Starting up / Sage help

System
System Posts: 100,537 🤖 Admin 🤖
edited June 9 in General accounting discussion
Hi all,

I am in the process of starting my own bookkeeping/accountancy business. I am also thinking of offering payroll services. I have a copy of sage 2007 and a copy of sage payroll from a friend. I have installed on my pc however I was wondering if I need to buy the client manager or if it is possible to use what I have got for now and do back ups?

If i can use what i have got, once i have gone through the initial company set up wizard and started entering transactions (say for company 1) then i would back up, but how do i get the set up wizard again to start company 2? (for both payroll and accounts).

Is it safe to use these copies without sage cover?

I just dont want to get a business loan to spend hundreds of pounds on software when there is a possibiliy that it may not all work out and i will be left with a loan to repay.

Any advice is much appreciated.

Comments

  • System
    System Posts: 100,537 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Starting up / Sage help

    This is a good question. I do the accounts for my brother who bought sage accounts and sage payroll for me. This is registered in his company name with sage therefore I can only use this for his company. The payroll can take up to 10 employees. I need to find out how I go about using payroll for myself and doing payroll for different clients on sage. Not sure which sage package to use
  • System
    System Posts: 100,537 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Starting up / Sage help

    Forget Sage payroll as it is horribly expensive - instead go for moneysoft

    http://www.moneysoft.co.uk/

    they have a free demo that you can download, and it is very reasonably priced with excellent support.

    I have been using it for two years, and never had a problem with it. I still have to keep Sage payroll for one client with a large weekly payroll that is scarily complicated (and they want Sage!!) but for all the others I use Moneysoft.

    Claudia

  • System
    System Posts: 100,537 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Starting up / Sage help

    I have just spoken to Sage. They seemed very helpful. I use Sage instant accounts and instant payroll. They said they have a package for MIP Client Manager. They are sending me a disc to have a go so I can see what I think. They said they do a booking one for 25 clients for about £425 about or they do Client Manager for 5 companies. When you need to add a new company you call them and they add as you go along. This is a lot more then the booking package. So much to take in. I am going to have a good luck. I suppose it depends how you intend to start. I have used spreadsheets in the past and thats not to bad. I do find sage very user friendly but thats me. I suppose you have to think about what support you will be getting in the long run if your business expands. No harm in giving them a call get a free demo etc like me. All the best.
  • System
    System Posts: 100,537 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Starting up / Sage help

    I would recommend moneysoft too. It's very easy to use and excellent value for money.
    :lol:
  • System
    System Posts: 100,537 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Starting up / Sage help

    I looked at Moneysoft a couple of months ago, but as I'd already renewed Sage I decided to wait for the time being.

    One question I couldn't find the answer to was the Moneysoft package I would need was £99, but I couldn't find a renewal price, is it £99 a year?

    Sue
  • System
    System Posts: 100,537 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Starting up / Sage help

    Thanks for all the info. After looking at all the suggestions I think I will go for Sage Client Manager for bookkeeping, Moneysoft for payroll and PTP for CT and SA.

    Not sure which package to use for final accounts - Im thinking about moneysoft, has anyone used this, if so is it any good or would your recommend VT or PTP instead?

    Thanks
  • System
    System Posts: 100,537 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Starting up / Sage help

    All payroll package prices are per annum :roll:

    Claudia
  • System
    System Posts: 100,537 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Starting up / Sage help

    I use ptp for final accounts as it has the ability to transfer the figures from the accounts into either the CT or SA platform, so much quicker and easier :D
  • System
    System Posts: 100,537 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Starting up / Sage help

    I use Moneysoft for payroll - fabulous, even better than PTP payroll which I used to use.

    PTP for tax (corp and personal) and VT for accounts. I had a look at PTP accounts but didn't particularly like it. You can export sole-traders or partnerships from VT into PTP tax software but not Limited Companies.


  • System
    System Posts: 100,537 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Starting up / Sage help

    I downloaded the demo of moneysoft and it does look good - how good is the technical support? I have used sage payroll through work for a couple of years and their support is excellent but you wait at least 20 mins to get through and it does cost an arm and a leg. I am a bit apprehensive about using moneysoft because I have only ever had experience of Sage but it does look very user friendly. :|

    I am so confused right now my head is spinning! I have been to Barclays to open an account and they have offered my this Professional Partners Package for £35 plus vat per month and you get a load of software including sage but only single company versions so it would involve back up and resoring all companies - not sure if i am too into this idea?? Also includes quickbooks which is multi company but again I am only experienced in Sage so a bit scared of getting this and not being able to use it and then having to buy sage anyway.

    Also now I dont even know if I should go into self employment because I read a post in the forum about people going straight into SE after finishing AAT and now I am doubting myself. I have worked for a Ltd Co for about a year doing bookkeeping and payroll and a sole trader for about 3 years doing everything but am now wondering if this is enough experience and will it allow me to get my MIP? I am not planning on doing Ltd Co final accounts.

    Sorry for waffling on, just slightly stressed :oops:
  • System
    System Posts: 100,537 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Starting up / Sage help

    Hi Leannie

    Just to go back to one of your earlier points about using Sage, and the constant backup and restore routine. I used to do this, and I never had any problems with it, but I worried a lot about accidently over writing or loosing someones data. To put this into perpective, I am a "worrier", but I can't tell you how much of a relief it was to change over to the Line 50 client manager software. It makes it much easier if you want to switch between clients records. I think it's a shame that Sage don't offer a multi company version of instant - Line 50 is often overkill for small businesses and the accountant link is, frankly, a waste of time when you are dealing with clients who don't understand accounts.

    Regarding payroll - I am using the HMRC CD rom. It's free, easy to use, and the support is very good. It doesn't print payslips (Ive got a system I set up with excel which does most of the work) and it doesn't have a direct link for online filing (I've never had any problem doing it myself with the few small payrolls I do).

    Good luck
  • System
    System Posts: 100,537 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Starting up / Sage help

    Thanks for your reply Sheelagh.

    I was thinking of buying moneysoft for payroll because a few people have recommended it and it auto calculates such things like ssp and csa deductions. Does the HMRC one do this?

    I dont know if you could help me with another query I have regarding final accounts. I work for a small limited company but we give a firm of chartered accountants a back up of our sage and they prepare the annual accounts. They also request all of our paperwork such as bank statements, invoices sent out and invoices recieved etc etc, Do you think they actually check through a whole years bookkeeping with this or do they just request in in case of any discrepancies? They take about 8 months to prepare the accounts and they tell us to run the period end wizard but they never give us any adjustments which seems a bit odd. Is there a set format for the preparation of final accounts or does each individual do it differently?
  • System
    System Posts: 100,537 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Starting up / Sage help

    Hi Claudia,

    Regarding Moneysoft payroll, do you just print payslips on normal plain paper or can you buy payslips (like with sage)? I think the sage payslips look really professional, do you think the moneysoft payslips look equally professional?

    I have downloaded the demo and it does look really good especially as it had the CIS facility. Have you ever had any problems with using it?

    Many thanks
    Leanne
  • System
    System Posts: 100,537 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Starting up / Sage help

    One of the options in Moneysoft is to print to "sage style" payslips.

    These are readily available from Staples and other good stationers - do NOT bother to go to the expense of buying from Sage - the only difference is that they are blue not green. I pay a tad under £27.00 for mine - 500 sheets - 1000 payslips.

    Claudia
  • System
    System Posts: 100,537 🤖 Admin 🤖
    Re:Starting up / Sage help

    Hi Leannie

    In my experience the extent to which accountants want to inspect accounts paperwork varies considerably. Having said this, my clients also vary - Ltd, partnership and self employed: with turnover between £20K and £1.5 million: accountant is conveniently local, or many limes away. I have also worked at client premises where the accountant comes to the client to complete much of the year end work.

    I would expect the accountant request at least the following if they did not want to see all the files

    opening and closing bank statements
    VAT returns
    Fixed asset invoices
    A random selection of purchase and sales invoices and other documents.

    I expect in the example you describe they like to have the paperwork so they have everything to hand and can refer to it at their convenience.

    Are there any members doing year end work who can tell us what they like to see and when and why?

    The accountant will probably schedule the work according to resources and deadlines, but eight months seems a long time. If you find it hard not having the paperwork all that time, ask them if they can request it when they are ready to start work.

    Normally I close the year on Sage when I send the data file, then post the year end adjustment later. It's seems odd you are not being asked to post adjusting journals - it would be conforting to know that your balance sheet matches the final accounts. Maybe you can check that - it could be that there aren't any adjustments, but that seems unlikely.


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