Can I import my QuickBooks Self-Employed CSV directly into NorthOS?

Yes. NorthOS now has a QuickBooks Self-Employed CSV importer. Upload your QBSE transaction export and NorthOS maps the categories straight to the Canadian CRA Form T2125 lines for you, so you are not stuck with US Schedule C labels. You can still keep your original QBSE export as an archive for your records.

Does NorthOS connect to my bank so I do not have to re-enter transactions?

Yes. You can connect your bank and credit card accounts, and NorthOS imports new transactions for you into a review queue. Nothing reaches your books until you approve it, so going forward you are reviewing and categorizing rather than typing everything in by hand.

How many years of records do I need to keep for the CRA?

The CRA requires sole proprietors to keep supporting tax documents, transaction logs, and receipts for at least six years from the end of the tax year they relate to. Your downloaded QBSE CSVs and PDFs satisfy this requirement.

Will I lose my historical bookkeeping data if I cancel QBSE?

Only if you do not export it first. QBSE is still sold in Canada, but Intuit has stopped investing in it and offers no Canadian successor, so many sole proprietors are moving on. Once you cancel and lose access to your QBSE account, you cannot retrieve past data, so exporting your transactions and tax summaries before you cancel is essential.

Is it hard to set up my bank account in NorthOS?

No. Setting up NorthOS is simple. You can easily import your standard CSV or Excel bank statements directly into the app. The process takes less than two minutes, and NorthOS immediately organizes your transactions by T2125 line numbers.

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Migration Guides

Step-by-Step QuickBooks Self-Employed to NorthOS Migration Guide

As QuickBooks Self-Employed winds down in Canada, many sole proprietors are worried about losing their past bookkeeping data and starting from scratch. Fortunately, moving to a modern, Canadian-first platform like NorthOS is a smooth process. If you are debating which product to upgrade to, make sure to read our head-to-head QuickBooks Online vs. NorthOS Comparison. This guide walks you through exporting your history, archiving your files for the CRA, and setting up NorthOS.

Migration Checklist

There are three main phases: exporting your historical data, archiving it safely for CRA compliance, and initiating your new books in NorthOS. Here is exactly how to do it.

Phase 1: Exporting Your QBSE Data

Before you cancel your subscription and lose access, download your entire transaction history. You need these files for tax audit protection:

1. Export Transaction Logs (CSV)

Log in to the web version of QBSE. Go to the **Transactions** tab. Adjust your date range to include everything (or export year-by-year) and click the **Export icon** (usually an arrow pointing up or a download symbol) to download your transaction log as a CSV spreadsheet.

2. Download Tax Summary Reports (PDF)

Navigate to the **Reports** menu. Download your **Tax Summary** and **Profit and Loss** statements for each calendar year. These summarize your high-level income and deductions in a readable layout.

3. Retrieve Attached Receipts

If you uploaded receipts directly to QBSE, you should download them individually. Spreadsheet exports do not carry images. Make sure you keep copies of your raw bank or credit card receipts in a safe folder on your computer.

Phase 2: Archiving for CRA Audit Compliance

The Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) requires sole proprietors to preserve business financial logs for six years. Whether or not you import your QBSE history into NorthOS, you should keep your original export as your archive.

In the past, forcing a QBSE CSV into another app caused problems because QBSE categorizes transactions using US IRS Schedule C structures. NorthOS now handles that for you: its QuickBooks Self-Employed CSV importer reads your export and maps those categories to the correct Canadian T2125 lines (see Phase 3 below). Either way, keep the raw file archived for CRA.

Best Practice

Create a folder on your computer (or secure cloud storage) labeled **“QuickBooks Self-Employed Historical Archives”**. Drop all of your exported CSV logs and PDF reports there. If the CRA ever contacts you regarding a past filing year, those files are your perfect audit-trail shield.

Phase 3: Setting Up NorthOS

With your old records secure, you can set up NorthOS in a few quick steps. We suggest treating the migration as a clean break for the current fiscal year:

Create Your NorthOS Account: Go to the onboarding portal and select your billing frequency.
Set Up Your Business Profile: NorthOS will ask you basic details about your sole proprietorship, including your primary industry, your province of operation (to set correct tax jurisdictions), and whether you are registered for GST/HST.
Connect Your Bank (so you stop re-entering transactions): Link your bank and credit card accounts in NorthOS. New transactions import on their own into a review queue with a suggested CRA category. Nothing posts to your books until you approve it, so from here forward you review and confirm rather than typing every line in by hand. Prefer not to connect? You can still import a standard CSV or Excel statement from your bank portal in seconds.
Import Your QBSE Export (optional): If you want your QuickBooks Self-Employed history inside NorthOS, use the QBSE CSV importer. Upload the transaction export you downloaded in Phase 1 and NorthOS maps the categories straight to the matching Form T2125 lines, so you are not re-coding US Schedule C labels by hand.
Backfill Your Current Tax Year: If you are switching mid-year, you can import your raw transaction statements for each month, or let the bank feed pull recent activity. Go back to January 1st of the current year so your final tax report is complete.
Start Categorizing: Click through your current-year transactions. When you categorize in NorthOS, you will notice categories are mapped straight to Form T2125 tax lines automatically.
Send Invoices and Get Paid (optional): If you bill clients, you can create and send invoices from NorthOS and get paid online through Stripe. Payments tie back to your books so your income stays current.

Need Help Moving Your Data?

If you have complex transaction files or historical statements that you need help formatting or importing, our Canadian support team can assist you. You can connect with us directly inside your NorthOS account interface.

Disclaimer: This guide is for informational purposes only. Record-keeping obligations remain the responsibility of the business owner under CRA rules. Verify your specific compliance position with a CPA.

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