Cheap or free accounting software

[dollgerl]

I just wondered whether there was any very cheap or free accounting software out there, I just started up, and deal online mostly with paypal and ebay. Don't need anything too fancy just something that does the job for the tax returns at the end of the year, any suggestions?

 

[MyAccountantOnline]

VTcashbook is free and works for some small businesses but for a few pounds you can buy software which will enable you to import data from PayPal etc. This can save a huge amount of time for a business such as yours. My favourite is Accounts Portal but you have a huge choice.

 

[dollgerl]

oh wow accounts portal is fab, that would save a ton of work. Frightens me a bit though having accounts online, incase you can't get into them, if something happens to connections or the site. I suppose though you can do hard copies for safety>?

 

[MyAccountantOnline]

oh wow accounts portal is fab, that would save a ton of work. Frightens me a bit though having accounts online, incase you can't get into them, if something happens to connections or the site. I suppose though you can do hard copies for safety>?

Yes you can download all files etc to Excel if you want to.

 

[Arithmo]

In many ways online accounting can offer you more security, yes there could be an issue with internet connections but as the UK infrastructure improves this is less likely to be a problem. You do not have to worry about backing up your data, there is software installation or updates as all this taken care of for you.

I would suggest you check out a few of the online]accounting software systems, speak to them and most importantly give them a try.

Thanks

 

[Davek0974]

Checkout http://www.adminsoftware.biz/ its free and i have found it to be excellent software. I am the same really, a small business, mostly ebay and paypal.

There is a good support forum and tech help is very good too.

I have kept clear of online systems as i like full access to my data and have had a very costly experience in the past.

Dave

 

[DeanCo]

If you require something more simple, I have a 12 month profit/loss/sales excel spreadsheet. Is very good for many small traders. If you send me your email I will send you a free copy.

 

[dollgerl]

thank you so much everyone, I will check out everything thats been advised. So fantastic to be on a forum where everyone is so helpful, bless you all x

 

[apacarada]

There are few threads in this forum about free accounting software. I mentioned most of them before but here it is again.

We give KashFlow for free to our clients and I would recommend to everyone especially if you are using other online software. Or if you prefer just a simple spreadsheet that does the job good then email me.

There are plenty of free options.

People mentioned VT Cashbook which is good. I have found few more: TurboCash , Adminsoft Accounts (they just released a new version) and GnuCash and if you want on online free accounting software then Brightbooks (slow though but v2 is coming out and may be faster). Rino Accounting is online but it is from US and I found it not suitable for UK.

I would stay away from big names although most offer a free version. From my experience those are very limited and used as baits for their not for free products.

 

[aamarotico]

Hi there,

Sorry to jump on this thread a few days late - but here goes!

As apacarada said above, there are a few threads in this forum already discussing good free/low-cost accounting softwares out there - feel free to look through them for further inspiration and advice.

There are lots of free and low-cost online accounting solutions available to choose from. As you're just starting up your business, you may want to consider choosing an accounting software that can expand with you as your business grows, and that you can customize and add more options to your company as you need them. Choosing a system like this could save you time and help you avoid switching costs in the future.

E-conomic is a low-cost online accounting system that offers a great "basic" accounting module that can be expanded on later as you see fit. You can take a free trial on our website if you want to see the full system and find out if it will work for you and your needs.

No matter which solution you choose, good luck with your new venture and welcome to the forum!

Best regards,

Alexandra Amarotico
E-conomic UK
Dukesbridge House
23 Duke Street
Reading
Berkshire RG1 4SA
United Kingdom
e-conomic.co.uk

 

[David Richards]

I would stay away from big names although most offer a free version. From my experience those are very limited and used as baits for their not for free products.

I'm not sure if TAS counts as one of the 'big names', but we offer a free product and well over 30,000 people in the UK have downloaded it.

It is a basic program, but even then it's got a good set of features: with cashbook, nominal, customer and supplier ledgers; a set of reports including aged debt & credit reports, Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet and VAT returns (including flat rate scheme) - and no limits on the number of customers, suppliers or transactions. That's far more than a simple cashbook.

Some of those 30,000 of those have gone on to purchase something from us - and some of then haven't. Obviously I'd hope that one day everyone who downloads our free software will decide that they want to buy something from us. But if they don't, that's fine too.

So choosing a free product is really no different from choosing a paid-for product - does it do what you need it to do? That's all that matters.

 

[Davek0974]

http://www.adminsoftware.biz/

I cant praise this package highly enough. I found an improvement that would have been good, contacted support and within a week there was an update available with that improvement incorporated, first class service. It now handles PayPal payments correctly by allocating the %fee and the fixed transaction fee automatically, not many can do that correctly. This allows you to accurately track a paypal balance without going on-line.

It does payroll and VAT too.

No, i dont work for them, just a very satisfied user.

 

[mikmac]

I’d like to recommend a phenomenal business accounting software called freeagent central. It is a UK based online accounting software system. I run a small business but always struggled to keep my accounts in order, often leaving it to the last minute and by that time I’d forgotten half the transactions and lost the receipts etc. Freeagent has revolutionised my accounting. It is so simple to use. It is an online accounting tool so it can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection. The interface is slick, quick and intuitive, far better than its competitiors like kashflow and clearbooks. Much easier to use than sage etc. Its language is simple and not too technical making it a doddle for people without a degree in accounts. I run a lot of transactions through paypal, which integrates flawlessly with the system, uploading all my transactions on a nightly basis. It also allows you to upload statements from your bank.
This software is brilliant for any small business or freelancer, and has the facility to upgrade from a sole trader to a limited company easily. The support team are excellent. I had a call in the first week to go over any queries I had with the software. When I had an issue, the technical team worked on it and had it fixed within a day! Superb, friendly and local (based in Edinburgh) customer service. Best of all the price is 15 pounds a month, but if you use my referral code you get 10% of this [FONT=&quot]417k1es3[/FONT][FONT=&quot]. [/FONT][FONT=&quot]I also get 10% off my account and if you refer other people you will subsequently also get a further 10% off your account! Freeagent central is remarkable, and may I say actually quite fun to use. Look no further for a small business accounts software package. [/FONT]