Accounting Software

[Deb]

Hi

 

Can I ask for your help again? I work in a pre-school as an assistant and I also do the admin (for which I am now being paid - yippee!). I am very interested in doing the accounts on the computer, including cash flow and possibly invoices, budgets etc (I know what I've got to do but as yet don't know how!). Maybe even PAYE eventually once I've got the basics right.

 

I've heard of software packages like Sage and Quicken and wondered if any of you have experience of these or any others and could recommend them. I am competent using Microsoft Office software but have no experience of using accounting software (apart from 'My Money' for my personal use).

 

Just surfing the internet yesterday, I read that the company owning Quicken are no longer developing the software in the UK as of last January so I presume there would be no support.

 

Hope you can help. Many thanks in advance.

 

Deb

Edited October 26, 2005 by Deb

[Inge]

I looked into the software but cost was out of our league (a charity) for the ones which would do what we wanted.

i now use Excel spreadsheets which I have developed to create a ledger for accounts and fees and used peggys invoice adapted (thank you peggy, it was my missing link!!) I have also develped excel to do some of my PAYE as well, which is easier since they produced the CDRom for calculations. (and i filed end of year returns online and got my 250.00 payment)

These are all very "in development" all the time and i am always learning and making changes but it works for us, just depends on what you take over and how they want it done.

 

budgets and forecasts are different and one I always have problems with, but did find one posted on the forum which i adapted but when I looked at it recently couldnt remember how I got the figures !! needs more work methinks!!

 

 

Inge

[Guest]

Hi Deb, I will re attach my Invoice,also my PAYE set upon excel and my Milk claim form. ( later because I've been on the site for about 2 hrs+). I also use the Inland revenue free CD rom for calculations. Inland evenue are very supportive by phone, or if new to it, especially PAYE, I had a very nice lady from I.R. come to my house for a whole morning to go over my end year PAYE ( she gained me £100 for statutory sick payments I had made )

 

Like Inge my cash flow and budget sheets are still in development stage ( but are most probably the most important)

 

Inge, I did my self assessment on line but haven't had my £250 yet, do I have to apply for it or should I get it automatically? I could do with it as cash flow is a bit short this term ( see above comment ).

 

Peggy

[Inge]

Hi peggy,

 

no you should be informed, I got an email via the gateway to tell me that my PAYE account had been credited with the money and if i wanted a cheque payment to contact the office that deals with our PAYE (ours is bradford)

Got the message on 4th oct. just in time to deduct from that months PAYE bill..

 

 

Inge

 

ps Could add a copy of our ledger if that would help to add to Peggys PAYE.

[Deb]

Many thanks Peggy and Inge for your replies. It is reassuring to know we're on the right track.

 

I took over responsibility for the accounts in September although they haven't been handed over yet because they are not uptodate (in a little red book). So like you I developed an Excel spreadsheet to record the income and expenditure as it occured, together with one for Petty Cash (which is also in a muddle). I would ber very grateful to view your spreadsheets, incase I've forgotten something, particularly the milk claim form because I know it's coming my way at some point and I don't know when it was last claimed!

 

Once I've mastered the basics (I hope) I would like to take over the PAYE at the end of the tax year so I should probably start thinking about it soon. I attended a local treasurers forum last week and met a very nice IR lady too, so I'll be in touch with her PDQ! We currently pay around £80 a quarter for an accountancy solutions firm to do our PAYE so I am keen to save money if I can (got to justify my pay!).

 

I have been handed a cash flow template from Sure Start and told we really should have one so when I've done it I'll post it here to compare notes!

 

Like you Inge I often go back to figures I've calculated and wondered how I got them! A bit of cold sweat till I find out! Try to keep my workings out if I can incase there's clue in them.

 

Deb

[Deb]

Yes please Inge!

Deb

[Inge]

Ok find examples attached, plus a few notes on filling it in.....

 

probably clear as mud

 

but it works, really it does!!

 

Inge

 

(29.10

as Debs now has this sorted decided to remove attachments. Anyone really desperate for these can pm me for help or advice, which I will give if I can.)

Edited October 29, 2005 by Inge

[Guest]

Hi Peggy

Don't rely on the IR to contact you-they didn't with me and were going to just automatically credit it to my PAYE account. I , or should I say my husband, got in touch and told them I wanted it in cheque form. It came about 3 or 4 days later.

Deb

I use My Money for my day to day accounting-which I do myself. I use Excel for PAYE and National Insurance contributions and end of year accounts-which my husband does for me. He also uses something called Calcpay-I'm not too sure what it is but I can find out for you.

Linda

[Deb]

[FONT=Geneva]Thank you so much Inge, these are brililant. Mine are similar in many respects but yours are so much better, with much more formulae already calculated which should save me loads of time! I am sure it will take me a while to become fully conversant with them but the mud is clearing!! I don't have any opening balances as yet because that information isn't yet available but hopefully I can add that later.

 

One thing I'm not sure of is, do you detail your petty cash expendiure on a separate sheet, then inputting just the total petty cash expenditure so that it balances with the cash taken out or do you input every monthy expenditure on the one form whether it is petty cash or not? If you see what I mean

 

Once again thank you so much for your help, these are great!

 

Deb[/font]

[Inge]

Hi deb,

 

we have a small book for daily petty cash reconciliation which is balanced weekly and the petty cash returned to the agreed total every friday.

 

that way everyone knows how much cash should be in the tin including when they have spent some, as several people have access to the petty cash in our setting. (I am off 2 days a week at present so they may need it when I am not there)

 

I do actually input every reciept separately into the ledger, rather than in one petty cash total. This allows anyone who looks at the account to see immediately where the money has been spent...even down to the last 25p for apples or loaf of bread when they run out!!

 

This is done weekly it only takes a short while once you get the habit--all those reciepts for the week get put into an envelope with the week on the outside and then filed!!

 

If i run out of rows one month because of lots of spending i just add them!! Just check calculations then as they can go a bit haywire if one figure gets missed.

 

yes it ALL goes on the one form, I can then see at a glance exactly how much is available.

 

I am about to try to incorporate our redundancy commitment into the ledger to show that it is cash we cannot touch...but will need the auditors help wiht this one as to how to put it in...she is doing last year account now so will know soon. will let you know when I have sorted it out if you need it.

 

Inge

Edited October 27, 2005 by Inge

[Deb]

Thanks again Inge

 

Am off to buy a little book for the petty cash!

 

I noticed your redundancy commitment on your spreadsheet - dare I ask - how do you calculate that?

 

Deb

[Inge]

redundancy payments ready reckoner

 

easy...Use the link above this will tell you all you neeed about redundancy payments......its very wordy !

 

But go to the very bottom tof the page and there is another link to a ready reckoner which dores it all for you!!! You need to know a few fact about your staff..length of service, weekly wage age etc

 

Inge

[Deb]

Thank you once again Inge, the redundancy ready reckoner will be very useful to ensure we have enough money in the bank to cover it. Hopefully we won't have to use it for real.

 

Deb

[Guest]

don't know if this helps but i do all my accounts onthe computer using Excel. I set up my own page with each column needed for what ever i have .i.e. wages banked money grants cheues. I devised it with my accountant. none of the programs i have seen are any good and the books you buy don't cover the things you want. I also have Sage for my wages but again it so complicated!!!! i devised my own. if you can get to grips with Excel it works. i also filed on line with the inland revenue and got my £250 back. they notify you with an email.

[Deb]

Thanks Steph - it's certainly reassuring to receive these comments. I just assumed I should be using proper accounting packages - why do I always try to do everything the difficult way?

 

I feel more confident now and will keep on using good old Excel!

 

Deb