Export your data
From QuickBooks or Xero, export transactions, P&L, balance sheet, general ledger, and your contact lists. Save them somewhere permanent.
MIGRATION GUIDE · 2026
How to switch from QuickBooks or Xero without losing your books.
Four steps, one weekend at most: export what you have, connect your accounts, import your history, and close one month before you cancel anything.
THE MIGRATION
Four steps, in order.
Connect your accounts
Create your ConsulBooks workspace, turn on your authenticator app, and connect your business bank and card accounts through Plaid.
Import your history
Upload the CSV, OFX or QFX files you exported. Duplicate protection catches anything the bank feed already pulled in.
Review and close month one
Work the exception queue once, approve categories to teach rules, and export your first accountant package. Then cancel the old subscription.
DURING THE SWITCH
Your credentials stay with your bank.
Plaid handles institution sign-in, tokens are stored encrypted, and an authenticator code is required before your financial workspace opens. See the security page for details.
MIGRATION QUESTIONS
What owners ask before moving.
What should I export from QuickBooks or Xero before I switch?
Export your transaction history (CSV, OFX or QFX), your Profit & Loss and Balance Sheet for each closed year, your general ledger, and your customer and vendor lists. Keep those files even after you move — they are your historical record.
When is the best time to switch?
The start of a fiscal year or a quarter is cleanest, because prior periods stay closed in your old system and new activity starts fresh in ConsulBooks. Mid-year switches work too if you import year-to-date transactions.
Will I lose my history?
No. You import historical transactions into ConsulBooks from CSV, OFX or QFX with duplicate protection, and you keep your exported reports from the old system as the closed-period record.
What does my accountant need from me?
Give them your final reports from the old system and a read-only ConsulBooks invitation for the new one. Access is revocable at any time and requires their own sign-in with an authenticator code.
When should I cancel my old subscription?
After you have exported everything, imported your history, connected your bank accounts, and reconciled one full month in ConsulBooks. Run both for one month if that makes you more comfortable.
ONE WEEKEND, DONE
Move your books and keep your history.
Starter is $12/month, and yearly billing saves 10%.
Start the move