Switch your accounting base or integration
You can change the accounting base or integration linked to your Spendesk file-based exports (Bookkeep > Export) directly from your settings. For: Account Owners and Controllers, on all plans.
Table of Contents
Before you start
Understand the available accounting base options
Switch your accounting base
Impact on your purchase and bank journal
Best practices for the switch
Examples
Troubleshooting
Before you start
Requirement | Detail |
Role | Account Owner or Controller |
Plan | Available on all plans |
Prerequisite | Finish your accounting close for the current period before switching |
👥 Roles: Only Account Owners and Controllers can switch the accounting base or integration.
Understand the available accounting base options
Before switching, confirm which accounting base fits your needs. After selecting a new base, you can download a preview of the purchase and bank journal to check it before confirming.
If you need help choosing the right accounting base, contact your Customer Success Manager.
These are the accounting bases you can choose from:
Single-entry system
Double-entry system
Sage
Cegid
Xero
DATEV
💡 Tip: If you later revert from a native integration (such as Xero or DATEV) back to a file-based export, you can only select the original file-based type you used before (single-entry or double-entry). This restores your chart of accounts and your expense, bank, and supplier accounts.
Switch your accounting base
Navigate to Settings > Accounting Setup > Accounting integration
Click "Switch Integration" next to your current accounting base
Review the explanation of each accounting base, including its purchase and bank journal format
Select your new accounting base from the dropdown list
Download the preview file to verify the purchase and bank journal format
Confirm your selection to complete the switch
⚠️ Warning: The switch takes effect immediately on the day you confirm it. This action cannot be undone without contacting support.
Impact on your purchase and bank journal
What happens to payables in the purchase journal
Already exported payables stay in the old format.
Only new or not-yet-exported payables appear in the new format.
What happens to payments in the bank journal
Already exported payments stay in the old format.
Only new or not-yet-exported payments appear in the new format.
What happens to receipts
Nothing changes. Receipts are not affected by the switch.
Best practices for the switch
Because the switch takes effect immediately, follow these recommendations:
Finish your closing for the current period (first to last day of the month) before switching. This means you should have no payables in Bookkeep > Prepare or Bookkeep > Export.
Perform the switch on the first day of the new period (the 1st of the month) so you get one export per period.
📋 Best Practice: If you switch in the middle of a month, you will receive two accounting exports for that period — one in the old format and one in the new format.
If you select a reporting period during which a switch occurred, you will receive several purchase and bank journals. Spendesk keeps exported data in the format it was originally exported, so your past records stay accurate.
Examples
Example 1: You switch on 1 September
You exported all payables for August, then switched on 1 September.
If you export August only:
Purchase journal: old format, with all August payables (already exported before the switch).
Bank journal: old format, with all August payments (already exported before the switch).
If you export the period August to September:
Purchase journal: one journal in the old format for all August payables, plus a second journal in the new format for all new or not-yet-exported September payables.
Bank journal: one journal in the old format for all August payments, plus a second journal in the new format for all new or not-yet-exported September payments.
Example 2: You switch mid-month (e.g. 15 September)
You did not export all payables for the month, then switched to a file-based export on the 15th.
If you export August only:
Purchase journal: old format for payables exported until 15 August; new format for new or not-yet-exported payables from 15 August onward.
Bank journal: old format for payments exported until 15 August; new format for new or not-yet-exported payments from 15 August onward.
Since you did not switch on the 1st of the month, you receive two accounting exports for August. Switching on the 1st of the next month avoids this.
If you export the period August to September:
Purchase journal: one journal in the old format with already exported payables (1st to 15th of August), plus a second journal in the new format for new or not-yet-exported payables from 15 August to September.
Bank journal: one journal in the old format with already exported payments (1st to 15th of August), plus a second journal in the new format for new or not-yet-exported payments from 15 August to September.
Troubleshooting
Symptom: You want to switch back to your previous file-based export after using a native integration (Xero, DATEV, or another native integration), but you're not sure which format to select.
Cause: Choosing the wrong file-based type can prevent your chart of accounts and expense, bank, and supplier accounts from restoring correctly.
Resolution: Select the exact file-based integration type you used before switching to a native integration. Contact Spendesk customer support beforehand if you are unsure — support can confirm your switch history between file-based and native integrations.
Symptom: You switched accounting bases and now see multiple purchase or bank journals for the same period.
Cause: You switched during a reporting period rather than at the start of a new period.
Resolution: This is expected. Spendesk splits the export into old-format and new-format files based on the switch date. To avoid this in future, switch on the 1st of the month.
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