**NEW Update**

We’re Officially Recognised by HMRC for Making Tax Digital!

SQLWorks Accounting was approved for five key functionalities following demonstration of a sandbox environment to HMRCs review team. Learn more about Making Tax Digital with SQLWorks here.

 

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We’ve updated our SQLWorks software to support Making Tax Digital – with Lineal staff officially demonstrating their work to HMRC’s Review Team during January 2019.

SQLWorks Accounts Prefs can be linked directly with a company’s HMRC VAT Account, granting permission to submit quarterly VAT returns for 18-months before re-authentication is required.

Making Tax Digital will be available for all SQLWorks Accounts Admin users via the existing VAT Ledger, and allows the accounts administrator to report their VAT return (shown in boxes 1-9) directly to HMRC’s system at the press of a button.

SQLWorks can also report up-to-date VAT account status information (such as obligation, payment and liability entries) from a company’s HMRC account, and access logs recording the full audit trail of communication between HMRC and our software. Once submitted, the company’s VAT return quarter is locked down to ensure security of reporting.

 

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Lineal Software Solutions have been officially registered as a provider developing software suitable for HMRC’s new ‘Making Tax Digital’ initiative.

The new tax regulation, which will require UK businesses to undertake tax reporting (initially VAT) via digital links from April 2019, will need approved accounting software to report directly and digitally to a company’s HMRC digital tax account via web API.

Only software which passes a reporting test set by HMRC using example data will be approved for Making Tax Digital (Phase 2 standard.)

Mike Matthews explained: “Currently only around 130 software providers in the UK are registered as developing for direct Making Tax Digital accounts reporting. SQLWorks has had the ability to calculate your VAT return for many years, but very soon, you’ll be able to process your submission direct to HMRC digitally too.”

HMRC says a quick Hello to SQLWorks during testing…

“HMRC’s main aim is to remove any re-keying or manual re-processing of data – which will make SQLWorks the perfect integrated solution for processing business all the way from quotation to sale, to direct VAT reporting.”

“The government have recently altered some of the software rules being put into place for making tax digital, but we’re hard at work to make sure all SQLWorks customers can begin reporting VAT digitally from next year.”

Recent figures collected by The Institute for Chartered Accountants have suggested awareness of Making Tax Digital is still very limited, with less than half of businesses stating they were unaware of changes that are about to come into force.

This Page will be updated periodically with the latest SQLWorks Making Tax Digital news – please check back for updates! 30.10.18

For an effective, integrated software solution – contact our team today.

Using SQLWorks Audit, accounting managers can generate key financial reports either ‘Live’ using real-time data, or from an enforced point in time.

This feature is available using the ‘Audit’ tool. When this tool runs, SQLWorks collates the most up-to-date financial data available from the accounts, to use for financial reports. Auditing can be performed immediately before the creation of a new report, by ticking the ‘Audit Matrix’ checkbox in the report options, to ensure the report shows ‘live’ data.

If the checkbox is left unticked, SQLWorks will report using figures from the last time the accounts were audited.

 

Auditing can also be run independently from the ‘Audit By Year’ option in the main SQLWorks Navbar, by right clicking on the financial year in the main list and clicking ‘Audit Year’. The adjacent column displays the date of the last successful audit. This can be used to manually designate an official Audited point in time, from which reports are run, until you are ready to re-audit.

‘Live’ data reporting is normally the preferred option, as it permits accounting managers to get an instant snapshot of the exact state of the business accounts at that moment in time.

Reporting from the last audited point in time may be more useful in certain situations however. On systems with large numbers of transactions being entered, some businesses prefer to draw a line in the sand, and report consistently from this point in time, until ready to perform the next official reporting audit.

To learn more about SQLWorks financial reporting, contact our team today.

SQLWorks Accounting includes the option to enter Journals both manually, but also offers the chance to save time by importing journals from a spreadsheet of data directly to your Nominal Ledger.

When in the Nominal Ledger click ‘Journal’ in the top toolbar, and the add Journals window opens. To begin importing your journals, click the ‘Import Journal Option, and browse for the file you wish to import.

Imports must be imported using a fixed format from a template file: a copy of which can be found within your SQLWorks installation ‘Misc’ Folder as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet – or downloaded here. You will need to enter your data and save the file as a tab-delimited text (.txt) file before importing.

SQLWorks will warn you if the data you are seeking to import is old, and may block you from entering nominal journals into locked accounting periods.

Once importing journals has run successfully, your nominal journal data will appear in the list of journals to be added, and users can commit them to the Nominal Ledger by clicking ‘Save and Close’.

 

For accounting advice and support, contact the SQLWorks team today.

SQLWorks includes two levels of security permissions: Group and User security.

1. User security states which parts of SQLWorks a user has access to (visible within menus) and does not have access to.
2. Group Security sets permissions for groups of users, including every user in that group and overrides an individual’s security settings.

To review your SQLWorks users, click the ‘System Administration’ button on the main navbar. If you wish to review your users, click ‘Users.’ This displays a table with every valid SQLWorks user at your company, and administrators can double click to view or edit an individual’s user settings.

To review your SQLWorks groups, click ‘Groups.’ This displays a table with your saved Groups of users. You can also add a new group, copy or edit any existing group from this table.

To change your security settings, click ‘Security’ (1). This loads your list of groups in the left hand list, with the users contained within any selected group in the right hand list. By clicking the ‘Add’ or ‘Remove’ buttons you can add or remove individual users to the correct group.

By using the ‘Group Windows Security’ Tab along the top, you can also set the permissions for that group (and therefore the users contained within it.) Grant access by clicking the checkboxes next to each area of the system, and  give ‘Basic’ (find, add new or edit) or ‘All’ permissions (find, add new, edit, edit multiple or delete.) (2)

There are no limits on the size or number of groups users can be assigned to, so your permissions structure can be as simple or complex as your internal company policies require. Please ask the SQLWorks team if you need help or advice on setting up security permissions settings, or on IT security best practice.

By default, SQLWorks has one ‘Admin’ group which has administration permissions for the Sales/Purchase Ledgers, Stock Ledger, Finance and CRM sections. This can be changed to different groups in larger organisations – for example to designate a different administrator for sales/purchasing.

Once you have your users and groups configured correctly, simply close the System Administration window, and your SQLWorks security permissions will be in place when each user next logs on.

 

SQLWorks Security Permissions

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Bank Ledger – Security permissions for managing Bank accounts and cash accounting

Bank Accounts – Lets users see Bank accounts within the Bank Ledger.

Bank Transactions –  Lets users access options for bank transactions within the Bank Ledger.

Petty Cash Accounts – Lets users access any petty cash accounts.

Sundry Cash Ledger – Lets users access the sundry cash ledger for cash payments.

Sundry Cash List –  Lets users access the global table listing all sundry cash payments.

 

CRM System – Security permissions for ‘SQLWorks CRM’ functions

Actions – Gives access to the Actions Table.

CRM Links – Admin Only. Allows users to link CRM items, for example: attaching a document to a lead.

CRM Prefs – Allows users access to edit system-wide CRM preferences under ‘Preferences.’

Diary Calendar – Allows users access to the diary window.

Diary Entries – Lets users access entries to the diary.

Layers – Lets users edit types of appointment, e.g.: Meeting, Visit etc.

Lead Categories – Lets users use custom checkbox categories to categorise leads.

Lead Sources – Allows users to use the editable dropdown noting where a lead originated from.

Leads – Allows users access to the Leads window.

Phone Logs – Lets users access the phone logs table.

Project Types – Admin only. Lets users access project types.

Projects –  Gives users access to the Project window.

Tasks – Gives users access to the task tables.

 

ISSAccountsPrefs – Security permissions for setting SQLWorks ‘Accounts’ preferences

Accounts Prefs – Financial Management ONLY. Gives users access to system-wide accounting preferences under ‘Preferences.’

Day Book – Gives users access to the day book.

ForX – Gives users access to amend system currencies and foreign exchange rates (multiple currency) accounting.

Message Sets – Gives users access to edit various option lists – eg: ‘why a quote is cancelled’ field answers.

VAT Ledger – Gives users access to the VAT Ledger for calculating VAT submissions to HMRC.

 

Documents – Security permissions for ‘Document Management’ functions

Crystal Reports – Deprecated feature. Lets users import Crystal Reporting.

Document Analysis – Gives users access to edit the custom document type category checkboxes when uploading a new file.

Documents – Gives users access to files uploaded to SQLWorks.

Emails – Gives users access to emails linked into SQLWorks.

Email Browser – Gives users access to the email browser which synchronises to their email account.

Icons – Gives users access to amend the preview icons which load on screen when using Documents within SQLWorks.

Letters – Currently unavailable. Gives users access to SQLWorks letter writing tool.

 

IssPRList – Security permissions for the main ‘Companies’ list and associated data management tools

Address Editor – Gives users access to the full table of recorded addresses.

Client Lists – Allows users access to SQLWorks fixed and dynamic list building tools.

Client Types – Allows users to set custom checkbox categories for categorising companies.

Companies – Allows users access to the Companies List.

Contact Data – Allows users access to the contacts table (listing each company’s recorded contacts.)

 

IssPurchase Ledger – Security permissions for Purchasing

Purchase Accounts – Lets users see their Purchase Accounts with recorded suppliers.

Purchase Ledger – Grants users access to the Purchase Ledger.

Purchase Orders – Gives users access to Purchase Orders.

Purchase Transactions – Gives users access to Purchase Transactions.

Purchase Transaction List – Allows users access to the global table listing all purchase transactions.

 

IssQuotesOrderSales – Security permissions for Sales

Contracts – Lets users access contracts system.

Customer Order –  Allows users access to the Sales Orders panel within the Sales Ledger.

Customer Quote – Allows users access to the Sales Quotes panel within the Sales Ledger.

Directors – Lets users access the recorded list of directors for each company.

Disbursements – Gives users control over sales disbursements (e.g.: expenses, mileage etc.)

Sales Account – Gives users access to each customer’s sales account details.

Sales Account List – Gives users access to their list of customer sales accounts in the Sales Ledger.

Sales Ledger – Allows users to access the Sales Ledger window within Accounts.

Sales Ledger Detail –  Gives users access to unlocked detail lines on Sales Ledger quotes, orders and invoices.

Sales Ledger Transaction – Allows users access to the Sales Transactions panel (Invoices, payments and credit notes) within the Sales Ledger.

Sales Order List – Allows users access to the global table listing all customer sales orders.

Sales Quote List – Allows users access to the global table listing all customer sales quotes.

Sales Runs –  REDUNDANT

Sales Transaction Archives – Allows users access to the global table listing all archives customer sales transactions.

Sales Transaction List – Allows users access to the global table listing all customer sales transactions.

SL Web List – (Top Secret Work in Progress. Shhhh!)

 

IssSQLWorksMain – Security permissions for managing SQLWorks itself

Audit Logs – Gives users access to the ‘audit log’ of users actions within SQLWorks.

Binary Objects –  Controls template images and more. Should be enabled by default.

Database Table Viewer – For Lineal Use Only

DB Sessions – Lets users see logged-in SQLWorks sessions.

Employees – Lets users see the recorded list of company employees.

External Databases – For Lineal Use Only. Allows access to secondary databases if required for external document stores or alternate companies.

Help – Gives users help shortcut to SQLWorks online assistance. Please see www.sqlworks.co.uk/help

Label Prefs – Allows system admin to define system-wide user-defined fields. Should be locked by default.

Refs – Lets users access reference lookup lists and set start points, e.g.: first invoice number.

Server Logs – For Lineal Use Only.

SQLWorks Prefs – Management ONLY. Lets users access system-wide SQLWorks Preferences.

System Monitor – For Lineal Use Only.

User Logs – Lets users access the recorded log of user logins.

User Prefs – Lets users set the user preferences of their own SQLWorks account.

Years – REDUNDANT.

 

Nominal – Security permissions for the Nominal accounting and company finances.

Analysis – Lets users access the accounts ordered by analysis code.

Audit By Code – Lets users audit by nominal code and run nominal reporting.

Audit By Year – Lets users audit by financial year and run nominal reporting.

Budget By Year – Lets users access and compare against recorded financial budgets.

Dashboard – Lets users access the SQLWorks account dashboard.

Departments – Lets users access the accounts ordered by department.

Financial Years – Lets users set system-wide financial year start/end dates.

Nominal Journals – Gives users access to Nominal Journals.

Nominal Ledger – Lets users access the accounts ordered by Nominal Code.

Nominal Audit List – Grants users access to ‘audited’ data calculated from the nominal ledger for financial years.

Nominal Code List – Allows users access to the list of nominal codes defined within the nominal Ledger.

Nominal Journals – Allows users access to Nominal Journals within the Accounts.

Nominal Ledger – Allows users access to the Nominal Ledger (General Ledger) Window within Accounts.

Standing Journal Items – Allows users access to standing journal entry line details for each journal.

Standing Journals –  Allows users access to the Standing Journals window.

Standing Journals Group – Allows users access to standing journal entries.

 

Products – Security permissions for managing Stock

Assets –  Lets users access the ‘Assets’ tab of equipment linked to a company.

Bin Locations – Allows users access to stock ‘bin’ locations within each warehouse.

Dealers – Allows users access to set dealerships, defining both approved suppliers and customers for a stock item, and cross reference the two (eg: for hazardous materials.)

Order Allocation –  Allows users access to SQLWorks stock ‘Order Allocation’ tab in for reserving stock for specific customer orders.

Pricing and Discounting – Allows users permission to set current and future price break rules for stock items.

Stock Allowed –  Gives users access to approvals list, restricting warehouse bins to holding only specific stock items.

Stock Audit – Gives users access to Stock Audit to perform stock takes.

Stock Browser – Allows users access to the stock browser table of all stock items.

Stock Groups – Allows users access to stock groups, to which any stock item can be assigned.

Stock Ledger – Allows users access to the Stock Ledger.

Warehouse Map – Allows users access to the Warehouse Map displaying warehouses, bin locations within these, and stock items within those bins.

 

consolidated invoicing –

If you have customers who prefer to have their bills collated onto a single monthly or weekly invoice, SQLWorks can administrate the consolidated invoicing process for you.

Consolidated invoicing can be activated under the ‘defaults’ tab of the chosen company in your SQLWorks Sales Ledger by changing consolidations from ‘None’ to either ‘Monthly’ or ‘Weekly’, depending on how often you would like your invoices to be consolidated together.

Because this is a change to how invoices will be issued, this option is only open to those with sufficient accounts admin privileges, and will issue a warning message before saving the new invoicing settings for that company.

When a new invoice is now added for that company under the ’transactions’ tab, a delivery note can be printed as normal, but the invoice cannot be printed, emailed or otherwise sent individually whilst consolidated invoicing is still activated for the chosen company.

When you are ready for your invoices to be consolidated, click reports in the top right corner, and choose ‘Report Un-printed Invoices’ as when using SQLWorks bulk invoicing. SQLWorks will prompt asking if you wish to consolidate the invoices of those accounts for which this setting is activated, and once approved will begin consolidating invoices.

All outstanding invoice lines for the required companies will be consolidated onto the last invoice of the month/week in which it is dated, and can now be emailed/printed for invoicing as normal.

Your Quotes and Orders remain unchanged, but individual invoices will now be hidden from view, replaced by the new consolidated invoice ready for sending. In the event that you have outstanding consolidated invoices from previous months/weeks unpaid, these will also be ready for re-sending.

In this way you can easily invoice repeat customers without excessive paperwork, and ensure that you keep the number of transaction entries on a single SQLWorks sales ledger account to a manageable minimum.

SQLWorks can help streamline your customer invoicing: find out how.

bulk invoicing

Bigger businesses can find it useful to send out invoices in batches (‘bulk invoicing’) – here’s how to do that in SQLWorks.

Click the ‘Reports’ button in the top right hand corner of your Sales Ledger and select the ‘Unprinted Invoices’ option. This loads a new window displaying any invoices which haven’t yet been submitted to a customer for payment.

You can select individual or multiple invoices (or choose a range of invoices by invoice number) and send these automatically by clicking the ‘Print/Email’ button.

Whether your invoices are printed, emailed or both can be set for each company in the Sales Ledger under the ‘Print & Orders’ Tab –  under Default Print Settings you can choose how to send invoices to that client, and set an invoicing contact email for that company.

This same tool can also be used for automatically sending statements to customers in your Sales Ledger, by entering a contact email address for statements and choosing a format for sending.

In addition, you can set SQLWorks to send Sales Ledger Statements based on amount – choose ‘No’ to never send this customer  a statement, ‘Yes’ to send if the customer has an outstanding balance, and ‘Always’ to always send a statement regardless of outstanding credit.

Both the automatic sending of invoices and statements in SQLWorks, in bulk, allows you to easily get through larger volumes of customer billing.

 

For support and advice, please contact our SQLWorks team today – 01271 375999.

Debt History

SQLWorks makes it easy to look back through the debt history of a given customer – using the Sales Ledger ‘Debt History’ tool.

By clicking on the ‘Debt History’ Tab within a chosen company’s Sales Ledger account you can view a summary of aged debt over the past 9 months, using data from your past invoicing.

The ‘Turnover’ and ‘Profit’ Tab display each month’s turnover and profit from that company’s sales account over several years.

The ‘Balance’ tab collates every dated invoice and credit note to build a cumulative running total of a company’s credit history, displayed in both sterling and foreign currency, and as a graph.

For a range of graph options, highlight the table you wish to illustrate, right click and select ‘Graph [Profit/Turnover]’ or click ‘Enlarge’ to enlarge the balance history graph.

SQLWorks supports line, bar and pie charts, in both conventional and accumulated displays – providing different ways to illustrate a customer’s past purchasing.

 

For help managing customer accounts with SQLWorks – contact our team today by clicking here.