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[QCLIPxe] Import Data from QuickBooks
[QCLIPxe] Import Data from QuickBooks

Import Data from QuickBooks -- Customers, Items, Classes, etc

Jonathan Conaway avatar
Written by Jonathan Conaway
Updated over a week ago

Import Data from QuickBooks 

Start by making sure that you have sales tax selected as "Yes" in QuickBooks Desktop. In QuickBooks, click Edit > Preferences> and Sales Tax in the sidebar. Click "Yes" to the question about charging sales tax. This doesn't mean that you are charging sales tax, it just means that the tax fields will be enabled and will allow CLIP to connect to QB. 

In CLIP, click QuickBooks Functions > Import Data From QB 

From here, select To Jobs Item List Dropdown> Start Import. It will ask if you have made a backup, click "Yes" if you have. Click "No" if you have not and  make a backup before proceeding. 

Items in QuickBooks should be defined as general names based on what service is going to be performed. For instance, Mow and Trim is a maintenance type service and so you can label it "Maintenance" or whatever name your company prefers.

Below will be definitions for what you can import from QuickBooks. The definitions below will be the rest of the steps for the first import needed with QCLIPxe.

Customer List -- Selecting this option will import the customer/job list from Quick Books.

Include Jobs and Sub-Jobs -- In QuickBooks, you can have customers and then have “Jobs” under each customer. If you select this option, qCLIP will create a new customer number for each job. This gives you the ability to have multiple jobs per customer. A good example of this would be a Burger King that has various locations. You would select this option if you have that type of customer in QuickBooks. If you mainly do residential services, you will not need to select this option because all billing will be going to the main customer.

Note: In QuickBooks they are referred to as "Customer: Job List" and in qCLIP they are referred to as customers. 

Update CLIP Customer Addresses -- If you make changes to a customers information (not his name) in QuickBooks this option will update the information in qCLIP. Do not select this for the first time since you will want all the customers to transfer in. 

Only New Customers Created Since -- This feature allows you to only import new customers added in QuickBooks using a particular date in which they were added in QuickBooks. This speeds up the process on future transfers if you have a large customer base. Do not select this for the first time since you will want all the customers to transfer in. 

Only Customers Modified Since -- When this option is selected, it prompts you to enter a date. The date you enter is customer information modified from the date used. This speeds up the process on future transfers if you have a large customer base. Do not select this for the first time since you will want all the customers to transfer in. 

New Customers should start at # -- We recommend you start your customers with number 100. This will leave room for employees (you will learn about this later). 

To Jobs Item List Dropdown OR Item List (This is required the first time) -- Selecting this option will import the item list from your QuickBooks company file.

Import Non-Inventory List to Job Materials -- This will import the regular ITEM LIST in QuickBooks over to the Job>Materials tab. This way, if you have items setup as materials in QuickBooks, they will be imported under the materials in QCLIP under the jobs.

Import Inventory List to Job Materials -- This will import the Inventory List in QuickBooks over to the Job>Materials tab. This way, if you have inventory list in QuickBooks already defined with materials. You can import them over to QCLIP as materials.

Import Sales Rep -- This will import any Sales Rep from QuickBooks into QCLIP under the QB Sales Rep field in QCLIP.

Create Pattern Jobs from Items -- This import is for new customers that did not upgrade from a previous CLIP desktop software. If you do not have any jobs listed under pattern jobs, this will import them as items over into pattern jobs

Inventory List to Projects -- Must have Projects first - This will import the inventory from your QuickBooks inventory list to projects. 

Update Cost of Project Inventory with Cost from QuickBooks -- This will update the cost from QuickBooks inventory list and import it into CLIP projects. 

Vendor List -- This will import the vendor list from QuickBooks into QCLIPxe.

Import / Synchronize Finance Charges from QuickBooks -- If finance charges are in QuickBooks, it will import those charges into QCLIPxe.

Class List -- This will import the class list from QuickBooks into QCLIPxe.

Customer Message List -- If QuickBooks has a Customer Message list already defined,  QCLIPxe will import that so you can select it from QuickBooks Functions>Transfer Invoices to QuickBooks screen.

Invoice Templates -- If QuickBooks has any modified or created invoice templates,  QCLIPxe will import those so you can select it from QuickBooks Functions > Transfer Invoices To QuickBooks screen.

For the first transfer, log into QuickBooks as admin and in single user mode. 

In CLIP, click QuickBooks Functions>Import Data from QB>To Jobs Item List Dropdown> then click Start Import. It will prompt you to make sure you have a backup. 

Please ensure a backup of both CLIP & QB are made then proceed. After selecting "YES" to the backup question, CLIP will connect with QuickBooks. You will now need to switch over from CLIP over to QB by clicking on QuickBooks at the bottom of the screen in the taskbar. 

Grant Permission in QuickBooks - With the first import or connect that is made between CLIP & QB, QuickBooks will display the following screens for permission accessing CLIP to QB.

Select Yes whenever this QuickBooks Company File Is Open so that QuickBooks will not ask you this question the next time for this company file. If you select "No," QCLIPXE will not be able to access the QuickBooks Data. Selecting "YES" will display another window asking to confirm and allow the access.

Click "Yes" to allow the access

Then click "Done" on the Access Confirmation screen.

After the ITEM LIST is imported, the screen above will be displayed. This is a list of items from QuickBooks, you must select one. This will be the default item that is used when you add a new job to a customer. You should choose the item you most often use.

You will have the opportunity to select a different item when setting up the customer's jobs.

NOTE: Items without a tax code specified in QuickBooks will not be imported. Each item in QuickBooks item list must have the income account that it is associated with filled in.

Once the process is finished, you will be able to see your customers in QCLIPXE under the File Maintenance or Customer List screen. See the next step, linking customers to QuickBooks using the button below!


                            Let us know if you need any further assistance!

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