CSV Format Specification

Comprehensive guide to formatting your transaction data for import

This is a quick-reference summary. For the full, up-to-date CSV import guide visit the CSV Import guide .

Quick Reference

Download our with sample data to get started immediately.

Required Columns

Column Name Type Format Description Example
TransactionDate
Required
 YYYY-MM-DD Transaction date 2025-01-15
Description
Required
 Text (max 255 chars) Transaction description/memo Office supplies
TotalNetAmount
Required
 Decimal (2 places) Net amount (excluding VAT) 1000.00
TotalVATAmount
Required
 Decimal (2 places) VAT charged or paid 100.00
Direction
Required
 Sale | Purchase (Output/Input also accepted) Transaction direction Sale

Optional Columns (Recommended)

Column Name Type Format Description Example
Category
Optional
 Text (max 50 chars) Transaction category (mapped to a VAT category during review) Office Expenses
InvoiceNumber
Optional
 Text (max 50 chars) Invoice or reference number INV-2025-001
CustomerName
Optional
 Text (max 100 chars) Customer or vendor name Acme Corporation
Other columns (for example a VAT rate or payment method) can be assigned manually on the column-mapping step during import, or mapped to Ignore.

Sample CSV File

TransactionDate,Description,TotalNetAmount,TotalVATAmount,Direction,Category,InvoiceNumber,CustomerName 2025-01-15,Office supplies from Staples,156.75,15.68,Purchase,Office Expenses,PO-2025-001,Staples Inc 2025-01-16,Consulting services invoice,2500.00,250.00,Sale,Professional Services,INV-2025-042,Acme Corp 2025-01-17,Fuel for company vehicle,89.50,8.95,Purchase,Vehicle Expenses,RCPT-789,Shell Gas Station 2025-01-18,Export shipment to Miami,5000.00,0.00,Sale,Exports,EXP-2025-003,Miami Imports Ltd 2025-01-19,Legal consultation fee,1200.00,120.00,Purchase,Professional Services,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 (such as Exports)

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

Zero-rating an export requires documentary evidence of the export, including the port of exit and the Customs documentation. Without it the supply is Standard 10%.
2025-01-15,Export to USA,5000.00,0.00,Sale,Exports,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,Insurance,POL-789,Bahamian Insurance Co
Credit Notes

Use negative amounts for credit notes and refunds:

2025-01-20,Credit note - returned goods,-500.00,-50.00,Sale,Retail Sales,CN-001,Acme Corp
Multiple VAT Rates

Transactions at different VAT rates (10%, 5%, 0%) need no extra column. The rate is reflected in TotalVATAmount:

2026-05-15,Office supplies,1000.00,100.00,Purchase,Office Expenses,,Staples
2026-05-16,Prescription medicine,50.00,2.50,Purchase,Medical,,Pharmacy
2026-05-17,Basic food items,200.00,0.00,Purchase,Groceries,,Grocery Store
Note: Unprepared food: Reduced 5% until 31 March 2026 and Exempt from 1 April 2026 when supplied by a qualifying food store; Standard 10% for other suppliers.
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,Office Expenses,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