Formula Errors

How to Format Names and Company Names for QuickBooks using Excel Formulas

Maira Mehtab Sep 21, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs an Excel formula to properly format customer or vendor names for QuickBooks imports.

Product: Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Preparing and formatting a contact list where some entries have a company name and others only have personal names.
Observed behavior: The goal is to display the company name if it exists, or output the format 'Last Name, First Name' if the company name cell is blank.

Before you start

Ensure your data is organized into clear columns for First Name, Last Name, and Company Name before applying the formula.

Solution 1Recommended

Use an IF Formula with Text Concatenation

This method uses the IF function to check for a company name and the ampersand (&) operator to combine personal names if the company field is empty.

The IF function evaluates whether a specific condition is met. In this case, it checks if the Company cell is blank. If it is, the formula joins the Last Name and First Name using an ampersand (&) with a comma and space in between. If the Company cell is not blank, it simply returns the Company name.

Identify your data columns

Locate the columns containing your contact information. For this example, assume Column B is First Name, Column C is Last Name, and Column D is Company Name.

Enter the IF formula

Click on cell A2 (or your desired output cell for the QuickBooks format) and enter the following formula: =IF(D2="",C2&", "&B2,D2)

Apply the formula to the column

Press Enter to see the result. Then, click and drag the fill handle (the small square at the bottom-right corner of cell A2) down the column to apply the formula to the rest of your list.

Adjust Cell References: Make sure to adjust the cell references (B2, C2, D2) in the formula to match the actual layout and rows of your spreadsheet.

Format Data Easily in WPS Spreadsheet

Format Names for QuickBooks using WPS Office

You can quickly apply this IF formula and format your contact lists for QuickBooks using WPS Spreadsheet. It offers full support for Excel formulas and a user-friendly interface for managing large datasets.

1. Open your data file: Launch WPS Spreadsheet and open the document containing your contact list.
2. Apply the IF formula: Select the target cell and input =IF(D2="",C2&", "&B2,D2), adjusting references to match your columns.
3. Fill down the column: Double-click the fill handle in the corner of the selected cell to automatically populate the rest of your data.
4. Save as CSV: Go to Menu > Save As, and choose CSV format to easily import your formatted list into QuickBooks.

100% compatible with Microsoft Excel formulas and functions.Easily import and export CSV files for QuickBooks integration.Lightweight and runs smoothly on all major operating systems.Free to use for everyday spreadsheet tasks.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I add a space between the first and last name instead of a comma?

You can modify the formula to =IF(D2="",B2&" "&C2,D2) to display 'First Name Last Name' separated by a single space.

What if my First Name and Last Name are in the same cell?

You will first need to split them using the 'Text to Columns' feature under the Data tab before applying the conditional IF formula.

Why is my formula returning an error or #NAME??

This usually happens if there is a typo in the formula. Ensure your quotation marks are straight quotes ("") and that your cell references correspond to actual columns in your sheet.

Can I use this formula in other spreadsheet programs?

Yes, the IF function and ampersand (&) concatenation work identically across Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, and WPS Spreadsheet.

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