Books path · Free guide · For preparers

Trial balance → Drake, without re-keying

Double data-entry is the industry's worst-rated pain (integration scores 3.3/5, AICPA). Here's how Drake's TB import actually works — what it does, what it doesn't, and the honest workflow that kills the re-typing for both entities and sole props.

Verified vs. Drake KB 11166 / 12048Free

What Drake's TB import IS (KB 11166)

  • Entities only: 1065, 1120, 1120-S, 990. Not Schedule C / 1040.
  • Drake generates its own Excel template per return ([Client]TB.xls). You fill it; Drake imports it.
  • The columns, in exact order:
Account Title | Debit | Credit | Import to | Reported on | Other information
⚠ Drake's own docs: modifying the template corrupts the import. No third-party file can honestly claim "imports straight into Drake" — the template must come from your Drake install. Anyone selling you otherwise is overselling.

The honest workflow for entities (3 steps)

  1. In Drake, open the return and generate the TB template (Trial Balance Import).
  2. In LumioTax Financial Reports, drop the client's trial balance (QuickBooks, Xero or Odoo export) and click “Drake TB sheet” — you get a balanced source sheet in Drake's exact column order.
  3. Paste the columns into Drake's template and import. Minutes, not an afternoon of re-typing.
Open Financial Reports (Drake TB sheet) →

And for sole props (Schedule C)? The import doesn't exist — the workpaper does.

Drake's QuickBooks route (KB 12048) only reads a report generated by QuickBooks itself — it can't be produced by a third party. So for the Schedule C client, the honest re-keying killer is a workpaper ordered by Schedule C line: every figure in the order you type it, one pass, any tax software.

Open the Tax Prep Workpaper → From a bank statement? Bank → Books first

Sources: Drake Software KB 11166 (Trial Balance Import) and KB 12048 (Importing Data from QuickBooks) · AICPA 2025 Tax Software Survey (integration = lowest-rated attribute). LumioTax is not affiliated with Drake Software; Drake is a trademark of its owner.