... maybe related to my list repeating 3x?

QuickBooks Desktop

N

NerbynMaeI

QuickBooks Team

Let's work together on importing your Chart of Accounts (COA) to a new company, THRobinson.

First, could you please let us know how you imported your COA? Did you use an IIF or Excel file? Any additional information you can provide will help us address your concern more effectively.

When importing a chart of accounts, the IIF format is recommended. It ensures a smooth import of your data list in QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT). However, if you encounter any errors, we highly suggest contacting an IT professional for assistance and reviewing your setup.

If you imported your data using Excel, ensure to use the correct mapping columns. The Excel file should not include headers, and the first row must contain the column names to ensure accurate mapping in QuickBooks.

Please note that QuickBooks has limited column options for mapping. If a column exists in Excel but isn't available in the QuickBooks mapping selection, it can't be imported.

You'll also find that there are certain lists and transactions when importing data into QBDT. To confirm the types of data you can import, please refer to this article: Import and export data in QuickBooks Desktop.

If the GIFI code category is not supported for import, you may consider using a third-party app to assist you with importing your data into QBDT.

Feel free to add a response below if you have any other concerns.

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