Keytime Accounts &Corprn Tax

Keytime Accounts &Corprn Tax

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I  now run a micro practice , having downsized,  filing only Micro Entity accounts for my Ltd Co clients.  I dont use accounting software for accounts preparation

I'm not going to be able to use HMRC free CT 600 software this coming year so I'm looking around for a solution. I already use Keytime personal tax and had a demo today on Accounts Production and CT. Package looked OK but a lot more in there than I am ever going to use. I dont want to use a package running through Excel and I dont want to have to pretend that I'm the client.

Any views on the Keytime software?

Any other suggestions

Thanks

Replies (8)

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By Tim Vane
29th Feb 2016 23:18

If you need ME accounts, corporation tax and personal tax then depending on the number of clients you have, Keytime is a costly option. They are now owned by Iris, so it is only likely to get more expensive. Taxcalc and BTC would both do all you need in a combined package, and if you want cloud then taxfiler will also give you everything at less than you are paying for just personal tax.

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By girlofwight
29th Feb 2016 23:32

Iris
The problem is ownership of Keytime by Iris group.

My firm are long term users of Compac accounts, which was sold to Keytime. A few teething issues around the licensing module they put in, but generally Compac continues to work well.

Subsequently Keytime was sold to Iris. I feel a little miffed that Keytime offered a small discount for signing up to a multi year contract by DD, and then, presumably on the value of contracted revenue, concluded the sale of the business. Was that the doing of the outgoing owner, or Iris flexing their muscles before purchase?

Over the years my experience of Iris group has not been good.
- they took a good product, Freeway payroll, and made a horlicks if it at the time of online filing starting. Buggy, unstable, full of fatal errors and blue screens of death, support phone lines unanswered, and disinterest from management in resolving the issues let alone apologising. If you look back you will probably find Aweb threads around a decade ago, it's not unreasonable to say it was shameful conduct by Iris.
- when I sold my former practice, despite being notified of the sale they charged my credit card for new owners renewal for Drumohr tax It was refunded, but no explanation or apology, and letters to MD went unanswered
- on the same transaction, sale of my former practice, despite the new owners being Iris users and buying new licences for over £10,000, Iris insisted on charging full renewal price for transitional use of other Iris group products during the handover.

As well as being a rulctant Iris customer via their ownership of Keytime, they bought my tax supplier Dromohr a few years ago. To their credit Iris have left the software and support largely unchanged, and it works well. They have however migrated all contracts to auto renewal, auto charge the last credit card you used, three months notice not to renew, etc - a very aggressive collection process.

So I think my feelings are "caveat emptor" - my experience is generally customer disinterest and sharp business practices. If I had a choice I wouldn't deal with them; the thought of migrating several hundred clients means inertia takes over though.

If I had a choice I would have nothing to do with them.

Thanks (3)
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By frankdavid
01st Mar 2016 09:17

I was also a Freeway payroll customer at the time of the debacle. Now with Moneysoft which is stunning

 

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Time for change
By Time for change
01st Mar 2016 09:52

I've been with Keytime since 2008

I've been delighted with the working relationship, with everyone I've come across, in their team.

No one more disappointed with the Iris takeover, than me. That's life, that's business, no point losing sleep. Move on. Who wouldn't have done exactly the same thing, given similar circumstances? From my point of view, if I do see material changes, which don't fit in with my circumstances, I'll be the first to make changes.

However, from what I can see, at Keytime, absolutely nothing has changed. Same friendly and efficient voices, superb support. I've enjoyed those circumstances for the last eight years.

The suite of programmes on offer work well in my practice and one can only speak from the experience of working with these products.

 

Thanks (2)
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By andrew55
01st Mar 2016 13:01

They've lost their way

They were good pre Iris but seem to have lost their way since then.

Support was excellent but we have now been waiting over two months for a fix for a simple problem when running reports.

Time for change seems to have been lucky so far.....

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By pauljohnston
03rd Mar 2016 12:00

Have a look at Taxfiler

At £18 per month inc VAT does all tax returns and accounts filing.

Got to be worth consideration

If you are only a micro practice keytime may to more expensive per client

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Stephen Quay
By squay
03rd Mar 2016 15:39

We Use TaxCalc

I have just posted about TaxCalc on another question about accounts production which you can see here.

https://www.accountingweb.co.uk/anyanswers/question/what-software-best-small-practice-and-can-cope-frs102#comment-835403

See all the prices on their web site and there are deals for smaller practices if you don't need unlimited tax returns.

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By Spire
05th Mar 2016 17:55

Keytime

Yes, I also had reservations when Iris took ownership of Keytime, but I am pleased to report that Keytime still present good value with excellent support from their very friendly support team. 

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