Exchequer extended support: what it means for you

What "extended support" means

Exchequer is in extended support, sometimes called ESS or maintenance-only mode. In practice that means:

• No new features or enhancements
• A more limited helpdesk
• A clear signal that it's time to plan what comes next

What still works

Day to day, very little changes. Exchequer keeps running, your data is still there, and your team can carry on. There's no need to panic. There is a need to plan, because the longer you stay, the more your business depends on a system with no future updates.

Three questions to answer first

1. How long will we stay on Exchequer? Months, a year, or until a new system is chosen? This sets your timetable.
2. What data will we need afterwards, and for how long? Think VAT questions, audits, customer disputes and HMRC record-keeping rules, which generally mean keeping records for at least six years.
3. Who will support us in the meantime? Your reseller, your own IT team, or nobody? Know who to call if something breaks.

The one thing to do now

Take a full copy of your data while everything still works. Whatever you decide later, a complete extract in files you control removes most of the risk.

Then plan the move

• Read your software contract, including any notice periods and what happens to your licence
• Shortlist new systems and ask how they load data from Exchequer
• Decide what to do with your history. See What to do with years of transaction history
• Work through our data checklist