Good Accounts Packages Don't Have to Be Expensive

By Alan Butler

You've seen the accounts packages for sale, and can you believe the prices of them. Anything from £60.00 to £350.00 but is there anything cheaper on the market?

Yes, there is, you can get good accounts packages for less than £50.00. Search the Internet using search terms such as "cheap accountancy programs" or "download accounts software" and carefully sift though the results.

The best packages are the ones that have all the features you need for your business. Too many packages are expensive, and they don't give you anything more for your money.

You need a package which is simple to use. It should also give you good reports which will save you a lot of money. Why will it save you a lot of money, because with the quality of the records produced, your accountant will have very little work to do?

As the majority of accountants work on a time budget, and they charge you by the hour, the less work they do, the smaller your fees should be.

You don't have to spend more money on services for your businesses anymore. Cheap accounts packages, which do exactly what you need, mean lower accountants' fees. That gives you more money to spend on your family.

Search the Internet for accounts software at a reasonable price that you can download. Test it out, use it for 30 days and see what the results are. You will be amazed at how good reasonably priced software can be, and the way it helps you in the day to day running of your business.

Alan Butler is a director of A Butler and Company, chartered certified accountants, based in Derby, providing a personalised service to local business owners and individuals.

Four Software Limited, 5A Darley Abbey Mills, Darley Abbey, Derby, DE22 1DZ, Tel 01332 200 604, Fax 01332 344329

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Foursoftware Accounting Package

Commercial Accounts Software

You can file the following tax returns online using software from commercial suppliers (some of this software is free and some you have to pay for):

• SA100 - Individual Tax Return (also completed if you're self-employed)
• SA800 - The Partnership Tax Return
• SA900 - The Trust and Estate Tax Return (see ‘Filing trust and estate returns online’ below)

The commercial software products also allow you to file some or all of the following supplementary pages online:

• Employment
• Self-employment
• Individual partnership
• Additional information
• Trust income
• Capital Gains
• Non-residence
• Minister of religion
• Lloyd's underwriters

We don't recommend any one particular product or service over another, so you'll have to choose for yourself. When you compare suppliers, you could look at things such as their extra features, ease of use and quality of support.

More help from HM Revenue and Customs

Essential For Any Business - Accounting Software

By Alan Butler

Gone are the days when you could store all your receipts, bank statements and other accounting documents in a box, and then pass them to your accountant at the end of the year. With the financial crisis affecting the majority of the world, you'll need to know exactly the state of your business finances are, and you need to know each and every day. Every day is important, because you need to react instantly to any financial problems you might be about to face.

How do you do this, what is the best way around the problems you are facing?

The easy answer is accounting software. Now you might be thinking, "I don't need any more software, I have a spreadsheet program on my computer, which will do the job." The spreadsheet programs you get with your word processor are good, but they are limited. Unless you know how to put formulae in then you will have no way of reading the data. However, with good accounting software, you will be able to read the data and know instantly the exact position of your company.

Imagine you sit at your computer, key in the data and then press a couple of buttons. Immediately the program does what it has been programmed to do, all the calculations you need. No longer do you need to wait for results; no longer do you need to be running your business blindly. If you want to stay ahead of the recession, then it is essential for your business to have accounting software.

Alan Butler is a director of A Butler and Company, chartered certified accountants, based in Derby, providing a personalised service to local business owners and individuals.

Four Software Limited, 5A Darley Abbey Mills, Darley Abbey, Derby, DE22 1DZ, Tel 01332 200 604, Fax 01332 344329, www.foursoftware.co.uk

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Cash is King Accounting Software

Can I Try Accounting Software For Free Before I Buy It?

By Alan Butler

Now that is a great question, because how many times in the past have you gone into a computer store and found accounting software, and there it is - shrink wrapped. You have no option but to buy it having read the list of features and benefits, but you have no idea how easy it is to use until you get it home.

But that is something that no longer has to be a problem for you. Imagine finding accounting software, you read the features and benefits, and you think it is a perfect fit for your business. Can you imagine finding great accounting software, and then find you can download it and test it for 30 days. Yes, download and give it a good test drive, check it out for a whole 30 days.

No buying blindly anymore, because you will know exactly what you are getting. You will be able to see how easy it is to use, before you spend any money. Search the Internet for accounting software that you can download and test before you buy it. Often you will be able to create a few accounts as you try the program, then, when you decide the buy the software you can simply carry on. Usually, when you have bought the software, you will be sent an activation code that when keyed in converts the program from a trial version into the full version - no need to download it again.

And finally, some accounts software packages offers free upgrades as the program is further developed, so you are always using the latest version - at no extra cost!

Alan Butler is a director of A Butler and Company, chartered certified accountants, based in Derby, providing a personalised service to local business owners and individuals.

Four Software Limited, 5A Darley Abbey Mills, Darley Abbey, Derby, DE22 1DZ, Tel 01332 200 604, Fax 01332 344329, www.foursoftware.co.uk/features.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?Can-I-Try-Accounting-Software-For-Free-Before-I-Buy-It?&id=2164793

Keeping VAT Records

In general, you must keep the following VAT records:

• Records of all the standard-rated, reduced-rated, zero-rated and exempt goods and services that you buy or sell.
• Copies of all sales invoices you issue. Except: if you are a retailer you do not have to keep copies of any less detailed VAT invoices for items under £250 including VAT - unless your customer has asked for a VAT invoice.
• All purchase invoices for items you buy.
• All credit notes and debit notes you receive.
• Copies of all credit notes and debit notes you issue.
• Any self-billing agreements you make as a supplier.
• Copies of self-billing agreements you make as a customer and name, address and VAT registration number of the supplier.
• Records of any goods you give away or take from stock for your private use including rate and amount of VAT.
• Records of any goods or services bought for which you cannot reclaim the VAT, such as business entertainment.
• Any documents dealing with special VAT treatment, such as reliefs or zero-rating by certificate.
• Records of any goods you export.
• Records of any taxable self-supplies you make - for example if you sell cars and you use one of your cars in stock for business purposes.
• Any adjustments such as corrections to your accounts or amended VAT invoices.
• A VAT account, as outlined in the following section of this guide.

Further Information

Advantages of Accountancy Software

Advantages of Accountancy Software
By Alan Butler

You are running a successful business and the last thing you need is to have to spend hours and hours on your accounts. Maybe, you have a book-keeper who does all the work for you.

What are some of the advantages of owning accountancy software?

If you do hire a book-keeper, then you have immediately made their job a lot easier to do, because it is simple to record all your payments and receipts.

Imagine being able to switch on your computer and immediately being able to see how much money you have in your bank accounts. Also, being able to see how many sales you have had each week/month.

With a few clicks of your mouse you can produce reports that will tell you clearly the state of your business.

If you are VAT registered, no longer do you have to dread completing the VAT returns, because you will have all the figures needed on your reports which you have printed out. Even better, never be concerned that you have forgotten to send your return in, because your software will remind you.

One of the biggest advantages of accountancy software is the peace of mind you will have. No more wondering if you have processed your records correctly, and if you use software you will be able to back up your computer, and then you know if you get either a computer virus or a system crash, you will be able to restore your data.

What price can you put on the advantages of accountancy software? You can't because even though you will pay a low price for good software, you will be getting so many more benefits, that you won't believe the amount of money you have saved.

Alan Butler is a director of A Butler and Company, chartered certified accountants, based in Derby, providing a personalised service to local business owners and individuals.

Four Software Limited, 5A Darley Abbey Mills, Darley Abbey, Derby, DE22 1DZ,
Tel 01332 200 604, Fax 01332 344329, http://www.foursoftware.co.uk

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Accounts and records for your VAT

If you are registered for VAT, you must keep certain business records and VAT records of your sales and purchases. You must also keep a separate summary of your VAT, called a 'VAT account'.

There is no set way of keeping these records and accounts. In most cases, they can be easily adapted from your normal business records. The main thing is to ensure that they are complete and up to date and that it is easy for VAT officers to access them when you have a VAT inspection.

This guide explains how to go about keeping your business records, VAT records and VAT account and provides links to further information about what you need to do if you are using one or more of the special VAT accounting schemes.

Help from the Inland Revenue web site