I currently use MYOB for bookkeeping, Caseware for final accounts production and Drummohr for personal, partnership and basic corporation tax returns. With the recent changes with these software providers, Caseware excluded, I am thinking of changing to Keytime and Pastel Accounting.
Has anybody any comments, good or bad, about Keytime?
Helen Henderson
Related resources
Replies (11)
Please login or register to join the discussion.
You bet it is sour grapes
I defy anyone to not feel extremely aggrieved if they had received the treatment I have (I am poster no1).
I also dealt with keytime for a number of years but I guess you never know the calibre of a company until something goes wrong and you see how the company deal with it. In Keytimes case appalingly!!!!!
Keytime have looked after me
I find it hard to recognise the state of affairs the first and fifth contributors maintain is the case at Keytime.
I have used them for a number of years and find the products and service much better than other software houses I deal with.
I've just recommended their Accountants Suite to a colleague who only has a small number of clients - he paid £395 for SA100/SA800/CT600 processing (inc internet filing), Final Accounts and P11D and he loves it.
Sounds like sour grapes if you ask me.
Tax Return Software - where not to go
Tried Keytime on behalf of a third party - and found that not only was;
1) the "support" abysmal (except for ONE person who's no longer there); but also that
2) Internet Filing failed on too many occasions. We kept sending the failed Returns by EMail to the Software House.
3) Our request to the Software House for a change to Sending out a Request for Data standard letter was never attended to.
Why does a company expect us, in the profession, to "bench-test" its products for free?
On another matter: why do the correspondents in this Web:
a) use initial letters that are so often unrecognisable to others (including me); and
b) not even spell check their writings before sending?
MYOB
Does anyone find that the List of Balances (Bought and Sales Ledger) do not match the true figures that were on The Control Accounts?
As an Accountant in Practice, I located this "fault" at a client company some years ago. Together we spent a long time, and could not resolve the issue. The software house refused to assist saying "the client had not paid for support"
Another vote for Tax Calc
I could not agree more that Tax Calc is a very good program having used it since SA first came into being. There have been some tough times (e.g. when Intuit dumped it) but I have stuck with it and think that it is really very good value for money. The support (included in the price) is also very good, with helpful staff.
I wasn't aware that VT could import directly into Tax Calc though - I shall have to take a look at that.
VT - TaxCalc
Forgot to mention in my earlier post that the self assessment accounts in VT can be exported direct to TaxCalc so minimising any errors. (hopefully they will introduce a link for the Corp Tax accounts in the future - some software do)
TaxCalc do not charge extra for the online filing either.
I've used this combination for 9 years with no problems and wouldn't dream of using anything else.
TaxCalc this year was available on 5th April well ahead of other tax packages costing many hundreds more.
Support is excellent on both products and updates are automatic throughout the year at no extra cost.
Software
VT for book-keeping, VT for final accounts and TaxCalc for Self Assessment, partnerships and Corp Tax returns.
All are unlimited companies/tax returns for a low fee and I can access all my tax returns going back 9 years without having to pay any extra.
Fellowcraft
Probably - it's RUBBISH dont know why you bother! Its painful compared to a 'proper' package.
Helen to answer your question it is ultimately a matter of personal preference - they are all pretty similar, bad points and good and you get what you pay for. I say that as one who has used just about every package going now!
My only tip dont skimp and change purely on cost grounds alone and try and get a package you wont swap and change regularly. Test several and get as many demos as you can.
Taxcalc?
Am I the only accountant in the world to use HMRC's own software?!
Re Taxcalc, I note the pro version is £375. Is this an annual fee or a one-off? Also does anyone know the annual support fees?
thumbs down for Keytime
I am also a dissastified keytime customer.
Told features existed that didn't and when returned the product as not fit for use (after having spent several hours on the phone basically beta testing their product on my time with no payment!) they refused point blank to refund the fee.
You don't tend to forget that sort of arrogance even though we are going back several years here.
I find Taxcalc is perfectly decent for basic tax returns, its got a good "interview" mode which is good for assistants to use rather than the form which as we all know looks hideous now! Its very reasonably priced too.
A word of warning regarding Keytime
Last year I entered negotiations with Keytime regarding Drive. I told the sales rep that I was not interested under any circumstances in paying for an annual licence, at that point he told me I would be able to purchase the software for £2.2k. I enquired about ongoing costs and was told there was an OPTIONAL annual support fee of £450 + VAT all this was done on speaker phone with a witness, however one year later and I am now told that not only is it not optional but it has also risen to £650 (wish I could increase my fees by that amount each year).
I have tried explaining what I was told but all they offered me was a £50 reduction what a kick in the teeth. The sales rep is no longer there and all the director is interested in is have I got it in writing (which of course they did not supply), if I had thought for one minute that there was any confusion regarding the sale of the software I would indeed have insisted on something in writing.
At present I have got a majority of my software (everything except payroll) but I will never deal with this company again having seen how they swindle their customers.
Very angry Keytime customer