In this guide · 7 sections
Short answer
Pick a conversion date (ideally a GST quarter or year start), import the chart of accounts, contacts and items, enter conversion balances from MYOB's trial balance, add open invoices and bills, then reconcile. Full history needs a conversion specialist.
What moves from MYOB to Xero, and what usually does not
There are three levels of migration. Most small businesses pick the first or second; full history is mainly for businesses that need comparative reports inside Xero.
| Level | What comes across | Typical method |
|---|---|---|
| Balances only | Chart of accounts, contacts, items, conversion balances, open invoices and bills | CSV imports plus Xero's conversion balances screen |
| Balances plus open items detail | As above, with each unpaid invoice and bill so you can chase and pay them | CSV imports or Xero's open invoice entry |
| Full history | Past invoices, bills, bank transactions and journals for one or more years | A conversion specialist or the Conversion Toolbox via your accountant |
Even with a specialist, some things rarely convert cleanly. The MMC Convert listing on the Xero App Store excludes budgets, expense claims, memorised transactions, payment terms, invoice templates, deleted or void transactions and repeating invoices after the conversion date. Plan to rebuild those by hand.
Which conversion tools Xero lists, and what applies in Singapore
Xero publishes three routes, and their availability differs:
- MYOB chart of accounts import: Xero Central's article Convert to Xero from MYOB (Australian edition) lets you choose MYOB when importing a chart of accounts CSV and optionally include balances. It lists MYOB Accounting or AccountRight Standard files. It is written for Australia, so check whether the MYOB option appears in your Singapore organisation before relying on it.
- Conversion Toolbox: for Xero partners (accountants and bookkeepers). Xero Central says it converts data from a client's previous software into files Xero accepts, with options for several MYOB exports including AccountRight and MYOB Essentials.
- Conversion specialists: third-party services listed on the Xero App Store. Xero earlier advertised free MMC Convert conversions for new subscribers in Asia, but that page now redirects to a partner toolkit, so ask Xero or the provider what currently applies.
If none of those fit, the general guide Convert to Xero from any system works for any source: export lists to CSV, import contacts and items, and enter balances.
MYOB to Xero migration steps
This is the order that avoids rework. Agree the conversion date and the opening trial balance with your accountant first.
Choose the conversion date
The start of a GST quarter or financial year keeps GST returns clean: everything before is in MYOB, everything after is in Xero.
Clean up MYOB
Reconcile bank accounts to the conversion date, remove duplicate or inactive contacts, and close off old jobs.
Set up the Xero organisation
Financial year end, GST registration and tax rates, base currency, and bank feeds. Leave invoices for after the balances are in.
Import the chart of accounts, contacts and items
Export each list from MYOB to CSV, map columns to Xero's import templates, and import. Note any accounts that fail so you can fix them.
Enter conversion balances
Xero Central's Enter conversion balances article says to use the trial balance dated the day before the conversion date, under Accounting settings, Conversion balances.
Enter open invoices and bills
Bring across each unpaid sales invoice and supplier bill dated before conversion, so receivables and payables match MYOB's aged reports.
Switch MYOB to read-only
Keep the MYOB file and a backup accessible for audit and IRAS queries, but stop entering new transactions in it.
Reconciliation checks before you switch MYOB off
Run these comparisons as at the conversion date. Any difference should be explained before you start invoicing from Xero.
Sign-off checks
Multi-currency is where totals often drift. MMC Convert's own FAQ notes that Xero uses a single exchange rate on the conversion date for opening balances, which can create a foreign exchange variance in a historical adjustment account. Let your accountant decide how to treat it.
Common MYOB to Xero pitfalls
These are the mistakes that cost the most time after go-live:
Do
- Convert at a GST quarter or year boundary
- Map MYOB tax codes to Xero's Singapore GST rates before importing
- Keep MYOB backups for the record-keeping period your accountant advises
- Rebuild repeating invoices and payment terms by hand
Avoid
- Converting mid-quarter and splitting one GST return across two systems
- Importing every inactive contact and item from years of MYOB use
- Starting to invoice in Xero before balances are signed off
- Assuming sub-accounts and job codes carry over unchanged
If you are deciding between Xero and other systems first, our QuickBooks to Xero migration guide and Excel to Xero migration guide cover the same steps from other starting points, including current Xero Singapore prices.
Do it yourself or get help?
A sole proprietor with a simple MYOB file and a helpful accountant can do a balances-only move in a weekend using Xero's CSV imports and the Xero Singapore pricing plan that fits. It gets harder with many open invoices, inventory, foreign currency or several years of history.
IT Sorted is a Singapore-based team of developers with over 10 years of experience. Our Accounting Migration starts from S$690: a written migration plan and cut-over date agreed with you and your accountant, customers, suppliers and products imported (up to 500 records), open invoices and bills brought across (up to 200), opening balances entered from your accountant's trial balance, a comparison report, and the old system kept read-only until you confirm. We set up and move the data; we do not do bookkeeping or tax filing.
Frequently asked questions
Not as a single file. Xero imports lists such as the chart of accounts, contacts and items from CSV, and you enter conversion balances. Xero Central's Australian MYOB article covers a direct chart of accounts import, and Xero partners can use the Conversion Toolbox. Full history needs a conversion specialist.
Pick the first day of a GST quarter or financial year, agreed with your accountant. Xero's conversion balances are then taken from the MYOB trial balance dated the day before. Converting at a boundary keeps each GST return in one system and makes reconciliation easier.
Only if you pay for it or do it yourself. A balances-only migration brings opening balances and open invoices, not past transactions. Conversion specialists can bring one or more years of history, but they list exclusions such as budgets, memorised transactions and deleted or void entries. Many businesses keep MYOB read-only for reference instead.
Xero's Singapore pricing page lists Starter at S$39, Standard at S$70 and Premium at S$95 a month including GST, as of October 2026, with announced increases to S$42, S$77 and S$99 from 1 November 2026. Xero often runs introductory discounts, so check the page on the day you subscribe.
A balances-only migration for a small business usually takes a few days of work spread over one or two weeks, mostly waiting for the accountant's trial balance and sign-off. Full history conversions take longer and depend on the provider and the size and condition of the MYOB file.