MYOB to Xero Migration & Trial Balance Conversion

MYOB to Xero data conversion and trial balance reconciliation

Moving the Numbers, Not Just the Software

Signing up to Xero takes ten minutes. Getting your MYOB numbers into it properly is the hard part: the trial balance has to agree, receivables and payables have to match the aged reports, and your accountant has to be able to sign it off.

We do the data side of the move — mapping, transforming, loading and reconciling — for businesses switching to Xero and for accounting firms converting clients. Every conversion ends with a line-by-line trial balance comparison showing zero variance. Doing it yourself? Our step-by-step trial balance guide covers the process.

How trial balance conversion works

Do You Even Need Us?

Honest answer: not always. Xero and its partners offer free conversion options that work well for simple files. Here's how to tell which side you're on.

The free tool is probably fine if…

One MYOB company file
Chart of accounts stays roughly the same
Only opening balances and open invoices/bills needed
Bookkeeper is comfortable checking the result

You'll want custom conversion if…

Large file, years of history or a messy chart of accounts
Several entities, intercompany loans or consolidations
Chart of accounts being restructured during the move
Prior-year comparatives needed in Xero reports
MYOB jobs or categories that need to become Xero tracking
Your accountant needs a sign-off pack, not just “it balances”

How We Convert the Trial Balance

The trial balance is the part that has to be exactly right. This is the process we follow on every conversion.

1

Lock the conversion date

Agree the date (ideally 1 July or the start of a BAS quarter) and make sure the MYOB period is finalised — bank reconciled, BAS lodged or ready, late adjustments posted.

2

Map every account

Each MYOB account is mapped to a Xero account and account type in a mapping workbook. Header accounts are dropped, duplicates merged, and system accounts (GST, retained earnings, current year earnings, AR/AP) handled explicitly.

3

Transform and build the import files

We script the transformation rather than re-keying it, so if MYOB figures change after a late adjustment we re-run it in minutes instead of starting again. You get CSV import files to review before anything is loaded.

4

Load conversion balances and open items

Balance sheet balances (and year-to-date P&L if converting mid-year) go in as Xero conversion balances. Open invoices and bills are loaded individually so the aged receivables and payables agree to the control accounts.

5

Reconcile and sign off

We run the Xero trial balance and compare it line by line with MYOB. The reconciliation pack shows every account, the mapping used and a zero variance — ready for your accountant to sign off.

What We Convert

Works with MYOB AccountRight, Essentials and Business. Moving from MYOB Advanced or EXO? Those are larger jobs — talk to us about scope.

Trial balance & opening balances

Balance sheet at conversion date, YTD profit and loss for mid-year moves, GST and rounding accounts, retained earnings

Chart of accounts

MYOB accounts mapped to Xero codes and types, header groupings rebuilt as report layouts, optional renumbering

Receivables & payables

Open customer invoices and supplier bills, credit notes and prepayments, agreed to the aged reports

Contacts & items

Customers, suppliers, terms and tax defaults; inventory items, prices and quantities where used

History & comparatives

Monthly trial balance journals for prior-year comparatives, or transaction-level history where it’s worth it

Jobs, payroll & multi-entity

MYOB jobs and categories to Xero tracking, employee and YTD payroll setup, one Xero organisation per MYOB file with intercompany agreed

For Accounting Firms & Bookkeepers

Converting a large client is a lot of senior time spent on data work. Send us the spec — or your own mapping template — and we'll do the transformation and hand back:

An account mapping workbook (MYOB account → Xero code and type)
Import files for conversion balances, open invoices and bills
A trial balance reconciliation showing MYOB vs Xero, account by account
Aged receivables and payables agreed to the control accounts

You review and approve before anything is loaded into the client's Xero file. We're happy to work behind your practice rather than in front of your client.

Trial balance reconciliation pack for accountants

MYOB to Xero FAQs

Often, yes. If you have one MYOB file, a standard chart of accounts and you only need opening balances plus open invoices and bills, the free conversion options from Xero and its partners usually do the job. You need custom work when the file is large or messy, there are several entities, the chart of accounts is being restructured on the way across, you need history or comparatives in a particular shape, or your accountant needs a reconciliation pack they can sign off.

We take the MYOB trial balance as at the day before your conversion date, map every MYOB account to its Xero account, and load the result as Xero conversion balances. Receivables and payables are loaded as individual open invoices and bills so the ledgers agree to the control accounts. We then run the Xero trial balance and compare it line by line with MYOB until the variance is zero.

The start of a financial year (1 July) is cleanest: you only bring across balance sheet balances, payroll year-to-date is reset, and there is no split BAS period. The start of a BAS quarter is the next best option. Xero conversion dates are always the first day of a month, so balances are taken as at the last day of the month before.

Yes. The common approach is to post monthly trial balance movements as journals for the comparative period, so Xero’s profit and loss and balance sheet reports show prior-year figures by month. Full transaction-level history is possible too, but it costs more and is rarely needed — most clients keep MYOB in read-only mode for detailed look-ups.

Xero has no header accounts, so MYOB headers are dropped and their grouping is rebuilt with Xero account types and custom report layouts. MYOB account numbers like 1-1110 can be kept, simplified or replaced with a new numbering scheme. We agree the mapping with you or your accountant before anything is loaded.

Yes — a lot of our conversion work comes through practices. You can send us a spec or your own mapping template, we do the data transformation, and we hand back the import files and a reconciliation pack for your review before anything goes into the client’s Xero file. We are happy to work behind your practice rather than in front of your client.

A single company file with opening balances can be done within a week once we have access to the data. Multi-entity conversions, payroll and comparative history add time. We give you a timeline once we have seen the file.

Still Deciding?

Xero vs MYOB

Full comparison for businesses with staff and inventory

MYOB Solo vs Xero

The simpler decision for sole traders

MYOB Advanced vs NetSuite

For businesses outgrowing small-business accounting

Accounting Data Migration

Reckon, QuickBooks, spreadsheets and other conversions

Got a Conversion Spec?

Send it through with a rough idea of the file size and number of entities. We'll tell you whether the free tool will do, and if not, what the job involves and what it costs.

Free initial chat. No sales pressure - if we're not the right fit, we'll say so.

Prefer to talk? Call 1300 470 091

Got a spec or files? Email [email protected]

MYOB to Xero Migration