I use VT too and can understand wanting to change the format slightly to show more detailed information.
As VT is excel with super powers, as long as it's either a Sole Trader or Partnership, I tend to just insert a line and my own notes if required, in order to present the accounts exactly how I want them.
I am an intermedite (I think) excel user and you just need to check the formula's and that the balance sheet balances prior to presenting to the client.
The reason that I mentioned Sole Trader and Partnership above is beacause I do not try to amend the Limited Company formats due to the iXRBL settings in the VT.
You could display the ledgers and associated accounts using the trial balance (F4) and using the options button at the bottom , select the option to display nil accounts. This will list all the ledgers and all their accounts. Which is basically the CoA.
The balance sheet can be adjusted. In the set up menu, you can select ledgers, which gives you the chance to move the display sequence of a ledger (Use the up/ down buttons in the dialogue screen). You can also add/ delete/ move accounts between the ledgers in this screen.
To alter the sub totals in the balance sheet, open the balance sheet (F6). At the bottom of the screen select the options button, then the ledger/ totals tab. There you can add a sub totals to different headings, by simply selecting a check box. There are other things you can do in that dialogue box too.
I personally have not figured out a way to make a global change, which means if you want apply changes to all you accounts, you would need to do it on individual accounts. I suspect the way to make a global change is to create a custom template but haven't been brave enough to try that yet.
What I would suggest is make a copy of a VT client account (simple copy and paste the account icon) and using the copy experiment with what I have put above. When you are happy with the format, rename the original copy xxxxold, or whatever you choose, and delete the word "copy" from you new file. That way if you mess it up you will not have altered your original.
I have assumed that Elizabeth was talking about VT transactions but I would agree, if it is the Final Accounts layout, they can be altered quite easily although I tend not to, as they are set out in a more formal structure.
I think you may be right I assumed it was VT Final Accounts, as don't use the Bookkeeping software.
I only ever change the format if it's a picky client who wants say, Debtors and Prepayments split in the Balance Sheet. But this is fairly rare though.
Thanks for the replies. Yes, I was talking about VT transactions but the information about VT Final Accounts is good too as I have that as well.
That's great I will get back to messing about with it now. I really like this software but I also wish you could go to a formal training class. But I'm sure I will get there eventually.
Wouldn't say messing about but it's a very good point Georgie.
I think that another question to ask would be how many different ways have been developed of doing the same thing due to the lack of training materials.
From another thread we have this post :
John H wrote:
We offer 1 to 1 bespoke VT training.
Just completed two 1/2 day sessions with an ACCA qualified accountant working for the Home Office who rated us as excellent.
We are a firm of accountants and use it on a daily basis. The trainer is ACCA qualified.
Now, compared to say Sage that's not an unreasonable fee for a couple of days training but how many of us have £288 lying around plus of course the price of a jolly off to London for two days which would no doubt add another couple of hundred in travel and hotels to the bill.
Most people went first to VT not because it was a better product (and lets face it there are prettier products out there), but because of it's price compared to unlimited companies capacity. That it proves when you've used it for a while to be the better product is really just the icing on the cake.
If there were books out there I would have no objection to forking out £30-£35 for a 500-600 page text with lots of examples and pictures. And I think that there are a lot of us who would happily pay the same.
Maybe this is something that John might look at as I can see more than eight times as many people reading a text than attending a course and that doesn't even factor in the opportunity cost to John of a lost days productivity for one member of staff each time someone attends a course.
From my perspective it's not that I cannot use the product but it would be nice to know that I'm using it in exactly the same way as everyone else which I cannot say at the moment.
Right, back to the forum for other peoples views.
kindest regards,
Shaun.
__________________
Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
I think that another question to ask would be how many different ways have been developed of doing the same thing ........
I think that applies to bookkeeping and accounts in general, also to other software.
More to do with a particular bookkeepers style rather than a lack of training (That's my excuse anyway). Where some might use a bank account for credit cards, some might set them up as a supplier for example(the default in VT, is as a supplier)
VT makes no concession that a prerequisite to using the software, is that you need to understand double entry bookkeeping, and that isn't the problem for the majority of users.
For me it is a bit like any of the Microsoft products (or allegedly, our brains ), we can use them but probably at less than 10% of what they are capable of doing .
I wouldn't call it "messing about", more a case of exploring the possibilities
Wella wrote:For me it is a bit like any of the Microsoft products (or allegedly, our brains ), we can use them but probably at less than 10% of what they are capable of doing .
Hi Bill,
I think that it's true to say that most people that believe that they are experts at Excel are actually only advanced users who whilst they may be able to put together a mean spreadsheet only touch upon the power of that product. (to my mind the most powerful tool in a financial professionals arsenal).
Even with myself who I would regard as being an expert at that one I would only consider to be able to use it to around (finger in the air) 60% of it's capability. There's just so much to it that isn't documented and it seems that the more versions that come out, the more that's still in there that doesn't get put into the latest manuals making the hurdles for latecomers to climb all the higher.
Everything is normally there in the help facility but you have to know what you're looking for in order to find it so a bit of a catch 22 there.
I would go as far as to say that the only software that I can say that I am 100% on is stuff that I have designed and written myself (bespoke stuff using a programming language (which in my case would be COBOL (COmmon Business Orientated Language)) rather than something built into a package such as Excel).
As for my brain... Well, loads of info in there but I think that I've accidentally deleted the index!
Shaun.
__________________
Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
Mine just got re-indexed, now I can't find anything
Talking of Excel capabilities, has anyone found the hidden games in Excel 95 through to 2000? and does any one know if any have been hidden in 2010?
I found a tank busting game in 95 version but haven't looked at other versions
I found (well, actually someone showed me the clicks to find) a flight-simulator hidden in one of the Excel versions, 2000 I think. Shows that MS developers had far too much time on their hands.
I'm just starting to play with VT Transaction (one of my accountants recommended it) . Once I get to grips with it and if I have the time I wouldn't mind writing a manual with pretty (well not really looking at VT screen) pictures and click this/that etc., but it won't be anytime soon as I'm too busy at the moment. I have in the past done them for Sage, Word, Excel, Access, Powerpoint and Frontpage - all sadly out of date now!!!
I could always invite myself down to Bill's for a working holiday - him passing on his knowledge of the program and me writing the manual!!!!
I think that you and Bill could make an epic book writing partnership... Maybe the next Frank Woods and Sheila Robinson.
I don't imagine for one moment that we're going to be talking about high volume sales but I reccon you should be good for at least a couple of hundred copies direct, to us and over on Accountingweb (and the ICB bookkeepers forum) plus, you can lodge copies with Amazon (you sell them but the orders are stored and fullfilled by Amazon) which should be good for a few hundred more espechially when the readers on here up the star rating.
I know that it's not even a started project yet but just a suggestion for the title so that when you are on Amazon it to come up in most peoples searches. You could do with the word bookkeeping in the title somewhere. Maybe Bookkeeping and Accounts with VT Transaction+?
Happy to be one of your proof readers for the technical content (Think you know me well enough by now to know that there's no point at all me proof reading for spelling! Then again, you've got that area more than covered (thanks again for the review of my website. Maybe tis could count as the I ower you one!)).
Good luck with the venture. Really hope that it gets off the ground.
kind regards,
Shaun.
__________________
Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
I could always invite myself down to Bill's for a working holiday - him passing on his knowledge of the program and me writing the manual!!!!
More than welcome Sheila , although not much room for your caravan on the drive. A really nice camp site just down the road in Tintagel though but I guarantee, you would spend all your time exploring the sea cliffs, rather than exploring VT
I am happy to help. Feel free to PM me if you want to.
(That's my excuse anyway). Where some might use a bank account for credit cards, some might set them up as a supplier for example(the default in VT, is as a supplier)
), we can use them but probably at less than 10% of what they are capable of doing 
.
, although not much room for your caravan on the drive. A really nice camp site just down the road in Tintagel though but I guarantee, you would spend all your time exploring the sea cliffs, rather than exploring VT 
