I’m not sure that for clients it matters a lot…but QBO which produces (as I learned from Tim Parris!) a “Trial Balance” that is not actually a Trial Balance (whereas an “Adjusted Trial Balance” IS one…is not for me. I can’t stand that a TB is “from…to”. No. Just no. A TB is “as at”, like a balance sheet. Clients will neither notice nor care about that, nor will they care that Journal Entries don’t have serialized numbers (as for instance a complete desktop accounting package will do). But I care. Those are the things that make a given system work - or not - for me, at least for general accounting purposes.
Once one moves to landscaping, or contracting…different story … then it’s the clients’ needs that come first.
It’s like tax programs that ask questions: “do you have tuition fees?”. We are WAY past that stage…
Yes, I do miss proper journal entry numbers. Yes, I also noticed the Trial Balance issue but that hasn’t bothered me. but the trial balance does show on the report “As of”.
There were just too many updating issues and version issues with desktop for my bookkeeping practise. The cloud version just solves those issues. I was really disappointed that Sage did not come up with a decent cloud version earlier. i adopted QBO and will finish my career with it.
I too tried to get info out of Zero, key being the cost. Who in their right mind is going to sign up for something with no idea of the cost. That was a few months ago.
I have no experience with Xero but I’ve had enough experience with TaxCycle to be fully impressed by the level of customer service, their willingness to listen to their customers, and the action to implement suggestions.
I have been searching for time efficient Client Write Up / Financial Statement preparation software for professional accountants use for about 22 years.
Our main general ledger system had its last software update in 1989, is purely DOS based, and feels like it was the only software on the planet that was not Y2K compatible. The interface doesn’t look really snazzy but data entry is about 3 times faster than QB Desktop and easily 5 times faster than QBO. Financial statements are highly customizable, and professional looking. Customization is not for the faint of heart. It took about 2 days to update the system to accommodate CSRS4200.
The software needs to be run on a Windows 98 machine (last version of Windows that would boot to pure dos rather than a dos shell or command prompt) which makes it awkward.
Anyway, my point in all of this; Why, in this day and age, is there no general ledger software that includes professional looking financial statements geared to accountants and power users available on the market like there is professional income tax preparation software?
I think over the years I’ve tried almost everything out there yet nothing (that I’ve ever used) comes close to the productivity this old Orchard software can push out. Unfortunately, they closed up shop in the early 1990’s.
Seems like I followed you for no reason from 1992.
Cantax - GreenPoint Software - Profile - TaxCycle - if I am correct.
Xero?
Cloud?
From experience after acquisitions, lost functionality, prices up, support zero. Or Xero.
I would love to be able to shrug off my fear about this software going into the cloud like a vapour and prices reaching the sky.
Maybe I should stop being a follower.
Don’t want it to be a sad story.
@snowplowguy Bedford > Simply Accounting > Sage.
(somewhere in the middle of that was ACCPAC as well…)
Simple, fast entry (my bookkeeper can run about 100 entries per hour) and dump to Excel into a customized sheet for worksheet - AJEs and F/S. Even the Windows version - which originally was slower than the Bedford/SA DOS version is quick.
The need to constanly click a mouse in all of the cloud versions renders its utility close to NIL for high-volume clients.
It is a curiosity though that good, standardized pro software is available for tax (can you imagine a home user working with TC?) but as pros we are forced to use dumbed-down software that appeals to home / small business owners-managers.
The “simple” solution would be to have the software have a “pro” and a “noob” switch - purchasable, so that we get rid of all the client-based fluff. Doesn’t seem hard, yet nobody has done it.
@snoplowguy
If you are looking for an accounting system that will run on Windows 98 that you can do keyboard only entry for G/L, A/R, A/P and Inventory you might want to check out my mother’s software. She and my dad wrote it decades ago on an Apple 2+ (mid 80’s?), later converting it to run on DOS and then Windows and I still use it for all my accounting needs. I vastly prefer it over anything currently on the market that I have tried over the years. It will run in windows (any version - I run it on my Windows 10 machine) with a mouse but my mother kept all the DOS features when she converted it to windows as she is also a high volume data entry professional bookkeeper. She can do a lot more than 100 entries an hour as she types at probably 60-80 wpm. Maybe 10-15 seconds per transaction with two or more parts (ie revenue, GST collected, A/R entries being one complete transaction). You can use only the keyboard and it will take data entry as fast as you can type. The chart is completely and easily customizable and you can import and export to excel or csv. If you want to check it out call Susan Mounteer at 403-281-5807 (in Calgary) and she can help you out.
I think the reason is the software producers want to appeal to the general public, many of whom are “accounting illiterate”. When you see software like Sage that lets you use accounting terms or not, you know they are appealing to everyone. That’s why the users often ask questions that make you think “whoa, you should NOT be doing books if you don’t know that.”
Also, the programmers often have little to no understanding of actually using their product. That’ just my opinion after doing books for 55 years.
Sage for Accountants: I guess I haven’t experimented with the Accountants Version but I have a few years of Sage 50 Premium installed. Best I can tell, Sage 50 does not produce a set of formal financial statements with the level of quality that you could distribute as a firm’s official financial report. Does the Accountant’s version produce formal financial statements for use in a Compilation Engagement? I remember back in the day Sage 50 couldn’t even issue a credit memo. That’s probably changed.
CaseWare. I had a subscription to CaseWare way back in the day… before, during and after Windows but before it was cloud based. It was a bit clumsy or there was a fairly steep learning curve but you could use it to create financial statements. I don’t think you could use it for client write up… you would normally import data from a different software (ie Quickbooks). Once again, maybe CaseWare has changed now such that you can use it for commercial bookkeeping.
@laurie
I find it very impressive that your parents were able to write a complete General Ledger program. That is amazing! My wife and I wrote our payroll software using DBase as the programming language software and a separate compiler called Clipper. We still use that payroll software today (it does run on a windows machine, on a server, NAS, or cloud). Every December I need to manually update but it has been a workhorse. I can’t imagine writing a complete G/L or accounting system though. Thank you for the offer, I would like to check it out after tax season.
Our current DOS based software will allow for very fast client write up but it also produces distribution quality financial statements, similar to CaseWare or AFP. I don’t need to import financial data into any other piece of software to create and issue high (distribution) quality financial statements.
The Financials in Sage Pro are not what you would submit to the bank, they are only good for discussion with the client. I re-enter the data into and Excel document for formal presentations. Not that time consuming when you only work with less than a two dozen businesses all year round. But some are becoming more and more time consuming.
As far as I understand only CPA’s can distribute financial statements to third parties. So, I am not a CPA and don’t need formal presentations with notes etc. I only provide statements for in-house for the owner. Therefore, that is why I use sage.
Not really. I learned the hard way many years ago. I compiled FS for an individual and their third party accepted them so a case went to court and the other parties CPA firm charged me with preparing FS without proper credentials. I beat the charge hiring a very efficient lawyer on my behalf. So on that note I do not take any chances. I have talked to many CPAs and they couldn’t believe what happened. But it did.
You beat the charge because there is no law that says F/S have to be prepared by a CPA.
I see this as a desperate attempt by the other party to put you in a bad light.
