Accounts software

hayseed

New Member
Iam taking over the paying of farm accounts, family farm. what soft ware are people using. require it to be simple and easy to use
any help appreciated
 

bitwrx

Member
I took over the books in 2020. We moved from farmplan cash manager to Xero.

There was a big learning curve, and my reputation took a bit of a hit a few times (especially when the first VAT quarter didn't match up with Farmplan, which mother was keeping going till the subscription ran out, but that turned out to be her error).

The good thing about Xero is that it doesn't matter who is using it, it is always the same info. No backing up, no overwriting in error. It's all just the same.

This is great if, for example, you're not keen on bookkeeping. You can just scan and email any bills to Xero, and anyone anywhere can do the bookkeeping without you having to take documents to them, or them having to come to you.

The bad thing about Xero is it doesn't do any management accounting specific to agriculture. I use Excel for that, which I enjoy and am good at.

Xero is about a simple as bookkeeping can be. But that's not to say bookkeeping is simple. I'm fairly bright, and numerate. I have an engineering degree and worked with numbers for a decade before coming back to the farm. Even with mother on side, who spent almost her whole career with bookkeeping as part of her job, I'm still left scratching my head occasionally...
 

upnortheast

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Northumberland
The bad thing about Xero is it doesn't do any management accounting specific to agriculture. I use Excel for that, which I enjoy and am good at.
Yes & No !
Accountants like to use their "standard " codes for creating year end accounts

In xero it is simple to break down payments / credits into as many headings as you need by creating new ledger codes to provide the info you need.

Among other things we keep the milk van costs seperate from general motor expenses. Accounts came back with them merged.
Had to have words with our accountants. along the lines of " Whose bloody accounts are these anyway " :D

They don`t merge them anymore ;)
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
Yes & No !
Accountants like to use their "standard " codes for creating year end accounts

In xero it is simple to break down payments / credits into as many headings as you need by creating new ledger codes to provide the info you need.

Among other things we keep the milk van costs seperate from general motor expenses. Accounts came back with them merged.
Had to have words with our accountants. along the lines of " Whose bloody accounts are these anyway " :D

They don`t merge them anymore ;)

I was going to post much the same thing. I know you can create as many ‘headings’ as you like in QuickBooks, and assumed Xero was the same.
 

haggard143

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Norfolk
Had barclays send email offering freshbooks "free" software for doing mtd vat returns, anyone going to have a go? or using similar been using excel but accountant offered £25 per return to upload figures to hmrc, continue to do spreadsheets for each month, save cost of xero or quickbooks
 

bitwrx

Member
Yes & No !
Accountants like to use their "standard " codes for creating year end accounts

In xero it is simple to break down payments / credits into as many headings as you need by creating new ledger codes to provide the info you need.

Among other things we keep the milk van costs seperate from general motor expenses. Accounts came back with them merged.
Had to have words with our accountants. along the lines of " Whose bloody accounts are these anyway " :D

They don`t merge them anymore ;)

I was going to post much the same thing. I know you can create as many ‘headings’ as you like in QuickBooks, and assumed Xero was the same.
Sorry, that was a bit absolutist...

I have many many accounts. I still need Excel to work out feed cost per kg dwt sold because there's no facility to put the deadweight figure into Xero. Likewise feed conversion ratio. We buy liquid feed on a wet-tonne basis, but FCR is done using meal equivalent tonnage. I use Excel to do the sums for me.

There is some good management accounting info in Xero, and the flexibility of the reporting features helps to present it clearly, but it's not complete for our business.

FWIW, I use flex financial reporting plugin for Xero. This can query Xero straight from excel. It's a bit clunky and has its limits, but it's worth the £8 a month to me.
 

JimAndy

Member
Mixed Farmer
Had barclays send email offering freshbooks "free" software for doing mtd vat returns, anyone going to have a go? or using similar been using excel but accountant offered £25 per return to upload figures to hmrc, continue to do spreadsheets for each month, save cost of xero or quickbooks

i think NatWest also offer freshbook, and i started signing up for it, but then stop as im unsure if the bank will have direct access to my accounts. it bad enough the tax man knowing. but the bank man as well :(
 

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quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

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