package to do end of year accounts

[Lewis]

Anyone know what accounting packages produce end of year accounts in the correct format for companies house?

[chicane]

Get an accountant. Seriously.

[gingerjedi]

Get an accountant. Seriously.

Agree, the consequence of getting it wrong compared to the cost of an accountant is a no brainer.

[Lewis]

Agree, the consequence of getting it wrong compared to the cost of an accountant is a no brainer.

So far it's the accountants that keep making the bl%%dy mistakes

And before you say it, I know "get a good one". Am awaiting recommendations on good accountants in SE London but am still interested to know what packages do accounts if only to check what they have produced

[philip@wellwoodhoyle]

Speaking as an accountant, the packages I have used have all required quite a degree of formatting and inputting of additional information over and above the raw financial figures to create the companies house format. Nearly all are merely glorified word processors where you have to put in the right figures in the first place.

My preferred package is http://www.vtsoftware.co.uk/ which is excel based for easy editing and which costs £199 plus VAT to buy and then £150 plus vat per year for the annual updates which are required to cope with changes in the law and accountancy rules.

But, your problem will be that it assumes a level of knowledge about what should and shouldn't be included, and you need to work out your own year end adjustments, reversals accruals, depreciation, corporation tax and deferred tax. The instructions are limited to how the product works, not a handbook of the accounting and tax rules needed to get the figures right.

Unless you know what you are doing and fully understand company accounts and taxation, a package like that won't really be enough for you.

[Francesco]

http://www.diyaccounting.co.uk/companyaccounts.htm @ £15 per year