Microsoft will end support for Dynamics GP on 31 December 2029. After that date there are no more product enhancements, no regulatory (tax) updates and no technical support from Microsoft, although security updates, if needed, continue until 30 April 2031 (Microsoft Learn). New customers could no longer license GP subscriptions after 1 April 2026 (Microsoft). For an Australian business running GP, that leaves a few years to choose between moving to a new ERP, staying on GP for now while connecting it to other systems, or splitting the work between an accounting system and separate operations software. Whichever you choose, start with how your processes and data work today, not with the product.
The Dynamics GP end of support dates
These are the dates Microsoft has published:
- 1 April 2026: the final day for new customers to license Dynamics GP subscriptions (Microsoft).
- 31 December 2029: Dynamics GP support ends "for product enhancements, regulatory (tax) updates, and technical support". This was moved from a previously announced 30 September 2029 (Microsoft Learn).
- 30 April 2031: security updates, if needed, stop. Microsoft also says that from this date Service Plan coverage ends, subscription licences are no longer renewable, and extra perpetual users can no longer be added to existing GP systems (Microsoft).
One more date to check: if you are still on Dynamics GP 2018 or GP 2018 R2 under the older fixed lifecycle, Microsoft lists its extended support as ending on 11 January 2028. Installing a later update moves you to version 18.5 or later, which falls under the modern lifecycle and the 2029 date (Microsoft Learn). Ask whoever looks after your GP which version you are on.
Microsoft's own recommended path is Dynamics 365 Business Central. That is one option, not the only one. Check what your own licence allows after these dates with whoever supplies it.
What end of support means for an Australian GP user
The date that matters most in Australia is the end of regulatory and tax updates. If you run payroll or tax reporting in GP, you depend on those updates to keep up with changes to tax and payroll rules. After 2029 you would be on your own. For many businesses that alone sets the deadline, even if the rest of GP is working well.
The other risks build up more slowly:
- Fewer people who know GP well, and add-ons whose makers stop updating them.
- Integrations that break when the systems around GP change.
- Reports that only one person knows how to run, often built straight off the database.
- No way to add users as the business grows, from April 2031.
Your options
Option 1: Move to a new ERP
Replace GP with another ERP that handles your accounts and operations together. Business Central is Microsoft's recommended path and has a documented route for bringing GP data across (Microsoft Learn). There are other ERPs too. This is the biggest change, so it's the one where getting the processes clear first matters most. Moving messy processes onto new software usually gives you the same mess in a new system.
Option 2: Stay on GP for now, and connect it
If GP is stable and nothing forces your hand yet, you can stay for a while, but use the time well. Connect GP to the systems around it properly, document the reports and the processes, clean up your data, and decide which history needs to move. That way the eventual move is smaller and less risky. This only makes sense with a firm end date in mind, well before support ends.
Option 3: Split accounts and operations
Some businesses use GP for both the accounts and a lot of operational work: purchasing, inventory, projects, service jobs. When GP goes, it can make sense to split those. The accounting system keeps the ledger, and a separate operations system runs stock, orders, projects or jobs, with the two connected so nobody keys anything twice. This works when the operations side is where your business is different and the accounting side is standard.
Whichever option you choose: the data
Every option involves the data. Decide early:
- What moves. Usually open transactions, current balances, active customers, suppliers and items, and a sensible amount of history. Not every record since the system was installed.
- What gets archived. Older history can go into a read-only archive or reporting database so it can still be looked up and reported on after GP is gone.
- What gets cleaned first. Duplicate customers, old items, unused accounts and inconsistent codes are much cheaper to fix before a migration than after. Our post on cleaning data before a migration covers this.
Our data migration plan and checklist walks through the steps, including the cutover.
How to decide: process first, then product
A useful order of work:
- Map what GP actually does for you today. Not just modules, but the real processes: who raises orders, who approves, which reports go to the board, which spreadsheets sit around GP. Process mapping means drawing these out step by step.
- List every connection. Every import, export, add-on and report that touches GP.
- Mark what's broken or worked around. The spreadsheets and double handling around GP tell you what the next system needs to do better.
- Then compare options against that list, including cost, the people you'll need, and your timing.
What it looks like when it's done well: on the day you switch over, the opening balances reconcile, every report the business relies on has a replacement, and the integrations have been tested with real data, so nobody spends the first month back on spreadsheets.
Our pages on legacy system end-of-life migration and database integration and migration explain how we handle the move and the connections. We weigh the options above against your processes, not against a product list.
Frequently asked questions
When does Dynamics GP support end?
Microsoft ends Dynamics GP support on 31 December 2029 for product enhancements, regulatory (tax) updates and technical support. Security updates, if needed, continue until 30 April 2031.
Can we keep using Dynamics GP after 2029?
Microsoft's dates are about support and updates. Check with your licence supplier what your licence allows. In practice, the bigger issue in Australia is the end of tax and regulatory updates, plus fewer people and add-ons supporting GP over time.
Can we still buy Dynamics GP?
Microsoft says 1 April 2026 was the final day for new customers to license Dynamics GP subscriptions. From 30 April 2031, existing customers can no longer add perpetual users or renew subscription licences.
What is the Dynamics GP replacement?
Microsoft recommends Dynamics 365 Business Central. Other ERPs, or a split between an accounting system and separate operations software, are also options. The right one depends on what GP does for your business today.
How long does a Dynamics GP migration take?
It depends on how much GP does, how many systems connect to it and how clean the data is. That's why mapping the processes and connections comes first. We scope every project and give you a fixed quote after a free initial chat.
Where to start
If you want a clear picture of what GP does for your business, what connects to it and what your realistic options are, the $5,000 Process & Systems Audit maps it and gives you a written report. Or book a free initial chat.