A MYOB to Xero conversion (also called a MYOB to Xero migration) moves your chart of accounts, contacts, open invoices and bills, transaction history and payroll setup out of MYOB and into a new Xero organisation. The data conversion is often free through Jet Convert, Xero’s conversion partner. The real work is picking the right cut-over date, setting Xero up properly, getting payroll and Single Touch Payroll right, and proving the balances match. Ed Hutton at Dedicated Bookkeeping is a Xero Migration Specialist, an MYOB Gold Partner and Certified Practice, and a Registered BAS Agent, so we know both systems you are dealing with.
Key takeaways
- Migration and conversion mean the same thing: moving your books from MYOB to Xero.
- Xero subsidises the standard data conversion, so the data move itself is often free.
- The best time to switch is the start of a financial year. The start of a BAS quarter is next best.
- Payroll is where most conversions go wrong. Year-to-date figures moved mid-year must be reported correctly to the ATO.
- Check that the trial balance in Xero matches MYOB on the cut-over date before you start using Xero.
Updated 4 November 2026. Conversion prices checked November 2026.
Migration or conversion: what is the difference?
None. Accountants, bookkeepers and software companies use both words for the same job. Xero and Jet Convert tend to say “conversion”, while many businesses search for “MYOB to Xero migration”. Either way, it means taking the accounting data and setup you have in MYOB and rebuilding it in Xero so you can carry on from a set date.
Should you switch from MYOB to Xero?
As an MYOB Gold Partner as well as a Xero Migration Specialist, we have no reason to push you either way. MYOB works well for many businesses. Switching usually makes sense when:
- You are still on an older MYOB AccountRight desktop file and want to move to the cloud anyway
- An app you need (job management, inventory, receipts or payments) connects better with Xero, which is common in construction and trades
- Your accountant or bookkeeper works mainly in Xero and you want everyone in the same file
- Your MYOB file has become hard to work with and a clean start in new software is simpler than a repair
If none of those apply, staying put and tidying your file may be cheaper. Our guide to a bookkeeping catch-up covers how we fix a file that has fallen behind.
What moves across from MYOB to Xero
Exactly what converts depends on your MYOB product and the conversion package you choose. For a standard conversion, this is what to expect:
| Item | Comes across? | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Chart of accounts | Yes | MYOB’s detailed account structure often suits Xero better when simplified and paired with tracking categories |
| Customers and suppliers | Yes | Remove old contacts you no longer deal with before converting |
| Open invoices and bills | Yes | Aged receivables and payables in Xero should match MYOB on the cut-over date |
| Transaction history | Current and previous financial year as standard | More years are available on paid packages; older years stay in MYOB |
| Inventory items | Yes | Check quantities and stock values at the cut-over date |
| Jobs and categories | Yes | Decide how you want to report in Xero, usually with tracking categories |
| Payroll setup | Yes (employees and pay items) | Single Touch Payroll, super and leave settings must be set up and checked in Xero |
| Bank feeds and bank rules | No | Bank feeds are reconnected in Xero and bank rules rebuilt |
| Attachments, custom reports and invoice templates | Usually not | Keep the MYOB file for reference and rebuild templates in Xero |
How a MYOB to Xero conversion works, step by step
- Choose the cut-over date. Ideally the first day of a financial year, otherwise the first day of a BAS quarter.
- Tidy up MYOB first. Reconcile every bank and card account to the cut-over date, lodge any outstanding BAS and clear out old or duplicate entries. Problems in MYOB come across to Xero.
- Run the conversion. The MYOB file is uploaded to Jet Convert, which builds a Xero organisation with your data mapped in and sends a post-conversion report.
- Set Xero up properly. Review the chart of accounts and GST tax rates, set up tracking categories, invoice templates and user access, and connect bank feeds.
- Set up payroll. Check employees, pay rates, leave balances and super funds, connect Single Touch Payroll and confirm how year-to-date figures will be reported.
- Prove the numbers. Compare the trial balance, aged receivables and aged payables in Xero with MYOB at the cut-over date. They must match.
- Go live and learn the new system. You start working in Xero, with a walkthrough of the daily tasks you will use. Your first BAS from Xero is checked carefully before lodgement. New to activity statements? Read what a BAS statement is.
When is the best time to switch?
The cleanest time is the start of a financial year (1 July). Every report, BAS and payroll year then sits in one system, and Single Touch Payroll in Xero starts from zero. The next best is the first day of a BAS quarter, so that no activity statement is split across two systems.
You can convert at any time, but avoid switching in the weeks around a BAS due date or end-of-year payroll finalisation. If you lodge through a registered BAS agent, our guide to BAS due dates for 2026-27 shows the deadlines to plan around.
Payroll and Single Touch Payroll: where conversions go wrong
If you change payroll software part way through a financial year and bring your employees’ year-to-date (YTD) amounts into Xero, the ATO needs to know. Otherwise an employee’s income can show twice: once from MYOB and once from Xero. The ATO lists forgetting to deal with the old software’s YTD figures as a common mistake when moving payroll mid-year.
Depending on the software, there are two ways to handle it. Either the YTD figures reported from MYOB are zeroed and the full amounts are reported from Xero, or Xero sends an update that tells the ATO it is replacing MYOB’s payroll ID for those employees. Either way, it needs to be done once, correctly, before the first pay run in Xero.
Super needs the same attention. From 1 July 2026, Payday Super means super must be paid within days of each payday, rather than quarterly, so it is important that super funds and payment settings in Xero are right from the first pay run. Our guide to STP, Payday Super and IAS explains what changed. Ed is also a Xero Payroll Specialist, so payroll setup is part of every conversion we run. See how we have run weekly payroll for one client for more than ten years in our payroll case study.
What does a MYOB to Xero conversion cost?
The total cost has three parts: the data conversion, the Xero subscription, and the time to set Xero up and check it. Here is how the conversion itself is priced by Jet Convert, Xero’s conversion partner (Australian prices, excluding GST, as listed in November 2026):
| Option | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard package | $0 (fully subsidised by Xero) | Current and previous financial year of history, when Jet Convert creates the new Xero organisation |
| Accelerate package | $470 after Xero’s subsidy | Current and three previous financial years, monthly comparative balances and bank account mapping |
| Converting into a Xero file you already have | Not subsidised; base rates from $250 | Used when a Xero organisation has already been set up |
| Xero subscription | Monthly plan | Choose a plan that includes payroll if you have employees |
| Setup, payroll and checking | Fixed project fee | Clean-up, Xero setup, payroll and STP, reconciling the balances and training |
Prices change, so check the current packages with Jet Convert before you start. We quote our part as a fixed project fee once we have looked at your MYOB file, so you know the full cost before anything moves. For what ongoing bookkeeping typically costs afterwards, see bookkeeping services in Australia: what is included and what it costs.
Converting from QuickBooks or Reckon, or moving the other way
The same process works for QuickBooks Online, MYOB Essentials and Reckon files, which Jet Convert also converts to Xero. If you are on QuickBooks, our QuickBooks bookkeeping guide covers when moving is worth it. Moves from Xero to MYOB, or into QuickBooks, are possible too. Because we are certified in all three platforms, we can tell you honestly whether a move will help.
Why use a Xero Migration Specialist?
The conversion tool moves data. It does not decide how your chart of accounts should look, which tracking categories you need, how your payroll should be reported or whether your first BAS from Xero is right. Those setup decisions in the first few weeks determine whether Xero saves you time or becomes another mess to fix. It is the same reason a good bookkeeper pays for themselves.
- Xero Migration Specialist and Xero Payroll Specialist: trained by Xero in exactly this work
- MYOB Gold Partner and Certified Practice: we understand the file you are leaving, including where MYOB data needs special handling
- Registered BAS Agent (TPB 93634002): we can lodge your BAS from Xero and handle STP correctly
- Fixed project fee: agreed before we start
- Online, Australia-wide: conversions are done remotely, wherever you are. See how online bookkeeping works.
Frequently asked questions
Is a MYOB to Xero conversion free?
The data conversion often is. Xero fully subsidises Jet Convert’s Standard package (current and previous financial year of history) when Jet Convert creates the new Xero organisation for you. Extra history, converting into a Xero file you already have, and setting Xero up properly afterwards cost extra.
How long does it take to convert MYOB to Xero?
The data conversion itself usually comes back within a few business days. The whole project, including tidying the MYOB file first, setting up Xero, payroll and bank feeds, and checking the balances match, typically takes one to three weeks depending on the file.
Will I lose my MYOB history?
No. Your chosen years of history come across, and older years stay in your MYOB file. Keep that file accessible, because the ATO generally requires business records to be kept for five years.
Can I switch from MYOB to Xero in the middle of the financial year?
Yes, but payroll needs care. If you bring employees’ year-to-date figures into Xero, the ATO must be told through Single Touch Payroll so income is not double counted. The start of a financial year, or failing that the start of a BAS quarter, is the cleanest time to switch.
Is migration the same as conversion?
Yes. MYOB to Xero migration and MYOB to Xero conversion mean the same thing: moving your accounting data and setup from MYOB into Xero.
Can you convert QuickBooks to Xero, or Xero to MYOB?
Yes. Jet Convert also converts QuickBooks Online, MYOB Essentials and Reckon files to Xero. Because Ed is also an MYOB Gold Partner and QuickBooks ProAdvisor, we can move businesses between Xero, MYOB and QuickBooks in either direction when it makes sense.
Ready to move from MYOB to Xero?
Tell us which MYOB product you use, roughly how many employees you pay and when you would like to switch. We will look at your file, recommend a cut-over date and give you a fixed price for the whole conversion. Book a free discovery call and we will reply within 24 hours, or read more about our software migration service.
