Software and migrations
QuickBooks setup, cleanup and migration
QuickBooks Online is common among UK contractors, agencies and smaller limited companies. Finbryn builds a new file, cleans up an existing one, or migrates from spreadsheets, with history reconciled to bank statements so the file is ready for Making Tax Digital and for whoever prepares the year-end accounts.
Migration checklist
Illustrative client · August 2026
GBP
- 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.
Why a QuickBooks file drifts in a UK company
The pattern repeats regardless of size: a director does the bookkeeping themselves for the first year, a bookkeeper takes over without a proper handover, or VAT registration at £90,000 of taxable turnover forces a rebuild of how sales and purchases get coded. By the time Companies House wants a confirmation statement or the accountant wants clean books for the CT600, the gap between the file and the bank statement has grown.
What cleanup and migration cover
We rebuild the chart of accounts around how the company actually reports, then work backward through bank and card feeds to fix miscoded and duplicate entries. VAT codes get reviewed against the scheme the company is on (standard, flat rate or cash accounting), since Making Tax Digital requires digital links between records and the return rather than a manual re-type. Director's loan account balances and dividend records, which HMRC checks closely, get reconciled rather than left as a running unknown.
What you get at handoff
A reconciled QuickBooks Online file in the company's own name, a written note on what changed and why, and opening balances the accountant preparing the CT600 or annual accounts can rely on. From there the file typically moves into ongoing monthly bookkeeping.
Timing around the UK filing calendar
Corporation Tax is due nine months and one day after the accounting period ends, with the CT600 itself due twelve months after period end, so cleanup done well ahead of either deadline gives the accountant time to review rather than rush.
Questions
Frequently asked questions: QuickBooks setup, cleanup and migration
Can you migrate a company from spreadsheets straight into QuickBooks Online?
Yes, including building the chart of accounts from scratch and importing bank history back to whatever start date the company needs.
Will the cleanup touch our VAT scheme or registration?
We check that the VAT scheme and rate codes in the file match what is registered, but changing the VAT scheme itself is a decision the company and its adviser make.
Can this be done before our Companies House confirmation statement is due?
Yes, cleanup usually runs faster than a confirmation statement deadline; the bigger constraint is how far back the reconciliation needs to go.
Can you migrate several years of VAT return history alongside the accounting data?
Yes, historical transactions and their VAT treatment migrate across, and we reconcile the new file's opening VAT position against your last filed return so the figures tie out, rather than leaving a gap between what HMRC has on file and what the new system shows.
What happens to attached documents, like receipts and invoices, during migration?
Where your old platform supports export, attachments migrate alongside the transactions they belong to. Where it does not, we flag which documents will need re-attaching manually so nothing is silently lost, and you know exactly what to expect before the migration starts.
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.