simple accounts

[kelvin white]

What is the best accounts package for a sole trader?

Occupation is driving instructor ,so no invoicing or VAT required.

Basic customer records and reporting.

Many thanks.

[WhiskyFive]

I'd suggest checking out:
FreeAgent Central - which is focused on freelancers and sole traders
KashFlow - if you want a full bookkeeping solution.

http://www.freeagentcentral.com/
http://www.kashflow.co.uk

[Blackberry]

For the type of business you have you can't go wrong with a good excel cashbook.

a 'proper' accounting package will just be overkill for you.

I have a pro-forma excel cashbook that you're welcome to have, PM me your email address and I'll send it over to you

[WhiskyFive]

A "proper" accounting package like FreeAgent costs £15 per month and includes:
- time trackers
- expense & mileage trackers
- self assessment & income tax calculator

It does lots more that you won't need...but I thought the items above might well be useful for your business and might not be in the free Excel calculator.

[Blackberry]

???

I don't think anyone is disputing that packages such as Free agent or Kashflow are good and have useful features, merely saying that they aren't of use to everyone.

[WhiskyFive]

Looking again, my post might have come across as a bit cross - it was intended just to add info not to have a dig. Apologies if that was how it was interpreted...it wasn't meant :-)

[Philip Hoyle]

Rather than using a spreadsheet, why not use the www.vtsoftware.co.uk free cash book software which lets you quickly and easily enter your transactions, reconcile the bank, and produces the usual year end reports.

I'd also endorse free agent central as it also works out your tax bills as you go along which is invaluable if you really want to keep track of your forthcoming liabilities rather than waiting until the year end and getting a shock!

I really hate spreadsheets with a passion as virtually every client who has presented a spreadsheet to me has made a foul-up of it, with columns and rows that don't add up, links from one place to another that aren't automatically updated, putting £ signs in cells which makes the content a label rather than a figure, hence not being included in totals, etc. When a proper package like VT is free of charge and FAC is so cheap, I can't see why anyone would want to use a spreadsheet.

[gouldie0]

I agree with Philip and Tony, a spreadsheet based system would be more than adequate. As Philip suggested, check the VT excel based software range, i've recommended this several times to driving instructors.

Kind Regards

Neil

[panachesols]

I use Tas - its free and part of sage

[DickM]

Originally Posted by Philip Hoyle

Rather than using a spreadsheet, why not use the www.vtsoftware.co.uk free cash book software which lets you quickly and easily enter your transactions, reconcile the bank, and produces the usual year end reports.

I'd also endorse free agent central as it also works out your tax bills as you go along which is invaluable if you really want to keep track of your forthcoming liabilities rather than waiting until the year end and getting a shock!

I really hate spreadsheets with a passion as virtually every client who has presented a spreadsheet to me has made a foul-up of it, with columns and rows that don't add up, links from one place to another that aren't automatically updated, putting £ signs in cells which makes the content a label rather than a figure, hence not being included in totals, etc. When a proper package like VT is free of charge and FAC is so cheap, I can't see why anyone would want to use a spreadsheet.

Also a killer if a client is using a different MS Excel date system to you! ........ following taken from microsoft help:

"Excel supports two date systems: the 1900 and 1904 date systems. The default date system for Microsoft Excel for Windows is 1900. The default date system for Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh is 1904. You can change the date system. On the Tools menu, click Options, click the Calculation tab, and then select or clear the 1904 date system check box."