Export data from Banana Buchhaltung: a guide

Banana Buchhaltung works with tables: accounts, postings and VAT codes are each a table in one file. That makes exporting simple, because you can output the whole file or individual tables. This guide shows the commands described in the manufacturer's help.

Before you start: what you need

Open the accounting file for each year you want to bring across. Banana usually keeps one file per financial year. Create a folder in which to collect all the exports and a copy of the original files. Export before you stop using Banana: you must keep the accounting records for ten years (Art. 958f of the Swiss Code of Obligations, CO).

Step by step: exporting from Banana Buchhaltung

Menu names stay as they appear in the German-language Banana; a short explanation is given in brackets.

1. Whole accounting file: choose «Datei» › «Datei exportieren» (file › export file), then the export to Excel, HTML, XML or PDF. On the «Einschliessen» (include) tab, choose the tables and reports to include. In the Excel export, each table sits on its own sheet. Note: the file has the extension .xls but contains HTML, so Excel warns you when opening it. That is normal.
2. A single table: open the table, for example accounts, postings or VAT codes, and choose «Daten» › «Zeilen exportieren» › «Zeilen in TXT exportieren» (data › export rows › export rows to TXT). You can output only the selected rows and only the visible columns, include the headings and choose UTF-8. The format is tab-separated text.
3. Chart of accounts and opening balances: both are in the «Konten» (accounts) table, the opening balances in the «Eröffnung» (opening) column. With «Zeilen exportieren» in this table or with the Excel export, both come along. The help does not name a separate «export chart of accounts» command.
4. Journal and postings: in the «Buchungen» (postings) table, output the rows with «Daten» › «Zeilen exportieren», or the whole file with «Datei» › «Datei exportieren».
5. Copying as a fallback: cells, columns or whole tables can also be selected, copied and pasted into Excel.

Repeat the exports for every financial year you want to bring across.

Addresses, open items and invoices

Banana has no separate address book. Customer and supplier addresses are in the «Konten» table, in the «Adresse» (address) view. If the view is missing, add the function «Adress-Spalten in der Kontentabelle hinzufügen» (add address columns to the accounts table) under «Werkzeuge» › «Funktionen hinzufügen/entfernen» (tools › add/remove functions). You then export as above via the accounts table. For DATEV there is also the menu item «Erweiterungen» › DATEV › «Export Konten von Kunden und Lieferanten» (export customer and supplier accounts).

You find open items under «Berichte» › «Kunden» › «Offene Kunden-Rechnungen» (reports › customers › open customer invoices) or «Offene Rechnungen nach Fälligkeitsdatum» (open invoices by due date), and likewise under «Berichte» › «Lieferanten» (suppliers). In the print preview, output the report as PDF, HTML or Excel via the arrow next to «Adobe PDF».

Invoices are saved one at a time as PDF via the print preview. «PDF mit digitalen Anhängen» (PDF with digital attachments) exists only in the Advanced plan.

Payroll and items

Banana has no payroll accounting. If you run payroll externally, export it from there. Item management is not part of the accounting either; supply item lists, if you have them, from your invoicing solution or an Excel list.

Practical example: Bäckerei Moser

Bäckerei Moser is a fictitious family business with eight employees. Its fiduciary keeps the books in Banana. For the switch, she exports from the current file the «Konten» table with the opening balances, the «Buchungen» table for the last two years and the open-item reports for customers at 31 December. The bakery sends the files to KMU | base. In the trial run it sees what will be created. The balance list serves as a check: it gives the go-ahead only once the accounts agree.

Sources

• Banana Accounting Plus: «Exportieren aus der Banana Buchhaltung+», accessed 9 November 2026: banana.ch
• Banana: export to Excel, accessed 9 November 2026: banana.ch
• Banana: address columns in the accounts table, accessed 9 November 2026: banana.ch
• Banana: DATEV export of accounts, accessed 9 November 2026: banana.ch
• Swiss Code of Obligations (CO, SR 220), Art. 958f: fedlex.admin.ch (German original)

This guide describes the Banana Buchhaltung menus according to the manufacturer's help; names may change. Information as of 9 November 2026.