Software for
Smallville;
BAS Bookkeeping Software Packages
for Small Business
This article weighs up the pros and cons for three BAS
software packages that have been designed to assist small businesses keep their books in
order. BAS Wizard is designed to help bookkeepers follow sound accountancy practices. It
is a series of Excel spreadsheets and macros that help bookkeepers to properly complete
BAS activity statements. BAS Buster is a small business accounting package that can assist
with preparing the activity statement. DIY BAS Bully is a standalone program that works
with MYOB to check GST and BAS calculations for common accounting errors.
BAS Wizard
BAS Wizard is designed to help bookkeepers follow sound
accountancy practices. It is a series of Excel spreadsheets and macros that help
bookkeepers (either working on their own or under CPAs) to properly complete BAS activity
statements.
The spreadsheets guide the bookkeeper through a series of
checklists to ensure they have all of the necessary information from the client,
considered all of the relevant tax issues (such as whether GST free sales have been
correctly categorized) and confirmed that their arithmetic is correct.
BAS Wizard is very easy to use as the bookkeeper simply
works through each sheet in turn completing the required information or processing the
calculations for that sheet. At the end of the process, the bookkeeper prints out the
sheets to send to the CPA to show that all procedures have been followed and calculations
are correct.
CPAs are also said to find BAS Wizard useful as it provides
a quality procedure to ensure that BAS activity statements are completed properly and that
items are not inadvertently overlooked. For CPAs who outsource their BAS work to
bookkeepers, BAS Wizard is ideal as it provides a clear audit trail and allows the CPA to
check that the work has been done according to the standard procedures.
BAS Wizard is available on a subscription basis of $500 per
annum from the Australian Bookkeepers Network. www.austbook.net
BAS Buster
BAS Buster is a small business accounting package that can
assist with preparing the activity statement. According to developer ART-Technology, BAS
Buster is designed primarily for small business to do their books and BAS without the
complication of a double-entry accounting system. Complicated screens such as invoice
details and date are hidden, as "most small businesses simply put their bills on a
spike or in a drawer and pay them when they fall due." In other words, entries are
only made when the bill is paid. This might be acceptable for a cash accounting basis, but
as BAS Buster can simultaneously work in accrual accounting errors may arise.
ART believes the software gives users the opportunity to
run on a cash and accrual basis before deciding which method is more beneficial for them.
However, the risk of problems arising with the accrual method are high if sloppy
accounting procedures are being practiced.
Although ART assured me that the system has few bugs, I was
able to 'hang' the system (send the system.into an infinite loop where the box would come
up with the same error box until I terminated the program) by failing to enter the name of
a MYOB data file to import. I also found that the system was happy to try to print when no
printer was connected (no error was generated) and allowed us to move out of entry screens
without completing all required information (resulting in data loss).
The help system lacks graphics or wizards and the screens
have no details or explanation. Activity statement generation can be achieved by copying
the numbers from the program to the activity statement. Accountants may know what each of
the G columns refers to, but it is likely to be confusing for your small business clients.
Compared to other small business bookkeeping packages I
reviewed, BAS Buster is not very intuitive, with screens oversimplified to the extent that
important information may not be captured.
Retailing for around $139, with arrangements available for
accountants to on-sell the product, BAS Buster is cheap and may suffice for very small
businesses. However, as CPAs you would want to weigh up whether it is better for your
clients to go with simplicity or sound accounting practices.
BAS Buster - www.art-technology.com.au
DIY BAS Bully
DIY BAS Bully is a standalone program that works with MYOB
to check GST and BAS calculations for common accounting errors. According to Nathan
Quinlivan of DIY Biz, the method that MYOB uses to process GST (individual tax codes) can
cause errors, particularly if a portion of the purchase is for personal use.
BAS Bully uses the MYOB OBDC driver to connect to a MYOB
V11 or Premier 5 or 6 data file and requires the user to verify that certain steps have
been properly completed. As the user works through the program, they are given an
opportunity to review their P&L and Balance Sheet with BAS Bully highlighting
potential errors in yellow. Users can use BAS Bully to identify specific entries which can
then be corrected from within MYOB or ignored (a the user's peril). An independent GST
reconciliation is then carried out, giving the user an opportunity to allocate adjustments
or carry them forward to the next BAS reporting period. Finally BAS Bully prepares the
reconciled BAS ready for the activity statement.
At $150 for CPAs (to retail to clients at $250), DIY BAS
Bully is excellent value for both CPAs to use in-house as an additional checking mechanism
and to provide to clients in order to eliminate common BAS errors.
Copyright 2003 Bell & Howell
Information and Learning ABI/INFORM Copyright 2003 CPA Australia Australian CPA April,
2003, BYLINE: DAVID NEIGER IS AN IT JOURNALIST WITH A TEST LAB BASED IN MELBOURNE,
NEALE BLACKWOOD CPA RUNS A4 ACCOUNTING PROVIDING EXCEL TRAINING AND EXCEL CONSULTANCY
SERVICES. EMAIL: A2@IINET.NET.AU |