Software used to produce Stat Accounts

November11

May I ask which accounts software others use to produce statutory limited company accounts...(I don't believe accounting software such as Sage is able to produce year end accounts together with all appropriate notes etc?...apologies if I am incorrect)

burg

Sage do offer a facilty (Sage Accounts production) jusging by the bookkeeping software I can't imagine it's great. I personally use digita. Others include Iris and PTP.

A good and cheap solution is VT Accounts. Based around Excel and is only about £250 for unlimited number of clients.

Andy Blyth

Sage Accounts Production is actually quite good, but the best I've used is Iris (expensive though).

One to avoid is CCH Accounts Production (used to be called MYOB Viztopia). Terrible!

Bluewednesday

We use PTP with no problems whatsover and the support is really good.

deanshepherd

VT for me..

November11

Many thanks for the advice...I seem to hear a lot of good things re VT...

Bluewednesday

Me too, so much so that we are not renewing Sage or PTP next year but are going to VT instead.

AK002

IRIS, costs a bomb though.

Steve Collings

AK002 wrote: »

IRIS, costs a bomb though.

We use IRIS and it is very expensive, but it is very, very good! The odd 'blip' sometimes occurs with their updates (usually in tax updates) but they are quick to provide internet-based updates. The price, however, does put lots of practitioners off.

I remember using VT when I first started in practice, and I hated it with a passion! That was a long time ago, and given the positive feedback they are getting I am sure it has improved vastly from what it was like when I first started!

Kind regards
Steve

noodles

VT for me and I have no complaints

BCASL

VT for me every time - fantastic product and cheap. (I mean cost effective!)

Monsoon

VT is brilliant. Just fabulous and amazing value for money.

We've just switched from VT to Digita. Now, I haven't been using Digita long enough to give it a chance but, so far, I miss VT! Hopefully the integration of Digita will make up for the headache it's giving me so far (but I need to give my tiny brain a chance to understand it first before giving a final verdict, hopefully I will love it in a few months time).

wildgoose1uk

How much does digita cost compared to VT and is it worth and is it worth having everything integreted?

burg

The cost for Digita is dependent on client numbers so it depends how many clients you have to know the cost difference.

As for whether it's worth having things integrated. For me I think yes because I found it cut my accounts production times by around 50% but that might not be the case for everyone. I was very much used to using Iris when I was employed and I found VT quite clunky and awkward but for the price it's great.

wildgoose1uk

I am just in the process of starting out so do not have any clients yet! What is the pricing structure like and how much more expensive is it compared with the combined expense of the like of VT and taxcalc?

burg

I have the following:-

75 client version of Accounts Production
50 Client Version of Corporation Tax
75 Client Version of Personal and Business Tax
Practice Management software with forms and letter generator

This has cost me around £1,300 this year

So for fewer clients it would be less but year one is nearly double of future years although negotiate as you can get discount on the year one price.

wildgoose1uk

Monsoon wrote: »

VT is brilliant. Just fabulous and amazing value for money.

We've just switched from VT to Digita. Now, I haven't been using Digita long enough to give it a chance but, so far, I miss VT! Hopefully the integration of Digita will make up for the headache it's giving me so far (but I need to give my tiny brain a chance to understand it first before giving a final verdict, hopefully I will love it in a few months time).

Still debating what software to go for and was wondering how you were getting on with Digita?

Monsoon

Better. The tax side of it is brilliant.

The accounts production still feels clunky compared to VT, but the scope for producing working papers reports is far superior (in that there is non in VT, you have to have excel files to show journals etc, when you can do them all with narrative and audit trail in Digita).

Digita is just so many times more powerful so it's a steeper learning curve. I'm getting there with it

Jury is still out on it.

burg

Hi Jenni,

Glad to hear you are getting on better with it. Apologies if it's something that you haven't found as good as I have but I was very much used to the way of working of Iris, to which Digita is very similar. I agree that the tax side of it is definitely the strong side and saves a lot of time and thinking.

If you have any questions about the practical use of the Accounts production and anything that I do that might be a consideration for what you can do then do drop me an email. I have remote login and demonstration software so you can view my screen whilst I explain on the phone if that helps. Digita support is great but obviously cannot help with your work flow and style arrangements.

Monsoon

Thanks Ian

Don't apologise - even though it was your recommendation that inspired us to try it, it was our decision And it is a really excellent piece of kit, we just need to get used to it more. As you say, you were used to Iris - we were used to VT, so we've both come to Digita with very different backgrounds!

Thanks for the kind offer - may take you up on it once we are a bit more used to it. How's 25th January looking for you for a nice long chat? *cackle* (kidding!)

burg

Monsoon wrote: »

Thanks for the kind offer - may take you up on it once we are a bit more used to it. How's 25th January looking for you for a nice long chat? *cackle* (kidding!)

Ummmmmmm........No!?

No seriously though I would be more than happy to at some other point as I have working papers and a format that I use that means I streamline things with Digita.

It's horses for courses really as I could never really get on with VT after having used Iris previously I just found it awkward particularly with note forming, journals and comparatives.

So just let me know and hopefully I can help.

Monsoon

Thanks Ian

Will probably give you a shout in Feb- far more civilised!

(I plan to have everything done and dusted by 21st Jan or so, but then that's wishful thinking!)

burg

Well my plan which is probably very wishful thinking...

As my wife is due to have our baby on the 16th January but is usually around 4 weeks early so that takes us back to around Christmas my plan is to be mostly done by then with just a few loose ends to tidy up.

Things are moving well but realistically I don't think it's going to happen.

Monsoon

At least you shouldn't have a manic January, even if it's not all done by mid-December. Work wise that is!

Hope the birth goes well