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Import Interactive Brokers Transactions

Interactive Brokers (IBKR) is a global brokerage popular with active traders. HCC StockWatcher can import the CSV export from IBKR's Flex Query system.

Export from Interactive Brokers

  1. 1Log into your Interactive Brokers account.
  2. 2Navigate to Performance & Reports > Flex Queries.
  3. 3Create or run an Activity Flex Query whose Trades section includes these exact fields: Symbol, DateTime, Buy/Sell, Quantity, TradePrice, IBCommission, and CurrencyPrimary.
  4. 4Set the output format to CSV and run the query for your desired date range.
  5. 5Download and save the generated CSV file to your computer.

Import into HCC StockWatcher

  1. 1Go to the Transactions page and click Import.
  2. 2Select your Interactive Brokers CSV file. The parser is auto-detected.
  3. 3Review the preview — each transaction is shown with date, symbol, quantity, price, and type.
  4. 4Confirm the import. Your holdings and estimated cost basis update immediately.

Parser Details

The Interactive Brokers parser reads the Trades section of an Activity Flex Query: Symbol, DateTime, Buy/Sell, Quantity, TradePrice, IBCommission, and CurrencyPrimary. Only buys and sells are read from that section.

Supported CSV Fields

SymbolDateTimeQuantityTradePriceIBCommissionCurrencyPrimaryBuy/Sell

What transfers from your Interactive Brokers CSV

Exactly what the Interactive Brokers parser reads out of the file, and what you will still need to enter yourself afterwards.

Read from the file

  • Buy and sell rows from the Buy/Sell column: DateTime, Symbol, Quantity, and TradePrice.
  • IBCommission, applied as the fee on each trade. IBKR reports it as a negative number and it is stored as a positive cost.
  • CurrencyPrimary as the trade currency, which also sets the Canadian or the US market. An exchange suffix on the ticker, such as ENB.TO, is more specific and sets the market instead.
  • IBKR's own date formats — YYYYMMDD and YYYYMMDD;HHMMSS — are read as the trade date.

Entered by hand afterwards

  • Dividends, deposits, and withdrawals. The Trades section of a Flex Query carries only buys and sells, so cash activity is entered separately.
  • Option and futures contracts import as a bare symbol; enter the contract terms on the options form.
  • Cost basis for positions transferred in from another institution.
  • Bond terms such as face value, coupon rate, and maturity date.
  • Corporate actions such as splits, mergers, spinoffs, and return of capital are skipped.

Estimated capital gains, adjusted cost base, and the year-end United States and Canadian reference reports are all derived from these transactions, so anything missing here is missing from those figures too. See how estimated tax reporting works

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Related Resources

Other Supported Brokerages

HCC StockWatcher is an informational tool for portfolio tracking. All cost basis and P&L figures are estimates. Consult your brokerage statements and a qualified tax professional for official records.