What can I import in Accounting and how – Forethought

In this article, you learn how to import data into Sage Accounting.

What can be imported?

Chart of Accounts (only before records and transactions are posted)
Customers and Vendors
Products, Services and Stocks
Sales and Expenses Quick entries (NOT invoices!)

1. You can import past sales and purchases invoices or credit notes transactions as Quick entries. This allows you to batch record your invoices as simple transactions if you already have issued the invoice from another system, but quick entries cannot be printed and presented to customers. If you want to be able to print an invoice you need to create it from scratch within the product instead of importing it.
2. You need to have created or imported your contacts before you can import Quick Entries.

Customer/Vendor Opening Balances
Bank transactions
Journals (only available in CA and UK)

What cannot be imported?

Sales Invoices and Bills
Foreign invoices
Invoices with foreign currencies
General Ledger Opening Balances (except for Customer/Vendor OB)

Where to import?
Data can be imported from each of the following tabs.

Settings>Chart Of Accounts>New Ledger Account>Import Accounts
Sales or Expenses >Quick Entries>New Quick Entry>Import Quick entry
Contacts>Customer or Vendor > Create > Import
Products and Services > New > Import
Settings > Opening Balances > New > Import
Banking > Bank account : Import link
Journal> New> Import Journal

What format can be imported?
CSV

You first need to be able to retrieve or export your data into a spreadsheet file (such as excel) and organise the data before you can import it.
You can then upload your preformatted CSV file.
You cannot import any other format such as Txt or zip, even if used in another Sage product.
You cannot simply import any CSV file either. (Even If you have exported a .CSV file directly from another Accounting account, you have to edit the .CSV based on the template before importing it.)
We advise you to download the template provided in the import window and paste your data into it to avoid any errors .

Bank transactions

Bank statements can also be imported as CSV file and you then need to follow the template in the import window.
However you can upload OFX or QIF files downloaded directly from you online bank without having to prepare or modify the file.
You can also connect your bank account directly via bank feed and download up to approx. 90 days worth of transactions (bank dependent)