What does File not imported mean in QuickBooks Desktop?

The Improved IIF Import tool (2019 and later) found errors in your file. Intuit shows how many lists and transactions failed versus succeeded, and builds a new .IIF of the failed records with error descriptions. Click Review now, look for ERROR, fix, save as .IIF, and import the corrected file.

Does Improved IIF Import work in multi-user mode?

Yes. Intuit says the Improved Import IIF Tool works in multi-user mode for QuickBooks Desktop 2019. The older option Import it for me. I'll fix it later requires switching to single-user mode, and Intuit doesn't recommend it because it bypasses data review.

Can a UTF-8 BOM break an IIF import?

Often yes in practice. A byte-order mark at the start of the file can make the first header (for example !TRNS) unrecognizable, so the import fails immediately. Re-save the file as UTF-8 without BOM or as plain tab-delimited text and confirm the first character is !.

Why do inactive or renamed names fail an IIF import?

QuickBooks Community notes that when a name in the IIF doesn't match the corresponding list entry — including after a rename, merge or marking inactive — the import treats that name as if it doesn't exist. Show inactive names in the list and match the spelling exactly, or leave NAME blank and put the description in MEMO.

Does IIF still work on Desktop 2023 after May 31, 2026?

Yes. Bank feeds and Web Connect (.QBO) uploads are discontinued on Desktop 2023 after that date, but IIF is a local file import and isn't one of the online services the discontinuation notice turns off. Use File → Utilities → Import → IIF Files.

Can I undo an IIF import in one click?

No. Intuit tells you to back up the company file before importing. Successful IIF transactions post to registers. If a bad import posted, restore from the backup or delete/edit the posted transactions carefully, then import a corrected file for only the dates you still need.

QuickBooks Desktop IIF Import Errors: File Not Imported, Review Now, Fixes (2026)

When an IIF import fails in QuickBooks Desktop 2019 or later, you usually see "File not imported", a count of lists and transactions that failed, and three buttons: Review now, Open in folder, and Close. The Improved IIF Import tool writes a new .IIF of the failed rows with ERROR descriptions. This guide walks through that flow, a symptom → cause → fix table, a good sample and a deliberately broken one, and a pre-import checklist. It matters more in 2026 because Desktop 2023 lost bank feeds and Web Connect after May 31, so IIF is the local path that still works.

On this page

Why IIF errors matter now
How the Improved IIF Import tool works (2019+)
What "File not imported" means
Symptom → cause → fix
Sample good IIF and a broken one
Pre-import checklist
FAQ

Why IIF errors matter now

Intuit discontinued QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus, Premier Plus, Mac Plus and Enterprise Solutions 23.0 after May 31, 2026. The discontinuation notice says you can't download transactions, and that uploading transactions is discontinued too. That takes Web Connect (.QBO) with it on those versions. Our Desktop guide covers the options.

IIF (Intuit Interchange Format) is a local tab-separated text file. QuickBooks Desktop reads it from your computer, so it keeps working after online banking services stop. Intuit's own overview describes .IIF files as ASCII text, TSV files used to import or export lists and transactions. The trade-off: format has to be exact, and Intuit does not offer assisted technical support for creating or importing IIF files. When something is wrong, the Improved Import tool (Desktop 2019 and later) is what tells you which rows failed.

If you're on a supported Desktop version and only need bank downloads, Web Connect may still work. On Desktop 2023 after the cutoff, IIF is the free local route for statement imports. Getting the file right the first time saves a long night of half-imported registers.

How the Improved IIF Import tool works (2019+)

In QuickBooks Desktop 2019 and later, Intuit's Improved Import IIF Tool scans the file for errors before posting bad data. Per Intuit (help article updated 8/5/2026):

It shows how many list items and transactions imported successfully, and how many failed.
It builds a new .IIF of the failed records, with descriptions of the errors found.
It works in multi-user mode (unlike the older "I'll fix it later" path).

File → Utilities → Import → IIF Files.
Select Import IIF.
Locate the file, then OK.
On success, you'll see the counts of lists and transactions imported. Press Done.

Don't use "Import it for me. I'll fix it later" unless you know why. Intuit doesn't recommend it. That option bypasses data review, so some info may not be correct or complete for your books, and it requires switching to single-user mode. Prefer the default Improved Import path so you get the Review now / ERROR file when something fails.

Always back up the company file first (Intuit's export/import article says to). An IIF import posts to registers; there is no one-click undo of a successful import.

What "File not imported" means

If the import is unsuccessful, Intuit shows counts for lists and transactions that both failed and succeeded. QuickBooks automatically creates a new .IIF for the failed records with error info. You get three options:

Review now — opens the new .IIF so you can read the ERROR lines.
Open in folder — opens the folder that holds that new file.
Close — closes the window and ignores the lists and transactions that weren't imported.

To fix and retry, Intuit's steps are:

Select Review now.
Look for ERROR to see what the problem(s) are.
Correct the errors and Save. If asked whether to keep the file type, select Yes.
Close the File not imported window.
Import the new, corrected .IIF file.

If Review now won't open the file (a common setup issue when .IIF is associated with QuickBooks instead of Excel), use Open in folder, then open the error file from Excel with File → Open → All Files, edit, save as .IIF, and re-import. Intuit's edit instructions for IIF in Excel: open as All Files, finish the Text Import Wizard, edit, Save → Yes, then exit Excel and choose Don't Save when it prompts again.

Symptom → cause → fix

Intuit's Improved Import surfaces problems as ERROR rows in the generated file. The structural causes below are the ones that repeatedly produce "File not imported" or partial imports. Ground the names and flows in Intuit's Improved IIF and IIF overview articles; treat spreadsheet/encoding traps as practical checks when the first header looks corrupted.

You see	Cause	Fix
File not imported, with a failed-row .IIF	Improved Import found one or more bad records. Successful rows may already be in; failed ones are in the new file with ERROR text.	Review now → find ERROR → fix → Save (keep .IIF) → re-import the corrected file only for what's still missing.
Column count / fields shifted; memos cut oddly	A data line has a different number of tab fields than its `!TRNS` / `!SPL` header. Tabs inside a MEMO (or a CSV saved with commas) split columns.	Open in a text editor that shows tabs. Every data line must match its header's field count. Strip tabs from memo text. Save as tab-delimited, not CSV renamed to .iif.
Import stops or nothing posts after a certain point	A `TRNS` block never gets `ENDTRNS` before the next `TRNS`, or the file ends mid-block.	Count `TRNS` (not `!TRNS`) vs `ENDTRNS`. Each transaction needs TRNS, one or more SPL, then ENDTRNS.
Whole record type skipped	Data lines appear before their `!`-prefixed header (`!TRNS`, `!SPL`, `!ENDTRNS`, list headers, and so on).	Put header rows first (Intuit's transaction sample uses three header lines, then data). Headers can also sit just above each batch, but never after their data.
ERROR on a transaction; required field empty	Missing or empty `ACCNT`, `AMOUNT` or `DATE` on TRNS; missing `ACCNT` or `AMOUNT` on SPL. Intuit's sample headers include those columns for a reason.	Fill every required cell. An empty column still "exists" as a field — blank required values still fail.
Wrong or default-looking dates	Date format doesn't match Windows regional settings (US companies usually need M/D/YYYY). ISO (`2026-08-03`) or day-first formats confuse the parse.	Match the regional short date. Intuit's sample files use forms like `3/3/2010`. Keep one format for the whole file.
Zero or garbage amounts	Amounts include `$`, thousands separators, or non-numeric text. IIF wants plain numbers with a leading minus for negatives.	Use `-4.50` and `2000.00`, not `($4.50)` or `2,000.00`. TRNS and SPL amounts for a transaction must sum to zero.
First header looks like garbage; import dies immediately	UTF-8 BOM (`EF BB BF`) or other encoding junk prepended by some editors, so `!TRNS` is no longer the first token.	Re-save as UTF-8 without BOM, or plain ANSI/ASCII tab text. Confirm the file starts with `!` in a hex-aware or plain text editor.
Transactions land in a new, empty-looking account	Account name typo or trailing space. Intuit: if an account in the IIF isn't already in the company file, QuickBooks creates it as a new bank account.	Copy the name from Lists → Chart of Accounts exactly. Merge or move transactions out of the accidental account, then delete it if unused.
ERROR naming a vendor, employee or other list name	NAME doesn't match an active list entry. QuickBooks Community notes that renamed, merged or inactive names are treated as if they don't exist during IIF import.	Match Names lists exactly, including inactive lists (show inactive). Or leave NAME blank and put the bank description in MEMO.
Card charges look like checks (or the reverse)	Wrong `TRNSTYPE` for the account. Bank lines use CHECK / DEPOSIT; card lines use CREDIT CARD / CCARD REFUND.	Rebuild the file with the types that match the ACCNT. See the sample and our Desktop guide.
Duplicates in the register after a "successful" import	IIF has no bank-feed-style duplicate check. Overlapping date ranges post again.	Start the file the day after the last register transaction. Back up before import; restore if you overlapped a large range.

Sample good IIF and a broken one

Headers must come first. Fields are separated by tabs. This matches the shape Intuit shows in its IIF overview (TRNS / SPL / ENDTRNS) and the bank-side types from our Desktop walkthrough.

Good file (two bank transactions)

!TRNS	TRNSTYPE	DATE	ACCNT	NAME	AMOUNT	MEMO
!SPL	TRNSTYPE	DATE	ACCNT	NAME	AMOUNT	MEMO
!ENDTRNS
TRNS	CHECK	8/3/2026	Checking		-4.50	STARBUCKS #12
SPL	CHECK	8/3/2026	Uncategorized Expense		4.50	STARBUCKS #12
ENDTRNS
TRNS	DEPOSIT	8/4/2026	Checking		2000.00	ACME PAYROLL
SPL	DEPOSIT	8/4/2026	Uncategorized Income		-2000.00	ACME PAYROLL
ENDTRNS

Leave NAME blank unless the payee already exists; raw bank text in NAME floods Other Names / Vendors.
On the bank TRNS line, money out is negative and money in is positive. SPL amounts reverse so the block nets to zero.
For a credit card, use CREDIT CARD / CCARD REFUND and your card account name on the TRNS ACCNT.

Deliberately broken (what ERROR is for)

The same two intent-lines, but with three classic failures: a tab inside the memo (shifts columns), a missing ENDTRNS, and a trailing space in the account name. Improved Import should refuse the bad blocks and put ERROR detail in the generated failure file — conceptually like the rows below (exact ERROR wording varies by version).

!TRNS	TRNSTYPE	DATE	ACCNT	NAME	AMOUNT	MEMO
!SPL	TRNSTYPE	DATE	ACCNT	NAME	AMOUNT	MEMO
!ENDTRNS
TRNS	CHECK	8/3/2026	Checking		-4.50	STARBUCKS	#12
SPL	CHECK	8/3/2026	Uncategorized Expense		4.50	STARBUCKS #12
ENDTRNS
TRNS	DEPOSIT	8/4/2026	Checking 		2000.00	ACME PAYROLL
SPL	DEPOSIT	8/4/2026	Uncategorized Income		-2000.00	ACME PAYROLL

Problems in that snippet:

Tab inside MEMO on the first TRNS (STARBUCKS then tab then #12) — column count no longer matches the header.
No ENDTRNS after the deposit block — unclosed transaction.
Checking with a trailing space — Intuit will create a second bank account named with that space if this row somehow posts.

Fix those three, save as real tab-separated .iif, and import again. Prefer small test files (one or two transactions) until the format clears Review now with zero failures.

Pre-import checklist

Company file backed up; you know how to restore it.
Desktop 2019+: use Improved Import (not "I'll fix it later") so you get ERROR rows.
File is tab-delimited text ending in .iif, not a CSV renamed.
Starts with !TRNS / !SPL / !ENDTRNS (or the list headers you need) — no BOM junk before the first !.
Every TRNS has matching SPL line(s) and an ENDTRNS; amounts in each block sum to zero.
ACCNT names copied from the Chart of Accounts (no trailing spaces).
DATE format matches Windows regional settings; AMOUNT values are plain numbers.
TRNSTYPE matches the account (CHECK/DEPOSIT vs CREDIT CARD/CCARD REFUND).
NAME blank or an exact active list name; descriptions in MEMO.
Date range starts after the last transaction already in the register (no overlap).
Source statement ties out: opening + sum of amounts = closing, before you build the IIF.
After import: open the register, spot-check first/last rows and reconcile to the statement.

Get an IIF that's already balanced

Utilly turns a PDF bank or credit card statement, or a CSV/Excel/OFX download, into a QuickBooks Desktop IIF with the account name you set. Each PDF is checked against the statement's ending balance before you download. The CSV → IIF converter is free for files up to 100 rows. On Desktop 2023 after May 31, 2026, this is the path that still works when .QBO uploads don't.

Convert a PDF statement CSV to IIF (free)

Sources: Intuit, Improved IIF Import in QuickBooks 2019 and later (updated 8/5/2026), https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/import-export-data-files/improved-iif-import-quickbooks-2019-later/L1K3ZQDX9_US_en_US ; Export, import, and edit IIF files (updated 8/4/2026), https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/import-export-data-files/export-import-edit-iif-files/L56LT9Z0Q_US_en_US ; IIF Overview: import kit, sample files, and headers (updated 8/4/2026), https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/list-management/iif-overview-import-kit-sample-files-headers/L5CZIpJne_US_en_US ; QuickBooks Desktop service discontinuation policy for Desktop 2023 (May 31, 2026). Inactive/renamed list names: QuickBooks Community thread on IIF name mismatches (July 2026). Read October 18–19, 2026. Intuit updates these pages; if a screen differs, follow the current article for your version.

QuickBooks Desktop IIF import errors (File not imported, Review now, and how to fix them)