VT filer - formatting of filed accounts

Any idea how to get better formatting for filing?

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I am filing filleted accounts for a couple of companies this week using VT filer to file the html file created in VT final accounts.  However, the page breaks go all over the place (eg cutting notes/tables in half) and the note/totals underlines don't always show up. 

After the dog's dinner with the first set that were filed, I "previewed" the next set and created extra rows in the excel file before redoing a new html file to push page breaks but that didn't work either and what you "preview" isn't the same as the layout that it files.

It's too late for the accounts that have already gone in but I have one more set to do and the "preview" looks ghastly - none of the bottom underlines are showing up, notes are being split over pages and there are blank pages and I'm not at all happy for these to be what the world see about my client.  Is there a way to get the bottom lines to show up and for the format to look half decent and anything like what the source printout or pdf looks like please?

(Will try ringing VT on Monday but I'd really like to get shot of these sooner)

Thanks

Replies (16)

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By Wanderer
27th Mar 2021 12:15

Not sure if it will help you but they did put out an updated version yesterday.

VT wrote:

Dear VT user

The final release of the March 2021 edition is now available for downloading from https://www.vtsoftware.co.uk/vtaccounts/mar2021.htm.

VT Data Export is now operational again and the appearance of all the screens in VT Final Accounts has been harmonised. VT Data Export now only supports the export of data via the clipboard.

Yours sincerely

The VT team

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Replying to Wanderer:
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By tltodman
27th Mar 2021 12:34

Thanks yes, I saw that and did download it that but it makes no difference.

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RLI
By lionofludesch
27th Mar 2021 12:25

Computers just don't get presentation.

What really upsets me is to see a heading on one page and the body of the note on the next.

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Replying to lionofludesch:
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By tltodman
27th Mar 2021 12:31

Yup - me too. You do all that work to get to the point where you can file 2 or 3 pages for the world to see and then they look like a dog's dinner. It really winds me up.

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By Matrix
27th Mar 2021 12:58

I always set the page breaks so the accounts look fine in pdf, so notes aren’t split between pages etc.

I have noticed that the html page breaks do not agree and it is disappointing when you download the same set of accounts from CH.

Are the page sizes different to cause this?

Let us know what VT says.

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Replying to Matrix:
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By mikeyban
27th Mar 2021 19:20

The same thing happens to me... spend a while getting page breaks looking beautiful under PDF ...

Download that I have submitted to Co House and not the same version? Why is this?

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By ireallyshouldknowthisbut
27th Mar 2021 13:13

I use VT and not noticed any really messes. Sometimes the line break will go over on the notes, but very few clients have anything other than 2 pages now and virtually everything we do is filleted so its only 2 pages anyhow.

I would concentrate on getting your standard template balance sheet "tight" on a page of A4 in excel and this should translate to a "tight" one page result on what is filed electronically. NB I always as a matter of routine 'pad' the top/bottom of any file I do by a line or too to avoid "slippage". Mainly out of habit when printers were unpredictable, nothing to do with VT.

Also do consider a "ghost" white dot if breaks happen at weird points.

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By rmillaree
27th Mar 2021 14:32

I am looking at a set i have filed today and they look fine - are you saying the layout was fine on the normal print preview option and that same format has ended up wonky within vt filer - gotto admit i have never seen that happen before.

I would check companies website to see if its simply a presentational thing on the vt screen / if they are coming through ok at companies house probably no biggie.

I will ask the standard questions though - have you switched your computer off and on again to see if that fixes the issue ?

I am presuming that you havent accidentally linked the vt html file to a different web broswer by accident ? all the icons would change so thats easy to spot when its been done ([***] to fix though)

I must say there have been various vt anomolies recently that i am sure as ever are all caused by the crapness of microsoft.

I somehow managed to lose my entire add in tollbar within excel - i couldnt find a fix for four weeks despite unistalling exel - lo and behold the add ins have re-appeared as if by magic - but they are hidden in my "sage 50 accounts" tab in excel.

Have you tried another pc?

Hopefully vt will have the answers

Feels like its about 28th december today with all these damn march year ends who havent known whether they would be in business about now or not.

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Replying to rmillaree:
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By lionofludesch
27th Mar 2021 14:44

rmillaree wrote:

Feels like its about 28th december today with all these damn march year ends who havent known whether they would be in business about now or not.

Never really understood why 31st March is such a popular date with the tardy.

Do accountants not do Christmas or summat ?

Just change the ARD to October or November - problem solved !

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Replying to lionofludesch:
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By rmillaree
27th Mar 2021 16:40

Just change the ARD to October or November - problem solved !

To be honest its not really a problem - there is always a hardcore minority who turn up at the last minute or who hate to resolve accounts - it just so happens with 31st March being the most popular year end date for our clients thats also our most popular ye for clients cutting it close to the bone. Finding some time late december is actually less hassle than late january so i dont mind it that way compared to the older filing date.

This year is a bit different in that there are a few who thought they may not still be going now a few months back so were parked to do them a favour - those clients seem to be holding on so time to get stuff filed.

I have other priorities for monday and tuesday this week with beer friends and gardens being in the mix so i am doing myself a favour cracking on today.

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Replying to rmillaree:
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By lionofludesch
27th Mar 2021 16:57

rmillaree wrote:

Just change the ARD to October or November - problem solved!

To be honest its not really a problem - there is always a hardcore minority who turn up at the last minute or who hate to resolve accounts - it just so happens with 31st March being the most popular year end date for our clients thats also our most popular ye for clients cutting it close to the bone.

I had hardly any clients with March year ends. Most of them didn't care when their year end was. I liked the flexibility of being able to recommend dividends in either of two different tax years whilst keeping them in the same company accounts. And vice versa.

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Replying to rmillaree:
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By tltodman
27th Mar 2021 15:09

Thanks - yes I feel your pain and am trying to do file a stack of March year ends too. Some helpful suggestions there - thank you. I have turned on & off having tried yesterday & today with no change. Hadn't thought to try different computer, but just have and sadly that gives the same result too. Hopefully VT have a magic wand on Monday

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Replying to rmillaree:
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By spilly
27th Mar 2021 16:11

Yes, I too now have my VT showing as ‘Sage 50 accounts’ in the toolbar. Can’t work out how to rename it either, so I’m just running with it mis-named and cursing every time I forget and look for the VT button.

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Replying to rmillaree:
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By Matrix
27th Mar 2021 20:44

Do you mean that the accounts you see in print preview are exactly the same as the accounts at Companies House and there are no changes to the page breaks?

This is not a new VT issue.

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By rmillaree
27th Mar 2021 14:38

if the issue is within you print preview

try resetting page breaks
try new template to see if its an issue with everything - if it is different computer may not have that issue.
if its just some files try shortening some column widths - or checking to see if column widths have moved form standard.
with page breaks half way in info i always simply move the page break up the page to the relevant place - i never ever change the vt formatting - moving page breaks up and resetting between them normally fix the problem.

I have seen though some installs of vt get out of synch - eg if files read ok on different computers and read funny on your install - you may have to renitall vt and probably excle and that may not work.

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By tltodman
30th Mar 2021 13:58

UPDATE (for anyone interested).
VT are not operating phone support but did reply to email.
VT are not privy to Companies House algorithm so do not know how Co House generates its downloadable pdf from the html file so have no control over how what you send appears.

However... they did, very helpfully, give me a link to the Companies House html validation tool, which lets you update your html file under a test upload to check it meets the html validation but this process also generates the pdf output which should appear from the actual submission.

From this I could play around with the VT file to stretch/shrink row heights to make the output look decent on the validation pdf and (hoorah!) on the submitted, downloadable pdf.

Link here to the validation tool
https://ewf.companieshouse.gov.uk/xbrl_validator

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