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How to Export QuickBooks Self-Employed Data (Every Click, Plus What Intuit Won't Let You Take)

August 1, 2026 · Dave Rodenbaugh

Intuit has stopped selling QuickBooks Self-Employed to new customers, and it offers current subscribers a move to QuickBooks Solopreneur. Whether you take that offer or leave for another tool, export QuickBooks Self-Employed data first. Intuit's own guide to switching says "you won't be able to access your old account after the upgrade process is complete."

This guide shows every click. It also covers what won't export, and how to save it anyway.

We checked every step against Intuit's US help pages in October 2026. Intuit moves menus around, so if a button isn't where we say, look for an export or download icon on the same page.

Prefer it on paper? Download the printable checklist (PDF). It's free, and you can check off each step as you go.

Step 1: Export your transactions

This is the file that matters most. It holds every categorized business expense you've logged.

1. Sign in to QuickBooks Self-Employed in a web browser on your computer. (Need the sign-in page? Our QuickBooks Self-Employed login guide has the official link.)
2. Go to the Transactions menu.
3. Use the Type, Account, and Time period dropdowns. Pick all accounts and a whole tax year so nothing gets left out.
4. Select the Export icon. Your browser saves the transactions as a CSV file.
5. Repeat for each tax year you want to keep. One file per year keeps things tidy.

Can't find an Export icon? Look for a Download icon in the same place. A member of Intuit's community forum reported in October 2023 that an update had swapped one for the other.

Step 2: Export your mileage

Your trip log is your proof if the IRS ever asks about your mileage deduction. Don't leave it behind.

The dates matter more than usual this year. The IRS mileage rate 2026 went from 72.5 cents a mile to 76 cents on July 1, so drives from the two halves of the year are worth different amounts. Export the file with its dates intact and the split works itself out.

1. Go to the Miles menu.
2. Pick a single tax year, or choose all of your mileage at once. Intuit's help article covers both.
3. Download your trips as a CSV file.
4. If you went one year at a time, repeat for every year you tracked trips.

Step 3: Download your receipts

Receipt images don't come along in the transaction file. Intuit's export article says so plainly. You can still download all of them as a separate ZIP file, though.

1. Go to the Reports menu.
2. In the Receipts section, pick a tax year, or pick All time.
3. Select Download, then select the link to save the ZIP file.

If All time gives you an error, Intuit says the file is probably too large. Download one tax year at a time instead. Intuit suggests a web browser for this, since the files can be large. The phone app can do it too: look for Export receipts under Settings, then Reports, and Intuit emails you a download link.

ExpenseDuck doesn't import this ZIP file. Keep it with your tax records.

Step 4: Download your tax reports

You don't need these to move to a new tool, but you want them in your records. Go to the Reports menu and find the report you want. Pick the tax year from the dropdown, then select Download. Do this for every year you used QuickBooks Self-Employed.

What you have to save by hand

Two things have no bulk export.

Invoices are the first. QuickBooks Self-Employed doesn't export your invoice list. In an August 2023 thread on Intuit's community forum, a user said an update had removed that export, and a reply called it "currently unavailable." Another user was still complaining about it in April 2026. You can save invoices one at a time, though. A July 2024 reply on Intuit's forum says to open the drop-down on each invoice and choose Export as PDF.

Your client list is the second. None of Intuit's export help articles for QuickBooks Self-Employed covers customers. Copy names and email addresses into a spreadsheet while you can still log in.

Check your files before you log out

Intuit's steps end at the download. We'd add one more: open each file and make sure it's complete while you can still log in.

Start with the transaction files. Open each one in a spreadsheet and look at the first and last dates, which should cover the whole year you picked. Then sort by amount and look for the biggest expenses you remember. If one is missing, export that year again with all accounts selected.

For mileage, add up the miles column for each year. If the total looks low, check that you picked the right tax year. And open the receipt ZIP once to make sure the images are in it.

A note on categories

Intuit's help article has a warning about its own CSV: "If you reimport the CSV, some info, like categories, won't show up correctly." It says you'll need to recategorize your transactions after you import them.

So ask any tool you're considering what it does with that category column. ExpenseDuck reads it and maps each transaction to its Schedule C category on import, so your history arrives sorted.

While you're at it, work out your set-aside

Once you export QuickBooks Self-Employed data, you can add up your profit for the year so far. That's the number a tax estimate starts from.

Drop it into our free self-employed tax calculator and you'll know what to put aside for the next federal quarterly payment. It counts a spouse's W-2 and withholding too, which is where most rule-of-thumb estimates go wrong.

Your files are out. Now give them a home.

ExpenseDuck imports both CSV files QuickBooks Self-Employed exports: your transactions and your mileage. Your year picks up right where it left off. Our guide to switching from QuickBooks Self-Employed walks through each step.

Still comparing tools? Here's how to judge any QuickBooks Self-Employed alternative, including the questions we'd want you to ask us.

ExpenseDuck is not affiliated with Intuit. QuickBooks is a trademark of Intuit Inc.

ExpenseDuck produces estimates. It does not give tax advice or file your taxes. Consult a licensed tax professional for your specific situation.

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