Invitation to join Xero: implications?

Invitation to join Xero: implications?

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Neither I nor my clients are exactly at the cutting edge of cloud accounting. In fact, my first ever client has just moved over to Xero and I have been invited to join the account.

Before doing so, I wondered what the implications (particularly financial) are.

As Xero has a reputation for not exactly being cheap, I wondered if any kind soul reading would confirm my assumption that me joining a client's account upon their invitation doesn't have a cost for me: I am guessing the cost is covered from the client's subscription.

And what happens if / when I accept that invitation: does the invited user get full access to what's going on including posting or is it some form of read only access?

And bearing off at a tangent (and with MTD in mind), what are the advantages of being a Xero partner as opposed to just accepting invitations from various clients who might decide off their own bat that Xero is the way to go?

Many thanks for all and any answers.

Replies (8)

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By partner55
29th Jul 2016 15:33

There is no cost implication to you. The person who sent you the invite has the choice of various access levels that they can set for you from read only to full access and in between. You will have to ask the client what they have given you access to do.

If you are the Xero partner, then Xero bill you and you bill on to the client. The advantage is that if you get lots of clients on, you may get discounts and be advertised on their website. However this also requires that you pass their annual test for competence on their software.

Thanks (1)
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By JKnight
29th Jul 2016 16:01

Your client should give you Adviser level access otherwise you will not be able to use some areas of Xero: VAT returns, journals etc

Thanks (1)
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By Matrix
29th Jul 2016 16:02

Once you accept and login, go to Settings-Users and you can check the access, you should have Adviser status and be able to file VAT returns and make journals.

Make sure they know what they are doing since I am no Xero expert and a client who invited me as a user has not reconciled the bank and I think I will need to spend some time on this to be able to extract the data for the accounts. Xero needs to be kept in balance and the client needs to understand how to reconcile and book petty cash etc to use it properly. You will need to learn how to use it too (although journals and VAT returns are straightforward, I don't like the bank rec, petty cash and transfers between bank account features).

Thanks (1)
By Moonbeam
29th Jul 2016 17:41

This is fantastic way of learning, as you've got to learn it now and will get practical experience. I only got involved with Xero because a client insisted on cloud software. I am one of those irritating people who don't want to spend hours reading the help pages. So I blundered around in Xero for about a year. Then another client made a right mess of the bank account. I was eventually able to suss out what he had done, and that's improved my understanding of Xero.
Of course the advantage for the client is that Xero is relatively easy to use, and you can intervene at any stage to sort out messes and train over the phone. Their reports have just become more customisable than before. However I haven't had the time to check whether they are still adding credit notes to invoices on any of the reports, as before.
As for paying clients' subs, I have decided not to do this, as it's yet more admin for me. Periodically I get asked to do a 4 hour exam in Xero to gain some sort of badge. There is an implication that without having passed their exam I am some sort of nit-wit.
I would rather do a 4 hour exam in advanced VAT, which will be much more useful to me. But because I haven't passed the wretched exam I can't be a certified advisor or whatever. Frankly that is easy to live with.

Thanks (1)
By Moonbeam
29th Jul 2016 17:41

This is fantastic way of learning, as you've got to learn it now and will get practical experience. I only got involved with Xero because a client insisted on cloud software. I am one of those irritating people who don't want to spend hours reading the help pages. So I blundered around in Xero for about a year. Then another client made a right mess of the bank account. I was eventually able to suss out what he had done, and that's improved my understanding of Xero.
Of course the advantage for the client is that Xero is relatively easy to use, and you can intervene at any stage to sort out messes and train over the phone. Their reports have just become more customisable than before. However I haven't had the time to check whether they are still adding credit notes to invoices on any of the reports, as before.
As for paying clients' subs, I have decided not to do this, as it's yet more admin for me. Periodically I get asked to do a 4 hour exam in Xero to gain some sort of badge. There is an implication that without having passed their exam I am some sort of nit-wit.
I would rather do a 4 hour exam in advanced VAT, which will be much more useful to me. But because I haven't passed the wretched exam I can't be a certified advisor or whatever. Frankly that is easy to live with.

Thanks (1)
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By adam.arca
02nd Aug 2016 13:49

Many thanks to one and all for answering my question and also for the helpful steer on what to be looking for.

Thanks (0)
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By Emmarat
04th Aug 2016 13:31

I Currently have about 15 clients that use Xero and they all pay their own Subscriptions because I do not want to be lumbered with their subscription bill if they do not pay. I have had a number of conversations with Xero as they try to sign me up to their accountants scheme and they cannot understand why I would not want to pay this on behalf of my client and receive a small discount - Simple answer is, if my client pays the subscription I have no liability . I have been set up as advisor on all clients and it works well for both clients and I.

Thanks (1)
avatar
By Emmarat
04th Aug 2016 13:31

I Currently have about 15 clients that use Xero and they all pay their own Subscriptions because I do not want to be lumbered with their subscription bill if they do not pay. I have had a number of conversations with Xero as they try to sign me up to their accountants scheme and they cannot understand why I would not want to pay this on behalf of my client and receive a small discount - Simple answer is, if my client pays the subscription I have no liability . I have been set up as advisor on all clients and it works well for both clients and I.

Thanks (0)