MYOB has definitely come unstuck with the release of its 2006 Accountants Enterprise tax software. We are a medium size accounting practice and have been bitterly disappointed with both the software and the response from MYOB.

First some background. MYOB decided to combine the three separate tax software programs they had supported after previous corporate takeovers into one big new package. A noble and understandable idea.

But the beta version we were given in early June was so full of bugs that we couldn’t possibly believe that it would be released without significant changes. However it appears that the salespeople had been out and about promising all and sundry that the new version was on its way and the executives decided to release it anyway.

It has been a disaster. We, and other MYOB clients, have faced serious problems.

For example, we have not been able to lodge any tax returns for years prior to 2005. We have had conflicts between the new and the old databases which result in some clients not appearing in either. We cannot transfer data from the accounting package to complete either tax returns or Business Activity Statements. We have not been able to complete and lodge returns because of errors such as “duplicate tax file numbers” which are just not correct, and so it goes on. Tax returns have been printing without even a front page. There are numerous other glitches.

The multitude of errors has caused us long delays and much lost time. I estimate we have lost about $7,000-$10,000 in time lost either seeking support or in time trying hard to try to find answers to the problems.

The only response from MYOB was a software patch that added the front page to the print job and fixed some minor issues. One day we waited on the support phone line for five hours (we were cut off twice in that time) and the particular issue was then fixed in three minutes. Another response has been continually to urge us to do web-based training – for a defective product! MYOB has hired IT temps to man its phone lines but most have little idea of accounting software.

We are seriously considering changing suppliers as soon as practicable.