· Reviewed by Nimra Khalid
What is accounting software setup and migration?
Accounting software setup is the configuration of a new ledger: chart of accounts, tax codes, bank feeds, items, users and apps. Migration is moving existing books from another platform or spreadsheet into that ledger so history, open items and balances carry across. Both end with a file that agrees to the old records and is ready for live posting.
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Software setup and migration: what we do and how it runs
Accounting software setup is the configuration of a new ledger: chart of accounts, tax codes, bank feeds, items, users and apps. Migration is moving existing books from another platform or spreadsheet into that ledger so history, open items and balances carry across. Both end with a file that agrees to the old records and is ready for live posting.
01 / 06 -
What it is
Accounting software setup is the configuration of a new ledger: chart of accounts, tax codes, bank feeds, items, users and apps. Migration is moving existing books from another platform or spreadsheet into that ledger so history, open items and balances carry across. Both end with a file that agrees to the old records and is ready for live posting.
02 / 06 -
What you get
New file configured, or history migrated with balances tied to source
03 / 06 -
How it runs
Bank feeds, tax codes, items, users and apps set up and tested
04 / 06 -
Discovery call
A 20-minute call to learn where your books are now, what you need the new platform to do, how much history you want to carry and your target go-live date. We recommend a platform and a migration approach the same day.
05 / 06 -
A named accountant, a backup and a team lead
Inside your own software, on a fixed close calendar, with a reply from a person within 1 business day. Call +1-657-777-0006 or start a quote.
Get a custom quote 06 / 06
Who it is for
Businesses leaving a shut-down provider
Bench left around 11,000 clients without a bookkeeper in December 2024 and Botkeeper closed in February 2026. If your books live in a provider's own software, you need them in a file you own.
Owners outgrowing spreadsheets or Wave
Invoicing, payroll and sales tax have outgrown what a spreadsheet or free tool can track. You want a proper ledger set up right the first time.
Desktop users moving to cloud
You run QuickBooks Desktop or Sage 50 and want QuickBooks Online or Xero so your accountant, your team and your bank feeds can work in one place.
What's included
- Platform recommendation based on your country, industry and app stack
- Company file created with fiscal year, currency and tax settings
- Chart of accounts designed or mapped from the old system
- Bank, card and loan feeds connected, with history imported where available
- Customers, vendors, items and price lists migrated and de-duplicated
- Open invoices, open bills and unapplied payments carried across
- Opening balances entered and tied to the closing trial balance of the old system
- Sales tax, VAT or GST codes configured and mapped to liability accounts
- Payroll provider, payment processor and receipt-capture apps connected
- User roles set with least-privilege access and MFA enforced
- Bank rules and recurring transactions rebuilt in the new platform
- Parallel first month with old and new files compared before cut-over is final
Deliverables and KPIs
| Deliverable | KPI we report | Cadence |
|---|---|---|
| Configured file | Settings, chart, tax codes, feeds and users complete and tested | Per project |
| Migrated history | Transaction history imported for the agreed period, by month, tied to old reports | Per project |
| Opening-balance tie-out | Every balance-sheet account agrees to the old closing trial balance to the cent | Per project |
| Open items carried across | Receivable and payable aging match the old system on cut-over date | Per project |
| App connections | Payroll, processor and capture apps posting to the correct accounts | Per project |
| First close on the new file | Month one reconciled and reviewed under Two-Tier Review | Once |
KPIs are what we measure and report, agreed per engagement. Service-level commitments are set in your agreement.
How it works
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Discovery call
A 20-minute call to learn where your books are now, what you need the new platform to do, how much history you want to carry and your target go-live date. We recommend a platform and a migration approach the same day.
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Export, map and plan
You give us access to the old system or export its data. We map the old chart to the new one, decide the cut-over date, and list what will be migrated in detail and what will come across as opening balances.
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Build and migrate
A named accountant configures the file, imports lists and history, enters opening balances and connects feeds and apps. Every balance-sheet account is tied to the old trial balance before you are asked to look.
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Parallel month and handover
The first month runs in both systems where practical. We compare, correct and close the new file under CloseTrack, then hand you the documentation or continue as your monthly bookkeeping team.
Software we work in
How much does software setup and migration cost?
Setup and migration are fixed-fee projects. A new-file setup is the smaller job; a migration is priced on how much history moves, how many lists and open items exist, and how many apps must be reconnected. Pricing depends on volume and scope, so we send a custom quote within 1 business day.
What moves the quote
- New file versus migration, and the source platform
- Months of transaction history to bring across in detail
- Number of customers, vendors, items, open invoices and open bills
- Connected apps: payroll, processors, inventory, receipt capture
Market benchmarks
| Market | Typical range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| US | Outsourced bookkeeping plans $150 to $1,600 per month; setup projects are typically quoted separately | indinero, RadCity, NerdWallet (2026) |
| UK | £20 to £55 per hour for bookkeeping and setup work | UK provider pricing surveys (2026) |
| Canada | C$30 to C$90 per hour for freelance bookkeeping and setup | Canadian bookkeeping fee surveys (2026) |
| Australia | A$40 to A$100 per hour for bookkeepers | Australian bookkeeping fee surveys (2026) |
Third-party ranges for orientation, not our prices.
Get a custom quote No setup fee. Month-to-month.
Software setup and migration for your industry
Security and compliance
- Exports are moved through an encrypted portal and deleted from our side after tie-out
- Users are created with least-privilege roles and MFA from the first login
- Read-only bank feeds where supported; we never move money
Full control list on the security page and country rules on the compliance page. Certifications are listed only when held.
Frequently asked questions
How much do quickbooks setup services cost?
Pricing depends on volume and scope, and we send a custom quote within 1 business day. A new-file setup is the smaller project; a migration with several years of history and connected apps is larger. As a market reference, US outsourced bookkeeping plans run $150 to $1,600 per month (indinero, 2026), and UK setup work is billed at £20 to £55 per hour (provider surveys, 2026).
Can you migrate my books from Bench?
Yes. Bench clients can export their general ledger, statements and lists, and we rebuild the file in QuickBooks Online or Xero with opening balances tied to the last Bench statements. Where exports are incomplete, we rebuild from bank statements using our catch-up bookkeeping method. The result is a file you own and any accountant can work in.
Should I choose QuickBooks Online or Xero?
Both are capable ledgers. QuickBooks Online is the default in the US and Canada and has the widest app and accountant support there. Xero leads in the UK and Australia and handles multi-currency and tracking categories well. We recommend based on your country, your accountant, your industry apps and your payroll provider.
How much history should I bring across?
Most businesses bring the current and prior fiscal year in detail and enter earlier years as opening balances. Detailed history is useful for comparisons and audits; it also costs more to migrate and clean. Your CPA's needs and any lender or audit requirement decide the answer.
Will my open invoices and bills come across?
Yes. Open customer invoices, open vendor bills, unapplied payments and credits are recreated so receivable and payable aging on the cut-over date match the old system exactly. That is one of the tie-out steps on the migration checklist. Customer and vendor contact details come with them, so statements and reminders can go out from the new file in week one.
Can you move QuickBooks Desktop to QuickBooks Online?
Yes. Intuit's own conversion tool moves most data, but it carries known gaps, such as inventory, some payroll items and reports, that must be checked and fixed by hand. We run the conversion, tie every balance, rebuild what did not convert and reconnect feeds and apps.
What happens after go-live?
We stay through the first close on the new file so the migration is proven by a reconciled month, not only by a tie-out. From there you can take the file in-house with our documentation or keep the same accountant through our monthly bookkeeping service.
Do you set up the chart of accounts as part of setup?
Yes. A migration is the best time to redesign the chart, because old accounts are mapped to the new structure as history moves. Our chart of accounts setup service describes the design work; in a migration it is included in the project scope.
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