Sage 50 to QuickBooks Online migration
Moving from Sage 50 to QuickBooks Online (QBO) is mostly a planning and checking job. The software does a good part of the move. The risk is in what does not carry over, and in proving the numbers match afterward.
Two ways to work
Guided migration
You run the steps. Harmony coaches the client through the preparation, the conversion and the checks, and reviews the result.
Done for you
Harmony prepares the Sage 50 file, runs the conversion, rebuilds what does not carry over, and reconciles the opening balances.
Both start with a short call and a written quote.
What usually moves and what does not
Intuit's conversion tool, Dataswitcher, converts up to two fiscal years of Sage 50 data at no charge, according to Intuit's help article. A few things change shape on the way:
- Sage 50 jobs become classes in QuickBooks Online, and Intuit says converting jobs costs extra.
- Departments become locations.
- Multiple accounts receivable and accounts payable accounts are merged into one of each.
- Several sales tax accounts are consolidated into one.
- Sales orders do not convert.
- The tool does not support companies on the cash basis, so those take a manual route.
For contractors
Sage 50 jobs, phases and cost codes do not line up one for one with QuickBooks Online projects. The plan should include how job costing gets rebuilt in QuickBooks Online Plus or Advanced, and how much history to bring across and how much to keep in an archived Sage 50 file.
How the numbers get checked
- The trial balance in QuickBooks matches Sage 50 as of the cutover date.
- Accounts receivable and accounts payable aging reports match.
- Bank balances match, and the accounts are reconciled.
- Job costing is rebuilt and spot-checked against a few real jobs.
What to have ready
- A current backup of the Sage 50 file.
- Admin access to the new QuickBooks Online company.
- A trial balance and receivable and payable aging reports as of the cutover date.
- Your CPA's contact information.
Common questions
Do I lose my Sage 50 history?
No. Many companies bring across opening balances and recent history and keep the Sage 50 file archived for older years.
How long does it take?
It depends on the size and condition of the file. The quote after a short call includes dates.
Is cleanup included?
Migration moves the data. Cleanup of problems in the old file is quoted separately.
Source: Intuit: Convert from Sage 50 to QuickBooks Online. Conversion rules change, so details are confirmed at the start of every project.