Connect a client to QuickBooks, then import their trial balance
Link your Ledger client to their QuickBooks Online company, so you can import the trial balance in one click and later push adjusting entries. The connection is per client: one Ledger client, one QBO company.
Before you begin
- The client must already exist in Ledger. See Create your first client.
- You need to sign in to QuickBooks Online with an account that has access to the client's company, either the client's own credentials, or your accountant invitation accepted on their company.
- You (the preparer) authorize the connection on the QuickBooks screen. Ledger never stores your password or the client's.
Open the client's card
In the left menu, click Clients, then click the client. Scroll down to the Client's QuickBooks block (right column, below “Recommendations and notes”).
Link this client's QuickBooks to import their trial balance.
You'll pick the client's company on the QuickBooks screen (once).
Click “Connect client's QuickBooks”
The click takes you to the QuickBooks (Intuit) site. Ledger shows nothing in the meantime, and that's normal: the tab has moved to another site.
Once linked, all current and future engagements for this client use the same connection. You don't have to reconnect each year.
Pick the client's company on QuickBooks
On the QuickBooks screen, sign in if needed, then select the client's company in the top picker and confirm authorization.
Intuit shows a button that installs the app on your firm's company. That is not what we want here: Ledger must link to the client's company. If you clicked the wrong button, return to Ledger, click “Disconnect”, and start over.
Back in Ledger, the card flips to “Connected”
Intuit sends you back to the client's card. The QuickBooks block now shows the Connected badge, the company ID, and a Disconnect button.
Link this client's QuickBooks to import their trial balance.
The number shown is QuickBooks' internal ID for that company. You don't need to write it down.
Import the trial balance
Once connected, the TB is imported from the engagement itself, not from the client card. Open the engagement for the year you're working on, then go to the trial balance.
Open “Trial balance” in the engagement
In the engagement, in the left menu, click Trial balance (under “Accounting cycles”).
Open the “Import” menu
At the top of the TB, click the Import button. A dropdown appears with the three available import routes. Choose From QuickBooks.
The option only appears when this client is linked to QuickBooks. Go back to the client card and complete steps 1 to 4.
Review the preview, then import
A dialog opens and fetches the trial balance from QuickBooks. The message “Fetching the trial balance from QuickBooks…” disappears within a few seconds, then the preview appears.
Import trial balance from QuickBooks
The balance is fetched from the company connected to the client.
| Account no. | Description | Balance N | Balance N-1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1000 | Example Bank | 15,742.30 | 0.00 |
| 1020 | Petty cash | (188.20) | 0.00 |
| 1250 | Accounts receivable | 3,386.89 | 0.00 |
| 1440 | Inventory | 13,897.41 | 0.00 |
| 1500 | Capital assets | 744,999.34 | 0.00 |
Ledger shows this message when the connected company has roughly the same name as your firm. It is often a sign that the firm's QuickBooks was linked instead of the client's. Cancel, return to the client card, click “Disconnect”, then reconnect and pick the right company.
The “Also import the prior year” checkbox
It is checked by default on new engagements. It is unchecked automatically when the prior year is already finalized in Ledger, to avoid overwriting balances that were already signed off. Only check it again if you really want to replace the N-1 balances.
Confirm the import
Click Import (X accounts). Within seconds, Ledger inserts the new accounts, updates the ones that already existed, and shows you a summary (X inserted, Y updated).
Close the dialog: the TB appears with all the accounts and balances, ready for adjusting entries and grouping.
You can re-import as many times as needed (for example after a correction in QuickBooks). The import merges, it does not create duplicates. Your adjusting entries are untouched.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to reconnect every year?
No. The connection is attached to the client, not to the engagement. It is reused for the current year, the next one, and the roll forward.
Can a single Ledger engagement pull its TB from two QuickBooks companies?
No. One client = one QuickBooks company. If your client keeps two sets of books in QuickBooks, create two clients in Ledger and link each one to its own company.
Can I combine a QuickBooks import and an Excel import?
Yes. Both import routes go through the same merge mechanism. For example, nothing stops you from importing the TB from QuickBooks, then adding a few missing accounts by hand with “Paste text”.
How do I change the connected company?
On the client card, click Disconnect, then Connect client's QuickBooks, and pick the right company on the QuickBooks screen.
What if the client changes their own chart of accounts in QuickBooks?
Re-import the TB. New accounts are added, and old ones that no longer exist stay in Ledger with a zero balance (you can delete them manually).
What next?
Your TB is in place, so the rest of the engagement can begin.