What an IIF file is
IIF, the Intuit Interchange Format, is the file QuickBooks Desktop uses to import and export lists and transactions. Intuit describes it as an ASCII text file with tab-separated values. Lines that start with an exclamation mark name the columns for each kind of record: !TRNS and !SPL for transactions, !CUST for customers, !ACCNT for the chart of accounts, and so on.
A transaction is a TRNS line followed by one or more SPL (split) lines and an ENDTRNS line. The TRNS line usually holds the bank or receivable side, and the splits show where the money went.
Why open an IIF file as a spreadsheet
- To read an export. Opening an IIF file straight in Excel works, but different record types share the same columns, so headings and values do not line up. This tool separates them.
- To check a file before importing it. IIF imports skip many of the checks QuickBooks makes when you enter data by hand (newer versions check more), so a mistake can land straight in your company file. Look first.
- To move data out of QuickBooks Desktop. QuickBooks Online and most other systems do not import IIF files, but they do take spreadsheets.
- To share with an accountant or colleague who does not have QuickBooks Desktop.
What you get
- Transactions: one row per TRNS or SPL line, with a Transaction number to group the lines and a Line column saying which is which, followed by every column the file defines.
- Lists: customers, vendors, accounts, items and other lists, each as its own table with QuickBooks' column names. Choose which one to export in step 2.
- Dates can stay exactly as they are in the file or be converted to another style. In the Excel file, dates and amounts are real dates and numbers.
The balance check
In a valid transaction, the TRNS amount and the split amounts add up to zero: a $1,200 check from the bank account (-1200) is balanced by $1,200 of rent expense (+1200). Step 3 counts how many transactions balance. If any do not, QuickBooks Desktop is likely to reject or misread them, so check those rows in the spreadsheet.
How to convert IIF to CSV
- Find the .iif file. QuickBooks Desktop exports lists from File › Utilities › Export › Lists to IIF Files, and many payroll, point-of-sale and online store apps produce IIF files of transactions for importing.
- Drop it into step 1, or try the sample file first.
- In step 2, choose what to export and how dates should look.
- Check the summary in step 3, then download an Excel file or a CSV.
Questions
Is my file uploaded?
No. The IIF file is read in this browser tab and the spreadsheet is made on your device. Company data never leaves your computer.
Can it convert a CSV to IIF?
Not yet. A wrong IIF import can be hard to undo in QuickBooks Desktop, so that tool needs more safeguards first. To get bank transactions into QuickBooks Desktop, a Web Connect file is safer: use the CSV to QBO converter.
Can I edit the spreadsheet and import it back?
It is possible, but take care. Keep the header lines and columns exactly as they were, save as tab-delimited text with an .iif extension, and back up your company file before importing.
My IIF file uses commas, not tabs. Will it work?
Yes. Some programs write IIF files with commas, and the tool reads those too.
Check for yourself that nothing is uploaded
- Open this page, then turn off Wi-Fi or switch on airplane mode.
- Drop your file into the tool and convert it. It still works, because the conversion runs in your browser, not on a server.
- For a closer look, open your browser's developer tools and watch the Network tab while you choose a file. No request carries your file anywhere.
The tools work in current versions of Chrome, Edge, Safari and Firefox, on computers and phones.
Last reviewed November 11, 2026. Found a bank export this tool reads wrongly? Tell us about the layout and we will look at it.