How to Migrate Your Books From Bench to QuickBooks or Xero

How to fix it

Try these in order — the most common fix is first.

1. 1. Export what you need

   Copy steps
   1. Export monthly P&L, balance sheet, general ledger, journal entries for at least 2023 and 2024
   2. Export transaction lists as spreadsheets
   Did this fix it? Yes No

2. 2. Set up the new system

   Copy steps
   1. Create the company in QuickBooks or Xero
   2. Connect bank feeds
   3. Import opening balances from the last Bench balance sheet
   Did this fix it? Yes No

3. 3. Reconcile and clean

   Copy steps
   1. Reconcile each account to bank statements
   2. Review COGS vs operating expenses and personal vs business items
   3. Ask an accountant to sign off before filing taxes
   Did this fix it? Yes No

Symptoms

Need to move books after the shutdown without losing history.

Why it happens

• Bench exports are reports and ledgers, not a native QuickBooks file
• Miscategorized transactions carry over
• Cash-basis books need accrual conversion for some uses

This guide also covers

• migrate from bench to quickbooks
• move from bench to xero
• bench migration

Other Bench errors

• How to Download Your Bench Data (Financial Reports Export)
• Bench Shutdown: What to Do If You Were a Bench Customer
• How to Cancel Bench Subscription
• Bench Books Late or Incomplete
• Bench Bank Account Needs Reconnecting
• Bench Miscategorized Transactions and Repeated Flags
• Bench Tax Filing Errors and Wrong Forms
• Charged by Bench After Cancelling