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• # 117533
• Thu 21 Feb 2019 11:17 AM

Hi 

I currently use Sage Accounts Production and have done for last 12 years! Not suitable for MTD for VAT and im shopping around.

Sage are offering software to trial balance with MTD for VAT on it buts its coming in at a min of £77.98 a month + VAT plus i would still need to keep my existing subscription for year end accounts!!

Anybody getting better prices for software or maybe already using software they can recommend.

All help appreciated!!

I currently only have 9 VAT clients but im aware of 4 others who do their own VAT and may decide to bring it to my office instead.

Jennifer

• Jennifer
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• # 117562
• Thu 28 Feb 2019 08:40 AM

Hi Jennifer

I used to be a Sage Queen too! To be honest, it is a great program - just so expensive for small bookkeeping firms! They have ignored the fact that they are pricing themselves out of the reach of the smaller companies. I went to the Bookkeepers Summit in 2016, met Quickbooks, played around with their program and have now converted all my clients to QBO. They will do 2 years worth of accounts migration free - any more than that and they charge £60 per extra year. When I moved to QBO, Sage lost 14 clients!

QBO give bookkeepers/accountants the program free for our accounts and discounted rates for our clients if they buy through us. It is just as good as Sage too and for a fraction of the price!

I've just moved a client on to MTD so I know it works in that area too. 

I hope this helps!

Kind regards

Hazel

• Hazel

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• # 117563
• Thu 28 Feb 2019 09:38 AM

I too used to be a sage queen - I converted my clients last year to Landmark which is desktop for those clients who do not wish to be on the cloud and use Xero for the cloud based ones. Great support from both and far more flexible than sage. If you want a cheaper desktop to run alongside a cloud based programme, VT plus is excellent and is now going to be MTD compliant. Good luck, there is definitely life after sage!

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• # 117564
• Thu 28 Feb 2019 11:24 AM

jennifer73 said:

“

Hi 

I currently use Sage Accounts Production and have done for last 12 years! Not suitable for MTD for VAT and im shopping around.

Sage are offering software to trial balance with MTD for VAT on it buts its coming in at a min of £77.98 a month + VAT plus i would still need to keep my existing subscription for year end accounts!!

Anybody getting better prices for software or maybe already using software they can recommend.

 

All help appreciated!!

I currently only have 9 VAT clients but im aware of 4 others who do their own VAT and may decide to bring it to my office instead.

 

Jennifer

”

 Hi Jennifer,

I used to love Sage too!  Nearly all my current clients are on Xero now, I have one on QBO.  I have done a few accounts migrations into Xero since starting work again last year.  Both Xero and QBO offer free advisor certifications and MTD material.

It took me around four hours to do the basic Xero certification and was all free. They also offer accountants/bookkeepers a free account for themselves.  I have spent almost nothing on Xero and I have multiple clients using it.  The subscription pricing is really good for clients.

Xero also offer a deal where you can buy 25 subscriptions for £25 per month for advisors.  This means you could offer it as part of a package deal to your client or absorb the cost yourself.

I used to use Sage exclusively and had a certain level of brand loyalty, but I have to say that Xero and QBO are very impressive in terms of functionality and pricing for the average small to medium sized business.

Elspeth

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