HELP - absolute beginner needs advice...

[selprojects]

Hi

I recently bought Sage line 50 v12.

Having been used to entering in receipts and invoices in excel, I have no idea where to begin with Sage!

The way I used to do it was enter all my receipts one by one per month in a column for what they were bought for, e.g. phone.

In another tab, I'd have a list of invoices I'd sent customers.

I've opened Sage and it's a mine field!!

How so I enter in my last 3 months receipts and sent invoices so I can do a VAT return?

I really don't have a clue where to start!

[brucedenney]

What you need to do it to either read the manuals and learn about accounting a bit or to buy some training time and learn about it.

Line 50 offers a lot more than a simple cash ledger.

There is a lot to learn, a lot to use and a lot of benefit to be had.

BUT you need to invest time and money into learning it if you want to get the most out of it.

The columns in your Excel sheet are analogous to nominal codes in Sage, every item you buy or sell has a code assigned to it, this code is the column that you would have used in your spread sheet.

In your spread sheet things got put in when they were sold or bought, in line 50 you can enter things much earlier in the process, when they are ordered. In your spread sheet you had no control over unpaid invoices, in Line 50 you have customer and supplier ledger to do this.

If you start with bank receipts and bank payments, then add on using customer and supplier ledgers, then work back to using the invoicing and stock modules, the pop module, eventually you can learn it all.

Your question is just so big, it is not really possible to answer in any practical and concise way.

If you want on line help / training and are prepared to pay for it, I am happy help.

http://www.makingithappen.co.uk/internet_support.htm

[--andrea--]

Hiya,

Supplier Invoices;

Normally, we would setup the supplier record (>supplier >record), then post the invoices against the supplier (>supplier >invoice), then we would post a payment against the supplier for those invoices (>bank >supplier).

Customer Invoices;

Normally, we would setup the customer record (>customer >record), then create invoices against the customer (>customer >invoice list >new/edit... save, print and update), then we would post any monies we recieved against the customer for those invoices (>bank >customer).


But... we all have to start somewhere... and if you are under pressure this is how I would start if I was you...

I'd get all my transactions in date order of my bank statement for the period concerned and start inputting them just to get the vat done...

Suppliers by doing bank payments (>bank >payments)... its quite straight forward, but do remember to drop down the n/c list and pick a nominal code appropriate to what you are paying for (popular ones are 5000's for purchases which are to do with the type of work you do, 7000's for your utilities, stationary, overheads, etc).

I'd do the same with my customers receipts (>bank >receipts)... (the nominal codes for these should be in the 4000's)

Any mistakes... go to >file >maintenace >corrections and find the transaction and edit/delete them.

Enter the transactions in the order of your bank statement, and at the end of each page of your bank statement do a bank reconcile (>bank >reconcile). (Unless your bank statement starts at £0 you will need to bring in an opening balance for your bank account... to do this click on the bank record and in the corner of the £ box you will see a little O/B click on this and enter the starting balance on your bank statement). Bank reconciling is easy... enter the statement number, the end balance, and the end date and click ok... in the next window double click on the transactions in the top window in the same order as they appear on your bank statement, when they are all in the bottom window the value in the far right hand corner box will be £0, if it is not you have made a mistake and need to correct it, if it is £0 click reconcile. (NB Never click reconcile if it is not £0!)

When you are happy that all your payments and receipts for the period are in take a back (>file... back-up... coz we all mess the vat up first time around), then do your vat... heres how...

>Company >Financials >Prepare Vat.... put in the dates for your vat return in the top right and click >calculate. Then print (a) vat return (b) summary (c) detailed report. Once these are printed (and only when they are completely printed, and you have checked them and are happy they look right!) click >reconcile. Copy the figures into your vat return and post it!

You then need to run the vat wizard (>company >financials >vat wizard) to transfer the figures appropriately in the nominal ledger.... its easy is does it all for you... just change the date to the last date of that vat quarter.

If you have vat to pay, go to >bank >payment and post the payment (in the n/c drop down to find the one that says 'vat liability'... its in the 2000's). Or, if you are getting a refund, when the refund comes in do a >bank >receipt, and post against the vat liability n/c.

Any problems message me... but you'll be fine. Once you are done and the pressure is off you can take some time to learn a bit more about Sage... start by looking at the nominal ledger (>company >nominal list), click in and out of all the codes and you will see all your previous transactions and it will give you a better understanding.

Good luck,
Andrea