Switching apps: bring your books over to TallyPip

Moving from another bookkeeping app takes about half an hour. You export a few reports from your old app (to Excel or CSV) and bring them into Tools › [Starting balances](/import/opening). Each step shows exactly what will come in before anything changes, and each can be removed and done again. Owners, admins and accountants can do this.

Before you start: pick your start date

Your start date is the day TallyPip takes over. Everything up to the day before stays as your old app had it. Pick the end of a month, a quarter or last year: for example, books from October 1, with balances as of September 30.

Then choose how much to bring over, at the top of the page:

• From my start date: your accounts, the balances on that day, and what customers still owe you and you still owe. Earlier transactions stay in your old app (keep it for looking things up). Quickest, and what most accountants do.
• With past transactions too: also every transaction from an earlier date, such as the start of this year, so reports month by month, last year comparisons and this year's tax summary all work in TallyPip. See Bring over past transactions.

Once balances are in, this choice is fixed. To change it, remove what you brought in (each step has a Remove button) and start again.

What to export from your old app

• Account list (chart of accounts).
• Trial balance as of the day before your start date (with past transactions: the day before they start), with Debit and Credit columns.
• Journal report for the period you're bringing over (only with past transactions).
• A/R aging detail (or the unpaid invoice list) as of the last day in your old app: what customers still owe you.
• A/P aging detail (or the unpaid bill list) as of that day: what you still owe.
• Your customer, vendor and product lists, if you want their details too.

Most apps put these under Reports, with Export to Excel or Export to CSV: either works, so there's no need to save one as the other. (An older Excel file, .xls, needs saving as .xlsx or CSV first.) TallyPip reads the first sheet of an Excel file. Export the reports as they come: a title, your business name and dates at the top, group headings (like “Current” or “1 - 30 days past due”), total rows and the line at the bottom saying when the report was run are all fine. TallyPip finds the column headings itself and reads past the rest. Sub-accounts (“Utilities:Telephone”) become “Utilities / Telephone”, a sub-account of Utilities.

Step by step

1. 1Chart of accounts. Choose the account list. The preview shows what each account becomes in TallyPip: bank and credit card accounts also appear in Bank transactions, ready to connect or upload statements; accounts TallyPip already has (like Accounts Receivable) are kept; the rest keep their old numbers when they fit. Press Add accounts.
2. 2Customers, vendors and products (optional) with Import data. Unpaid invoices and bills can also add customers and vendors by name.
3. 3Opening balances. Set Balances as of and choose the trial balance. Every account in it must already be in your chart (step 1). Starting from a date, Accounts Receivable and Payable aren't entered here: they come from your unpaid invoices and bills, one by one. Any difference shows as Opening Balance Equity. Press Import balances.
4. 4Past transactions (only if you chose them). See Bring over past transactions.
5. 5Unpaid invoices. Choose the A/R aging report. Each one comes in as a real invoice for the amount still owed, with its own number, customer, date and due date, ready to be paid. To bring what each invoice was for (its products, quantities and rates), also choose a sales detail report under Bring each invoice's lines too (see below). Credits in the report (minus amounts: a credit memo not used yet, a payment not put toward an invoice, a deposit or prepayment) come in as credit memos for what's left, ready to apply to an invoice (Apply credit on the invoice). Customers not in TallyPip yet are added by name. (With past transactions, this step is Past invoices, payments and credits instead: every past invoice comes in, paid ones too. See Bring over past transactions.)
6. 6Unpaid bills. The same, with the A/P aging report (with past transactions: Past bills, payments and credits). Vendor credits not used yet and payments not put toward a bill come in as vendor credits. A bill's lines can come too (Bring each bill's lines too).
7. 7Past expenses, receipts, deposits and transfers (only with past transactions): no file needed. See Bring over past transactions.
8. 8Inventory on hand (only if you track inventory): each item's quantity and value on the start date, from the old app's inventory valuation report. See below.
9. 9Open estimates and Open purchase orders (optional): the ones still open in your old app, ready to turn into an invoice or a bill here. See below.

Finally, look at Does it all add up? at the bottom. Opening Balance Equity should end up what your old app had in it: $0.00 if it had none, or the same amount (TallyPip says “the same as in your old app”). It also checks that your unpaid invoices (less credits not used yet) add up to Accounts Receivable, and your unpaid bills to Accounts Payable. When all three say “the same”, your balances, invoices and bills match your old app exactly.

How your unpaid invoices and bills count

• As income already (accrual basis, the usual setting): your old app counted them as income or expenses when they were made. They come in against Opening Balance Equity, so they're never counted twice.
• Only when paid (cash basis): your old app counted income and expenses only when money moved. Choose the income (or expense) account; each one counts when it's paid in TallyPip.
• With past transactions: your past invoices and bills themselves become documents (paid and unpaid), each one the transaction you brought over, so nothing is counted twice. See Bring over past transactions.

Bring each invoice's lines too

On its own, the aging report only says what's still owed, so each invoice comes in with one line: “Still owed on invoice 1043 (of $1,200.00)”. To have each one look like it did in your old app, with what it was for, add a second file:

1. 1In your old app, run a report with a row for each invoice line, like Sales by Customer Detail, from the date of your oldest unpaid invoice to your start date. Export it to Excel or CSV.
2. 2On Unpaid invoices, after choosing the aging report, open Bring each invoice's lines too (optional) and choose that file.
3. 3Check Match the columns: the invoice number and amount are needed; product or service, description, quantity and rate are used when they're there.
4. 4It says how many invoices will come in with their own lines. Press Import.

• Each line shows the product or service and its description, quantity and rate. Products aren't linked: their stock and income were your old app's, so nothing moves in TallyPip.
• Tax and other charges: if your old app added sales tax (or shipping) on top of the lines, the difference comes in as one more line, “Sales tax and other charges in your old app”. A discount comes in as the invoice's discount.
• Partly paid invoices show their full total, and what was paid before as one payment, Paid before you switched to TallyPip, so the amount due is what's still owed. That payment can't be removed on its own (it was money your old app received).
• Bills come in with their lines (category, description and amount) when nothing has been paid on them yet. A bill already partly paid keeps one line.
• Your books are the same either way: the invoices still add up to Accounts Receivable, against Opening Balance Equity (or, on the cash basis, the income account you chose).
• Not in the file, or the lines don't add up (they come to more than the invoice): that invoice keeps its one line.

Inventory on hand

If you track inventory, bring each item's count over so TallyPip knows what you have and what it cost. Do it after your opening balances (or past transactions): the counts are as of the day before your books start in TallyPip, and the step says which day.

1. 1In your old app, run the Inventory Valuation Summary as of that day and export it (to Excel or CSV): each item with its quantity and asset value. (A product list with a quantity on hand and a cost works too.)
2. 2Choose the file in Inventory on hand and check Match the columns: the item, the quantity on hand, and the value (or the cost of one).
3. 3Look at the preview: each item, how many, and what it's worth. Items at zero are left out; one below zero is listed (bring it in at zero and fix it with an inventory adjustment once you've counted it).
4. 4Press Bring in.

• Each item's opening stock is its quantity and value on that day. Sales and purchases in TallyPip take it from there: selling an item costs what it was counted at (first in, first out).
• Items are matched to Products & services by SKU or name. One that isn't there yet is added (as an inventory item, sold through your main income account); one that is there but isn't an inventory item yet becomes one, counted from now on.
• Counted once: your trial balance (or past transactions) already brought an Inventory Asset balance over. The counts take its place, in one entry on that day, so the asset is the items' value, not twice that. When the two agree, Opening Balance Equity doesn't move; if they don't, the difference shows there, and Does it all add up? compares your inventory with Inventory Asset.
• Remove the inventory counts takes the opening stock off the items (they stay, at zero) and puts the brought-over Inventory Asset balance back. Your opening balances and past transactions can't be removed while the counts are in: remove the counts first.

Open estimates and purchase orders

The last two steps bring over estimates still waiting for an answer (or accepted, not invoiced yet) and purchase orders still to come, so nothing in progress is lost. They're not in your books, so these steps change nothing there.

1. 1In your old app, export your estimates (Reports › Estimates by Customer, or the estimate list), to Excel or CSV. For purchase orders, the Open Purchase Order List (or its detail report).
2. 2Choose the file in Open estimates (or Open purchase orders) and check Match the columns. A report grouped by customer or vendor is fine: the name on each group's heading row is used.
3. 3Look at the preview: how many are open, and how many closed ones are left out. To keep the closed ones for reference too, tick Bring the closed ones in too. For purchase orders, choose the expense account for lines that aren't one of your products.
4. 4Press Bring in. Customers and vendors not in TallyPip yet are added by name; numbers already used here are skipped, so bringing a file in twice is safe.

• Which come in: estimates marked pending (or with no status) come in as Sent, accepted ones as Accepted; closed, rejected, converted and expired ones are left out, unless you tick Bring the closed ones in too: then they come in for reference as Invoiced, Declined or Expired (a closed purchase order as Closed), with nothing to act on. Purchase orders come in for what's still to come (the open balance, or the backordered quantity on a detail report); closed and fully received ones are left out.
• Their lines: a report with a row per line (product, description, quantity, rate) brings each line, matched to your Products & services by name. A list brings one line for each total (“Estimate E-101 from your old app”): check the lines, and on an estimate the sales tax, before turning it into an invoice.
• Expiration: an estimate without an expiration date in the file is good for 30 days from its date. One already past its date shows as Expired, as in your old app.
• They're ordinary estimates and purchase orders: edit, send, accept or turn them into an invoice or bill as usual. Remove on the step takes out the ones you brought in, except any already turned into an invoice or bill.

Credits and unapplied payments

• A credit memo (vendor credit) not used yet comes in as a credit memo (vendor credit) for what's left: “Credit memo CM-4 not used yet (of $80.00)”. It isn't applied to anything by itself, just as in your old app.
• A payment, deposit or prepayment not put toward an invoice comes in as a credit memo numbered PAY- and its number (or date): “Unapplied payment 4417”. Apply it to the invoice it was for when you're ready.
• How they count follows your choice for the invoices: already counted (against Opening Balance Equity), or on the cash basis a credit memo against the same income account (an unapplied payment was counted when the money came in, so it's against Opening Balance Equity either way).
• Each says Not used yet in your old app on its page. It can't be edited; if it's wrong, delete it and enter it again (or remove the step and import again). Remove on the step takes out the credits not used yet too; ones already applied stay.

What TallyPip does for you

• Your books start on your start date. The page shows the date. Bank transactions from before it (bank feeds often bring in months of history) are set aside under Bank transactions › Excluded, so nothing is counted twice.
• Your bank and card accounts are marked reconciled up to then, so your first reconciliation in TallyPip starts where your old app left off. You'll see it under Reconcile › Past reconciliations as “Brought over from your old app”.
• No emails or reminders go to your customers for the invoices you bring over. You can still send one yourself from the invoice.
• Imported invoices (and past ones and their credit memos) are left out of your sales tax report: that tax was reported in your old app.
• Invoice numbers carry on: the next new invoice continues from the highest number you brought over.
• Close the books before your start: when Does it all add up? matches, its Close the books through … button closes them through the day before your start, so nothing in the months you brought over changes by mistake (reopen them in Settings › Advanced).

More you can bring over

• Bank rules: Rules › Import from another app (how).
• Attachments (receipts and documents): Receipts › Bring attachments from your old app (how).
• Recurring templates: Recurring transactions › Import from another app.
• Tags, back on their transactions: Tags › Import from another app (how).
• Mileage: Mileage › Import from another app (how).
• Budgets: make the budget, then Fill from your old app's budget (how).

What doesn't move over

Some things are made again in each app: your bank connections, online payments, your team and their roles, and your sales tax setup (your rates can be imported: Charge sales tax). Recurring schedules can be imported from your old app's Recurring Template List (Recurring transactions). The Switching checklist (in Tools) lists them with everything else, and ticks itself as you go.

Something not right?

• “This account isn't in your chart of accounts yet.” The trial balance (or journal) names an account step 1 didn't add. Add it in step 1 or in Chart of accounts, then choose the file again.
• Opening Balance Equity doesn't match your old app. Usually the unpaid invoices or bills (less credits) don't add up to the receivables or payables in your trial balance (a row was left out, or a report was run for a different date). Compare the totals, fix the file, then Remove that step and import it again. Or ask your accountant to look at it.
• A column wasn't matched. Under Match the columns, pick the right column for each field. Fields marked with * are needed.
• Fewer invoices came in with their lines than you expected. The lines file must cover their dates (from your oldest unpaid invoice), and its invoice numbers must match the aging report's. An invoice whose lines come to more than its total (a line counted twice in the report) keeps one line. Remove the imported unpaid invoices and import again with a fuller report.
• Inventory doesn't match. Does it all add up? says your inventory is worth a different amount than Inventory Asset: something else posted to Inventory Asset (a journal entry, or a purchase recorded without its items). Find it in the general ledger, or ask your accountant. If the counts themselves were wrong, Remove the inventory counts, fix the file and bring it in again. See also Track inventory.
• A date can't be read. TallyPip reads 09/30/2026, 30/09/2026, 2026-09-30 and Sep 30, 2026. Re-export the report with one of those.
• A bank transaction you need is under Excluded. It's dated before your start date. If it's really new, check your start date; otherwise leave it, since it's already in the books you brought over.
• Your first bank reconciliation doesn't match. Your bank's balance on the start date may have differed from your old books (checks or deposits still clearing). Undo “Brought over from your old app” under Reconcile › Past reconciliations, then reconcile from the start.
• An imported invoice or bill is wrong. It can't be edited (that would change the starting point). Void it and enter it again, or remove that step and import a corrected file. Past ones (made from your past transactions) can't be voided either: they're your books before TallyPip. Remove the past invoices or bills in their step, fix the file, and bring it in again.
• You picked the wrong file or date. Use Remove on that step (removing goes in reverse order: bills and invoices, then past transactions, then balances), then import again.

Your old app is still worth keeping for looking up older invoices and records. Many accountants switch at a month-end or year-end and keep the old books read-only.