(This feature is available in BCSS Deluxe, Diamond and Virtual.)

  New QuickBooks Format Intuit has discontinued support for their .iif (Intuit Interface Format) file format. If you have been using the QuickBooks Export Feature in BCSS and now see discrepancies, in BCSS, click on File then Program Setup then General tab and change the QuickBooks setting to '2000+'.

Important: QuickBooks doesn't know about consignment settlements for credit or cash. If you use QuickBooks with BCSS, always issue settlement checks, not cash or credit, so QuickBooks and BCSS will always agree. This is a limitation of QuickBooks that we can't remedy. A work around would be to generate a check then pay cash using the check as tender.

• BCSS exports vendor names from check records.
• BCSS will only export records for Checks, Employees and Sales once. If one of these records has been deleted from QuickBooks, it cannot be exported again from BCSS. Save all exported files.
• First and last name must be used in the name fields for Sales and Checks, otherwise QuickBooks will only give an unhelpful error message and not import the record. 'Cash Sale' (or any entry like 'Co.' or 'Inc.') may be used.
• If apostrophes (') and quotes (") and tabs are used in BCSS (in inventory descriptions, for example), they will not be displayed in BCSS or QuickBooks.

Exporting Data in QuickBooks Format (.iif)

BCSS records are exported to a data file then imported into QuickBooks. The columns of records in BCSS for Consignors, Vendors, Employees, Sales, Inventory and Checks are separated in the output data file by commas, so this type of file is commonly called a 'comma-separated' or 'comma-delimited' file with file names ending in .csv. QuickBooks data-file names end in .iif.

First, set up a 'company file' in QuickBooks before importing data. This creates a 'Chart of Accounts' and only needs to be done once. (See QuickBooks Help for details and for setting preferences.)

When BCSS output is imported into QuickBooks, no changes are made to existing accounts and new accounts, if any, are added.

Use the Make Accounts function (Main Menu, Utilities) to amend the chart of accounts directly to fit what BCSS needs. This function creates a file which to import into QuickBooks as described below.

Exporting All Data to QuickBooks

To transfer all records for Consignors, Vendors, Employees, Sales, Inventory and Checks to QuickBooks (for the first time, or to replace a corrupted QuickBooks file) -

• Check the option on the General tab of Program Setup labeled 'Check this option to export all records to QuickBooks once, then uncheck this option to avoid duplicate records.'
• Choose Export All under the Main Menu/Utilities/QuickBooks.
• Give the file a descriptive useful name like 'BCSS-data-1-31-06.iif' and note the location of the file on your PC.

Open QuickBooks and import the file (File/Import/iif file).

Updating All QuickBooks Records

Make sure the option mentioned above is NOT checked (to avoid duplicate records in QuickBooks).

Be sure to export vendors first if there are new ones.

• Choose Export All under the Main Menu/Utilities/QuickBooks.
• Give the file a descriptive useful name like 'BCSS-data-1-31-06.iif' and note the location of the file on your PC.

Open QuickBooks and import the file (File/Import/iif file).

BCSS will export all vendor and inventory records. QuickBooks will update changed records and add new ones.

The simple way to avoid having to remember exporting vendors first is to export all data daily (or however often needed).

Updating Select QuickBooks Records

Records for vendors, Employees, sales, inventory or checks may be updated separately.

• Choose the information to be exported (Main Menu/Utilities/QuickBooks).
• Give the file a descriptive useful name like 'BCSS-data-1-31-06.iif' and note the location of the file on your PC.
• Open QuickBooks and import the file (File/Import/iif file).

Be sure to export the vendor list first if there are new entries.

General Considerations

QuickBooks will not accept a check unless the vendor payee is already on file, so to write a check for a new vendor, export the vendor list first. Otherwise, QuickBooks will give an error message and not import the record. This is most important because checks and sales can only be exported once from BCSS.

Be sure to record both names before exporting. It is possible to edit the iif file and insert a last name if it has been left out. This requires just a little in the way of computer skill. QuickBooks will accept 'Cash Sale' as first and last name. For vendor company names, add Co. or Inc. if necessary.

When exporting to QuickBooks, to assure there will never be a sale of non-existent inventory, a check for a payee not in the QuickBooks vendor list, or a transaction for which QuickBooks does not have an account, export files in this order: Accounts - Inventory - Sales - Vendors - Disbursements - Employees

QuickBooks does not recognize cash withdrawals from store funds. QuickBooks requires that checks be written for all disbursements so BCSS only exports check disbursements to QuickBooks. This will cause a discrepancy between what BCSS says about current funds and what QuickBooks says. We strongly recommend following the QuickBooks discipline of using checks for everything. This means no Settlements for credit.

The one exception to the checks-only rule is that QuickBooks will accept a credit memo where the Buyer is given cash refund. BCSS does report these to QuickBooks, however, BCSS recognizes the difference between a partial refund where the Buyer keeps the item and a full refund where the Buyer returns the item. As far as QuickBooks is concerned, all credit memos are for returned items.

BCSS allows a number of disbursement methods but QuickBooks does not know about Settlements for credit or cash.

BCSS will not export voided invoices.

QuickBooks will accept inventory items from BCSS but it will not accept a quantity on hand. That must be input manually. BCSS does pass the quantity for each item as a custom field. To view custom fields for a QuickBooks item, first right-select the item and choose edit from the list. Then select custom fields. On the pop-up screen, select define fields. This generates another popup with a column of five fields. Put a check in the top check box. In the top label window, enter quantity and click OK. The quantity for this item is viewable but the same number for quantity needs to be put in the place where QuickBooks actually expects to find quantities in the item record.

QuickBooks does not know about Consignor or Buyer ID's so BCSS provides a custom field option for that as well.

Right click on the Consignor or Buyer Record. Choose edit. The rest is much the same.

Cost of Goods Sold

The items.iif file has a column for cost. QuickBooks uses that for Cost of Goods Sold.

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