Before you start: pick your conversion date
The conversion date is the first day Munshian Ledger keeps your books. Everything before it stays in Xero; everything from it onwards goes into Munshian Ledger. The easiest dates are the start of a VAT quarter or of your financial year, so no VAT return or year's accounts is split across two systems.
Sign up, add your business, then open Accounting › Import from another program and save your conversion date.
What to export from Xero
Export each of these from Xero as CSV or Excel. Run the reports for the day before your conversion date.
| What | Where to find it in Xero |
|---|---|
| Chart of accounts | Accounting › Chart of accounts › Export |
| Customers and suppliers | Contacts › All contacts › Export |
| Products and services | Business › Products and services › Export |
| Opening balances | Reports › Trial balance, dated the day before your conversion date › Export › Excel |
| Unpaid sales invoices | Reports › Aged receivables detail, or Sales › Invoices › Awaiting payment › Export |
| Unpaid supplier bills | Reports › Aged payables detail, or Purchases › Bills › Awaiting payment › Export |
Menu names change between versions. If a menu has moved, any CSV or Excel file with column headings works, and you can tell Munshian Ledger which column is which.
Tips for Xero files
- Xero's invoice exports have one row for each invoice line. Munshian Ledger spots this and brings each invoice in once, with its total.
- Xero's account codes and tax codes come across with the chart of accounts, and you can match each one to a Munshian account before anything is saved.
- If you used Xero's tracking categories, they don't come across. Keep a copy of any reports you need from them.
Upload, check and finish
- Upload each file in the matching step. Munshian Ledger recognises the columns and shows you every row before anything is saved.
- Match your old accounts to Munshian's UK chart of accounts, or keep your own codes.
- Compare the trial balance and the aged receivables and payables with Xero on the same date. The import page shows checks to help.
- Import your bank statements from the conversion date onwards (CSV, OFX or QIF) and reconcile them, so payments match the imported invoices and bills.
If an import isn't right, undo it and upload a corrected file.
What doesn't come across
- Transaction history: only the balances on the day before you switch, and the invoices and bills still unpaid. Keep reports and records from Xero for as long as HMRC needs you to (usually at least 6 years for a company).
- Attachments and receipts: download any you need from Xero first.
- Bank feeds: Munshian Ledger doesn't have live bank feeds yet. You upload statements from your bank instead.
- Payroll: Munshian Ledger doesn't run payroll. Keep using your payroll software, and post the totals as a journal.
- MTD for Income Tax: Munshian Ledger can't send quarterly updates yet. See our MTD for Income Tax guide.
Before you cancel Xero, check its terms for how long you can still see your data afterwards, and export everything you want to keep.
Questions
Can I move my books from Xero to Munshian Ledger?
Yes. Export your chart of accounts, contacts, trial balance and unpaid invoices and bills from Xero as CSV or Excel files, then upload them in Munshian Ledger under Accounting › Import from another program. Each file is checked and shown to you before anything is saved, and each import can be undone.
Does my full transaction history come across from Xero?
No. Munshian Ledger brings across where the business stood on the day before you switch: the balance of every account, plus the invoices and bills still unpaid. Keep your old transactions and reports from Xero for your records.
How much does Munshian Ledger cost?
Munshian Ledger is free, with every feature included and no card needed to sign up.
When is the best time to switch?
At the start of a VAT quarter or financial year, so each VAT return and each year's accounts come from one system. You can also switch part-way through, using opening balances.
Switching from somewhere else? See QuickBooks · Sage · FreeAgent, or all the apps we import from.
Xero is a trademark of its owner. Munshian is not connected with or endorsed by Xero. Menu paths are as we understand them in October 2026.