10 Mistakes Sage 200 to Xero to avoid when migrating

13/04/2025|Admin|

Migrating from Sage 200 to Xero can revolutionize your financial operations, offering enhanced efficiency and real-time insights. However, this transition is not without its challenges. At Migrate My Accounts, we’ve guided over 400 businesses through successful migrations, and we’ve identified common pitfalls that can derail the process. Here’s what to watch out for

1. Misunderstanding the Difference Between Accounting Periods and Date-Driven Systems

Sage 200 operates on accounting periods, while Xero is date-driven. Failing to align these systems can lead to discrepancies in financial reports. Decide early whether to migrate data based on Sage’s periods or Xero’s dates to ensure consistency.​

2. Overlooking Multi-Currency Handling Differences

Sage 200 and Xero treat multi-currency transactions differently. Assuming a like-for-like migration can result in inaccuracies. Be cautious of providers promising exact replication; they may use dummy adjustments that could raise audit concerns.​

3. Ignoring Duplicate Contacts Due to Separate Databases

Sage 200 maintains separate databases for sales and purchases, leading to potential duplicate contacts. Xero requires unique account numbers and names. Ensure thorough data cleansing to prevent duplication.​

4. Neglecting Case Sensitivity in Cost Centers and Departments

Xero’s tracking categories are case-sensitive. Inconsistent capitalization in Sage 200’s cost centers and departments can cause misallocations. Standardize naming conventions before migration.

5. Misdating Year-End Adjustments

Sage 200 allows year-end adjustments dated in the first period of the next financial year. In Xero, these should be dated as “Year End” to maintain accuracy in financial statements.​

6. Skipping Reconciliation Checks

Reconciliation is crucial. Compare trial balances monthly or at least annually to confirm data accuracy post-migration. This step ensures that all financial data has been transferred correctly.​

7. Mishandling Accruals, Deferred Revenue, and Prepayments

Sage 200 uses unique reference numbers (URNs) for accruals, deferred revenue, and prepayments, which may have different dates. Ensure these are accurately reflected in Xero to maintain financial integrity.​

8. Failing to Close Accounting Periods Before Migration

Leaving accounting periods open in Sage 200 can result in deferred postings not being transferred to Xero. Close all periods to confirm that all transactions are posted to the ledgers.​

9. Expecting VAT Returns to Match Exactly

Due to differences in how Sage 200 and Xero handle late reconciliations, VAT returns may not match exactly. Be wary of providers promising identical VAT returns; achieving this often involves dummy journals, which can complicate audits.​

10. Trusting Unrealistic Promises from Providers

Data cannot be 100% replicated between Sage 200 and Xero without adjustments. Ensure your provider offers comprehensive reconciliation reports. Lack of transparency is a significant red flag.​

Why Choose Migrate My Accounts?

At Migrate My Accounts, we specialize in seamless migrations from Sage 200 to Xero. Our services include:

  • Full historical data migration​
  • Custom mapping of charts of accounts​
  • Multi-currency transaction handling
  • Comprehensive reconciliation reports​
  • Post-migration support and training​

Our team of accountants turned tech enthusiasts combines expertise with a passion for efficiency. Since 2015, we’ve helped businesses transition smoothly to Xero, ensuring minimal downtime and maximum accuracy.​

Success Stories

St Aubyn Estates Ltd

Migrated 6 financial years for 8 entities, replicating complex cost centers and departmental structures into Xero’s tracking categories. The migration was accomplished efficiently in just 3-4 working days per entity.​

Testimonial:

“We have now successfully migrated 8 businesses from Sage 200 to Xero with the help of Florentina and her team. We would highly recommend to anyone thinking of migrating to Xero.”
— Sarah Haigh​

Care Concern

Migrated full historical for 33 entities, including complex requirements like sales line descriptions , remapping the chart of accounts and multi-currency.

Testimonial:

“We were introduced to Florentina to help us migrate our entities from Sage 200 to Xero. We had started the process in-house, but it was taking too long, and we did not have the capacity. Florentina met with us, discussed the scope of the project, and delivered just as she promised. In total, she migrated 33 companies for us with a total of 2.6 million transactions, and she did all this in just under four months.

She managed the project perfectly, was extremely responsive, and her customer service is the best we have come across in the industry. It has been a pleasure working with her to get these migrations over the line, and because of how pleased we have been with her service, we are continuing to use her for new projects coming on board. Thanks for all your help!”
— S. Rabbani​

Ready to Migrate?

Don’t let common pitfalls derail your migration from Sage 200 to Xero. Trust the experts at Migrate My Accounts to guide you through a seamless transition.​

Book a 15-minute consultation to discuss your migration needs.​

10 mistakes to avoid Sage 200 to Xero