Software and migrations
QuickBooks setup, cleanup and migration
A QuickBooks Online file built to match how a Canadian business actually reports, or an existing file cleaned up and reconciled, with GST/HST tracking configured correctly from the start. We migrate history from spreadsheets, QuickBooks Desktop or another platform without losing a single reconciled period.
Migration checklist
Illustrative client · August 2026
CAD
- Old file backed up with full historyDone
- Chart of accounts mapped line by lineDone
- Opening balances agreed to the old fileDone
- Bank feeds connected and testedIn progress
- First month closed in the new softwareNext
Illustrative. An example of the document, not a client's figures.
Built for a Canadian chart of accounts
A US-style chart of accounts does not fit a Canadian business cleanly. GST/HST collected and paid need their own accounts, provincial sales tax needs tracking where it applies outside the harmonised provinces, and a corporation's retained earnings and shareholder loan accounts need to be set up the way a Canadian accountant expects to see them at year end. We build or rebuild the chart of accounts around that reality rather than importing a US template and hoping it holds.
Migrating without losing history
Many Canadian businesses moving to QuickBooks Online are still running QuickBooks Desktop, or a spreadsheet that has grown past what one person can maintain. We move the file to QuickBooks Online with historical transactions imported and matched against bank and credit card statements, open invoices and bills carried forward at the correct balances, and GST/HST filing history preserved so a mid-year switch does not create a gap the CRA later asks about.
Cleanup for a file that already exists
If the QuickBooks Online file already exists but has drifted, duplicate transactions, miscoded expenses and uncategorised bank feed items get cleared out, and classes or locations get set up for the reports the owner actually reads, whether that is by province, by project or by revenue stream. Every cleanup ends with a short written memo covering what changed and why, so nothing gets fixed silently.
Ready before the T2 deadline
A T2 corporation income tax return is due within six months of the tax year end, with the balance of tax owing generally due earlier, two to three months after year end for most corporations. Books that reconcile cleanly before that window opens are the difference between a routine filing and a scramble; that reconciliation work is what setup and cleanup deliver.
Questions
Frequently asked questions: QuickBooks setup, cleanup and migration
Can you migrate from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online in Canada?
Yes, including open balances, GST/HST filing history, class or location structure, and a chart of accounts mapped for Canadian reporting.
Do you set up GST/HST tracking as part of the migration?
Yes. GST/HST collected and input tax credits get their own accounts during setup, separate from revenue and expenses, so the amount owing is always visible.
What happens to our old file after migration?
It stays intact and accessible. We keep a copy of the pre-migration file until the new one is fully reconciled and signed off.
Can a cleanup fix a file that is behind by several months?
Yes, that pairs with a catch-up bookkeeping engagement to bring the file current before the next T2 or GST/HST filing is due.
What exactly is included in quickBooks setup, cleanup and migration?
Chart of accounts built or rebuilt to match how the business reports, and historical transactions imported and matched to bank and card statements. This work runs inside QuickBooks Online or QuickBooks Desktop, whichever your business already has in place, and it rolls into your regular monthly close rather than sitting off to the side as a separate, unreconciled process.
Can you migrate from QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online?
Yes, including open balances, class and location structure, and a mapped chart of accounts.
What happens to my old file after migration?
It stays intact and accessible. We keep a copy of the pre-migration file until the new one is fully reconciled and signed off.
What is included in quickBooks setup, cleanup and migration?
QuickBooks setup, cleanup and migration covers chart of accounts built or rebuilt to match how the business reports and historical transactions imported and matched to bank and card statements. The exact scope is agreed and set out in writing before work starts, so you know precisely what is and is not covered before the first deliverable arrives.
How is quickBooks setup, cleanup and migration priced?
Pricing for quickBooks setup, cleanup and migration depends on your transaction volume, the software you use, and how much cleanup is needed before ongoing work starts. Current ranges are published on the pricing page, and your exact fee is confirmed in writing before anything begins.
Related services
- BookkeepingMonthly bookkeepingOngoing monthly bookkeeping: transactions sorted into categories, accounts reconciled and month-end reports delivered in the software you already use.
- Software and migrationsXero setup and migrationA Xero file configured for the business from day one, or a move into Xero from another platform, with the chart of accounts, bank feeds and history carried across cleanly.
Industries
- Ecommerce (Amazon and Shopify)Bookkeeping for online sellers on Amazon, Shopify, Etsy and their own storefronts, built around clean payout and sales tax data.
- Startups and VC-backed companiesBookkeeping and reporting for early-stage, venture-backed companies watching burn, runway and investor reporting closely.
- Professional servicesBookkeeping for professional service firms such as engineering, architecture and IT consulting billing clients by project or retainer.
Next step
Talk to the team that would run your books
A short call covers your setup, your software and what a first month would look like. You get a written scope and price after it.