I know that this has been done to death before however just looking for current views.
Really have to dump IRIS now. After last year's PAYE-Master debacle gave them a second chance & renewed our licence last October. On Friday waited 4 hours for a payroll query call back.
Last year had to e-mail the MD to get a response to a time & fees sales enquiry & then the rep didn't even turn up for the appointment! Later phoned & he promised to call me back ........ & didn't.
Decision now made to move to Moneysoft for payroll.
As our accounts production licence is now up for renewal I am wondering what latest thoughts are for alternatives. Ideally want a system that can also integrate time & fees.
K
K
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Replies (12)
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Not answering your question
but have just moved to Moneysoft myself, from Sage - have been using it for three weeks, it is absolutely fantastic, so easy to pick up.
The last thing I'm using Sage for is the 06/07 submissions and then that's it. Should have done it a couple of years ago.
So, sorry I've not contributed to your question, but just had to get that off my chest!
For the record, we use VT, were looking at moving to Digita, but have decided to wait six months. We thought that Digita had the edge over PTP (we use PTP tax returns, and were quite disappointed with the accounts production). We thought Sage were just too expensive, as was Iris, and are sticking with VT... for the moment.
It's a pity the Moneysoft accounts production is not a patch on it's payroll.
Not really helping but endorsing
I too am not really helping your query but wanted to say that i too dumped Iris payroll in favour of Moneysoft in Feb 2006 when I had been quite unable to get through to the helpline when i had a major problem (and this after no end of problems with the "upgrade" ). Although it has a few minor faults on the whole Moneysoft has been pretty good.
The absolute final nail in Iris' coffin was that I subsequently found I was unable even to access historic data on the program once my licence had expired!!! There is NO WAY I will ever buy Iris products again!
At present we are still using our own custom-designed accounts production system based on Excel. We may be outgrowing this so if you do discover a suitable low-priced package ( or if anyone elce can recommend one) I'd be interested in hearing.
Lorraine
No connection between payroll and accounts
There is no connection between payroll software and accounts preparation software. The only interface required is a journal with half a dozen entries and very few software companies provide this link automatically.
You would be cutting off your nose to spite your face if you drop IRIS Accounts Production because of problems with IRIS PAYE-Master.
Thanks for the comments so far
Euan I am not looking for payroll to be linked to accounts production.
What I would like is a time & fees system which uses these same core database as accounts production. I've had IRIS accounts production for over twenty year & think that it is a great product & that's why I was looking at IRIS Time & Fees. I can't however deal with a company which doesn't respond to sales enquiries, whose rep doesn't turn up to appointments & even after I give him a further chance doesn't ring me back when he says he will!
Iris not up to job
We too agreed to renew on the promise of improved software from Iris but got this for FREE as I refused to pay with the disruption it caused us last year . However , with the year end filing problem with NIL returns in the intital year end release and the fact they are not incorporating CIS into the software I too looked for alternatives and am using Moneysoft - so far so good - it seems a solid piece of software with so many more options than Iris . The main factor in looking to migrate my clients over to Moneysoft is cost and reliability . I think Iris are a sales orientated operation not backed up by high quality IT which has ruined the credibility of the old "PAYEMaster" product they bought . They want something like £600 just to renew this year ; Moneysoft is £99.95 plus VAT for unlimited companies upto 100 employees - and it seems to work very well ! Enough said !
time & fees
I'm thinking of going for Forbes Tempus - having looked at their website - what do other people think?
Coporates or sole traders?
Unashamadely banging our own drum, if you are looking for stat. accounts prep software you could do a lot worse than look at Caseware.co.uk particularly if you mainly do corporates, charities, LLP's etc.
CaseWare Time is a good practice management suite as well.
There is a reason why 10 of the top 20 use CaseWare!
Power of A-Web?
Don't know if it is the power of A-Web or the fact that I was complaining to IRIS yesterday but just received a call from the TT rep who didn't turn up to an appointment then didn't ring in February as he had promised. Sooo sorry - can he come & see me!
No prizes for guessing my reply!
Anyway emphasizing what Ken, Michael & Lorraine have said, since Friday I have done three payrolls on Moneysoft & am not regretting it one bit. Makes me wonder if PAYE-master will survive with so many converters to Moneysoft over the past year.
Shez - Bang Away!
Your drum, that is!
There is no detail of price on your website, which REALLY irks me - how much would it cost for accounts production?
Integration with tax software
OK ... so you are determined to give up IRIS Accounts Production which you have had for over 20 years and think is a great product.
It sounds as if you do not also use IRIS Business Tax or Personal Tax. Integration of accounts with tax software is much more useful than integration with time recording. Why don't you consider the accounts production module offered by the provider of your tax software?
Or do you not use tax software? If not, I would suggest that you consider buying that before time & fees software.
Fantastic
Talk about skirting around a question!
FYI, Access Accounting do not do accounts production software.
Gary
you make it sound so easy.
Actually, I went onto Access's website, couldn't find it, so asked Access Accounting if they did Accounts Production software, and they said no.