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Sage to phase in 2007-08 tax software updates from April

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18th Mar 2008
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Responding to a recent complaint voiced by Frustrated on AccountingWEB. Sage's Accountants' Division has confirmed that version 11 of Sage Taxation will be shipped to customers in phases starting on 14 April.

As AccountingWEB recently reported, Lord Carter's recommendations for improvements to HMRC's online services have resulted in the biggest changes for personal tax software since self assessment was introduced in 1997. One of the biggest challenges, according to Sage, is the requirement to produce "identical" versions of HMRC's new style forms. Sage has used this as an opportunity to overhaul its forms engine and improve the program's navigation and validation processes.

The new versions of Sage Taxation will be sent to customers and available for download in the week beginning 14 April, just over a week after the new tax year begins. The personal tax module will include facilities to prepare individual SA100 tax returns for filing either online or by paper, and R40 repayment returns.

The business tax module will allow users to prepare tax information for sole traders and partnerships, but the capability to complete and file SA800 partnership returns will not be available until version 11.01 of the program is released in June. The April release will be able to take information from Business Tax into Personal Tax; transfers from Business Tax to Partnership Tax and Partnership Tax to Personal Tax will be available in the June edition.

Further releases over the summer will include Finance Act 2008 updates reflecting the new Capital Allowances legislation updates and a Trust Tax update that will let users file the SA900 return.

Sage Accountants' Division managing director Greg Ford commented: "Ideally we would release all compliance changes in readiness for the new tax year, but given the scope of changes, we feel that a phased approach is the best way to ensure quality while minimising the impact on practices."

Sage's Andy Laver added that Sage wasn't interested in participating in a race to get out the first copies of its new tax software. Laver commented, "Sage's primary focus is to deliver software with the correct balance of quality, compliance and functionality. Our customers rely on us to provide software to manage their business and maintain their reputation with their clients. Quality is paramount and we'll be testing right up to the time we dispatch the new version and will go for quality over schedule every time."

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