When exporting your item list in QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT), the inactive items will still be included, Kathy. Let me provide you with some workaround to remove the inactive items.

I'd recommend manually removing the inactive items on the Excel file since it'll indicate if they are active or not.

Here's how:

1. On the menu bar, click Inventory.
2. Uncheck the box for Include inactive.
3. Select the Item list. Then, click the dropdown button beside Excel.
4. Click Export all items, then select Export.
5. Remove the inactive items manually on the file you've downloaded.

Also, you can run a item list report and customize it by only viewing the active items. This way, you can filter the active status of your items and export it to Excel file.

Furthermore, you can also edit your item list and delete them if they're no longer needed. Feel free to visit this article: Add, edit, and delete items in QuickBooks Desktop.

Additionally, you may refer to this article to learn how to run inventory reports in QBDT: Run reports in QBDT.

I'm confident these steps will help you in exporting and removing the inactive items. If you need more concerns and questions, feel free to reply. I'm here to help.