VAT software for small business

Exfarmer

Member
Location
Bury St Edmunds
I have so far done all my books on Excel and being a small business have not needed to go digital yet.
I know sometime soon all my books will need to be on line but am waiting for my accountant to advise on this.
I have just been advised by HMRC I must go digital by next April for VAT so the step has to be taken
Anyone recommend specific VAT software which is not expensive, some are free , but cannot find anyone with positive things to say about them.
 

Still Farming

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
South Wales UK
On subject for small business, Do HMRC Sent reminder emails out these days also for quarterly returns as nothing received here all year?? Still done them as normal.
Their new systems most probably???
 

Richard III

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
CW5 Cheshire
I export VAT from my ancient Farmplan program to Excel, then use Vital Tax upload to HMRC, it does the job ok and only costs a few quid.

The Farmplan program runs on Windows XP, in a virtual box it's that old!
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
I have so far done all my books on Excel and being a small business have not needed to go digital yet.
I know sometime soon all my books will need to be on line but am waiting for my accountant to advise on this.
I have just been advised by HMRC I must go digital by next April for VAT so the step has to be taken
Anyone recommend specific VAT software which is not expensive, some are free , but cannot find anyone with positive things to say about them.

I've not used it as I've been on Quickbooks for years, but I noticed a program called Absolute Excel VAT Filer in the TFA membership benefits handbook. I did look at it when I was trying to put off going the subscription/cloud based QB program, and it looked pretty good, without being expensive (£40/yr normally iirc).

Might be worth a look if you're happy staying on Excel for your accounts?

 

MCook

Member
Trade
Location
Kent
As advised, Xero is a very good and reasonably priced option. QuickBooks Online is another one for Cloud software.

You can use different types of bridging software to convert from Excel records - it is likely your accountant, if using one, has software that would allow them to submit VAT returns on your behalf using this method. As mentioned though, you will be required to move across to something like Xero or QBO in the near future because of MTD.
 

JP1

Member
Livestock Farmer
To back up the OP, I shall be in a similar boat come April. I've two VAT quarter returns left on my current system

Is it so that tax returns at a later date will need proprietary software too?
 

Cowabunga

Member
Location
Ceredigion,Wales
I export VAT from my ancient Farmplan program to Excel, then use Vital Tax upload to HMRC, it does the job ok and only costs a few quid.

The Farmplan program runs on Windows XP, in a virtual box it's that old!
I have a template for Excel and enter invoices manually into this every month and, likewise, use Vital Tax as the bridging software. It is dead easy and quick.
The template was provided by my accountant, free. Probably found it on the web or indeed from Vital Tax.
Will investigate full electronic tax recording as and when required and not a moment before.
 

Exfarmer

Member
Location
Bury St Edmunds
I have a template for Excel and enter invoices manually into this every month and, likewise, use Vital Tax as the bridging software. It is dead easy and quick.
The template was provided by my accountant, free. Probably found it on the web or indeed from Vital Tax.
Will investigate full electronic tax recording as and when required and not a moment before.
normally I would agree 100% not doing anything until I have too, but the thought that I could make an almighty cock up persaudes me to think that running shadow accounts for some months before I have to take the plunge is nor a bad idea
 

Cowabunga

Member
Location
Ceredigion,Wales
normally I would agree 100% not doing anything until I have too, but the thought that I could make an almighty cock up persaudes me to think that running shadow accounts for some months before I have to take the plunge is nor a bad idea
There will be almighty cock-ups when this comes to the crunch. I believe it will do good for the tax authorities to be buried deep deep beneath a mountain of cock-ups. It will give them something to do in their afternoons.
 

NFI

Member
Livestock Farmer
Contacted our accountant when we had a similar letter and she told me that they use Xero, quickbooks, and sage. If we buy through them we'll get a small discount. Whether it'll reduce the annual bill I don't know. There is another older thread here somewhere about this and most use Xero.
 

Boysground

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Wiltshire
Think he meant if your accountant also uses Xero it means you should ???? get your year end stuff done cheaper

I was thinking it the other way round, did he have to have an accountant if running Xero.

My accountant runs Xero so it’s easy for me, I have a meeting with him coming up and he will have seen the up to date accounts beforehand which helps a lot. I don’t have the easiest business setup so it’s difficult to put a cost on a reduced accountancy bill. But to me it doesn’t matter because Xero has helped to significantly improve the business in the 6 years I’ve been using it.

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SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


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

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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