If you’re an accountant, you’re well aware of how hectic it can get as HMRC deadlines approach. You’re probably also well aware that Tax software can help accountants – but where to start, and how do your choose a suitable accountancy software package?
So here’s a quick guide – to save you confusion and help you on the road to success for choosing Tax Software for Accountants.
Table of Contents
What to look for when choosing Tax Software for Accountants
MTD data and compliance
In an effort to help the public, businesses and HMRC, the Government has established “Making Tax Digital” (“MTD”), a policy for setting standards and encouraging SMEs to handle tax affairs online by 2020.
So, if you’re an accountant considering Tax software, your first priority should be to choose accountancy software that is MTD-compliant.
One massive advantage with any potential tax and accountancy software package is if they are pre-populated with MTD data. This means when you are using tax and practice management software, you can pre-populate MTD live data such as :-
- National Insurance
- Individual Tax
- Individual Income
- Individual Benefits
- Individual Employment
- HMRC Agent Authorisation
Free evaluation
One big mistake often made with Tax software for accountants is not being able to try before purchasing. It’s one thing to be given a demonstration online or by a representative, but it’s usually only when an accountancy practice actually starts using tax and practice management software that they know if it’s ‘a good fit’ for them.
Thus, costly mistakes can be avoided when choosing Tax Software for accountants if there is a fully-working evaluation available.
Intuitive and simple to use
If you’re choosing Tax Software for accountants, never mind all the technical requirements – what’s the biggest criteria for you? Let’s suggest it’s highly likely that it will be ease of use, right?
Who wants to attend training courses, read manuals or spend ages learning the foibles of a a new tax software solution when they could actually be getting on with producing accounts and submitting tax returns?
Technical Support – when you need it
Did you know some tax software charges extra for technical support or after-sales care?
When you’re choosing Tax Software for accountants, do you really want to be factoring in extra budget and cost for technical support?
Alternatively, do you really want to be left without any ongoing technical support because all the budget was spent on the tax software rather than support?
Listen – everyone needs help, so why risk choosing Tax Software for accountants that doesn’t offer all-inclusive support, especially when it’s from a UK-based helpdesk with no phone queue?
Conclusion: choosing Tax Software for accountants
So there you have it, a relatively pain-free guide to choosing Tax Software for accountants. Just keep these four benefits in mind and you’ll not go far wrong when you’re in the market for tax and practice management software.