I would be grateful for some type of independent opinion on the most user friendly and flexible Making Tax Digital for VAT software for an Accountant to be able to somehow cope with his typical one man business clients who typically provide incomplete/messy/error prone “spreadsheets” (sometimes several) on excel (or OpenOffice) and who are certainly not capable of coping with the fuller/double entry etc type software?
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Telling you what not to use may help and they are SAGE ONE and Clearbooks. Sage one is slow and not user friendly . Clearbooks seemed ok but when the system froze and no one even gets back to from the helpline it does not inspire confidence. Xero is the best of a bad lot. The softwares generally are not user friendly and designed with someone who understand accounts so no good for your chip shop owner. I hope this helps. Clients records will be in such a mess I really give up. HMRC will be the loser in the end .
Most of the bridging suppliers are offering a free service at least initially. If I were in your position I would try some of them out. Some are specifically for Excel, others can process other spreadsheets directly. Obviously it is possible to load other Open Office (or Libre Office) files into Excel, but you might find it better to use a service that can take data directly from open office.
I am, however, not independent in this issue.
If I were you I would try out the different options to find which is the most efficient for you. Some software will take things directly from open office (mine will), but some of it requires excel.
You also should look at how the software handles multiple vat accounts as managing the process of joining the MTD scheme, granting authority and then doing a submission can be a bit confusing (merely because there are multiple steps and it isn't always clear which ones you have taken). Some software makes this clearer than other software. Hence you could find much less of your time is needed doing things on one system than another.
This, however, is the exhaustive list of suppliers:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/software-for-sending-income-tax-updates
Hi
You don't need to use double entry software to be MTD compliant . I have found out and it has been confirmed to me by the software developer that it is still only totals that are submitted on a quarterly VAT return. So all you need is a bridging software and a spreadsheet which it can be linked to with the VAT box figures in it. Then you use the Bridging software to submit your returns. Hope this helps.
We'll be using Absolute as one option but I've literally just looked at Vitaltax which seems an easy solution as bridging software too.
I have several clients who are on the Margin Scheme VAT, one in particular wants to use an accounting software. Sage seems to be the software that deals with the margin scheme. Sage is too complicated for my client does anyone now of other software that deals with the margin scheme and second hand cars
The whole thing is a farce , unless you are trained in accountancy using software is nigh on impossible which means clients are forced to employ someone or use an accountant at substantial cost to them . HMRC do not care they need to justify the money wasted on a scheme doomed to failure. Not one single comment saying that this is good for business.
Adminsoft is available as a free or paid for accounting system and has incorporated MTD into it. In my opinion is a very viable alternative to Sage for small businesses. It also mentions using it as bridging software in its help files.
Our software will pick up and transmit data from an OpenOffice spreadsheet (as well as various others). www.tax.co.uk/mtd/
As mentioned by others, it is only the totals that are transmitted but you should be keeping all the transaction data electronically too in order to comply with the rules.
David
Another vote for VT Transaction+. Take the 'poor' spreadsheet and enter the figures into VT and you'll have the accounts done for the year end as well. Their software will have a MTD compatible link by July they have said.
Still the best desktop bookkeeping software.