Reply to: Sage instant financial suite v12

[ladymuck]

Find Sage Line 50 to be a decent package when used correctly....a nightmare to pull apart if it's not set up & used correctly. For payroll software would recommend www.moneysoft.co.uk, cheap & does the job very well...also files online. Not a big fan of Sage payroll systems.

Prices aren't bad either, might have a go a the free demo and look into changing over to that. Thanks!

[TheMonkey]

Find Sage Line 50 to be a decent package when used correctly....a nightmare to pull apart if it's not set up & used correctly. For payroll software would recommend www.moneysoft.co.uk, cheap & does the job very well...also files online. Not a big fan of Sage payroll systems.

Yeah agree about Sage payroll. I bought instant financial suite v12 and found v11 payroll shipped with it which is only valid for 2005/2006 PAYE. What a load of tulipe. I'll look into that - looks good!

[Darren@UptonAccountants]

Sage

Ok going to buy Sage instant financial suite - apparently it files your HMRC payroll paperwork for you *jumps for joy*.

I need payroll unfortunately as I've just landed a bloody contract that requires other staff (shock!) and I'm a cheapskate therefore I won't be allowing someone to rape my pocket for payroll services.

Find Sage Line 50 to be a decent package when used correctly....a nightmare to pull apart if it's not set up & used correctly. For payroll software would recommend www.moneysoft.co.uk, cheap & does the job very well...also files online. Not a big fan of Sage payroll systems.

[ladymuck]

True, however as I employ an accountant part-time in-house nowadays I was recalling the old days when the company was first setup and I did everything - which was crap - but I now understand how most things work, which makes me appreciate people who actually want to do things like accounts even more.

I worked in accounts for 7 years as a permie before switching 'careers' and taking the plunge into the realm of contracting. My then boss kept trying to get me to go for ACCA quals but I just couldn't face it - soooo boring! I now really enjoy doing the books myself and just leave payroll and taxation issues to the accountant. Maybe I'm just odd...

[TheMonkey]

Doubt your w@nky letter will get you very far, its part of the licensing agreement that you agree to if you open the package. If you don't agree (before opening the box) then they'll happily refund you, otherwise I think the stock answer is

'Find a cliff, some trainers and go for a long run...'

That's not enforceable. EULAs aren't enforcable at all if you know how to approach the problem. If the goods aren't of satisfactory quality, the do give me my money back when the letter hits as it costs them more time and money to argue...

[TheMonkey]

http://www.turbocashuk.com/

I tried using this once but found it to be a pile of crap. Others might have a better experience though.

Yeah that is a bag of tulipe.

[paulb567]

Does anyone think there is a market for an open-source Sage Line 50 replacement with optional paid support? If so I might just fecking write one.

http://www.turbocashuk.com/

I tried using this once but found it to be a pile of crap. Others might have a better experience though.

[boredsenseless]

I know how broken Line 50 is - I've had to work with SDO (Sage Data Objects) before and I got seriously angry at it (COM interop with .Net via ASP.Net with batch SOP creation - lovely).

I don't care if it doesn't work - I will just do my usual thing and send them a summons for breach of Trading Standards regulations (I forget the one - it's a template letter). It gets fixed free of charge then. I did this with Microsoft once and got my own patch release (before they got large and nasty - this was NT 3.51).

Does anyone think there is a market for an open-source Sage Line 50 replacement with optional paid support? If so I might just fecking write one.

Doubt your w@nky letter will get you very far, its part of the licensing agreement that you agree to if you open the package. If you don't agree (before opening the box) then they'll happily refund you, otherwise I think the stock answer is

'Find a cliff, some trainers and go for a long run...'

[boredsenseless]

Note the "we". I run a proper company and have someone else to do the accounts in-house before it all gets passed to the accountant at year end

True, however as I employ an accountant part-time in-house nowadays I was recalling the old days when the company was first setup and I did everything - which was crap - but I now understand how most things work, which makes me appreciate people who actually want to do things like accounts even more.

[TheMonkey]

I know how broken Line 50 is - I've had to work with SDO (Sage Data Objects) before and I got seriously angry at it (COM interop with .Net via ASP.Net with batch SOP creation - lovely).

I don't care if it doesn't work - I will just do my usual thing and send them a summons for breach of Trading Standards regulations (I forget the one - it's a template letter). It gets fixed free of charge then. I did this with Microsoft once and got my own patch release (before they got large and nasty - this was NT 3.51).

Does anyone think there is a market for an open-source Sage Line 50 replacement with optional paid support? If so I might just fecking write one.

[Cowboy Bob]

and the hourly rate that you charge for your time, since even if you do it out of hours you could be doing extra revenue generating work or even just relaxing

Note the "we". I run a proper company and have someone else to do the accounts in-house before it all gets passed to the accountant at year end

[boredsenseless]

And you have to pay for bugfixes!!! We made the mistake of buying Line 50 when we first started out. There was a showstopper bug that affected our ability to use the product. Firstly they said they wouldn't fix the problem until the next iteration (6 months time) and secondly we'd have to pay for the patch when they did decide to release it.

Boll*x to that. Now we just use a combination of pen and paper (P11D etc) and the free Revenue tax discs - then leave our accountant to sort out the rest - who incidentally is cheaper than the software anyway once you add in the cost of support/patches.

and the hourly rate that you charge for your time, since even if you do it out of hours you could be doing extra revenue generating work or even just relaxing

[Cowboy Bob]

Bear in mind that all Sage software is pretty much useless without a valid support contract as the rules change frequently. The support is usually as much as the software in the first place

And you have to pay for bugfixes!!! We made the mistake of buying Line 50 when we first started out. There was a showstopper bug that affected our ability to use the product. Firstly they said they wouldn't fix the problem until the next iteration (6 months time) and secondly we'd have to pay for the patch when they did decide to release it.

Boll*x to that. Now we just use a combination of pen and paper (P11D etc) and the free Revenue tax discs - then leave our accountant to sort out the rest - who incidentally is cheaper than the software anyway once you add in the cost of support/patches.

[boredsenseless]

Ok going to buy Sage instant financial suite - apparently it files your HMRC payroll paperwork for you *jumps for joy*.

I need payroll unfortunately as I've just landed a bloody contract that requires other staff (shock!) and I'm a cheapskate therefore I won't be allowing someone to rape my pocket for payroll services.

Bear in mind that all Sage software is pretty much useless without a valid support contract as the rules change frequently. The support is usually as much as the software in the first place

[TheMonkey]

Aren't you better off just using them as contractors with an agency type contract. Much less hassle/risk etc IMHO

This is a fairly big contract that I nailed yesterday so I need some credibility and permanent staff looks more credible (I can drag another cronie along to meetings with me). The guy is in sales so works for peanuts unless he does stuff and has about as many morals as me.