I have been busy working on Apps that connect to HMRC’s APIs. These will enable taxpayers to download their PAYE payments (Tax and NI); p11d benefits; Income history; employment history and more for any tax year. The downloaded data can then be used to prefill Self Assessment Tax Returns or simply as underlying evidence for data entered manually on a Tax Return. The general idea is that most of the information required to go on the Tax Return should soon be downloadable from HMRC itself.
All that is required is to visit the Apps website ( I will provide the URL soon once construction of the website is complete) .
So far HMRC have only made the Marriage Allowance (Eligibility and Status) Api live. The other APIs are still in Beta status and currently being used for testing only. Once the other APIs become live , all my Apps will be fully functional and available on subscription.
I will keep you updated on the situation.
Dan
June 17th, 2017
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Daniel |
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I have written a macro that performs the necessary algorithm to arrive at an IBAN (International Bank Account Number) on the basis of the account number and bank only. That mean that there is no need to go online to check on an IBAN; you can generate it with this tool.
The tool also has a feature to check an IBAN that you are provided with. Please note that it is only checking the validity of the IBAN as far as the construction and check digits are concern. It does not verify if a bank account actually exists. Hence, it should be used with care.
Movie clip
Download link
February 22nd, 2017
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Daniel |
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I have published an Excel tool that validates any EU VAT number and provides full business name and address if valid.
It only caters for EU countries.
The tool is free to download and use and requires internet connection. See links below.
Movie link
Download link
February 16th, 2017
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Daniel |
general |
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It is often the case that the buying department of a company have their own system for making requisitions and sending orders out to suppliers. They then feed the accounts department with copies of the requisitions and POs which they have prepared in excel or Word. The accounts department then checks these against invoices from suppliers. Alternatively, they enter all excel POs on QuickBooks and end up duplicating work done by the buying department.
To avoid this scenario , I have designed a Purchase Requisition template in excel. This template can be completed by the person ordering the goods and then emailed to the accounts department. Once the accounts department receive this , all they need to do is click on the macro button at the buttom right and an IIF file will be generated. The IIF file can then be imported into Quickbooks as a Purchase Order. This can then be printed and  sent to the Supplier (or Vendor , if you are American)
See clip below.
https://youtu.be/8Un_YJqbnXw
December 15th, 2016
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Daniel |
IIF imports |
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It is not usual for me to refer to software other than Quickbooks on these pages. However, I have been made aware of a need for  a tool that converts XERO’s exported Batch Payment CSV file into something that can be imported into Nat West Bankline. Therefore , I have writen a macro to convert the default Xero CSV file of Batch Payments
If anyone is interested , please email me .
dan@quickbooksexcel.com
November 12th, 2016
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Daniel |
supplier BACS |
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I wrote a timesheet import tool a while back which was a very time-saving app. Instead of manually entering employee time through the “Enter Time” module of QB, it became possible to import excel timesheets supplied by the employees.
Thanks to recent suggestions by a user, I have now upgraded it. See the link below to the youtube clip showing how it works.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIzPHBmdYJ0
Please note that this tool is not an “off the shelf” app that will work with any Quickbooks data. It has to be configured for each specific user. The process is fairly simple but does involve time. Therefore it is only available for purchase. I can send a free trial demo with limited features if you would email me. My email details are on the main page.
September 30th, 2016
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Daniel |
Timesheet import |
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I have always considered my personal life to be a private zone. Hence , I do not have Facebook or Twitter accounts and nobody follows every move I make or is party to my likes and dislikes. Consequently, I am also immune to having a herd mentality .
I see the business world as no different to the private life. A business advertises to get customers; an individual in his/her private life does the same by virtue of dressing correctly and developing social skills and abilities to sell themselves. A individual is careful with his financial information and does not pass it around and store it on third party devices. You would expect businesses would be the same and even more careful. Well , not quite . With the advent of Cloud Accounting, every bit of financial data relating to a  business is now being uploaded to a server somewhere. That includes bank transactions, copies of all sales and purchases invoices, database of every customer and supplier including their phone numbers and address , not to mention private information about employees. Of course, that does not apply to those using Desktop Software.
Now it appears that HMRC is talking to all the major players in the Accounting software industry about MTD; their assistance and participation being sought to facilitate the production and upload the taxpayers financial data on a quarterly basis direct to HMRC.
I think that I am being realistic  if I think that the standalone, off-the-grid desktop software may not meet the requirements of MTD. All accounting software companies appear to be slowly phasing out the desktop version. New companies that have emerged in the last few years do not even produce desktop software .
So, if every business has to move to cloud because of MTD, how will confidentiality be protected (for those it matters to, I mean). The assurances that : ”data is encrypted” and :”we have strict security features to protect your data” cannot be relied upon in my view.
Perhaps , the solution (again, for those who are concerned) will be to maintain two accounting systems. One will be for their day to day business and will probably need to be on some old unsupported desktop software and another cloud one which gets quarterly data uploaded to it in the form of a TB only. That TB can be the basis of the upload to HMRC; thereby not comprising confidentiality by NOT having all ledgers and transactions stored in detail on cloud software.
I cannot help thinking of the big brother scenario where The Power That Be has real-time access not only to the accounts held at your bank but also to your day to day business transactions on your cloud accounting . This could happen in the not so distant future where the only cloud accounting software companies are the “government-approved” providers.
2024 – by a latter day George Orwell
August 26th, 2016
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Daniel |
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The long-awaited BACS file converter for import into Nat West Bankline is now available for Desktop Version. A Quickbooks Online version will be out soon. It converts a Quickbooks report into an import file for Nat West Bankline.
There was some difficulty in getting the right format for Bankline – mainly due to the fact that Nat West has various levels of security which they need to modify in order for bankline to import batch payments.A phone call to the bank is almost always required in order to have the right settings. Meanwhile, one does not know if the format is right or not as any rejection may simply be due to security rather that the file format.
This has now been resolved and the tool created.
See video demo in the link below
Quickbooks Desktop BACS file for Nat West Bankline
August 24th, 2016
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Daniel |
supplier BACS |
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I have now created a BACS tool for bulk supplier payments through Santander bank. There is both a Desktop and QBOnline version. The tool takes a payment report from Quickboks and converts it into an import file that can be uploaded to the bank’s website. You will no longer have to manually enter supplier payments online one by one.
The following tools are also available :-
Barclays – Direct IP
Albany’s ALBACS
July 31st, 2016
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Daniel |
supplier BACS |
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I have recently been reminded of a tool I wrote back in 2012 which has not been featured on this blog. The tool converts an excel Purchase Requisition into an IIF file that can be imported into Quickbooks Desltop as a Purchase Order . It can be then printed out and sent to the Supplier.
The excel Purchase Requisition has a macro button at the button of the form. When clicked , an IIF file is generated which readily imports in Quickbooks.
July 31st, 2016
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Daniel |
IIF imports |
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