Sage Accounts Production Advanced

royw1970

Does anyone else use this software?

Recent updates included the CCAB accounts compilation report using ICAEW, ICAS and ICAI guidance, 2 emails to AAT compliance to check whether I could amend the text to show AAT and I have had no response.

Accountants qualification - Accountant? AAT Accountant? AAT licensed Accountant?

I appreciate these may appear trivial but as they form part of a legal document I would like to get it right, please can anyone advise.

burg

Not sure whether you can adjust it but obviously you cannot just adopt if you are a CCAB member. If it is standard legal description just referring to these bodies then possibly you can change it to refer to the AAT instead.

Interesting that you got to speak to Sage about Accounts Production. I reviewed lots of different software back in 2009 when I decided to move away from PTP and Sage couldn't give me any answers about it when I called and said they would call back and never did. This was on several occasions. Would be interested to hear your opinions on it and whether it is any good. I know my way fairly well around Line 50 but it isn't my favourite bookkeeping software.

Dcollins

I think you're right to check before using the report.

The CCAB Cross Profession Accounts Compilation Report was devised by the CCAB, who state:

'The report is for use by professional accounts who are practising members and by firms of the accountancy bodies (‘practitioners’) that are members of CCAB.'

There's more information on the CCAB website. I don't produce this particular to go with the accounts, but do explain the directors' responsibilites in my engagement letter.

Please come back and post your findings when you can.

Monsoon

The ICAEW and ACCA have prescribed wording for the accountants report.

My software (VT) gives this option and also gives a "generic accountant's report" option which I use. I don't refer to the AAT in it. If you have that option, I would use that:

Accountants' report to the directors of
Name Ltd

You consider that the company is exempt from an audit for the year ended 30 June 2010. You have acknowledged, on the balance sheet, your responsibilities for complying with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 with respect to accounting records and the preparation of accounts. These responsibilities include preparing accounts that give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company at the end of the financial year and of its profit or loss for the financial year.

In accordance with your instructions, we have prepared the accounts which comprise the Profit and Loss Account, the Balance Sheet and the related notes from the accounting records of the company and on the basis of information and explanations you have given to us. We have not carried out an audit or any other review, and consequently we do not express any opinion on these accounts.

My Practice Name
Accountants & Tax Consultants
Address
Date

royw1970

Thanks for your thoughts, just a quick shout across practice office would normally resolve things like this. it can get a bit stir crazy being sole trader with no colleagues to bat things off, the amount of times my wife has bought me a cup of tea only to find me in mid argument with myself.

I think the best solution is to marry the original wording before the update with a bit from the new and a splash of AAT in there should do the trick for a resounding Accountants report.

thanks again

royw1970

burg wrote: »

Not sure whether you can adjust it but obviously you cannot just adopt if you are a CCAB member. If it is standard legal description just referring to these bodies then possibly you can change it to refer to the AAT instead.

Interesting that you got to speak to Sage about Accounts Production. I reviewed lots of different software back in 2009 when I decided to move away from PTP and Sage couldn't give me any answers about it when I called and said they would call back and never did. This was on several occasions. Would be interested to hear your opinions on it and whether it is any good. I know my way fairly well around Line 50 but it isn't my favourite bookkeeping software.

I am surprised they didn't give you any answers or even a trial, I was first introduced to SAPA 2002 when I started my first Accountancy job, I left in 2008 contacted sage and they were only too happy to help. I have never been able to get on with the line 50 products at all and not for the want of trying, I think it is because they seem template based, you have to do things the way the 'software' sets out.

SAPA you are pretty much free to apply all of the excellent skills gained with the AAT, I assume that is why it is exclusive to practising accountants as joe blogs could make up a complete jackanory set of accounts.

There are various ways of using it, server, standalone and laptop (need to connect laptop to server I believe every three months to keep the licence going)

My annual licence cost is £218 + vat for 10 clients on 1 computer, but when sage register your software the lowest sage give you is 50 clients. The 50 clients refer to the 50 clients you have open in the client database, by backing up your clients, you can delete the ones not in use and restore others giving you a bit of a cost saving. There is however a first year setup cost of around £250 + vat, you may be able to negotiate as you are already a valued customer! of theirs using line 50.

I strongly recommend you at least give it a trial and get a quote on license fees tailored to suite your practise size. I believe you will find it easier to use and of course you can import from line 50 and export back again, although, you may have to do a few repostings.

Perhaps you could try contacting the following for more info

Rachel Fox
Sage
Account Manager
0845 111 11 11 x 68935
rachel.fox@sage.com

Hope thats been helpful, but if I can help any further info@rwaccounting.co.uk

burg

Just to let you know Roy I had a conversation with Sage. I managed to get hold of somebody although not Rachel.

The quote they have given me is more than 3 x my current spend with Digita and Digita aren't particularly cheap although I feel good value for money.

But nearly £6.5k for just over 100 clients was pushing it a bit!!!

Iris are considered the market leaders and I know there software very well so no learning time. The cost for them is is about £3.5k so would be a better bet in my eyes.

Thanks though at least I managed to get a price this time but glad I didn't waste my time before.

Londina

I'm using SAPA at work and am finding very difficult to use, such a unintuitive and horrible software, if you need to amend the wording in the accounts this take you hours going in circle between the "Rops" and "Report pads" options!!
I used to use Digital Accounts before and it's way better, easy and quick to use.

I contacted SAPA support to resolve the problem but after being put on hold for more than half an hour, I decided to drop an email instead. So far no replies.

Not satisfied at all >:-(

BIG WAL

I fully agree with Londina's comments. Having paid a lot of money for SAPA, I too found it difficult and clumsy. VT's generic accountant's report option as suggested by Monsoon is absolutely fine.

Would not recommend Sage anyway , particularly after they've hiked my renewal for Client Manager up by 33% without explanation. They haven't bothered responding to my query as to why. Time to part company - they seem to treat small practices with contempt.