I have been inspired by FirstTab to stop drifting and get more structured.
As age and experience grows my knowledge has spread exponentially with my rear and I need something to help focus it.
I was wondering if anyone can point me in the direction of a good source, I am constantly bombarded by 2020, is that something I should be looking at?
Answers on a postcard please.
Replies (16)
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Systemising - so, so, so worth it
HI OGA, thanks for the mention.
Systemising will be a massive productivity gain. It does take time to do this. It will be so worth it. Further your thinking will change. Each time you send an email/letter to anyone, you will be asking yourself, will I do the same thing again for other clients? If so best to save this as a template/systemise so you will not have to invent the wheel again.
It will also make you pause and think about what you do and how (process). You will change some of your process for efficiency.
Just be very determined to do this. There will always be something more urgent to do. I have set aside time in my diary for this task.
In terms of buying standard templates/letters. I have bought this. I looked at the templates, but I have found I hardly use these. They are not in my style of communication. Though the few templates I have used makes this worth the money.
On a final note, I have found Google Sites ideal as our intranet for systems recording/using. Here is what I mean.
Please share your experience OGA how it goes for you.
A lesser know tax checklist
Keith Samuels - who I think ended up as part of "accountants websmiths" - used to write a really good practical 72 point one that covered all the GP basics. It was far better and much more practical than any of the CCH type documents I ever bought - and much much cheaper. To my knowledge the firm I sold out to still use it, albeit they now update it themselves rather than continuing to buy it in.
SWAT produce a tax checklist system that is Excel based and can be tailored to suit individual clients. I am currently looking at this with a view to bringing it in to our procedures for the next tax year and have been fairly impressed so far with the demo disk they have sent me. Not too expensive to buy but may cost a few extra units of time on each job until the system beds in.
CCH used to sell a software that whilst reviewing the electronic tax return file for anomalies before submission also identified any planning opportunities or pitfalls. It was looking at tax and nic, but was being developed into IHT and other areas too. It was called Tax Manager.
I found that better than a checklist as it identified the open areas relevant to the client rather than having to go through every question manually but don't know if it is still available
SWAT UK checklist
Details for our Excel based tax checklist generator can be found here. It comes as part of the Tax Risk Management Manual.
SWAT UK checklist
I watched the recorded webinar on SWAT UK checklist. It sounds good.
Has anyone used SWAT UK checklist? Is it worth the price tag?
Thanks
2020 Tax Checklists
The Income tax checklist forms part of the Tax Tips and Tools product - which also includes a VAT and PAYE healthcheck questionnaire and a corporation tax checklist as well as a Business Records Check Checklist. There are over 100 tools also included - IHT calculators, car tax, tax credits, incorporation and disincorporation and many more....
Checklists tailorable to the client's circumstances e.g. if no income from property this section can be omitted.....
http://www.2020products.co.uk/special_detail.asp?prod_id=244&grpid=244
Phone 2020 now and get a 20% discount on the prices quoted
@ksalter
Just trying to inform :)
... it was in jest, I can assure you... and I must admit the checklists sound interesting... obviously I have looked at your website but it doesn't tell me too much about them, do you have any examples?
2020 - More Info needed
Prerecorded webinar would be good on check lists,
Agree with jaybee it is difficult to part with the dosh from info given on the website. I cannot judge the quality/usefulness of these list. Though they sound good value for money.
With SWAT UK I was able to see clearly what they are offering from their prerecorded webinar.
@FirstTab
Prerecorded webinar would be good on check lists,
Agree with jaybee it is difficult to part with the dosh from info given on the website. I cannot judge the quality/usefulness of these list. With SWAT UK I was able to see clearly what they are offering from their prerecorded webinar.
... absolutely right, FirstTab, there is not enough information at all on the website for me to part with that sort of money...
SWAT UK tax checklist
@FirstTab: Paul Aplin recommended the manual and checklist on LinkedIn.
There's also a free demo download on the SWAT UK website, along with another recommendation on the same page.
Doing Tax Checklists Still?
Do either 2020, or SWAT still do annually updated tax checklists anymore? I cannot find them on either web page, and the links above do not work.