This tutorial shows users how to migrate from the cloud version of Free Accounting Software to the desktop version.

Users of the existing cloud version of Free Accounting Software may want to migrate to the desktop version. This video shows how to transfer the data. Essentially it's just exporting the data from the cloud version and importing it into the desktop version.

Do this migration/import of data as the first thing you do with a new business file. If you have already made some changes it will still work but you could be overwriting/duplicating accounts, tax codes or transactions.

After creating your new business file, the software creates standard accounts and tax codes. Delete the accounts and tax codes because the import process adds new ones.

You can leave the payroll related accounts and tax codes in there if you have not created these in the cloud version of Free Accounting Software as that will not be a duplicate and will save you setting these up later if needed for payroll.

The export to use is the "Export XBRLGL". Save this file somewhere to your computer so that you can find it later.

Then in the desktop software click on the Setup menu and then Import data. Choose the ".xbrlgl" file that you just exported and click Import.

Note that there is no confirmation message so make sure you just click it once.

Review your accounts tax codes and transactions to ensure that they came across correctly.

Note that the desktop software runs for a financial year. It will therefore only import transactions within that financial year. If you want to import other years just create different desktop business files for each year.