IIF (Intuit Interchange Format) is QuickBooks Desktop's oldest import format — a tab-delimited text file that can carry not just bank transactions but lists: accounts, vendors, customers, journal entries.
IIF vs QBO
A QBO file feeds the Bank Feeds review workflow — you approve each transaction before it posts. An IIF file writes directly into the register as balanced double-entry transactions, no review step. That makes IIF powerful and slightly dangerous: bad data lands straight in your books. Prefer QBO for routine bank imports; reach for IIF when you need direct register entries or Desktop refuses a Web Connect file.
The double-entry requirement
Every IIF transaction needs a balancing split — a debit to one account and a credit to another. Our CSV to IIF converter balances each bank line against an "Uncategorized" income or expense account automatically, so the file imports cleanly and you recategorize inside QuickBooks where it's easy.
Importing an IIF
File → Utilities → Import → IIF Files. Recent Desktop versions run a review step that flags problems before anything posts; on older versions, back up the company file first — IIF imports can't be undone.