What Software?

Annierags

Hi wonder if anyone can offer advice on what software to get when starting out, I want bookkeeping/payroll but also final accounts.

I would be interested to hear about peoples experiences and recommendations.

Thanks

Monsoon

VT

VT

VT

and if you want an alternative to look at: VT

Oh, and 12Pay or Moneysoft for Payroll.

Annierags

What Software

Thanks I had been looking at VT got the trial, I had forgotten about Moneysoft so will look at that and 12 pay.

AndyNewcastle

Hi Ya,
Does VT not just support 5 companies?

Would you not need one that would support about 90, coz you may just get clients the once when starting out?

jilt

AndyNewcastle wrote: »

Hi Ya,
Does VT not just support 5 companies?

Would you not need one that would support about 90, coz you may just get clients the once when starting out?

Both VT final accounts and VT transactions+ are for unlimited number of clients

BCASL

VT Here as well - brilliant!

PGM

It must be VT, I've never used it! But theres no end to its praise.

anniem

Monsoon wrote: »

VT

VT

VT

and if you want an alternative to look at: VT

Oh, and 12Pay or Moneysoft for Payroll.

Glad you liked it Jenni!

GinnyBee

Does anyone use anything other than VT?? I always like to have some alternatives - are there any? Free is brilliant, but good value is what I'm really after!

Going to download it and have a good look myself today, hope it's as good as promised!!

groundy

We use IRIS, costly but by far the best integrated software we have looked at. We have Accounts production, Business Tax & Personal Tax as well as using IRIS for payroll.

PGM

We have Sage...

Ok, but somewhat expensive and bloated.

Sue

I use Sage for bookkeeping, moneysoft for payroll and PTP for accounts production and tax returns.

If you contact Sage for prices make sure you tell they you are an Accountant as depending on whether you get through to the right person you will get a much better deal. I currently pay around £500 per year for a fifty company licence for installation on eight computers.

Also Moneysoft will offer you a discount if you buy more than one licence, so if you are likely to use the software at a clients it is worth ringing and asking before going ahead and ordering online.

burg

I have used quite a few over the years and made a big effort to make sure I had the correct 2 years ago when I went full time on my own.

Iris - had used when employed and liked it although the pricing was a stumbling block

VT - used this originally but although I liked VT T+ I couldn't get on with the accounts production. Mainly I think due to being used to Iris and loosing the integration.

PTP - Originally used the tax software only alongside VT and I progressed on to using PTP for everything. Although there was some integration at that point it was still behind Iris.

Keytime - I reviewed this for a while and although ok prices soon crept up and I preferred PTP. It also wasn't great for editing the chart of accounts and using house styles.

Forbes - Reviewed this as well and I just didn't like it as it felt slow and clumsy

Sage - Wanted to try out their accounts software as I had experience of Line 50. However I never got the opportunity as they simply wouldn't return my calls.

CCH - Cost was greater than Iris at the time so didn't even look at the software as I would have chosen Iris beforehand as I would have less learning to do.

Digita - This was my choice on the basis that staff were very friendly and I felt as though I had choices. Prices were the same as PTP for year one and less over two years or more due to Digita's separate license and membership charges. Prices were a lot less than Iris. I really like it and do recommend it. I find it easier and quicker than VT and I cover the additional cost of it in time savings. However others I know of have moved the other way (i.e. Digita to VT) and prefer VT for the same reasons. Everyone has their own preferences and the only way to know is to try them for a while.

For payroll I use Moneysoft - great product and great price.

Tax Calc is a fairly good tax product who are meant to be releasing accounts production and practice management software soon. Maybe worth looking at this too!

Best of luck

GinnyBee

Thank you for all the information everyone.

Sue, your Sage price looks much better than I've seen elsewhere so maybe I will give them a ring rather than just order, thanks!

Ian, an excellent summary thank you! Gives me plenty to think about and options to weigh up

Sue

Hi Ginnybee

I have sent you a private message with the details for my contact at Sage. I haven't spoken to him for a while, so he might not be there anymore but it's worth a try.

Let me know if you can't get through to him and I will try sending him an email.

Sue

GinnyBee

Sue wrote: »

Hi Ginnybee

I have sent you a private message with the details for my contact at Sage. I haven't spoken to him for a while, so he might not be there anymore but it's worth a try.

Let me know if you can't get through to him and I will try sending him an email.

Sue

Thanks Sue, I'll give it a go.

Annierags

What Software

Thank you everyone for your input very informative, obvioulsy cost is a biggi when you are starting out.

Thanks for your time.

PGM

Sue wrote: »

If you contact Sage for prices make sure you tell they you are an Accountant as depending on whether you get through to the right person you will get a much better deal. I currently pay around £500 per year for a fifty company licence for installation on eight computers.

Is a 50 company licence enough? I used to keep previous years as companies, to go back for quick reference. Seems a big advantage of VT is its unlimited companies.

burg

Depends what you are doing with Sage I suppose.

I use VT for any bookkeeping clients where possible and for in house bookkeeping. Sage I only tend to use for clients who already use it and don't want to change. I therefore only have a 5 client version. Any regulars take up a client space. the other spaces are for those I am doing year end accounts. At the end I save the backup and then overwrite when the next one comes along.

If you are using it as you main bookkeeping source then there may be an advantage of having more companies to save on backup/restore times. Although opening a company in Sage takes a lot longer than in VT.

Sue

It is a 50 licence version on each computer, so 8 installs is 400 licences.

I have never tried VT for bookkeeping, I did look into it for accounts and tax production but chose PTP as VT was not intergrated at the time.

babsa

Moneysoft for Payroll/CIS.

Johnson456

Everyone needs to set the way for PC Protection, System Backup, Data backup. I am also too concerned about my system and data backup. You never know that when your machine can breakdown due to any technical or non technical issue. So you just need to store your data by using any online data backup cloud storage. I suggest you one of the excellent IT solution for your data is Free CloudBcako pro . It is amazing. You can Store your data without installing it. The external devices are not always compatible for data backup. No doubt it can even crash. But online data storage is safe without fear of leakage of data.