Software and migrations
QuickBooks setup, cleanup and migration
For Hong Kong companies, a QuickBooks Online file is built or rebuilt around a chart of accounts that maps to what your annual statutory auditor will ask for, with HKD as base currency and USD or RMB tracked where you trade in them. Migration from spreadsheets or another platform carries history across without losing it.
Migration checklist
Illustrative client · August 2026
HKD
- 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.
QuickBooks Online for a Hong Kong company
A new QuickBooks Online file is built around a chart of accounts that fits how you actually report, not a generic template. Because every active Hong Kong company undergoes an annual statutory audit regardless of size, account groupings and classes are set up from the start so they map to the schedules your CPA will ask for, rather than being restructured the month before fieldwork begins.
Cleanup and reconciliation
An existing file with miscoded transactions, duplicate entries or accounts that were never reconciled gets cleaned up and tied out to bank and card statements. Open invoices, bills and balances carry forward accurately rather than getting written off as too messy to fix. Classes or locations are set up for the reports you actually read, whether that is by entity, by cost centre or by region.
Migration from another platform or from spreadsheets
Businesses moving from spreadsheets, from QuickBooks Desktop or from another platform go through a parallel import: the old system stays intact while the new one builds up, so nothing gets recorded twice and history ties out to the original bank feeds rather than being copied over on trust. We keep the pre-migration file accessible until the new one is fully reconciled and signed off.
Multi-currency for a trading hub
Hong Kong companies commonly invoice or pay suppliers in USD or RMB alongside HKD. Multi-currency is configured so base currency stays HKD, exchange gains and losses post to their own line, and a supplier paid in RMB does not get buried inside a distorted HKD figure.
Handover
Once the file is live, a short written handover memo covers what changed and why, and a named pod stays on the account for the ongoing bookkeeping. Every file is reviewed by a senior reviewer before it reaches you.
Questions
Frequently asked questions: QuickBooks setup, cleanup and migration
Can you migrate a QuickBooks Desktop file to QuickBooks Online for a Hong Kong company?
Yes, including open balances, class or location structure, and a mapped chart of accounts, carried across through a parallel import so nothing records twice.
Will the new QuickBooks file be ready for our annual audit?
That is how we build it. Account groupings and supporting schedules are set up to map to what a practising Hong Kong CPA typically asks for, though the audit itself stays with your appointed auditor.
Do you support multi-currency for a company that invoices in USD or RMB?
Yes. Base currency stays HKD while USD, RMB or other currencies are tracked separately, with exchange differences posted to their own line rather than absorbed into the balance.
What happens to our old file after the 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.
How long does a QuickBooks migration take for a typical Hong Kong company?
Most single-entity migrations complete in two to three weeks once we have access and a clean starting balance date. A multi-entity structure with related companies in mainland China or Singapore takes longer.
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.