Yes, you can import expenses into QuickBooks Online; however, QuickBooks does not support bulk uploading of expenses directly. Instead, expenses must be imported as bills. The expenses will appear as bills in both the “Expenses” and “Bills” tabs within QuickBooks Online.

If you’re on the Full Suite plan, you don’t need to import expenses manually. Expenses will automatically sync via the 2-way integration between OFX and QuickBooks Online.

Why is this page important?
Understanding how to import expenses as bills ensures accurate financial records and compliance with QuickBooks Online import limitations, facilitating smooth expense management.

Next steps:

1.  Log in to your OFX account.

2. Navigate to the "Expenses" tab on the left menu sidebar. 

3. Click on "Export". 

4. Select the "Expenses" tab.

5. Select “QuickBooks” as the provider under the "Select a provider to export to" dropdown.

6. Select the expense type. You can select “All expense sources” to include every type of expense recorded. 

7. Select "Transaction Date" from the dropdown as the date type filter.

8. Filter expenses by their statuses, opting for “Closed expenses only” to ensure you’re exporting finalised transactions. 

9. Set the timeframe for the expenses you want to import into QuickBooks, making sure it aligns with your accounting needs.

10. Select file format as ".CSV". 

11. Click on "Export" to export the file. The system will generate a zip file containing a CSV file, which will be downloaded to your computer. 

12. A confirmation message is displayed, showing that the expenses are being exported.

13. Once the download is complete, a further confirmation message is displayed, confirming the completion of the download. Check your "Downloads" folder to find it. 

14. Extract the CSV file from the zip folder and prepare it for upload to QuickBooks.

15. Log into your QuickBooks company file and click on the Settings Cog located in the top right corner of the dashboard. 

16. Click on "Import data". 

17. Click on "Bills". 

18. Upload the CSV file.

19. If the CSV file has new suppliers that don't already exist in QuickBooks, then check the tick-box to ensure the new suppliers are added. Click on "Next" to proceed. 

20. Most headers will automatically map, but you may need to manually adjust some options, such as selecting “YYYY-MM-DD” for Bill Date and confirming that Line Amounts are “Inclusive of tax.”

21. Click on "Next". 

22. Verify your tax codes, ensuring they match those previously imported when connecting your QuickBooks account to OFX. Click "Next" after verifying. 

23. Click "Yes" if you're happy to continue importing.

24. Click on "Start import" to start the import. 

25. The results of the import will be displayed. If there were any errors in the import, they will also be displayed on this screen. Click "Done" to complete the process. 

Related articles:

• How do I export account transactions from OFX to QuickBooks Online?