Debit and credit mapping

Convert debit and credit CSV columns to IIF

When a transaction export separates money out from money in, LedgerHarbor Plus gives you a direct way to map those two columns before creating a local IIF file.

Best for: separate debit-and-credit mapping when the export has no single signed Amount column.

Use one side per transaction where possible: an ordinary withdrawal should have a debit value and an ordinary deposit should have a credit value.

Why separate columns need careful mapping

A signed Amount column already carries direction: negative values represent outflows and positive values represent inflows. Debit/Credit exports store that direction in two different places, so the field mapping has to preserve the meaning rather than simply adding both columns together.

Expected columns

CSV fieldTypical meaningHow to review it
DateTransaction dateConfirm the month/day/year or ISO interpretation.
DescriptionPayee, memo, or transaction detailCheck that the useful text is in one column.
DebitMoney leaving the accountUsually positive in the source, then treated as a negative transaction value.
CreditMoney entering the accountUsually positive in the source, then treated as a positive transaction value.

How the workflow works

  1. Load the CSV. Select the file locally after saving it as comma-separated data.
  2. Choose debit/credit mode. Use the Plus controls added to the LedgerHarbor workspace.
  3. Map each field. Select date, description, debit, and credit columns.
  4. Analyze the net values. Inspect the normalized amount and row status.
  5. Export after review. Download the IIF only after checking ambiguous rows and accounts.

Example

For Date,Description,Debit,Credit, a row such as 07/08/2026,Software renewal,18.00, becomes an outflow, while 07/09/2026,Refund,,18.00 becomes an inflow. Keep the original export so you can compare the result.

Expected result

LedgerHarbor produces a signed value for each mapped row and places those rows into the basic IIF export. It does not turn a row with both fields populated into a modeled transfer or split transaction.

Ambiguous rows and limitations

If both debit and credit are populated, LedgerHarbor calculates a net value but does not know whether the row is a transfer, correction, or compound transaction. The current IIF generator focuses on basic deposits and checks; it does not build split entries or preserve every source-specific field. LedgerHarbor is independent and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Intuit Inc.; Intuit and QuickBooks are registered trademarks of Intuit Inc.

Debit and credit CSV to IIF FAQ

How are debit and credit values signed?

LedgerHarbor treats a debit as an outflow and a credit as an inflow, then calculates a signed transaction value for the preview and basic IIF output.

What if both columns have values?

Review that row carefully. The converter calculates a net value from the two fields but does not infer whether a source export's simultaneous values represent a transfer, correction, or another special case.

Is debit and credit mapping available in the core workflow?

Separate debit and credit controls are provided by LedgerHarbor Plus. The standard workflow uses one signed amount column.