MYOB Is Still Widely Used — But Offshore Coverage Is Thinner
While Xero has captured significant market share among Australian accounting practices over the past decade, MYOB remains in active use across a substantial portion of the market — particularly in larger SMEs, practices with legacy client bases, and industries like construction, manufacturing, and retail where MYOB's inventory and job costing features are valued.
The challenge when hiring offshore finance support for MYOB-based workflows is that provider coverage is thinner than for Xero. Most offshore staffing firms have built their training pipelines around Xero because it dominates the newer, growth-stage market. MYOB-experienced staff in the Philippines exist — but you need to ask specifically, and verify.
MYOB Products Your Offshore Team May Need to Know
MYOB has several products in active use across Australian businesses, and they are not interchangeable:
- MYOB AccountRight — the desktop and cloud hybrid used by most accounting practices and their SME clients. This is the most common MYOB environment for offshore bookkeeping and accounting support.
- MYOB Essentials — the simplified cloud-only product used by smaller businesses. Easy to learn but less feature-rich than AccountRight.
- MYOB Advanced — the ERP-level product used by larger businesses. Requires more specialist knowledge and is less common in offshore staffing contexts.
- MYOB Practice — the practice management tool used by accounting firms to manage client workflows, similar in function to Xero Practice Manager.
When briefing an offshore provider, specify which MYOB product is in use. "MYOB experience" is not specific enough — the products differ substantially in interface, workflow logic, and complexity.
What MYOB-Trained Philippines Accountants Can Handle
A Philippines-based accountant with genuine MYOB AccountRight experience can typically handle:
- Bank feed processing and reconciliation
- Accounts payable and accounts receivable management
- Payroll processing including PAYG and Superannuation
- BAS preparation (for review by your onshore staff)
- Month-end journals and accruals
- Financial report generation and distribution
- Client file maintenance and workpaper preparation
The preparation and processing layer is where offshore support adds the most value in a MYOB environment — freeing your senior Australian staff to focus on review, advisory, and client communication.
Questions to Ask When Evaluating Offshore Providers for MYOB Work
Because MYOB coverage is less standardised than Xero in the offshore market, due diligence matters more. Ask prospective providers:
- Has the individual worked in MYOB AccountRight specifically — not just MYOB generally?
- Have they processed Australian payroll in MYOB, including Superannuation and PAYG?
- Have they prepared BAS workpapers in MYOB for an Australian accounting firm?
- How recent is their MYOB experience? The platform updates regularly and older experience may not reflect current workflows.
- If your firm uses both MYOB and Xero, can the individual work across both platforms?
MYOB and Xero Together: Managing a Mixed Software Environment
Many Australian accounting firms manage clients on both MYOB and Xero simultaneously. If this describes your practice, the ideal offshore hire is someone with genuine experience in both platforms — not just one.
This is less common than single-platform expertise, so expect a slightly longer search process and potentially a higher seniority requirement. The efficiency gains from having one offshore team member who can work across both platforms typically outweigh the cost premium compared to hiring two separate individuals.
Our Approach to MYOB Engagements
At Outsourced Finance Philippines, we assess platform-specific experience as part of our standard scoping process. For practices using MYOB, we confirm AccountRight experience and relevant module familiarity before recommending an individual for an engagement.
If your practice uses MYOB alongside Xero or QuickBooks, we discuss the full software environment during the discovery conversation to ensure the right match from day one.