'Classic' is the unofficial term MYOB now uses to refer to all Windows based versions of MYOB® up until v19.16 (19.sixteen).

Since late 2011 MYOB Australia have been trying to get Classic MYOB® users to upgrade to their 'Live' version, currently known as AR2024. Most users wisely chose to stick with v19, forcing MYOB to continue updating v19.

The Compliance Update known as v19.5 was to have been the last. However users refusing to upgrade forced MYOB to continue Compliance Updates for v19. This is why we now have v19.6, v19.7, v19.8, v19.9, v19.10, v19.11, v19.12, v19.13, v19.14 and v19.15

By late 2017 MYOB management had had enough and announced they would stop Confirming v19 files, thereby forcing users to upgrade. A serious customer backlash and threats of a class action soon forced MYOB to abandon that policy.

Single Touch Payroll (STP) was set to commence 1 July 2018 for employers with over 19 employees. Seeing how MYOB was unable to force users to upgrade by stopping file confirmation, they decided instead NOT to add STP functionality to v19. This would surely force most to upgrade to AR2024 - those that could not were given an exemption from complying with STP until May 2019.

In a further effort to compel upgrade, in Sep 2018 MYOB announced that they will discontinue support for Classic MYOB® from Sep 2019. June 2019 will be the last Compliance Update (v19.16 we presume).

What does this mean?

From Sep 2019:

• no more new features, patches, compliance updates or product support (technical)
• file confirmation will continue so you can keep using your company file indefinitely
• no new Developer licences or ODBC registrations, so developers may not release new addons

What does this NOT mean?

This does not mean:

• you can no longer use your version of MYOB® and you must upgrade
• Classic MYOB® becomes any more unreliable
• existing features will no longer work

FGH Tables will continue to support Classic MYOB® users

For those who choose to continue to use Classic MYOB® (such as v19), we will help by indefinitely continuing to provide:

• updated tax tables
• technical support
• repairs, conversions and user tools
• assistance with any Confirmation issues (inc ODBC)

Your version of MYOB® (MYOB v11 and higher) will continue to work as it does now (including on Windows 11). There is no additional risk using MYOB® beyond Sep 2019. Apart from tax table updates, patches and new features have been few and far between since about v19.7 anyway.

At present remaining on v19 is the best option for many users. AR2024 still has far too many issues to even consider, unless you have a very small file and you use basic features only. Do your own research before committing, speak to users, not sales people or consultants, check the MYOB Community Forum.

To comply with Single Touch Payroll with any MYOB version, see STP Creator.

What some users are doing is running AR2024 just for payroll as a means of complying, and then journal a payroll transaction into their v19 file that they use for all other accounting purposes. v19 is considerably more efficient and reliable than AR2024.