We're using Iris Payroll Professional and are planning to switch to Moneysoft. I know from previous threads that many others have done the same thing. Are there any useful features in Iris that are not in Moneysoft? Is there anyone who has switched from Iris to Moneysoft then regretted it?
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My only regret was not switching to Microsoft sooner
My only regret has been not switching to Microsoft sooner. I can't think of a single thing that it doesn't do, but can list plenty of useful features that others don't.
Moneysoft
I've been using Moneysoft for about 18 months now. They really couldn't make it any easier if they tried. A joy to use.
WS.
@wilcoskip
The only way they could make it any easier is if they came to your office and ran the payroll for you. I haven't yet come across any functions that it didn't have that I wished it had had (if that is grammatically correct) :)
Great Software
I have used it for over 3 years now, thanks to recommendations from AW readers and it is brilliant.
You can even ring them and make suggestions for improvement which they will implement if it is possible (they did for me).
The only thing that is missing as far as I am concerned is that it isn't possible to email payslips directly from the system - you have to save them as pdf files (this can be done in one go) but then you have to email them individually which can be quite time consuming.
@ Susan
Moneysoft now has an email icon on their payslip menu bar. Initially, you need to set up Moneysoft with your email details but it then allows you to send the payslips and other reports direct from MS. There are also email templates which you can tailor to your specific requirements.
Thanks
Moneysoft now has an email icon on their payslip menu bar. Initially, you need to set up Moneysoft with your email details but it then allows you to send the payslips and other reports direct from MS. There are also email templates which you can tailor to your specific requirements.
Thanks for that Steve, I'll have a look.
It works!
Moneysoft now has an email icon on their payslip menu bar. Initially, you need to set up Moneysoft with your email details but it then allows you to send the payslips and other reports direct from MS. There are also email templates which you can tailor to your specific requirements.
Just an update - I have just set it up and it works perfectly and it takes less than a minute to send all the paylips for one company.
So, that has saved me around 45 minutes each month (not to mention the stress of wondering whether I had emailed the right payslip to the right employee! - I once emailed a payslip to a customer instead of to the employee - mortifying - fortunately it was for a part-timer who only earned a couple of hundred pounds a month, so it didn't give her main salary away, but that experience has made me very nervous). Thanks a lot
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Locked pay periods
I hated the back-up system of IRIS PAYE-Master (I never used Payroll Professional, but it may work the same way) - it forced you to back-up each month's payroll before you could progress to the next. Going back to print a payslip or report from a previous period involved restoring the back-up data file for that period, doing what you wanted to do and then, restoring the current period. If you needed to change anything in the previous period, you would have then had to re-process all your inputs for subsequent periods.
There is no such requirement in Moneysoft. Periods can remain open for the whole year in the one data file for the tax year and you can just select any previous period and print off anything you like. You can even go back to earlier tax years by just selecting that year's data file from a directory listing. There is no need to take back-ups every month. Unfortunately, you can also amend anything you like in a previous period (perhaps, accidentally) and it will flow through seamlessly to subsequent periods, changing all your figures, perhaps without you realising. It is true that you can lock periods with a single click on a padlock icon, but you can also unlock them again with a single click on the same icon.
Because of the greater freedom in Moneysoft, you do need to be a bit more methodical.
Agreed
There is no such requirement in Moneysoft. Periods can remain open for the whole year in the one data file for the tax year and you can just select any previous period and print off anything you like. You can even go back to earlier tax years by just selecting that year's data file from a directory listing. There is no need to take back-ups every month. Unfortunately, you can also amend anything you like in a previous period (perhaps, accidentally) and it will flow through seamlessly to subsequent periods, changing all your figures, perhaps without you realising. It is true that you can lock periods with a single click on a padlock icon, but you can also unlock them again with a single click on the same icon.
Because of the greater freedom in Moneysoft, you do need to be a bit more methodical.
Agreed, you do have to be more careful, but I really appreciate the flexibility of MS.
The only problem I have is when I am paying the previous month's PAYE as the system defaults to the month you are in and it is easy to run the report for the current month and pay this over. Unfortunately, I did this for the March 2011 payment and so wasn't able to deduct the overpayment from the April payment as it was in the next tax year. I have asked HMRC to refund the overpayment, but they sent me a form to fill in asking me to detail exactly how it happened even though it is obvious form the P35 that I have overpaid. I sent it back a few weeks ago and am still waiting to hear. Well, lesson learnt, from now on, I am going to triple check the March PAYE payment before I send it.
@susan
There is no such requirement in Moneysoft. Periods can remain open for the whole year in the one data file for the tax year and you can just select any previous period and print off anything you like. You can even go back to earlier tax years by just selecting that year's data file from a directory listing. There is no need to take back-ups every month. Unfortunately, you can also amend anything you like in a previous period (perhaps, accidentally) and it will flow through seamlessly to subsequent periods, changing all your figures, perhaps without you realising. It is true that you can lock periods with a single click on a padlock icon, but you can also unlock them again with a single click on the same icon.
Because of the greater freedom in Moneysoft, you do need to be a bit more methodical.
Agreed, you do have to be more careful, but I really appreciate the flexibility of MS.
The only problem I have is when I am paying the previous month's PAYE as the system defaults to the month you are in and it is easy to run the report for the current month and pay this over. Unfortunately, I did this for the March 2011 payment and so wasn't able to deduct the overpayment from the April payment as it was in the next tax year. I have asked HMRC to refund the overpayment, but they sent me a form to fill in asking me to detail exactly how it happened even though it is obvious form the P35 that I have overpaid. I sent it back a few weeks ago and am still waiting to hear. Well, lesson learnt, from now on, I am going to triple check the March PAYE payment before I send it.
Use the PAY>TAX & NIC ACTUALLY PAID screen - when making payments to avoid this problem...
Many thanks
[March PAYE payment before I send it.
Use the PAY>TAX & NIC ACTUALLY PAID screen - when making payments to avoid this problem...
[/quote]
Many thanks
Moneysoft
Hello all - We're contemplating swapping from Iris PAYEMaster to Moneysoft also - anybody any ideas as to whether it networks? And if so, is it easy to set up?
Not sure...
Hello all - We're contemplating swapping from Iris PAYEMaster to Moneysoft also - anybody any ideas as to whether it networks? And if so, is it easy to set up?
but I would ring them - it isn't a company like Sage where you get put through to a call center, everytime I ring I speak to someone who appears to be a director or manager who can answer questions like this very easily and tell you if it will be suitable for your specific needs.
Yes - it networks
This is a quote from the Moneysoft website:
"Each licence is sold for a single user - however, it is quite normal and acceptable for this user to install the software on more than one computer (e.g. one at work, one at home) for their own use, using the same User Licence Code."
The software is installed locally on each workstation, which is very easy (and you get updates automatically in most months to install, which is also very easy). You tell the program where you want to store the data files, so you can keep them on the server. In practice, two or more people in your firm, which is the registered user, can use the program on their respective workstations at the same time, but only if they are working on different companies.
Moneysoft - What is the helpdesk like?
We have recently started to use Moneysoft for their CIS program. In our one and only call to their helpdesk we found the support staff to be abrupt and abrasive and ultimately not at all helpful. Is this an exception - we all have off days now and again - or is this usual.
We too are planning to move to Moneysoft from IRIS and although we do not plan to use the helpdesk often when we do I need someone helpful and understanding on the other end of the phone
Can long time users of MS please let me have their comments
Many thanks
Martin
@Martin
We have recently started to use Moneysoft for their CIS program. In our one and only call to their helpdesk we found the support staff to be abrupt and abrasive and ultimately not at all helpful. Is this an exception - we all have off days now and again - or is this usual.
We too are planning to move to Moneysoft from IRIS and although we do not plan to use the helpdesk often when we do I need someone helpful and understanding on the other end of the phone
Can long time users of MS please let me have their comments
Many thanks
Martin
Over the past 3 years - the only two times I have had to use the support line - I was amazed at how quickly it was answered - within two rings, and how helpful they were - I did not have to listen to the pre-recorded drivel that you find with IRIS. Their support was great!
Helpdesk
We have recently started to use Moneysoft for their CIS program. In our one and only call to their helpdesk we found the support staff to be abrupt and abrasive and ultimately not at all helpful. Is this an exception - we all have off days now and again - or is this usual.
We too are planning to move to Moneysoft from IRIS and although we do not plan to use the helpdesk often when we do I need someone helpful and understanding on the other end of the phone
Can long time users of MS please let me have their comments
Many thanks
Martin
I understand what you are saying. I have rung their helpdesk around 10 times over the last few years and as far as I can tell, there are two men who answer the calls. One of them is extremely helpful and will go out of his way to help and explain things to you. I have had the misfortune of speaking to the other one once and he was rude and unhelpful and made me feel stupid for asking my question.
However, it is too good a piece of software to avoid because of him and if you need help, just ring until you get the helpful person.
I have been using moneysoft since January 2005, having switched from Sage. I can't comment on their customer service as I have never had to use it! I wouldn't dream of using anything else, it is so simple. I use it for both payroll and CIS, and have had no problems with it at all.
I have also recommended it to clients who do their own payroll (the single user licence) and that makes it so much easier than when they did it manually and there were "anomolies" in the figures. It's cheap enough for them to buy the licence, they are happy that they are doing things right and then they just send a backup through to us and we have full details of everything that has gone through.
I would just go for it !
Thanks for the bit about email .....
SteveO - thanks for the advice about the email - I had missed that bit. Have now set it up and it works like a dream - took about 5 minutes.
The other great thing was being able to set a pdf password on each employee's details so when they receive the email payslip they have to key in that password which ensures no one can take a sneaky peek! I got the employees to come and sit at my desk with their details open and key in their own password - that way there is a good chance they will remember it! I could have set it myself and, of course, if in the future they do forget it I can just overwrite it with my own choice and re-send an email copy.
Jane
Helpdesk
Whoever mans the helpdesk - and I think it is usually the same person - could do wth a course in customer relations. This has been commented on before. I hope it is not his main role! I get the impression he is one of the developers.
Having said that, you will almost certainly hardly ever need to call them. I have spoken to them only a very few times in the 6 years I have been using the excellent software (not more than once a year), and if you know when you call that you are not going to be hugged and welcomed with open arms, but just put that down to one of those little quirks of the company, grit your teeth and get on with it.
@martin.curtis
I can only echo what the others have said about their Helpdesk. The guy that I spoke to definitely needed a crash course at the local charm school.
Having said that, I've only had to phone them once in the last 3 years and, although he was abrupt, he did know what he was talking about.
And the software is so fantastic that I don't think that you will even need to speak to them.
As an aside, I have had to phone VT helpdesk a few times and they were speedy, polite, knowledgeable and extremely helpful. As was the BTC helpdesk.
I have used IRIS for many years having switched from SAGE which I had also used for many years, I was unhappy with SAGE and found IRIS on a recommendation from a client.
However IRIS keep ringing me up trying to get me to switch from PAYE Master to Bureau, but at £800 or so I thought it very dear so I looked around.
I liked BrightPay and Moneysoft, but chose Moneysoft as the layout is very similar to IRIS and it can use IRIS payslips so there is little difference form the client view, but at £134.40 inc VAT it knocks spots off IRIS.
Every time IRIS ring I tell them that i don't want a program that can do a zillion reports, all I ever use are the summary and payslips and that is all I want to pay for. Funnily enough Moneysoft also does half a zillion reports but at a much more reasonable price. I just wish I had dumped IRIS years ago.
Hi all. I have been with
Hi all. I have been with Iris for 7 years. I have had hiccups in support, especially with the set up of pensions. Now having purchased the auto enrol software at over £600.00 I discover that the reports that have been issued are incorrect. Earnings triggers have not been picked up and status changes on reports not correct with earnings calculated. I have had a nightmare manually working backwards through the weeks in order to ensure correct letters are sent. I have over 100 employees and I am self taught on the payroll and have struggled to spot errors. Upon the advice of Iris support in setting up the pension I had calculated over 10 weeks of payroll till I had noticed a difference in tax on employee earnings after a call to Iris I was told it was set up incorrectly and a special tax tick box didnt work!. I then had to re calculate and re send RTI not to mention all the employee changes that took place. At this very moment I am awaiting a call promised to me for 9.00am, chased at 9.30am and still waiting..... I have been reading the comments and I am interested in Moneysoft but fear I have left it too late to swap over for the start of the year..... Also I need a data export file to ensure I can send the bank payments to our bank from the payroll, I wonder does Moneysoft do this?