What is the TBP file format?
A .tbp file is a proprietary accounting database created by TASBooks, a small-business accounting application developed by TAS Software and later sold and maintained by the Sage Group. The file stores a company's complete financial records - general ledger, transaction history, customer and supplier contacts, VAT returns, and application configuration - in a single binary file that only TASBooks can open.
TASBooks was widely used by small businesses in the UK and Ireland from the 1990s onward. Sage acquired TAS Software and continued developing the product through versions 6, 7, and 8. Sage announced the retirement of TASBooks in late 2023, with all support and updates ending on 31 August 2024. After that date the software may continue to run locally, but no security patches, bank feed updates, or technical support are provided.
The .tbp format is proprietary and undocumented publicly. No third-party application can open or import a .tbp file directly; migration requires using TASBooks' own export tools to produce a format that a target application can import. Sage's recommended migration path is to Sage 50 Accounts. File sizes range from a few megabytes for a new company to several hundred megabytes for a business with years of transaction history.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWTBP files are passive accounting data files. No executable content. Sensitive financial data - treat as confidential.
Format details
in a nutshellPrograms that open TBP files
Windows2 apps
Technical details
deep spec| Format type | Proprietary binary accounting database |
| Developer | TAS Software (original developer); acquired and maintained by Sage Group |
| Platform | Windows only |
| Stored data | General ledger, transaction history, customer and supplier records, VAT returns, payroll data, and application configuration |
| Byte order | Little-endian |
| Encryption | May include file-level access controls; full encryption details not publicly documented |
| Compression | Undocumented; details not publicly available |
| Typical file size | 1 MB - 500 MB (varies with company data volume and transaction history depth) |
| Version range | TASBooks 6.x - 8.x; file format versioned per software release |
| End of life | TASBooks support ended 31 August 2024; no updates or patches provided after that date |
| Migration path | Sage 50 Accounts (Sage's official recommendation after EOL) |
| Interoperability | No third-party application can open .tbp directly; TASBooks export step required before migrating data to another platform |
| Released | circa 1990s (TASBooks product line) |
| Latest version | TASBooks 8.x (final; EOL August 2024) |
TBP conversions
Community Q&A
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