Who owns SAGE Data?

Who owns SAGE Data?

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Apologies if this has been asked before, however who owns the SAGE Data file.

The work jas been completed in our offices by our staff and on our hardware and software.

A new accountant has requested the data however we have not been paid for this so we are not willing to provide this to them.

Any assisitance will be greatefully recieved.

Replies (10)

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By occca
04th Dec 2013 18:08

?

What haven't you been paid for?

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SiWoodhams
By Si_Woodhams
05th Dec 2013 13:57

What do you need to be paid for?

The accountant would need a backup of the sage data to prepare your annual accounts or management accounts.

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By AA16
05th Dec 2013 14:01

More Information

Basically we prepared the VAT returns on SAGE up to March 2013. The client has left and didnt want us to complete the March 2013 accounts although we have basically prepared all the workings. They are not prepared to pay for these workings, therefore we feel apart from the statutory records we do not have to pass across our SAGE File unless they pay for our time.

 

 

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By davegibson00
05th Dec 2013 14:06

I'd suggest

although I'm open to other interpretations, that the sage file forms part of your working papers, so you have no obligation to hand it over.  The new accountant will need a TB and maybe some detailed schedules printing in order to complete the accounts, but not the file itself.

If the software licence was paid for by the premises and/or you did the work on their premises then the data would be theirs.

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By ShirleyM
05th Dec 2013 14:14

Have they paid for the VAT services?

Your reply doesn't make it clear, you just say they won't pay for the 'workings'.

If they have paid for the VAT Returns, then you should give them a print out of the VAT reports from Sage. That isn't the same (or as helpful) as giving them the bookkeeping.

 

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By andy.partridge
05th Dec 2013 15:09

I'm with Shirley

If you have been appointed to undertake bookkeeping and VAT services, and you have been paid for them, then surely the client is entitled to the output in a readable form.

If you have started preparing the year-end accounts and want paying (in part) for it, I would suggest that is a completely different issue and you could withhold the data that is specific to it until the issue been resolved. How? Create a duplicate file and delete the relevant transactions. 

 

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By GW
05th Dec 2013 16:16

No lien over accounting records

As you refer to the statutory books, I assume you are talking about a company, in which case as having  accounting records is a statutory requirement, the Sage data could not be subject to a lien and cannot be witheld.

 

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By ShirleyM
05th Dec 2013 16:37

Sometimes ....

Your ongoing reputation is more important than a few £.

On the assumption that you have been paid for the in-year services, and you had to prepare bookkeeping in order to prepare the VAT, then be helpful and cooperative and enhance your reputation.

I can't understand why your client doesn't have the information already. When we prepare VAT we automatically give them a copy of the workings. When we do bookkeeping for clients we give them a monthly/quarterly P&L, Balance sheet, and a listing of the nominal ledger. It's their business, their data, and the more information they have about their business, the better. It also saves client queries about who's been paid, has this or that been included, etc, as they have the information to hand.

I have often come across accountants who deliberately withhold information to try and lock in the client and make them reliant upon the accountant. It always backfires. I hope you aren't one of those.

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By Jekyll and Hyde
07th Dec 2013 09:22

in my opinion client owns the data.
you are holding and storing it on their behalf.

as we enter further into cloud accounting, such issues will become more regulated. imagine what you would say if a cloud software provider was to prevent you taking your data from them to another provider. not the same but in my view similar.

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By Jekyll and Hyde
07th Dec 2013 09:42

having said this....
do i own the rights to the soft data of my bank accounts.

thy asking the bank for a back up file to you bank accounts, not sure how far you would get.

BUT they will always allow you copies of your data, even when you are no longer a customer.

try a tactic of providing pdf copies of all ledgers within the handover letter, and say that once invoice has been paid you will release soft data.

this may do 3 things. firstly you are providing the data and secondly it may prompt the new accountant speaking with client about paying you and thirdly provide clear eviidence that you carried out the work and can be used as part of litigation to recover debts.

afterall if there is a lot of customer/supplier data stored that may need to be re-entered.

that said i would still hand over soft data and let new accountant take over. even at this stage i would be wanting my reputation enhanced as much as possible.

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