App Aware: exportmybooks.com

Vendor Corner

Let’s face it, for some people QuickBooks Online just doesn’t work. They tried it, they didn’t like it. They tried it, it didn’t do the job for them. They tried it, and things just didn’t yield the same results. Then they want to go back to QuickBooks Desktop and take their QBO file with them.

While Intuit makes the process of moving (converting) from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online fairly painless, the same can’t be said for the reverse, especially since the demise of Windows 7.  Most people are now using Windows 10 which uses Microsoft Edge as the default browser, but the process of converting from QBO to QuickBooks Desktop is reliant upon something called ‘Active X’ which must run under ‘Internet Explorer’.  

You must then go through an exhaustive process of ‘preparing your QuickBooks Online data’ for export because there is an extensive list of data that doesn’t export (or doesn’t export correctly as it should) from QBO to QuickBooks Desktop. You may need to spend a considerable amount of time working on your QBO data to maximize the possibility that the download file which is exported by Intuit from QBO will be accurate when you import it. If you don't go through this exercise chances are the file will be wrong. 

The actual process of download preparation can take several hours depending on the size and complexity of your file, you then go through a series of steps to convert the file created into an actual QuickBooks Desktop Company file. By the way, Intuit only offers a process for converting QBO to QuickBooks Desktop for Windows, they don’t offer a way to convert QBO data directly to QuickBooks for Mac.

None of this is the actual subject of this App Aware article, I simply am using this to illustrate the complexity with which QBO Users must go to return their data to QuickBooks Desktop using Intuit methodology. What is the subject of this App Aware article is a relatively new App called ’exportmybooks.com’ that can be found at the Intuit QuickBooks App Center and which “makes QuickBooks Online to QuickBooks Desktop conversion easy”.

It is a secure, easy, and fast solution that will convert your QBO data to QuickBooks Desktop whether you are using either the ‘Windows’ version or the ‘Mac’ version.  Right now, you can sign-up for the App for FREE and use it as many times as you want.

So, let me take you through a summary of the steps that I experienced in my trial of this App using one of my sample QBO files called ‘QBMurph’.

(1) I went and located the App at the Intuit QuickBooks App Center

(2) Then I clicked the green ‘Get app now’ button and was taken to the standard OAuth page after logging into my QuickBooks Account so that I could authorize exportmybooks.com to connect to QBMurph (my QBO testing account).

(3) The first page of the exportmybooks.com App contains a video that explains the entire process. This same video can also be found on their Intuit QuickBooks App Center landing page. You really should watch this video before you continue the process so you know what to expect.

One thing they explain is that their process can take from 15 minutes to 24 hours depending on the amount and complexity of data.  OK, they can take a lot longer than Intuit claims it requires for their process, but if it’s right the first time, isn’t a little extra time worth it?

They also tell you that one you start the process you can log-off and they will send you an email when they are finished, and your file is ready. You will be able to ‘preview’ your data before it is downloaded.

(4) After watching the video choose the EXPORT button to initiate the process by selecting your ‘Conversion Date’ this is the same thing as your ‘opening date’ for your data file, and also the type of QuickBooks Desktop file you want, either ‘Windows’ or ‘Mac'.

(5) The processing of the QBO file begins to convert it to a QuickBooks Desktop Backup file for either Windows or Mac. I chose to close my browser and wait for the email to arrive.  As you can see for this round of testing the time was 1:31 PM.

(6) As you can see in the email below, I got a notification that my conversion was completed at 2:05 PM (just 34 minutes later). The email provides the instruction to finalize your conversion.

(7) When you log back in via the website using your Intuit credentials you are returned to the conversion page, but this time the ‘Report’ option is ready for viewing and the ‘Download’ option is also active.

So, here is my report:

Differences reflected between QBO and QBD reflect how they deal with accrual vs. cash basis in the same way that QBD doesn’t always properly perform cash-basis conversion of the balance sheet from the accrual-based data.  But we won’t worry about this right now, we will wait to see the actual data once it’s imported to see if things match up. On the other hand, if you had 'conversion errors' show up on this report you would probably want to research those and fix them, then reload your data prior to exporting the file to QuickBooks Desktop.

(8) As soon as you click the Download button a screen will be displayed giving you the Password for your new file about to be downloaded, just click ‘Save File’ to finalize the download process.

(9) Once the QuickBooks Backup type file is downloaded (which is a .QBB file) we will open QuickBooks, select Restore Local Backup file, then locate the file, and tell QuickBooks where we want this file to be restored and what you want to call the file, I will call it 'QBMurph' (what else).

(10) Enter the ‘Password’ that you were provided just before you downloaded the file, NOT your QBO QuickBooks file password.

After opening the file I ran a Balance Sheet for all dates (shown on the right below) and compared it to the Balance Sheet from QuickBooks Online (shown on the left below) and they matched except for how Desktop has displayed Retained Earnings as well as Net Income (while QBO has combined Retained Earnings into Net Income), but that’s an easy enough adjustment to make. Many ProAdvisors, Bookkeepers, or Accountants make such an adjustment regularly.

Everything else matched up as well, the Profit & Loss and each of the major reports. Then a quick look at transaction lists showed they matched transaction by transaction from QBO to QBD the data was replicated exactly.

I didn't have time to try this for QB for Mac, maybe a reader will give it a try and post their results, but the process appears to be just as simple from the video with the natural exception of how QB for Mac restores a backup.

What my limited testing for this 'App Aware feature' reveals to me is that this new App, ’exportmybooks.com’ located within the Intuit QuickBooks App Center makes QuickBooks Online to QuickBooks Desktop conversion a lot easier than the method Intuit offers to QBO Users.  I would recommend that you give it a review of your own at their website: ’exportmybooks.com, or perhaps a trial from the Intuit QuickBooks App Center while the App is still available for FREE.