Troubleshooting IIF import errors

If you are trying to import an IIF file (Intuit Interchange Format) via the QuickBooks Menu File > Import > Utilities into QuickBooks that contains lists or transactions or a combination of both you encounter an error and the import is not processed successfully.  We have documented some of the more common error or warning messages you may receive and describe in simple terms the reason why these errors occur and what you can do to resolve them.   For more in-depth information about the IIF format we recommend that you download the IIF import kit that is available from Intuit Support.

Table of the more common IIF errors

Error or Warning message	Occurs	Resolution
Error on line xx : Can't record invalid transaction	There is an error contained with the file that must be corrected before QuickBooks will accept the file to be imported. A more verbose warning is usually displayed prior, examples are listed below	Correct or delete the line that contains the error and reattempt your import
Warning the number is larger than the maximum allowed	An amount or a quantity in the IIF import file exceeds the maximum length permitted by QuickBooks	Open and edit the IIF import file to reduce the length of the number
Cannot import, not enough disk space or too many records exist	You are importing an IIF file and the number of list items exceed the maximum permitted in your edition of QuickBooks	You can try to delete list items in QuickBooks, however QuickBooks will not permit you to do that if a transaction has been posted against it in the past, alternatively you can use the QuickBooks Condense Data Utility or upgrade to Enterprise that permits you extended list sizes.
The Tax field cannot be left blank, even for non-taxable customers and sales which have no taxable items, so non-taxable sales will be correct for this district	The import file has not specified a sales tax code on the SPL lines and QuickBooks requires one to successfully create the transaction.	Open and edit the IIF import file to include a line for the sales tax payable and make sure it is a valid sales tax item. Alternatively if you do not track Sales Tax you can switch that off in the Company preferences
QuickBooks has detected that you have no items or that one or more of your accounts is not associated with an item. Please enter an item.	In you import file there is one or more split lines that do not have an Item or an Account. QuickBooks will not permit you to enter a transaction that is not associate with an Item.	Open and edit the IIF file and add an Item or Account that exists in QuickBooks that you would like the transaction split line to be associated to.
You can’t change the type of a name or add a duplicate name.	This occurs when the name that you are importing already exists in another list in QuickBooks. For example QuickBooks does not permit you to have a Customer and a Vendor with the same name, or you are trying to import an Invoice to a Vendor account and this is not permitted in QuickBooks	Change the name that you are using in the IIF file. Usually adding a period character at the end of the name is sufficient to resolve this error.
The transaction is not in balance	The sum of the individual split lines in the transactions does not equal the total amount of the transaction, ie the sum of the TRNS line and the SPL does not equal 0	Open and edit the amounts with in the IIF file so that the sum of the individual split lines equals the total amount of the transaction
You cannot import QuickBooks Pro Timer data for a different company. Please open the correct company file	The Timer Activities file that you are importing is not associated with the QuickBooks company file that you have open and are trying to import the activities into.	Open the correct QuickBooks company file and retry the import. In the header of the Timer Activities file the number in the column titled COMPANYCREATTIME identifies the company file.

If you are still having problems with IIF then you might want to try using our Zed Axis Import utility for QuickBooks that can take IIFs that are giving you errors and import those directly into QuickBooks.