Importing Invoices from file ROUNDING errors

Question

Why can we not in 2026 still not import invoices into MYOB with true TAX INCLUSIVE pricing? It's hard not to get emotional about something when you've just spend the good part of 24 hours straight trying to resolve what should be a simple issue for a customer. The import functionality has been in the software since day dot. It would not exactly burn their budget to spend a week making some simple fixes to the functionality to make it work and satisfy a large number of people whose bespoke software is still dependent on the import functionality.

The end user sells services. They don't necessarily have what I would consider irrational pricing. They offer one service for $49 - INCLUSIVE of GST. Try importing that into MYOB. It doesn't matter if you use Professional Sales or Item Sales, the result is always the same. It's ultimately becomes a choice between living with the rounding error or pulling out what remains of your hair trying to divine an explanation for yet another error -25. Ignore what the moderators tell you -they have about as much of an idea about what it means or what causes it as I do. It's seems to be an error MYOB throws out when it simply loses interest in what it's being told doing. You can take out the dollar sign or leave it in; you can round your numbers until the cows come home.

I spent the first twelve hours trying to import the data via Item Sales. What I was able to ascertain firstly is that regardless of whether you are importing ex or inclusive of tax (the flag), it doesn't matter - you still have to import the rates in as exclusive amounts. That's a known known. I knew that when I started. But whilst they let you import the rate with up to four significant digits (don't go beyond that or it will error 25 on you), the line total can only import with two. So I can set the EX GST rate to 44.5455 in the import file, but the line total must be 44.55, which, as the nerds amongst us will already have gleaned, means the software AUTO-CALCULATES the tax as 4.46, resulting in a rounding error. Rinse and repeat a few dozen times and you eventually realise that it can't be done with Item Sales. How can four lines with exactly the same quantity (6), exactly the same ex GST rate ($281.8182 or $310 inc) be $310 for the first line, $309.875 for the second, $310.0222222 for the third and $310.010526 for the last - it's the same consistent quantity and ex GST rate, but when imported and the INCLUSIVE box is ticked, the underlying numbers are all complex and irrational. I get it - there is some sort of dependence of the FPU. BUT WHY!!?

I then tried Professional Sales which I am adamant was the 'break glass in case of emergency' solution in the past, but I think it's now worse. I am adamant that you used to be able to set the ex GST rate and then bring balance to the transaction by forcing the rounding into the GST column. But you can't even do that anymore. You write one figure into the GST column and import it in and MYOB just goes off on its merry way and recalculates everything anyway. WHY?!! If you think i am making this up, create a manual Professional Sale with a quantity of one and a price of $49, save it, export it using the "Assistant" and then, without so much as even a glance at the file immediately import it back in and see what you get. That is MYOB's own import/export functionality failing itself.

Why are we not able to import the amount as an INC GST amount, with the **bleep** flag already pre-ticked and then have the software reverse calculate it itself back to ex GST if it needs to. The end user simply wants to be able to import the transactions, and then press the buttons to email and/or print them - rather than have to go spending half an hour editing and correcting each invoice they imported using the 'automated process'. The obvious question was posed this morning: "why would I not just manually enter the invoices if I have to go in there and double check each invoice (nay! every line on each invoice, more precisely)".

Please! PLEASE! For God's sake - if it is one thing you do this year, PLEASE address some of the import/export functionality to fix it. Let's start with fixing it, then we can worry about improving it. They are still very useful tools. There is still a large user base that is dependent on the functionality if the number of posts on this forum, the number of third party products that exist to complement or replicate its, and the number of end-users I personally still look after are anything to go by. Not everyone has API capabilities or needs. It's been a useful tool but it is 2026. With all the price increases of the past few years, I don't think it's asking to much to have some of it spent on fixing this.

mike_james · Answer

You are right that only net amounts matter on import, GST amounts are ignored/recalculated.
The attached jpg explains how MYOB is recalculating GST on imported transactions. (It does this in the core program too but you can't see it happening).
The process ensures that after every line is imported, the GST applied to the net total so far is correct. The result is that individual line GST-inclusive amounts will never agree to your source document, but the inclusive invoice total and the net line amounts always will.
This applies to mixed-GST rate invoices as well.
Are you suggesting that imports via the API do not have this problem?
Reading invoices via the API presents the problem in reverse - the endpoints only give you the net or inclusive amounts (depending on the GST-inclusive setting) and the GST rate. In some situations we have to repeat their calculations to agree exactly with MYOB's transactions.
&nbsp;

johnseytabla · Answer

Whilst I appreciate the response, and with all due respect – this is a politician’s answer. It neither acknowledges that there is a problem, nor does it proffer any solutions. The ATO accepts two methods of applying the GST: either taxable supply method or total invoice. There is no real reason for MYOB to be recalculating the GST for the entire invoice as each line is being imported – especially not if I have already explicitly passed through an already pre-calculated GSTamount . I mean if the GST field were left blank in the import file for MYOB to determine and apply the GST, then sure – knock yourself out. But what is the point of passing through a line rate and a GST amount only to then have MYOB ignore both and run some funky process that not only ignores the amount of GST you have passed through but then also recalculates the line rate to some absurd level of precision. Who would voluntarily exculpate this?If it absolutely must validate line by line, then validate the GST amount being passed through from the import file to ensure it is within some sort of acceptable level of rounding tolerance.

But again, to reiterate the original point – sometimes people just need to be able to import invoice pricing that is inclusive of the GST. If I go to McDonalds and buy myself a Happy Meal, I am forking over $6.45 – not $5.86 (ex.) or as MYOB would have you occasionally believe $6.4500222 (inc.).

As it stands, the INCLUSIVE flag seemingly serves no other purpose other than to forcibly trigger the corresponding click event on the box in the editor upon completion of the import. Surely, a more apt use of field would be to allow inclusive prices to be truly imported – put an X into the inclusive field, set $6.45 as the rate and then have MYOB do whatever it needs to do to ensure the inclusive amount remains at $6.45 when the line is imported. To be clear - the flaw is in the import routines, not anything that is occurring once that transaction is in the editor. If you go and create a manual invoice with 1 lot of something and bill it at $49, the editor is more than capable of maintaining the correct product rate, line GST and total invoice GST - even after multiple edits. But export that same invoice and then reimport it back in and it all goes pear shaped.

Just so I know - are we the only idiots in the country that have opted to charge $49 inc. for something?

mike_james · Answer

Hi JohnSeytabla​ , my post clarifies how MYOB processes invoice line amounts, and demonstrates that it is not currently possible to match GST-inclusive values in the source transaction.&nbsp; This is a failure in the program design.
The import process in the former V19 versions allowed inclusion of exclusive, GST and inclusive values, which was a far better design.

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Importing Invoices from file ROUNDING errors

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