Every accounting package expects its own import file. If you sell on WooCommerce, it is better to pick the right format from the start than to re-key or rework a file by hand.
Start by asking your accountant
The right question is not “which format is best?” but “what can my accountant’s software import?”. Ask it before configuring anything: it saves you from redoing an export.
The most common formats
- FEC: the French legal format, accepted by many packages and firms.
- Sage 100 / 100cloud, Sage 50 / 50c, EBP, Ciel: widely used by French small businesses.
- Pennylane: a dedicated import template; it also accepts a FEC directly.
- DATEV: the standard in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
- Exact Online: Benelux and Europe.
- Xero, QuickBooks, Zoho Books: English-speaking and international markets.
- Holded: Spain.
- SAP FI/CO: large organisations.
What if your software is not on the list?
Tiime Expert and Cegid Loop accept a FEC as a direct import, so the FEC is enough. Odoo, WinBooks and Yuki have no dedicated format; ask your accountant whether they can import a FEC or a generic CSV, or whether they prefer another tool.
What changes from one format to another
- The file extension: .csv for DATEV, Xero, QuickBooks, Exact Online, Pennylane, Zoho Books and Holded (their import tools require it), .txt for the FEC, Sage, Sage 50, EBP, Ciel and SAP FI/CO.
- The separator and columns: tab, semicolon or comma depending on the software.
- The label language: French for the FEC, Sage or EBP; German for DATEV; Dutch for Exact Online; English for Xero or QuickBooks; Spanish for Holded.
- VAT: DATEV receives amounts including VAT and calculates the VAT itself; the other formats receive separate VAT lines.
- Size: Xero limits an import to 300 lines per file; the export is then split and delivered in a ZIP.
One setup, thirteen formats
With Accounting Export for WooCommerce, you configure your accounts, VAT rates and payment gateways once, then choose the format when you export. The FEC is free; the 12 other formats are included in the Premium plans, with a 14-day trial.
Whatever the format, run a test import on a short period before processing a whole year, and have your accountant validate your accounts.
