Sounds too good to be true?

Background
MYOB Aust recently disconnected all 'Confirmation' phone lines, as well as automatic online confirmation for users of older versions. This means when the company file is next due for Confirmation, the phone number listed on the Confirm By Phone screen will not work.

When you contact MYOB Aust (if you can get through), they will advise that for 'seamless' file confirmation, you can download and install and use the latest version - AR2024 - for free.

It is no secret that MYOB wants all users on the latest version and paying an annual subscription. We suspect that this is behind the offer of 'free' upgrades. 'Free' initially, however not indefinitely - see below.

Your licence agreement
What most users don't realise is that this is all due to your current perpetual licence. Your perpetual licence allows you to continue to use indefinitely the version of MYOB® you purchased. There is no provision in your current licence for MYOB to 'stop' allowing you to use that version of MYOB®, and MYOB must continue to provide Confirmation.

A 'free' upgrade to the latest version (AR2024) achieves 2 important things:

• You relinquish your current licence, it is replaced by the new licence that comes with AR2024
  
• You must upgrade the company file - and there is no way to revert back
  

Once you accept the 'free' upgrade and use your company file in AR2024, there is no going back to the earlier version.

Why is this important? - because MYOB Aust have recently added a new clause to the AR2024 licence agreement.

	6.4 Discontinuing AccountRight
	(a) If we discontinue the development, maintenance or sale of AccountRight in either Australia or New Zealand and we make subscriptions for any substantially similar product(s) available for sale generally to customers at the time in the relevant jurisdiction, we may propose to migrate you to a substantially similar product. We will give you written notice at least 60 days before any proposed migration and we will give you a reasonable opportunity to opt out of any proposed migration. If you do not opt out before the effective date of the migration, we will automatically migrate your Subscriber Data and transfer your Subscription Plan to a substantially similar product. We will act reasonably in making any migration under this section 6.4.
	(b) If we discontinue the development, maintenance or sale of AccountRight in either Australia or New Zealand, and do not make subscriptions for any substantially similar product(s) available for sale generally to customers at that time, we will give you written notice at least 60 days' before the effective date of discontinuation of your AccountRight service so that you can arrange for replacement product(s) or service(s).

Once you are on this new licence, MYOB Aust can switch you over from the desktop version to the browser based version giving 60 days notice. And if you argue the browser based version is not substantially similar, clause (b) allows them to give you 60 days notice of discontinuation of service.

Needless to say, if you are happy with your current version, we recommend you continue to use it. If you are unable to get file confirmation from MYOB Aust, to continue to use your current version offline, see here.

Note: If you are using the 'free upgrade' path to upgrade from v19, you should be aware that you will not be able to use payroll at all. This is because in order to use payroll you must have tax tables loaded. You cannot load tax tables without a subscription!