MYOB Business and AccountRight
Import bank statements into MYOB
MYOB imports bank statements as OFX or QIF files, not PDFs, and MYOB’s own support says a PDF needs a converter. Here is which file to make for MYOB Business or AccountRight, and how to import it without doubling up on your bank feed.
- OFX with signed amounts and unambiguous dates
- QIF as the fallback MYOB has always read
- Australian and New Zealand bank statements
- Each statement checked before import
<STMTTRN> <TRNTYPE>CREDIT <DTPOSTED>20260302 <TRNAMT>4210.00 <FITID>a3f9c2e81b07 <NAME>ACH DEPOSIT STRIPE PAYOUT</STMTTRN><STMTTRN> <TRNTYPE>CHECK <DTPOSTED>20260305 <TRNAMT>-1250.00 <FITID>5d10e7b4c9a2 <CHECKNUM>1042</STMTTRN><LEDGERBAL><BALAMT>15354.12
The short answer
Can you import a PDF bank statement into MYOB?
No. MYOB’s support article for importing bank and credit card statements asks for the statement saved as a QIF or OFX file in MYOB Business, and lists OFX, QFX, QIF and OFC for AccountRight desktop. PDF isn’t on either list, and MYOB community moderators say a PDF needs a third-party converter, which MYOB doesn’t support.
CSV isn’t on MYOB’s list either. Statement import is built around the bank download formats, so a converted statement should be OFX (or QIF) rather than a spreadsheet. OFX states each transaction’s date and sign explicitly, which avoids the two mistakes MYOB imports most often suffer: day and month swapped, and deposits and withdrawals reversed.
VouchRow converts the PDF statement, digital or scanned, into OFX or QIF after checking every row against the statement’s running balance. You import the file through MYOB’s own Import statement screen.
Which format to use
The file MYOB wants
OFX for MYOB
MYOB will not import a statement that starts before the opening balance month
Step by step
How to import a PDF bank statement into MYOB
MYOB’s advice is to import and reconcile one month at a time when you have several months to bring in.
- 1Check the dates MYOB will acceptMYOB Business won’t import transactions dated before the Opening balance month in your business settings (AccountRight uses the conversion month), or before a lock date. If a bank feed is running, you only need statements for the period before the feed started.
- 2Convert and check the statementSign in and upload the PDF. Every row is checked against the running balance and the statement against its closing balance. Flagged rows link to the highlighted line on the PDF.
- 3Export OFX (or QIF)OFX is the recommendation: dates in a fixed format and amounts signed per transaction. QIF is the fallback where an OFX file is refused. Keep each file under MYOB’s 10 MB limit; one month is far below it.
- 4MYOB Business: Banking hub → Import statementGo to Banking → Banking hub, click the three dots next to the account and choose Import statement. On the Bank statement import history page click Import statement, choose the bank account, then Import statement file → Browse, select the file and click Import. MYOB reports how many lines were imported.
- 5AccountRight desktop: Reconcile Accounts → Get StatementFrom the Banking command centre open Reconcile Accounts, choose the account, enter the statement’s closing balance and date, click Get Statement and select the file. MYOB matches statement lines to existing transactions on cheque number, date and amount.
- 6Match, allocate and reconcileMatch imported lines to transactions already in MYOB, allocate the rest, and reconcile to the statement’s closing balance before importing the next month.
Why it works
What converting first does for MYOB
A format MYOB actually lists
OFX and QIF are what MYOB’s statement import reads. No spreadsheet to reshape and no unsupported CSV.
No day–month swaps
Australian and New Zealand statements print day-first dates. OFX stores dates in a fixed year-month-day form, so 03/04 can’t become 4 March.
Right side of the ledger
Withdrawals negative, deposits positive, per transaction. And the statement is checked against its own balance, so a reversed row shows up before import.
History before the feed
MYOB suggests importing statements for the period before a bank feed was activated. Those months are usually only available as PDFs.
Checked before export
A misread digit is caught on its own row
Every conversion is tested against the statement: the running balance on every row, page subtotals, opening plus movement against closing, the printed credit and debit totals, and the transaction count. When a number does not add up, VouchRow names the row and highlights the line it came from on the PDF.
Arithmetic only: it verifies amounts, balances and totals, not descriptions or dates, and two errors that cancel out would pass. The source-line link covers the rest.
How the checks workRunning balance check
- POS AMAZON MKTPLACE−86.4316,604.12
- CHECK #1042−1,250.0015,354.12
- ZELLE FROM J MORALES+640.0015,994.12
Every row agrees with the balance printed beside it.
Formats
Which files MYOB Business and AccountRight import
MYOB’s product names have changed over the years (Essentials, AccountRight, MYOB Business), and the formats differ slightly between them. MYOB’s current support article gives these.
| Product | Where | Files | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| MYOB Business (browser, incl. AccountRight in the browser) | Banking hub → … → Import statement | QIF or OFX | Under 10 MB |
| AccountRight (desktop) | Banking command centre → Reconcile Accounts → Get Statement | OFX, QFX, QIF, OFC | Under 10 MB |
| Any MYOB product | – | PDF and CSV not listed | Convert first |
Dates and signs
Dates and amount signs in MYOB imports
MYOB’s help asks that, where your bank offers a choice, you download statements with dd/mm/yy dates. That advice exists because QIF dates are short and can be read either way, and a file with month-first dates imports early-month transactions into the wrong month without any error.
Signs are the other trap. MYOB expects withdrawals negative and deposits positive. A file built from a statement that prints separate debit and credit columns, or shows withdrawals as positive numbers under a Debit heading, imports with every transaction on the wrong side, and the totals still look plausible until reconciliation.
OFX avoids both: it stores dates as year-month-day and each amount carries its own sign. That is why it is the first recommendation for MYOB here.
Duplicates
Duplicates from bank feeds, and deleting an import
MYOB’s FAQ names the main cause of duplicates: importing a statement that includes transactions already brought in by the bank feed. Its fix is to delete the imported statement, get a statement whose date range excludes those transactions, and import again.
In MYOB Business, imported statements are listed on the Bank statement import history page, and MYOB’s help covers deleting an imported statement separately. Statements don’t have to be imported in date order, but importing and reconciling one month at a time keeps any mistake contained to one month.
With a converted statement you control the date range at export: start it the day after the last transaction the feed holds, or end it the day before the feed began.
Australia and NZ
MYOB in Australia and New Zealand
MYOB is used mainly in Australia and New Zealand, where bank statements from CommBank, ANZ, NAB, Westpac and the New Zealand banks print day-first dates in AUD or NZD. Online banking usually offers OFX or QIF downloads for recent periods only; older statements, closed accounts and statements kept for a BAS period or a tax return are typically PDF.
For those, convert the PDF to OFX, import it into the matching MYOB account, and reconcile to the closing balance printed on the statement. Credit card statements work the same way into a credit card account.
Native or converter
When your bank’s own download is enough
If your bank offers an OFX or QIF download for the period you need, use it; MYOB reads it directly and there is nothing to convert. A converter is for the cases the bank download doesn’t cover: periods older than the bank’s download window, accounts that have been closed, scanned paper statements, and statements you want checked against their balances before they reach the books.
Side by side
OFX vs QIF vs CSV for MYOB
| OFX | QIF | CSV | |
|---|---|---|---|
| MYOB Business import | Yes | Yes | Not listed by MYOB |
| AccountRight desktop import | Yes | Yes | Not listed by MYOB |
| Date format | Fixed year-month-day | Short dates; choose dd/mm/yy | – |
| Amount signs | Per transaction | Per transaction | – |
| Easy to inspect first | No | In a text editor | Yes, for review only |
| Checked against running balance | Yes, before export | Yes, before export | Yes, before export |
Who uses it
Who imports converted statements into MYOB
Australian bookkeepers and BAS agents
Bringing a client’s books up to date for a BAS period from the PDF statements they kept.
Businesses starting MYOB mid-year
The bank feed starts now; the months before it are statements. Import them so the year is complete.
Closed and unsupported accounts
Accounts with no feed and no download any more, where the PDF statement is the only record.
FAQ
MYOB imports: questions
Can MYOB import a PDF bank statement?
No. MYOB imports QIF and OFX (MYOB Business) or OFX, QFX, QIF and OFC (AccountRight desktop). Convert the PDF first.
Can MYOB import a CSV bank statement?
CSV isn’t among the formats MYOB’s statement import help lists. Use OFX or QIF; a CSV export is useful for reviewing the rows, not for MYOB’s Import statement.
Where is Import statement in MYOB Business?
Banking → Banking hub, then the three dots next to the account → Import statement. On the import history page, click Import statement again, choose the account and select the file.
How do I import a statement into AccountRight desktop?
Banking command centre → Reconcile Accounts, choose the account, enter the closing balance and statement date, then Get Statement and select the OFX, QFX, QIF or OFC file.
Why are my deposits showing as withdrawals?
The amounts carried the wrong sign. MYOB expects withdrawals negative. OFX and QIF exported here sign each transaction correctly from the statement.
Why won’t MYOB import transactions from an earlier year?
MYOB Business won’t import transactions dated before the Opening balance month in your settings, or before a lock date. AccountRight uses the conversion month.
How do I fix duplicates after importing a statement?
Delete the imported statement, re-export it with a date range that excludes transactions the bank feed already brought in, and import again.
Does MYOB accept QBO files?
No. QBO carries an Intuit bank ID MYOB has no use for. Plain OFX is the equivalent format MYOB reads.
Keep going
Related guides and converters
Every format we write for MYOB
Convert PDF statements for MYOB
Upload a statement, check it against its balances, and export OFX or QIF for MYOB’s Import statement.