Switch Accounting Software: An Australian Business Checklist

Switch accounting software by agreeing what must move, reconciling the old records and checking the destination before relying on it. A successful import message is only the beginning of that check.

Start with the reason for changing. If the problem is unresolved bookkeeping, moving the file may carry the same errors into a new interface.

Agree the scope in writing

Ask the conversion provider which items are included:

Record	Question to settle
Opening balances	Which date and which supporting reports?
Customer invoices and credits	Full history or only unpaid items?
Supplier bills and credits	Are allocations and unpaid balances preserved?
Banking	Are statement lines and reconciliations included?
Attachments	Are actual documents transferred, or just references?
Stock	Quantities, values, item codes and outstanding orders?
Payroll	Which employee, year-to-date and reporting records move?
Audit history	What remains available only in the old system?

“Your data will transfer” is too broad. Record exclusions and who will deal with each one.

Choose and control the cutover

A month or quarter boundary can make reconciliation easier to organise, but the right date depends on the business. Agree the date with the people maintaining and reviewing the records.

Document where new invoices, bills and payments will be recorded during conversion. Limit duplicate data entry. If the old file must remain active temporarily, keep a controlled list of transactions entered after the export.

Keep staff informed about the new invoice process, payment details and where to find historical records. A migration is not complete if the bookkeeper understands it but the person invoicing customers does not.

Reconcile the source before export

Complete bank reconciliations and investigate unexplained balances. Review unpaid customer invoices and supplier bills. Identify duplicate contacts and item codes that could become confusing after import.

Save the reports used to support opening balances, with the report date and settings visible. A cash-basis profit and loss report and an accrual-basis report are not interchangeable evidence.

If a number is unresolved, keep it on a named issues list. Do not bury it in a general opening-balance adjustment merely to make the new system balance.

Check the destination in layers

First compare the trial balance totals at the agreed date. Then inspect the details behind them: customer ageing, supplier ageing, bank balances and stock where applicable.

Select several records and check them end to end. Does an unpaid invoice still show the correct balance? Is a credit allocated correctly? Can you retrieve its supporting document? Do names, dates and tax settings make sense?

For payroll, have the responsible adviser or payroll specialist check opening records and the reporting transition. Do not assume a sales-ledger migration automatically transfers payroll history correctly.

Reconnect feeds and integrations carefully

Record the last imported bank date and the first date expected from the new connection. Check for both gaps and overlaps.

Identify which application now creates invoices, payment records and stock adjustments. Test one normal transaction and one correction through each integration. A payment processor should not create duplicate income alongside an invoice already recorded.

Our bank-feed guide explains the questions to ask about interruptions and duplicate handling.

Keep an archive you can actually use

Export the retained records and test access before cancelling the old subscription. A spreadsheet of totals may omit documents or the detail needed to answer a later question. Confirm the provider's access and retention terms.

The ATO requires business records to be retained for applicable periods, which vary by record and circumstances. Changing software does not remove that obligation. Use its record-keeping guidance and our records guide to decide what to preserve.

Sign off the first reporting cycle

Review the first complete bank reconciliation and month-end report pack in the new software. Allocate remaining issues with an owner and due date. Keep both subscriptions until the archive and agreed checks are complete, allowing for cancellation notice and minimum terms.

Key takeaways

Define what transfers and what must remain in the archive.
Compare balances and individual records, not just import counts.
Test feeds, integrations and the first reporting cycle before closing the old system.

Where to get help

Ask a conversion provider for a written scope and validation report. Use the software trial checklist before selecting the destination and the cost guide to budget the full move.