QuickBooks to Xero Migration (UK)
Moving from QuickBooks (Online or Desktop) to Xero is easy to start and surprisingly easy to get wrong. APIwise delivers managed, fixed-scope migrations that protect your historical data, VAT position and bank reconciliations, so your first Xero month-end and VAT return come out clean. UK-based, vendor-neutral and senior-led.
Yes. APIwise runs fixed-scope QuickBooks-to-Xero migrations for UK businesses, moving your chart of accounts, contacts, historical transactions, open invoices and bills, and VAT settings. We de-risk the move with a trial migration, full reconciliation, a parallel run and a planned cutover, so your numbers tie out and nothing breaks at month-end.
DIY migrations and one-click tools routinely drop historical transactions, break bank reconciliations, mangle the chart of accounts and lose VAT history — and it surfaces weeks later at month-end or on your next MTD VAT return. By then you are unpicking two sets of books against a deadline. The hard part is not getting data into Xero; it is getting it in correctly and proving it ties out.
What you get
- Your chart of accounts, contacts and historical data live in Xero, reconciled and signed off against QuickBooks
- Open invoices and bills carried across, so your debtors and creditors are accurate from day one
- VAT scheme, rates and history intact for a clean first MTD VAT return
- A fixed-price, scope-locked move with a planned cutover — no surprise costs and no broken month-end
Full data scope, mapped
Chart of accounts, customers and suppliers, products and services, historical transactions, open invoices and bills, bank accounts and reconciliations, and VAT settings and history — each item explicitly in or out of scope before we start.
Trial migration first
We migrate into a Xero trial organisation and reconcile it against QuickBooks before touching your live data. You see exactly what comes across and sign off on the result, not a promise.
Reconciliation and parallel run
We reconcile trial balance, debtors, creditors, VAT and bank balances back to your QuickBooks figures, then run both systems in parallel for a defined period so you can trust Xero before you switch.
Planned cutover and handover
A scheduled go-live date, plus a reconciliation pack, mapping documentation and a short team handover so your finance staff are confident in Xero from day one.
Audit and scope
We review your QuickBooks setup (Online or Desktop), data volume, VAT scheme, integrations and reporting needs, then agree exactly what migrates and what stays — including how far back the historical data goes. You get a fixed scope and a fixed price up front, with no open-ended day rates.
Map and prepare
We map your chart of accounts, tax rates and contacts to Xero's structure, clean up duplicates and inconsistencies where it helps, and choose the right approach: native tools, an off-the-shelf migration service or a custom move. If a simple tool will do the job, we will tell you.
Trial migration and reconciliation
We migrate into a Xero trial environment and reconcile it line by line against QuickBooks — trial balance, VAT, debtors, creditors and bank balances. We resolve any discrepancies and hand you a reconciliation pack to review and approve before we go near your live data.
Parallel run and cutover
With the trial signed off, we run Xero alongside QuickBooks for an agreed period, confirm month-end and VAT figures match, then execute a planned cutover on a date that suits your cycle. We stay on hand through your first live month-end and VAT return.
Do you migrate from both QuickBooks Online and QuickBooks Desktop?
Yes — both. Desktop migrations need a few extra steps to extract the data cleanly, which we cover in the audit and reflect in the fixed scope and price.
How much historical data can you bring across?
It depends on your data and your goals. Many businesses migrate one to two years of transactions plus opening balances, but we can take more where it is worth the effort. We agree the cut-off in the audit so the scope and cost are clear.
Can't I just use Xero's free migration tool or a one-click service?
Sometimes, yes — and we will tell you honestly if that is the right call. Those tools work well for simple files but often miss VAT history, reconciliations and open items. Our managed migration adds the trial, reconciliation and parallel run that prove the numbers tie out.
Will my VAT and MTD setup still work after the migration?
Yes. We migrate your VAT scheme, rates and history and reconcile your VAT position before cutover, so your first Making Tax Digital VAT return from Xero is accurate. We time the cutover around your VAT and month-end cycle to avoid disruption.