I remember reading somewhere that you get FREE sage one payroll software for one company when you are a member of ICB. Can anyone tell me how I go about getting this, I would like to try it out.
Thank you for your email. I don't know if I'm being really stupid but I couldn't see a code on the email?
please could also give me the link where I would sign up for this free sage one. I tried the link on the end of your message above and clicked on 'FREE sage one for ICB students and members' and it does something funny with my computer - opens up 'sign up with microsft account' and goes around in circle when I try to type things in.
Thank you and sorry to be a pain
Computers Eh? They can drive us insane, or in my case certifiable lol. I think you would be better calling the ICB direct on 0845 060 2345 and getting help from the horses mouth instead of via the BKN forum as you are relying on James reading your post and although I know James does keep an eye on the BKN forum he may not get to see your post for a few days?
As you are a fully paid up member of the ICB they are there for you and will only be too happy to deal with you directly. Good Luck
I activated this offer last year, not used it for a while. Tried to sign in again but couldn't so rang ICB who put me through to sage. I'm now signed up to accountants edition which is not what I want at all. I'm not interested in signing up clients to use it and be charged monthly. I just wanted the basic software package for me to enter details on. Rang ICB back and have got nowhere, just keep being told this is the offer....IT WAS NOT THE ORIGINAL OFFER!!! So I've paid £6 (a small amount I know but it's not the point) for something I don't want and wasn't originally offered.....frustrated.
Sage at least had the decency to phone me before trying to charge me the money - I declined and have been kept on the SageOne, they still tried to bill me though - which meant more calls.
When other providers give bookkeepers and accountants free copies of their accountant package and really good price breaks on signing up potential clients, Sage have shot themselves in the foot, it's not as if the on-line offering matches up the the desk bound package to justify the cost - it is still a seriously cut down version - and to say that too many of us wanted it so they have to charge is totally nonsensical surely if we are bringing them that much business they should be paying us - not charging us!
Absolutely!!! More frustrated with ICB though for changing the original offer and then having to phone them up twice and explain to them what the original offer actually was because the guy on the phone just didn't seem to understand where I was coming from, just seemed to repeat what he obviously had written in front of him. Anyway, used the BKN cashbook now so getting my money's worth out of them instead
ICB arranged the first deal, there was no guarantee it would last forever, it is all run by Sage - it is their offer to ICB members. ICB did not change anything.
Over 1,000 free editions were given out.
I don't think any other body has this kind of discount.
Anyway, £6 for Sage One Accountant software + Accountants Club (club worth £60 per year alone) cannot be moaned at.
Anyway, used the BKN cashbook now so getting my money's worth out of them instead
Don't think that you could run a bookkeeping business with the free software though?
If you like it then buy VT Transaction+ as its a one off fee for unlimited clients forever and you can still give your clients free copies of the cashbook software (if you trust them to enter their data correctly).
Unfortunately I need VT Accounts and that one you do have to pay for each year.
Shame that you missed the QB roadshow as they were giving out free copies of the Premier edition (called Accountants edition even though it doesn't have iXBRL filing in it).
Personally I'm not a big fan of Sage software (even if it came free) but thats personal opinion of it and I know that many love it.
Bit worrying that there may be another thousand users of it out there.... Then again, just because people have something for free doesn't mean that they will ever use it (my version of quickbooks being a good example of that).
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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.
When we saw this offer we thought it was brilliant, and would save us from having to provide ICB students with sage software for their exams.
We rang Sage to confirm this and even Sage admitted that Sage one wasn't really suitable for bookkeeping, which makes me wonder what it is actually for.
I think it was just a cloud product rushed to market to compete with Xero and QB.
I think that now they do have a much better cloud offering called Sage One Plus i think.
NIck
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Nick
Nick Craggs FMAAT ACA AAT Distance Learning Manager
I have QB Accountant 2013, a single user, multi company piece of software - handed out for free as noted by Shaun. I serves me well and I have several clients whose work is done through this.
However, this version of qb does not support flat rate VAT which means that unless I want the phaff of hand calculating the figures each quarter or mucking around exporting to excel and phaffing around there I need an alternate package.
I can't afford to buy a full version of Sage 50 - even if I pass the cost of an additional company licence on to the client - I am too new as a business to have that level of funds to throw around, which is why I was so happy when Sage One was offered to the ICB members. I wasn't expecting a complete package with every bell and whistle - maybe something closer to Sage Instants. What I was not expecting and why I chose to vote with my feet and part company with on-line Sage is that the on-line offering is just so telly tubbied that it is not a practical piece of software for anything! It might just work as a cash book assuming you don't want to record any useful diagnostic detail, but I was expecting much more from a company I saw as a market leader - seriously disappointing! I'm not prepared to pay and find nothing improved, so I haven't bothered to look at Sage One Plus. I might be doing them a dis-service but unless they have seriously improved I doubt it.
I'm still hunting around for a good, reliable, not too expensive piece of software to save me from the endless phaff - nothing I've looked at covers all the bases for me. Even Xero has its problems with so much of its functionality hidden away so you can't see how it works and most of my clients don't want to know the numbers and I wouldn't trust them to enter anything correctly, so why go cloud?
I don't know if anyone here has an answer for me - I'm just having a very vocal sulk :)
I will now go and hide in my corner and phaff around sorting VAT by hand......
give VT a trial. You can get two months free for VT Trandaction+ (#1) and their cashbook software is free forever (I give it to clients as a data viewer).
I took to it like a duck to water. Others such as Michelle (foxy) didn't like it. So I get the impression that its a bit of a marmite bit of software.
HTH,
Shaun.
#1 I use VT Accounts which comes with VT Transaction+ bundled and I use the two togetehr. I need VT Accounts for iXBRL filing but if your not looking after limited companies Transaction+ is all that you would need.
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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.
Shaun - can you file partnership tax returns on-line through the VT Transaction+ software?? I have it but I am not sure that it can file partnership returns straight to HMRC? I have gone and bought Andica now, thinking that I could not use VT Trans Plus for this.
I just wanted something very basic for a small client, no frills. Last year I used excel and this year I wanted it to look nice .... I assumed that once I had been given the software it was there to be used. BKN cashbook was fine for the basics. I'm more payroll than bookkeeping, this is just an old friend who I help out. Anyway lesson learned, won't touch Sage with a dirty bargepole now. Another one bites the dust Shaun
