answer you need is actually in the quickbooks help files - here's an excerpt.
-Mark
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You may also want to refer to the Reference Guide to Import Files
Note: These instructions are rather long. You may want to print them instead of
reading them onscreen. To print them, click Options and then choose Print Topic.
If you've been using another financial software product, and you'd like to
import information from that product into QuickBooks, you can do so if the
product allows you to export to a spreadsheet or text file. You can import lists
that correspond to QuickBooks lists, budgets, and individual transactions.
Tip: The easiest way to see and understand the format QuickBooks needs to import
data is to export some of your QuickBooks lists and view the resulting file in a
spreadsheet. If you don't already have a QuickBooks company, you can export
lists from the sample data (sample_product-based business. Qbw or
sample_service-based business.qbw).
1 Open the spreadsheet that contains the data.
2 Move the contents of all the cells in your spreadsheet one column to the right
so that the first column is blank.
3 Move the contents of all the cells down by one row so that the first row is
blank.
4 Check the structure of the spreadsheet. If it contains more than one type of
listor a mixture of lists, budgets, and transactionsmake sure that each type of
information has its own block in the spreadsheet. The blocks should follow each
other vertically. Insert a blank row of cells to separate the blocks.
For example, it you have a list of customers and a list of vendors, all the
customer data should be in one block and all the vendor information should be in
another block.
5 In the first cell in the blank row above each block of information, enter one
of the keywords shown in this table. Be sure to include the exclamation point
(!).
Type this text. . . If the block contains
!ACCNT Details about your chart of accounts.
!CUST A customer address or phone list.
!VEND A vendor address or phone list.
!EMP A list of employees.
!OTHERNAME A list of names you'd like to add to QuickBooks Other Name list.
!BUD Budget details.
!CLASS A list of general classifications you'd like to add to QuickBooks Class
list.
!CTYPE A list of customer classifications you'd like to add to QuickBooks
Customer Type list.
!INVITEM Details about the line items you use on sales and purchase forms.
!INVMEMO Messages you'd like to add to QuickBooks Customer Message list.
!PAYMETH A list of payment methods you'd like to add to QuickBooks Payment
Method list.
!SHIPMETH A list of shipping methods you'd like to add to QuickBooks Ship Via
list.
!TERMS A list of payment terms you'd like to add to QuickBooks Terms list.
!TIMEACT Details about activities you timed with the QuickBooks Pro Timer. Works
with !TIMERHDR.
!TIMERHDR QuickBooks Pro Timer data.
!TODO A list of upcoming "to do" tasks you want QuickBooks to remind you about.
!TRNS Transactions.
!VTYPE A list of vendor classifications you'd like to add to QuickBooks Vendor
Type list.
For example, if the spreadsheet contains a list of customers and then a list of
vendors, the structure of the spreadsheet would be as follows:
!CUST
[List of customers]
!VEND
[List of vendors]
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