How to Export QuickBooks Data to Excel (Desktop & Online Guide)

Key Takeaways

• QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online both offer built-in export options to move reports, lists, and transactions directly into Excel.
• Exportable data includes customer/vendor/payroll lists, items and inventory data, and financial reports like Profit & Loss and Balance Sheet.
• QuickBooks Online’s Spreadsheet Sync feature lets you access and update data in real time without repeatedly re-exporting.
• A “too many columns” export error can be fixed using the Advanced settings option to adjust column spacing before exporting.
• Dancing Numbers is a bulk import/export tool that generates audit-ready reports and supports undo, letting you reverse import, export, or delete actions if needed.

Users export data from QuickBooks to Excel to analyze financial information, customize reports, and manage records. QuickBooks Desktop and QuickBooks Online both provide built-in options to export reports, lists, and transactions directly into Excel for further analysis and sharing. This guide explains simple and effective methods to export QuickBooks data from both Desktop and Online versions. So you can easily manage and work with your data outside QuickBooks.

Common Reasons to Export QuickBooks Data to Excel

Users export data from QuickBooks to Excel for better analysis, reporting, and data management. Here are some of the common reasons why users export QuickBooks data to Excel:

• Use Excel tools and formulas to deeply analyze financial data.
• Build custom and easy-to-understand reports for better clarity
• In addition, share reports quickly with accountants or team members
• Moreover, organize and manage large datasets in a more structured way
• Besides this, create external backups of important financial records
• Along with that, monitor business performance and identify trends over time.

What Type of Data Can Be Exported to Excel from QuickBooks?

QuickBooks allows you to export various types of business and financial data to Excel for better reporting, analysis, and record management. Here, we will introduce some of the major ones:

Customer, Vendor, and Payroll Lists and Transactions

You can export customer details, vendor information, employee lists, and payroll-related transactions from QuickBooks. One of the most frequently exported datasets is customer information. If you specifically need customer names, contact details, balances, and addresses, follow our guide to Export Customer List from QuickBooks to Excel for step-by-step instructions.

Items and Inventory Data

QuickBooks allows you to export item lists and inventory data, including product details, stock levels, and item pricing.

Reports and Financial Statements

You can export important financial reports such as Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet, and other accounting reports.

How to Export QuickBooks Desktop Reports to Excel

Perform these step-by-step methods to export different types of reports and manage payroll data in Excel. Also, learn how to enable required settings like macros and troubleshoot common export issues to ensure a smooth process.

Step 1: Export Reports in QuickBooks Desktop for Windows

• To begin, open Reports and go to the Reports Center.
• Next, choose the report you want and open it.
• Then, click on the Excel option.
• After that, select Create New Worksheet or Update Existing Worksheet.
• If you see a “too many columns” message, then click on Advanced.
• After that,  uncheck Space between columns>> click OK.
• Once you’re ready,  simply select OK to export the report.

Step 2: Export Reports in QuickBooks Desktop for Mac

• Start the process and go to Reports, select the report you want to export.
• Then, click on Export to generate the file.
• Once the file opens, go to File and choose Save As to store it in your preferred location.
• By default, QuickBooks opens the file in your selected application.
• To change the default app, right-click the file and select Get Info.
• Next, choose your preferred app [Excel or Numbers]from the Open With section.
• After that, click Change All to apply the setting permanently.
• You can adjust export settings to choose the file format, such as .sylk or .xlsx.

Note: You can open the exported files using Apple Numbers version 3.5 or later or Microsoft Excel 2016 and later, including Mac Office 365.

Step 3: Create and Export Payroll Reports to Excel

QuickBooks Desktop lets you create Excel-based payroll reports with detailed data.

To Create Payroll Reports:

• To begin, go to Reports > Employees & Payroll.
• Next, select More Payroll Reports in Excel.
• Then, choose the report type you want.
• After that, enable macros if prompted.
• Now, select the required date range.
• Click Get QuickBooks Data or Create Report.

Note: Popular payroll reports include essential data that help manage payroll effectively, such as Payroll Summary, Employee Time & Costs, Tax Worksheets, Payroll Liability Reports, and Payroll by Department or Class. These reports provide valuable insights into employee wages, tax details, and overall payroll distribution.

To Create a Summarized Payroll Data Report:

• Again, go to Reports >> Employees & Payroll.
• Next, select Summarize Payroll Data in Excel.
• Then, enable macros if prompted.
• Later, click Options/Settings if you want to customize.
• Now, enter the required date range.
• At last, click Get QuickBooks Data.

If the export finishes but the resulting workbook cannot be opened in Microsoft Excel, follow our guide to fix QuickBooks Excel Could not Open the Data File before exporting the report again.

Step 4: Keep QuickBooks Reports Updated While Working in Excel

If you add or modify transactions in QuickBooks Desktop after exporting, you can refresh the report to reflect the updated data.

• First, make sure your QuickBooks company file is open.
• Next, open the report in Microsoft Excel.
• After that, go to the QuickBooks tab.
• Tap on the Update Report to get the latest version.

Step 5: Turn on Macro Permissions in Excel

Macros are built-in programs in Microsoft Excel that help automate repetitive tasks and handle complex calculations, saving you time and effort.

• If you see a security warning with an Enable Content button, simply click Enable Content.
• If the button is not visible, go to File and select Options.
• Next, open the Trust Center, then click on Trust Center Settings.
• Choose Macro Settings and select Disable all macros with notification.
• After that, click OK twice to save your changes.
• Finally, close the workbook and reopen it from QuickBooks Desktop.

Step 6: Troubleshoot Common Export Errors

If you encounter an error stating that the Excel export has a limit of 65,536 detail lines, which is common in older versions of Microsoft Excel, you can resolve it by following the steps below:

• First of all, update Microsoft Excel to the newest version available.
• Next, create an SUI file from your payroll data.
• Then, save the file as an Excel Macro-enabled Workbook (.xlsm).
• Now, open the saved file and enable macros.
• After that, go to the ADD-INS tab in Excel.
• From the QuickBooks Payroll State SUI E-File dropdown, select Refresh State Data.
• Then, choose the correct details such as State, Filing Year, and Quarter.
• To complete, click Get QuickBooks Data to retrieve the complete data again.

If QuickBooks crashes while exporting reports, review QuickBooks Unrecoverable Error While Exporting Excel before retrying the export.

How to Export QuickBooks Online Data to Excel

QuickBooks Online allows you to export reports and transaction data to Excel for better analysis. Follow the given steps to export reports to Excel:

• Go to Reports and select Standard Reports.
• After that, search for and open the report you want.
• If using:
  • Classic view: Click Export, then select Export to Excel.
  • New view: Click Export/Print, then select Export to Excel.
• Save the file to your preferred location, either Downloads or Desktop.

Pro Tip:

• If some data is missing in Excel, you can edit or adjust the report directly in Excel.
• You can also create custom reports in QuickBooks Online to export more specific data.

How to Link QuickBooks Online Data into Excel

You can link QuickBooks Online with Excel using the Spreadsheet Sync feature. This allows you to access and update your data in real time without exporting it repeatedly.

To connect QuickBooks Online with Excel:

• Go to Reports>>Spreadsheet Sync in QuickBooks Online.
• After that, click Run report in Excel
• Open Excel and go to the Spreadsheet Sync tab
• Click Get Started and sign in to your account
• Select your company if multiple companies are available.

To create and work with reports:

• Click Run Report in Excel.
• Choose the report type.
• Apply filters if needed.
• Load the data into your spreadsheet.

To keep data updated:

• Use the Sync/Refresh option in Excel.
• Update data anytime without re-exporting.

This method helps you create custom reports, analyze data easily, and keep everything up to date.

Why Use Dancing Numbers to Export QuickBooks Data to Excel?

Dancing Numbers Exporter is an easy-to-use solution that simplifies exporting QuickBooks data to Excel. It supports advanced QuickBooks versions and helps streamline the entire process. Here are some of the major key advantages:

• Bulk export: Transfer large amounts of data quickly with just a few clicks.
• Audit-ready exports: Generate accurate, audit-ready QuickBooks export reports with complete, traceable data in just a few clicks
• Time-saving: Also, it reduces manual effort and speeds up the process.
• User-friendly: Along with that, it is simple interface for easy use.
• High compatibility: This software works with multiple QuickBooks versions.
• All-in-one tool: Apart from that, it supports import, export, and delete functions.
• Undo support: Dancing Numbers is a bulk import/export tool that supports undo, letting you reverse import, export, or delete actions if needed.

Pro Tip: You should always take a backup of your data before export to avoid any data loss. If you encounter any issues during the process, you can contact support experts for assistance.

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