Payroll and VAT software for electronic submissions?

[willendure]

I wonder...

Is there free and simple software that will let you submit a PAYE FPS? And another that will let you submit a VAT return? Not connected in any way to accounting software. If I could just do those 2 things, which involves filling in literally about 4 fields each, then I could just go back to gnucash, and everything would be easy again.

Ok gnucash has no auto import and categorization of bank transactions, but I can live without that. Or I can put them in a CSV file and knock up a little AI to categorize them and then import the results.

Or maybe I could put my bank transactions in a spreadsheet, and my accountant could actually do some work once a year turning that into accounts for me.

[ladymuck]

Take a look at Quickfile

The problem for VAT is that the MTD requirements mean the simple way of doing it via the HMRC website is no longer allowed.

[jamesbrown]

I wonder...

Is there free and simple software that will let you submit a PAYE FPS? And another that will let you submit a VAT return? Not connected in any way to accounting software. If I could just do those 2 things, which involves filling in literally about 4 fields each, then I could just go back to gnucash, and everything would be easy again.

Ok gnucash has no auto import and categorization of bank transactions, but I can live without that. Or I can put them in a CSV file and knock up a little AI to categorize them and then import the results.

Or maybe I could put my bank transactions in a spreadsheet, and my accountant could actually do some work once a year turning that into accounts for me.

As I said, FA is free if you open a Mettle business account, which is hardly much effort. It solves all of your issues. Doing this in a spreadsheet or splitting across multiple tools is like punching yourself in the face. I mean, many of us will remember the SJD spreadsheet, which had its time, but that time was more than a decade ago.

[Snooky]

I wonder...

Is there free and simple software that will let you submit a PAYE FPS? And another that will let you submit a VAT return? Not connected in any way to accounting software. If I could just do those 2 things, which involves filling in literally about 4 fields each, then I could just go back to gnucash, and everything would be easy again.

Ok gnucash has no auto import and categorization of bank transactions, but I can live without that. Or I can put them in a CSV file and knock up a little AI to categorize them and then import the results.

Or maybe I could put my bank transactions in a spreadsheet, and my accountant could actually do some work once a year turning that into accounts for me.

This was my reply to a similar question last year: https://forums.contractoruk.com/acco...ml#post2994579

[willendure]

As I said, FA is free if you open a Mettle business account, which is hardly much effort. It solves all of your issues. Doing this in a spreadsheet or splitting across multiple tools is like punching yourself in the face. I mean, many of us will remember the SJD spreadsheet, which had its time, but that time was more than a decade ago.

FreeAgent looks ok, but as mentioned above, it looks overly dumbed down. Certianly better than Quickbooks, just not sure I am ready to commit to it. I feel like the bedrock of an accounting system should be the raw accounts themselves and am wary of software that abstracts that away - yes, good to automate things, but no, bad to hide the source of truth and not provide access to operate at that level.

Its still high on my list of things to look into in more depth though.

[willendure]

This was my reply to a similar question last year: https://forums.contractoruk.com/acco...ml#post2994579

https://mytaxdigital.co.uk/

Thanks - for now, just something I can submit 4 fields to, 4 times a year looks perfect!

[ladymuck]

https://mytaxdigital.co.uk/

Thanks - for now, just something I can submit 4 fields to, 4 times a year looks perfect!

I thought you wanted something that would do PAYE FPS too?

[jamesbrown]

FreeAgent looks ok, but as mentioned above, it looks overly dumbed down. Certianly better than Quickbooks, just not sure I am ready to commit to it. I feel like the bedrock of an accounting system should be the raw accounts themselves and am wary of software that abstracts that away - yes, good to automate things, but no, bad to hide the source of truth and not provide access to operate at that level.

Its still high on my list of things to look into in more depth though.

If you think FA is "overly dumbed down" when you're seriously considering resorting to a spreadsheet and a separate tool for PAYE RTI and VAT etc. and talking about entering "4 fields 4 times a year", I think you probably need something much more dumbed down, like a full service accountant. It is quite easy to find the trial balance and other reports in FA and it is quite easy to add journal entries if you really want to look under the hood and edit things manually. Some of the automation is a PITA, but it's decent on the whole and you can control it to some degree. I suggest you don't really know what you want, other than to "save some money", which is probably why you need a full service accountant.

[WTFH]

If you think FA is "overly dumbed down" when you're seriously considering resorting to a spreadsheet and a separate tool for PAYE RTI and VAT etc. and talking about entering "4 fields 4 times a year", I think you probably need something much more dumbed down, like a full service accountant. It is quite easy to find the trial balance and other reports in FA and it is quite easy to add journal entries if you really want to look under the hood and edit things manually. Some of the automation is a PITA, but it's decent on the whole and you can control it to some degree. I suggest you don't really know what you want, other than to "save some money", which is probably why you need a full service accountant.

Reading his posts, he wants free software, but at the same time is happy to tell us about the amount he stashes away in crypto each month.

I suspect he needs an accountant, unless he's trying to perform some sort of slight of hand with his bookkeeping that an accountant might refuse to do.

[sadkingbilly]

Reading his posts, he wants free software, but at the same time is happy to tell us about the amount he stashes away in crypto each month.

I suspect he needs an accountant, unless he's trying to perform some sort of slight of hand with his bookkeeping that an accountant might refuse to do.

sleight