CSV Format Specification

Comprehensive guide to formatting your transaction data for import

Quick Reference

Download our with sample data to get started immediately.

Required Columns

Column Name	Type	Format	Description	Example
`Date`	Required	`YYYY-MM-DD`	Transaction date	`2025-01-15`
`Description`	Required	Text (max 255 chars)	Transaction description/memo	`Office supplies`
`Amount`	Required	Decimal (2 places)	Net amount (excluding VAT)	`1000.00`
`VAT Amount`	Required	Decimal (2 places)	VAT charged or paid	`100.00`
`Type`	Required	Sale \| Purchase	Transaction direction	`Sale`

Optional Columns (Recommended)

Column Name	Type	Format	Description	Example
`Invoice Number`	Optional	Text (max 50 chars)	Invoice or reference number	`INV-2025-001`
`Customer` or `Vendor`	Optional	Text (max 100 chars)	Customer or vendor name	`Acme Corporation`
`Category`	Optional	Text (max 50 chars)	Transaction category	`Office Expenses`
`VAT Rate`	Optional	Percentage (0.10 = 10%)	VAT rate applied	`0.10`
`Payment Method`	Optional	Text (max 50 chars)	How payment was made/received	`Bank Transfer`

Sample CSV File

Date,Description,Amount,VAT Amount,Type,Invoice Number,Customer 2025-01-15,Office supplies from Staples,156.75,15.68,Purchase,PO-2025-001,Staples Inc 2025-01-16,Consulting services invoice,2500.00,250.00,Sale,INV-2025-042,Acme Corp 2025-01-17,Fuel for company vehicle,89.50,8.95,Purchase,RCPT-789,Shell Gas Station 2025-01-18,Export shipment to Miami,5000.00,0.00,Sale,EXP-2025-003,Miami Imports Ltd 2025-01-19,Legal consultation fee,1200.00,120.00,Purchase,INV-LEG-456,Bahamas Legal

Pro Tip: Use the header row exactly as shown above for automatic column detection.

Formatting Rules

Do This

Use YYYY-MM-DD date format (e.g., 2025-01-15)

Use decimal points for amounts (e.g., 1000.00)

Include header row with column names

Use UTF-8 encoding for special characters

Enclose text with commas in quotes

Don't Do This

Use MM/DD/YYYY or DD/MM/YYYY date formats

Use commas as decimal separators (e.g., 1000,00)

Include currency symbols (e.g., $, B$)

Leave required fields blank

Use Excel formulas in cells

Common Scenarios

Zero-Rated Transactions (Exports)

For exports or zero-rated supplies, set VAT Amount to 0.00:

2025-01-15,Export to USA,5000.00,0.00,Sale,EXP-001,Miami Corp

Exempt Transactions

For exempt supplies (insurance, financial services), also set VAT Amount to 0.00:

2025-01-15,Insurance premium,1200.00,0.00,Purchase,POL-789,Bahamas Insurance

Credit Notes

Use negative amounts for credit notes and refunds:

2025-01-20,Credit note - returned goods,-500.00,-50.00,Sale,CN-001,Acme Corp

Multiple VAT Rates

If you have transactions with different VAT rates (10%, 5%, 0%), include the optional VAT Rate column:

2025-01-15,Office supplies,1000.00,100.00,Purchase,,Staples,0.10
2025-01-16,Basic food items,200.00,10.00,Purchase,,Grocery Store,0.05
2025-01-17,Prescription medicine,50.00,2.50,Purchase,,Pharmacy,0.05

Note: The 5% reduced rate applies to specific categories from April 1, 2025 (food) and September 1, 2025 (medicine).

Text with Commas

If descriptions contain commas, enclose them in double quotes:

2025-01-15,"Office supplies: pens, paper, folders",156.75,15.68,Purchase,PO-001,Staples

Software-Specific Export Guides

QuickBooks

Reports → Sales → Transaction List

Export → Export to Excel

Save as CSV format

Xero

Accounting → Reports

General Ledger → Export

Select CSV format

Excel

File → Save As

Choose "CSV (Comma delimited)"

Ensure UTF-8 encoding

Troubleshooting

Import Failed? Check these common issues:

Error Message	Cause	Solution
"Missing required column"	Required column not found in header	Ensure header row contains all required column names
"Invalid date format"	Date not in YYYY-MM-DD format	Convert dates to YYYY-MM-DD (e.g., 2025-01-15)
"Invalid amount"	Amount contains non-numeric characters	Remove currency symbols and use decimal points
"File too large"	File exceeds 10 MB limit	Split into multiple files or compress data
"Encoding error"	File not in UTF-8 encoding	Save file with UTF-8 encoding in your editor

Getting Started

Compliance Guide