Microsoft ends Dynamics GP product enhancements, regulatory (tax) updates and technical support on December 31, 2029, and stops security updates on April 30, 2031. New customers could no longer buy GP after April 1, 2026. Microsoft has announced no switch-off for existing installs, but after 2029 there are no tax updates or support. Microsoft’s stated path is Dynamics 365 Business Central, with a cloud migration tool for GP 2015 and later.
Morsa publishes this guide and appears in it. Every date was read on Microsoft’s own pages, and every vendor fact on the vendor’s own site, on 12 October 2026. Morsa is not a GP migration partner.
What are the Dynamics GP end-of-life dates?
Date | What happens | Microsoft source |
|---|---|---|
October 7, 2019 | Dynamics GP (version 18.x) moves to the Modern Lifecycle Policy | Lifecycle page [1], lifecycle policy article [2] |
April 1, 2025 | No more GP perpetual licenses sold to new customers | Microsoft’s April 2023 announcement, restated by a Microsoft employee on Microsoft’s Dynamics community forum [21] and quoted on the Dynamics community site [6] |
April 1, 2026 | Final day for new customers to license GP subscriptions | Microsoft Dynamics 365 blog, June 5, 2025 [5] |
July 14, 2026 | Extended support ended for GP 2016 and GP 2016 R2 (Fixed Lifecycle) | Lifecycle policy article [2] |
January 11, 2028 | Extended support ends for GP 2018 and GP 2018 R2 (Fixed Lifecycle) | Lifecycle policy article [2] |
December 31, 2029 | End of product enhancements, regulatory (tax) updates and technical support | Lifecycle article [2], GP home on Learn [3], announcement blog [4] |
April 30, 2031 | End of security updates; Service Plan coverage ends; GP subscription licenses (SPA/DPL) can no longer be renewed; no more perpetual users can be added; SPLA subscription use expected to end | Announcement blog [4], June 2025 blog [5] |
Two notes. The support end date was first announced as September 30, 2029; Microsoft moved it to December 31, 2029 in a January 15, 2025 update that it said “will allow GP customers to meet their payroll and taxes obligations for the full year” [4]. Microsoft’s lifecycle page shows the retirement timestamp as 1/1/2030 6:59:59 AM Pacific Time [1]; the Learn articles and the blog all say December 31, 2029, which is the date this guide uses.
Until 2029, Microsoft commits to three all-inclusive GP updates a year, typically in June, October and December, containing “hotfixes, tax updates, and any relevant regulatory updates” [2]. Staying current means installing at least one of them each year. If you still run GP 2018 or GP 2018 R2 on the Fixed Lifecycle, Microsoft notes that installing any compatible tax release or hotfix moves you to version 18.5 or later, which puts you on the Modern Lifecycle Policy [2].
Does Dynamics GP stop working?
Microsoft has not announced a shutdown for perpetual licenses. Its pages describe an end to enhancements, tax updates and support on December 31, 2029, and an end to security patches on April 30, 2031 [2][4]. Nothing on those pages says a perpetual install stops running.
What changes is everything around it. From January 2030 there are no regulatory (tax) updates and no Microsoft technical support to call. Microsoft already warns on its GP home page that “the level of support we can offer may no longer match the standards you’ve come to expect, as resources and updates for Dynamics GP become increasingly limited” [3]. After April 30, 2031, Microsoft ships no security patches for GP at all.
Subscription customers face a harder edge. Microsoft says GP subscription licenses bought through SPA or the Dynamics Price List are “no longer renewable” from April 30, 2031, and hosted SPLA use “is expected to end” [5]. If you rent GP rather than own it, plan as if 2031 is a switch-off date.
What changes for a manufacturer or distributor running GP?
The first exposure is payroll and tax. Plants that run payroll in GP rely on Microsoft’s yearly tax updates, which stop after 2029 [2]. Microsoft moved the date to December 31, 2029 so customers can finish that year’s payroll and tax obligations [4].
The second is security. Patches continue only “if needed” until April 30, 2031 [3]. GP sits on Microsoft SQL Server [9], so your server and database versions matter too: check Microsoft’s GP system requirements page for supported versions before you plan to keep GP running past 2029 [10].
The third is add-ons. Many plants run GP with ISV products for manufacturing, warehouse scanning or EDI. Microsoft says the GP partner ecosystem “will continue to release new add-ons that extend Dynamics GP” [2], but each add-on vendor sets its own end date, so ask each one in writing.
The fourth is people. Evolve Group, a Calgary Business Central consultancy, expects that “by 2029 and 2030, the pool of available BC implementation partners will be stretched thin” [12]. That is one firm’s forecast, not a Microsoft statement.
What are the migration paths?
Microsoft’s recommended path is Business Central. Mike Morton, VP of Dynamics 365 Customer Experience at Microsoft, wrote in June 2025: “These dates may seem far off, but full cloud migration is not something that can be accomplished overnight, and forward-thinking organizations should begin the conversation today.” [5]
Microsoft also says “many existing Dynamics GP customers are eligible for substantial promotional discounts” when moving to Business Central online, and tells customers to ask their reseller about eligibility [7]. It publishes no amounts or end dates for those offers.
Stay on GP until the end date
What it means: Keep GP 18.x current through 2029, move before tax updates stop
Cost basis (as published): Existing Enhancement or subscription plan; no new licenses for new customers after April 1, 2026 [5]
Migration tooling: None needed until you move
Who it fits: Firms with a stable GP setup and a migration booked for 2027 to 2029
Business Central online
What it means: Microsoft’s cloud ERP and the product it encourages GP customers to move to [2]
Cost basis (as published): Essentials $80, Premium $110 (adds manufacturing), Team Members $8, per user per month, paid yearly [8]
Migration tooling: Microsoft cloud migration tool for GP 2015 or later [9][11]
Who it fits: GP customers who want the Microsoft path and the most automated data move
Business Central on-premises
What it means: Business Central on your own servers, under Microsoft’s Modern Lifecycle Policy from 2019 release wave 2 [13]
Cost basis (as published): Quote only, through a partner; Microsoft’s 2023 announcement points new on-premises buyers to “Business Central on-premises (subscription)” [6]
Migration tooling: Microsoft’s cloud migration tool targets Business Central online [9]; on-premises moves are partner-led
Who it fits: Plants that must keep data on site
Oracle NetSuite
What it means: “All-in-one, AI-powered, cloud business management solution” covering accounting, orders, inventory, production, supply chain and warehouse [14]
Cost basis (as published): Quote only
Migration tooling: Microsoft’s GP tool does not apply; data moves through NetSuite or its partner
Who it fits: Firms leaving the Microsoft stack, often multi-entity
Acumatica
What it means: Cloud ERP priced on “the applications you need, your expected usage and resource requirements, and your deployment preferences,” with “Unlimited Users” [15]
Cost basis (as published): Quote only; not priced per user seat [15]
Migration tooling: Partner-led
Who it fits: Firms with many occasional users who dislike per-seat pricing
Sage Intacct
What it means: Finance-first cloud software; Sage says it is “trusted by 30,000+ finance teams” and lists manufacturing and wholesale distribution among its industries [16]
Cost basis (as published): Quote only; plans “based on the modules that are included” [17]
Migration tooling: Partner-led
Who it fits: Finance-led firms whose GP use is mostly accounting
Add Morsa alongside any of the above
What it means: Not an ERP and not a migration. An AI COO that chases suppliers on open POs and keeps delivery dates across the cutover
Cost basis (as published): Pilot first; then a share of measured value; no public price [18]
Migration tooling: None; Morsa does not migrate data
Who it fits: Plants and distributors with many open POs during the move
For “NetSuite vs Business Central” specifically: Business Central publishes per-user prices and has Microsoft’s own GP migration tool; NetSuite is quote only and has no Microsoft tool. See our best ERP for manufacturing and manufacturing ERP software guides for feature depth, and distribution management software if you run a warehouse business.
What data does Microsoft’s GP to Business Central tool move?
Microsoft’s cloud migration copies data from your on-premises SQL Server database to Business Central online through Azure Data Factory, table by table, and “the on-premises solution remains the operative environment until you complete the cloud migration” [9]. Your GP must be GP 2015 or later [9].
Per Microsoft’s data page [11], the tool brings over:
Fiscal periods (historical years arrive open and must be closed in Business Central)
GL account summary transactions for open and history years, back to the oldest year you choose
Customers (all or active only), with outstanding receivables at the remaining amount
Vendors (all or active only), vendor EFT bank details, outstanding payables, and 1099 data from 2024 onward
Open purchase orders, by item and quantity remaining; fully received and invoiced lines are skipped
Inventory items with cost method, location, quantity on hand, and serial or lot data
Checkbooks and unreconciled bank transactions (undeposited cash receipts are not migrated)
An optional GP Historical Snapshot of GL detail, receivables, payables, sales orders, PO receipts and inventory transactions
The tool records success and failure per table, and a table whose schema does not match is skipped with an error while the run continues [9]. Microsoft recommends a test run in a sandbox environment before the production run [9]. Two gaps matter for operations teams. Microsoft’s page describes open POs in terms of items and remaining quantities; it does not say whether supplier promise dates come across, so test that in the sandbox. And GP payroll is not in Microsoft’s list of migrated data, so plan payroll separately.
How long does a GP to Business Central migration take?
Microsoft gives no single duration. It says “the data migration time can vary depending on factors such as the amount of data to migrate, your SQL Server configuration, and your connection speeds” [9], and lists six stages: assessment, preparation, cloud migration setup, data replication, data upgrade, and completion [7].
Partners publish ranges. Evolve Group, which says it has completed 30+ Business Central implementations, puts most small and mid-sized GP moves at “between three and six months from kickoff to go-live”: discovery 2 to 4 weeks, data preparation and configuration 4 to 10 weeks, testing, training and go-live 3 to 6 weeks, then 2 to 4 weeks of stabilization [12]. Nevas Technologies gives “around 8 to 12 weeks” for low complexity, “roughly 6 to 9 months” for moderate, and “9 to 12+ months” for heavily customized environments [19].
Microsoft also points to a Forrester study it commissioned on moving from on-premises to Business Central: payback in under six months and 265% return over three years for a composite firm with $15 million revenue and 150 employees [7]. Those are Microsoft-commissioned figures.
Checklist: moving a plant or distributor off GP
Steps 5, 6, 10 and 12 protect supplier dates; the rest follow Microsoft’s migration guidance.
Confirm your GP version. Microsoft’s cloud tool needs GP 2015 or later [9]; GP 2018 and 2018 R2 leave extended support on January 11, 2028 [2].
Pick a cutover month away from payroll year-end and your busiest shipping weeks.
List every ISV add-on and integration (EDI, scanning, MRP, shipping) and get each vendor’s plan in writing.
Mark inactive customers, vendors and items in GP; the tool can skip inactive records [11].
Export every open PO with vendor, item, remaining quantity, promise date, and the last supplier confirmation. Keep that file outside both systems.
Ask suppliers to reconfirm dates on open POs in the weeks before cutover, and record each reply.
Deposit posted cash receipts in GP before migration [11].
Decide how many history years to bring, and whether to use the GP Historical Snapshot [11].
Run the migration in a sandbox first. Microsoft warns not to set up cloud migration on a production environment already in use [9].
After go-live, reconcile open PO lines and quantities between GP and Business Central, and check that each promise date survived.
Send suppliers your new PO format, contacts and remit details.
For 30 days, watch receipts against the dates suppliers gave you before cutover.
What to do about open purchase orders and supplier dates during the move
A migration ties up the office for weeks while suppliers keep shipping. Promise dates live in emails and calls as much as in GP, and a data tool does not carry those. Plants usually find the gap when a line waits for material everyone thought was confirmed.
Morsa fits here, and only here. Morsa is an AI COO for operations. It reads open POs and supplier messages, chases suppliers before due dates in the channels the team already uses (email, Outlook, Teams, WhatsApp, phone, or others), escalates when a date slips, and closes a PO only on proof such as a goods receipt. With Business Central online it connects through Microsoft’s APIs, and a moved expected receipt date reaches Morsa through Business Central webhooks as it happens. With GP it works the way it works with any system: through the database, an export, or the email trail. So one list of supplier commitments survives the cutover. Method: how to automate supplier follow-up on open purchase orders.
What does that look like in a real plant?
The proof so far is in manufacturing. At J4S, a 120-person glass plant, on-time completion of operational commitments rose from about 30% to about 75% in the first four weeks, across about 900 commitments, two days from first connection to live actions [20]. In one J4S chase (times illustrative, per the J4S page), stores posted Monday 21:10 that 6 mm clear stock would last until Wednesday; Morsa linked it to three Line 2 orders, nudged purchasing Tuesday 10:00, escalated at 13:00 with 1,200 pieces of Friday dispatch at risk, logged the supplier’s confirmation of Wednesday delivery at 15:20, and closed on the goods receipt Wednesday 11:40 [20]. At JRG Automotive, Morsa identified 5 of 8 production-stopping material shortages early enough to act [18].
Sunil K Verma, Plant Head at J4S: “I used to spend the first hour of every morning reconstructing yesterday. Now the chasing happens in the WhatsApp groups my supervisors already use, whether or not I remember.”
Morsa is built and proven in manufacturing, now onboarding its first distributors.
When is Morsa the wrong choice?
If you need someone to migrate GP data, configure Business Central or rebuild reports, hire a Microsoft partner: Morsa is not a migration partner and does none of that. Morsa’s webhook connection is for Business Central online only; on Business Central on-premises it connects the way it does to any system, through the database, an export or email. If you have a handful of open POs and suppliers who always confirm on time, a shared spreadsheet and a weekly call will do the job. And if your problem is choosing the ERP itself, start with the comparison table above and a partner demo, not with an operations agent. Morsa adds value once the ERP choice is made and suppliers still need chasing.
Book a demo: https://cal.com/morsa
Sources
Microsoft Learn, Dynamics GP lifecycle page: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/dynamics-gp (read 12 October 2026)
Microsoft Learn, Understand the Lifecycle Policies for Dynamics GP: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics-gp/terms/lifecycle (read 12 October 2026)
Microsoft Learn, Welcome to Dynamics GP: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics-gp/ (read 12 October 2026)
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog, Announcing End of Support for Dynamics GP (September 25, 2024, updated January 15, 2025): https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics-365/blog/it-professional/2024/09/25/announcing-end-of-support-for-dynamics-gp/ (read 12 October 2026)
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog, Explore migration options for Dynamics GP and Dynamics SL customers (June 5, 2025): https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics-365/blog/business-leader/2025/06/05/explore-migration-options-for-microsoft-dynamics-gp-and-microsoft-dynamics-sl-customers/ (read 12 October 2026)
Dynamics community blog, #MSDynGP Microsoft Announcement April 2023 (quotes Microsoft’s partner announcement): https://community.dynamics.com/blogs/post/?postid=70b232f4-b29b-45bd-94c3-436b4f86d42d (read 12 October 2026)
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Blog, Why migrate now (April 14, 2025): https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics-365/blog/business-leader/2025/04/14/why-migrate-now-the-benefits-of-moving-from-dynamics-gp-to-microsoft-dynamics-365-business-central/ (read 12 October 2026)
Microsoft, Business Central pricing: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics-365/products/business-central/pricing (read 12 October 2026)
Microsoft Learn, Dynamics GP cloud migration overview: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/dev-itpro/administration/migrate-gp-overview (read 12 October 2026)
Microsoft Learn, Dynamics GP system requirements: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics-gp/installation/system-requirements (read 12 October 2026)
Microsoft Learn, Dynamics GP data migrated to Business Central online: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/dev-itpro/administration/migrate-dynamics-gp (read 12 October 2026)
Evolve Group, How long does a GP to Business Central migration take: https://www.evolvegroup.ai/post/how-long-does-a-gp-to-business-central-migration-take (read 12 October 2026)
Microsoft Learn, Business Central on-premises lifecycle policy: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dynamics365/business-central/dev-itpro/terms/lifecycle-policy-on-premises (read 12 October 2026)
NetSuite ERP: https://www.netsuite.com/portal/products/erp.shtml (read 12 October 2026)
Acumatica pricing: https://www.acumatica.com/pricing/ (read 12 October 2026)
Sage Intacct: https://www.sage.com/en-us/sage-business-cloud/intacct/ (read 12 October 2026)
Sage Intacct pricing: https://www.sage.com/en-us/sage-business-cloud/intacct/pricing/ (read 12 October 2026)
Morsa pricing: https://morsa.ai/pricing (read 12 October 2026)
Nevas Technologies, How to evaluate a Dynamics partner for GP to BC migration: https://www.nevastech.com/blog/gp-to-bc-migration-how-to-evaluate-a-dynamics-partner/ (read 12 October 2026)
Morsa, J4S customer story: https://morsa.ai/customers/j4s (read 12 October 2026)
Microsoft Dynamics community forum, End-of-life Announcement for Microsoft Dynamics GP, posted by Terry R Heley (Microsoft Employee): https://community.dynamics.com/forums/thread/details/?threadid=2ba051a9-837b-ef11-a671-7c1e521674d3 (read 12 October 2026)
Changelog: October 12, 2026: first published, all dates checked against Microsoft pages that day.
