Import data from your previous accounting software into SamBooks

Bring your company's accounting into SamBooks by uploading the export from the software you used before: customers, suppliers, chart of accounts, bookkeeping entries, open items and fixed assets. Sam reads the files, reconciles the accounts and rebuilds your balance sheet, registers and due dates.

What it's for

When you come from another system (Contabilità in Cloud, TeamSystem, Zucchetti, Mexal…) you don't start from scratch: you export the data from the old software and upload it here. SamBooks imports it into your company's accounting, so your history, balances, due dates and master data are ready from day one.

Before you start

• You must be a Gestore (manager) or Amministrativo (administrative) user of the company.
• Have your previous software's export ready: CSV or Excel for accounting data, XML/ZIP for invoices. Almost every system has an "Export" or "Backup" option.
• You don't have to prepare everything at once: you can upload one section today and the rest later. Each section is independent.

Where to find it

Go to Settings → Company → Data, the "Data import" card, and click "Import data" (or "New import" if you already started one). The "Import data from your previous system" page opens.

At the top you can optionally set the "Source system" (e.g. Contabilità in Cloud): it's just a label that helps you find the import later in the "Your imports" history.

The four sections (recommended order)

The page is split into four numbered sections. The order is recommended, not mandatory: each section has its own "Import" button and processes only its own documents. For each item click "Upload" and pick the matching file (you can add more than one). You declare the document type by choosing the right row, so Sam doesn't have to guess what the file is — it just reads and maps the columns. Files save themselves as soon as you add them.

1. Master data

Customers and suppliers. Upload these first because they're needed to link accounts, entries and due dates.

• Customers — name, VAT or tax code, address, certified email, SDI recipient code, IBAN. One row per customer.
• Suppliers — name, VAT or tax code, address, certified email, IBAN. One row per supplier.

New names are appended to the existing list; any duplicates are flagged. Once the files are uploaded, click "Import master data".

2. Chart of accounts + Bookkeeping

These two are imported together: reconciliation cross-references entries with accounts to find which accounts you actually use and map them to the SamBooks chart of accounts.

• Chart of accounts — account code, description, type (balance sheet or income statement). You can upload only the accounts you actually use, not necessarily the whole chart.
• Bookkeeping entries — all entries: date, number, account, debit/credit (or signed amount), description, counterparty, document reference. We need the complete list, including the most recent entries: it's the basis from which SamBooks rebuilds the balance sheet, VAT registers and due dates, and from which it automatically derives the fiscal years. If the export is split into several files, upload them all here: we merge them.

The "Import chart of accounts and bookkeeping" button activates once you've uploaded both.

3. Open items and fixed assets

Best after master data, so due dates link to the customers and suppliers already imported.

• Customer open items (receivables) — your customer invoices still to be collected: counterparty, document, amount, due date. A customers-only file.
• Supplier open items (payables) — your supplier invoices still to be paid. A suppliers-only file.
• Fixed-asset movements or register — description, purchase date, historical cost, rate, accumulated depreciation. At finalize you'll choose the accounts to post them to; SamBooks generates depreciation from here.

Click "Import open items and fixed assets".

4. Optional documents

• Opening balances (Optional) — only if you start from a cut-off date and the balances aren't already inside the bookkeeping entries.
• Historical financial statements (Optional) — filed statements are retrieved by us from the Chamber of Commerce; upload them only if you want your own historical comparison (preferably XBRL).
• Sales and purchase invoices (Support) and Other documents (Support) — stay attached: the SamBooks team handles them, not the automatic import.

Click "Import optional documents".

Download and use the example templates

For the fillable items (customers, suppliers, chart of accounts, bookkeeping, open items, fixed assets) you'll find the "Download example" link: it downloads an Excel template with the right columns and a sample row. It's the safest way to get the format right: download the template, replace the sample row with your data keeping the headers, save and re-upload it on the same row. You're not required to use it — Sam also reads your software's raw export — but if a file gives trouble, starting from the template is the fastest fix.

What happens after "Import"

When you start a section, SamBooks processes the files and the status changes to "Processing…". Depending on what you uploaded, the path splits in two:

• Master data, open items, fixed assets → the "Confirm import" window opens with a preview. It shows exactly what we read from the files, with the "Read by Sam" badge (e.g. "We read: 12 customers, 5 open items"). Review it and click "Confirm and import" to write the data, or "Cancel" to revise the files.
• Chart of accounts + bookkeeping → you're taken to the Reconciliation page, because the accounts must be mapped to the SamBooks chart (see below).

Reconciling the accounts

On the reconciliation page you see the imported accounts split into "Accounts with entries" and "Accounts without entries". For each account Sam suggests a mapping to a SamBooks chart account ("Sam's proposal"); you review and decide:

• "Accept" to confirm the proposal, or search for another account in the menu (filter by Assets, Liabilities, Equity, Costs, Revenue).
• "Create new account" if the account you need isn't in the SamBooks chart.
• "Ignore" for accounts you don't use (you can always "Restore" them).
• "Ask Sam" if you're unsure about an account: it explains it in chat.

For accounts you never move you can use "Ignore all": accounts without entries are ignored in bulk, don't block finalization, and stay individually restorable. Mapped accounts move to the "Reconciled" tab.

Finalizing the import

You can finalize only when all accounts with entries are reconciled (if any are missing, a notice tells you how many). On the "Finalize import" screen you'll find two useful toggles:

• "Import from a cut-off date (opening balances)" — turn it on if you start from balances at a date instead of the journal from incorporation.
• "Also import the fixed-asset register" — turn it on if you uploaded fixed assets, then choose the 3 accounts to post them to: Fixed-asset account, Accumulated depreciation, Depreciation charge.

Click "Finalize import" and confirm: the reconciled data is written into your company's accounting. It's a reversible operation — you can review and fix the accounts after importing too.

What was imported (and what wasn't)

At the end you see the "Import complete" summary with the accounts, customers, suppliers, entries, open items, fiscal years and fixed assets actually imported. SamBooks always tells you what happened, with no silent drops:

• If there are exclusions or notices, the "Notices" section shows the reason for each exclusion or notice. Important rule: existing master data is not modified, and master data without VAT or tax code is imported anyway (the name is enough).
• If a file contains no recognizable rows you'll read "We found no records to import in these files": usually an unexpected format → start from the "Download example" template.
• Files that fall outside automation (invoices, support documents, unsupported formats) go to "Files received but not imported automatically": no data is lost, the team handles them.
• Where we have the statements filed with the Chamber of Commerce, SamBooks compares the rebuilt balance sheet with the filed one and highlights any differences, year by year.

You can always remove a file, fix it and re-upload it: re-running the section restarts the import for that section only.

Importing with Sam (from chat)

Everything you do on the page you can also ask Sam in chat. After uploading the files, ask Sam to proceed: Sam reads the files, suggests the account mapping, computes the reconciliation and flags any doubts with a question. The final write happens only after your explicit confirmation — Sam never imports anything behind your back. It's the same import: the page and the chat are two alternative routes, pick the one you prefer.

Prefer a hand? Assisted import

If you have lots of documents or a complex system, you don't have to do it all yourself. Click "We'll help you import your data": tell us which system you're coming from and what you need, attach the files you've already uploaded, and the SamBooks team runs the migration with you. We reply by email within the stated hours and you get a request code to track it. It's the route we recommend for large archives; the manual upload is there for those who prefer to do it themselves.

Common errors

• "Invalid format" — the file has an extension not allowed for that row. Check the formats shown under each item (CSV/Excel for master data and accounting, XML/ZIP for invoices).
• "…exceeds the limit" — split the export into several files and upload them on the same row: they're merged.
• The section 2 button stays grey — you must upload both the chart of accounts and the bookkeeping: they're imported together.
• I can't finalize — some accounts with entries still need reconciling: the notice tells you how many. Reconcile them (or use "Ignore all" on those without entries) and try again.
• Processing is slow — large archives take a few minutes; if it exceeds, you'll find the import in the "Your imports" history.

FAQ

Can I import in several goes? Yes. Each section is independent and you can come back any time.

Do I lose existing data? No: new customers and suppliers are appended to the existing ones and duplicates are flagged.

Do I have to upload the whole chart of accounts? No, only the accounts you actually use (the ones with entries).

How do I set the fiscal years? You don't: they're derived automatically from the bookkeeping entries.

What about XML invoices? Upload them in the "Optional documents" section: the SamBooks team handles them as support, not the automatic import.

I made a mistake — can I undo? Finalization is reversible and you can fix the accounts afterwards. If something doesn't add up, use "We'll help you import your data".

Related guides

• Complete your SamBooks onboarding — every step to get started.
• SDI recipient code in your AdE tax drawer — to receive purchase invoices straight into SamBooks.
• Tax regime codes RF01-RF19 — make sure your company's regime is the right one before importing.