Choosing between Saasu and Xero

For starters, for a business to grow and expand, the annual financial data is very important to devise strategies for the next fiscal year. For a better understanding of the operations of the enterprise, the managerial hierarchy must have access to clear, correct and latest data and information of their enterprise.  

Now the term cloud computing has been around for a long, we’ve seen many iterations of accounting software come and go. This has allowed the business market to evolve and become breeding grounds for more competition. That makes sure that the quality of the products/services can always be held to a standard that is best for the consumer- basic economics. 

As we all know by now these nifty cloud computing services allows the right people to access the data at their whim, provided they have the necessary permits to access the data. 

These days cloud computing services are now readily available for businesses of all sizes and operations in Dubai. That is made possible through the use of accounting software like Xero and Saasu which are used by all leading firms. It offers an extensive range of accounting services which include SMSF audit, taxation, financial management and accounting outsourcing services. This software can manage operational bookkeeping of businesses which can help keep track of the business transactions, but they both have some differences in comparison.  

Xero and Saasu have several similar qualities when we talk in accounting terms, mainly revolving around pricing and transactions. The user-friendly accessibility allows users a wide range of formatting, printing and mailing options. Both the software are available in various currencies as well, enabling people from all parts of the world to reap the benefits from using them. 

Xero 

  • Xero (accounting software) has fairly high demand these days amongst the accounting fraternity mainly because of its ease of access. 
  • Xero contains an all-inclusive payroll tool that facilitates the user to manage employee payroll obligations suitably by creating ABA files. These files are meant for the majority of the employee payments, track employee entitlements, and execute an automated super payment process. 
  • Xero has exceptional integrational abilities for third party add-ons that help raise the system functionality. 
  • Xero is a timesaver essentially, the bank feed feature reduces bookkeeping time and costs. 
  • Xero is user-friendly and customisable, with more options for the user to prioritize financial aspects. 
  • Xero provides different types of invoicing, enabling business operations to be accessed easily when needed.   

Saasu 

  • Saasu (accounting software) enables the conversion of sales quotes into individual invoices. Making it a must-have for businesses in the construction sector and also for trading businesses that have a high sales volume.  
  • Saasu focuses more on inventory and accounts associated with it. users can gain access to PO’s and send them to suppliers. The system at the backend tracks this movement via the inventory. 
  • Saasu allows its users to mail invoices in large volumes, all while providing highly customisable email templates as well. 
  • Saasu like Xero can easily incorporate third-party add-ons to bolster system functionality  

It has been made clear what features both software have to offer. Using either of them relies upon the nature of your business and what you as the user are looking for. 

But the appeal of Xero is unparalleled in its capabilities. Xero is the complete package with so many benefits and can offer so much more to owners than any other accounting software. If you want to go for the best accounting software for small businesses, opt for XERO! 

Invaluable 5 Pointers when picking an Accounting Software for Your Business in 2022 

Choosing accounting software is no easy task. You have to keep in mind the needs of your business and its user-friendliness. Accounting traditionally is time-consuming and susceptible to errors. Humans can make mistakes, but the software doesn’t! 

Accounting software is designed and programmed to cut down on this human factor to produce a perfect result of number, which can help your business in the short and long term. Not only do they save you precious resources like time and money, but they also minimize the efforts of employees thus increasing their quality of life at work.  

Here are 5 tips on how to choose accounting software that best suits the needs of your business. 

1. What do You Need? 

First, you should list down the features that your business requires. If you do the basic stuff like making income statements or cash flows, then the package you’ll need is a fairly simpler one which you can get cheap.  

Although, if your business needs require you to keep records of costing and expenses of various departments, you’ll need to get a specific package that is used across the industry like construction and real estate. 

In a summary, you should always opt for the software which meets your needs and it is much better than getting an overpriced, overblown software offering a plethora of options. Most of which you’ll probably never end up using. 

2. Which Brand? 

There are numerous accounting software and associated packages available in the market but the big-name brands don’t always provide the best value for money accounting software. Once you have decided upon your choice of software, then what? These are some other factors to consider: 

-The is the support services are worthwhile 

-You can get a free trial before buying/leasing the accounting software from a company that provides accounting services. 

3. Shelf Life and Upgrades 

You must ensure that your software won’t become obsolete in the foreseeable future. Some software cost a lot, even more so than the hardware which they are used on. Therefore, it is important to get updates/upgrades as better hardware starts to launch. 

The software should be upgraded as the business needs change, i.e. your business expands. You should look for software extensions/upgrades for the software you are using at that time, instead of opting for a new package altogether. That should compensate handsomely for the evolving needs of your business. 

4. Should you lease, or buy the software? 

Buying, paying monthly, or leasing, all options are mostly available but they are dependent upon the type of software you select. Some accounting software service providers may have one of the options mentioned or all of them. In any case, you are certainly guaranteed upgrades if and when the technology advances, whether it be software or hardware. 

5. User Reviews and Opinion 

A final pointer is that you should always check out peers/customer reviews and opinions of your choice of accounting software by visiting relevant forums. 

This can be one of the most efficient ways to get useful information on accountancy software available in Dubai. User experience matters a great deal, even more so than some of the tips listed above for choosing accounting software. 

Making Tax Digital in the UAE

making tax digital dubai

Filling out taxation forms and filing for returns is a time-consuming process, it can sap all our energy and disrupt our schedules but change is happening and tax authorities around the world are shifting from traditional filing methods to all integrated digital platforms often integrating with third-party software’s to capture the masses and make it easy for clients and advisors to partake in the digital tax revolution.

What is digital taxation?
Digital taxation is set to revolutionize the way businesses file for their taxes. No longer would business owners need to fill out self-assessment forms and prepare their taxes when software can handle all that for them. Digital taxation is the process of using compatible cloud accounting software to file taxes.

Cloud accounting software can also help with the day-to-day functionality of your business. They can help you track transactions, keep accounting records and prepare invoices. They can even help you avoid legal penalties by archiving and managing your records.

Making Tax Digital (MTD) in United Kingdom (UK)

When it comes to digital taxation, the UK is the undisputed frontrunner. UK Government’s non-ministerial tax collection wing, also known as Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HRMC), is collaborating with accounting software developers to digitize the tax administration system by 2020 through its MTD campaign. The campaign aims to make tax collection simpler and error-free.

MTD replaces manual processes such as form filling and paperwork with accounting software. It also reduces the HRMC’s overhead expenses. It saves both time and money by standardizing the tax process through technology.
MTD requires VAT-registered businesses to maintain their records digitally. It is also compulsory for businesses to use the MTD software to file their returns before April 1, 2019.

UAE taxation system

Digital tax seems convenient and hassle-free so when will it be launched in UAE? The UAE government is also making attempts to digitize taxation procedures. Take, for instance, the digital stamps the Federal Tax Authority (FTA) introduced for tobacco products.

Yet, the progress remains slow and steady. Right now though, the UAE government only has an e-portal for taxation. Users can visit the portal to fill out their required information. The process remains manual since the portal is not synced with accounting software.

We can’t wait for when the UAE government introduces this system and simplifies the tax system.

How can digital platforms help with taxation?

Innovative digital platforms are sprouting up to assist people with their tax claims and planning. Platforms like the UK-based RD Vault can sync with accounting software to generate invoices, update books, prepare tax credit claims and track their progress. One such solution is Xero, a Cloud Accounting Software solution used by Profits Plus Accountants and tax consultants in Dubai.

Xero is an all-in-one solution, it can be used to prepare reports and maintain taxation records. This enables you to use one platform instead of a cluster of applications to deal with your accounting and taxation needs.

If you are interested in knowing how a cloud accounting software such a Xero, can help your business then feel free to get in touch with Mubashir Malik, Partner at Profits Plus Accountants in Dubai, UAE. Contact Ali Afzal by email on a.afzal@profitsplus.ae or call on 0585442030.

 

Xero Cloud Accounting Partner in Dubai

Xero cloud accounting is one of the most exciting innovations in accounting. Profits Plus Accountants are a Silver Partner with Xero Cloud Accounting. More importantly, we engage with all clients through Xero Cloud Accounting and this approach earned us the title of ‘No.1 Xero Cloud Accounting Partner in the UAE’.

Currently, 95% of our clients are taking advantage of the free subscription offered to Xero Cloud Accounting software only available through Profits Plus Accountants. Similarly, you too can get your business on Xero Cloud Accounting and work with the only accounting company in the UAE dedicated to cloud accounting.

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VAT Submission Deadline [must know]

vat submission dealine

VAT Submission Deadline

VAT registered business owners have a responsibility to submit their VAT return to FTA on time every 3 months (the first submission period after you register will vary for each company). According to the FTA, AE, fine for the failure of the person conducting Business to keep the required records and other information specified in Tax Procedures Law and the Tax Law is AED 10,000 the first time and AED 50,000 if repeated.

Administrative penalties for violations have been issued by Cabinet Decision No. (40) of 2017 and can be found under the Legislation section on the AE FTA  portal.

VAT Submission Procedure

Every 3 months you need to calculate the difference between your input and output tax and submit the summary to the FTA AE with a breakdown of the emirates in which the sales were generated. Ideally, you should generate a P&L and Balance Sheet at the same time and there is a very good reason for doing this.

Although the deadline to submit your VAT return to the FTA is 28th of the following month after the VAT Period, you should submit the FTA VAT return to the FTA by the 25th. You need to give yourself enough time to make the VAT return payment to the FTA. To learn more about how to make the payment please refer to our blog post on Making A Payment To The FTA.

Profits Plus Accountants

We are a British Accounting Firm in the UAE based in Dubai, we help local businesses to navigate the FTA requirements and we use the most advanced cloud accounting software in the World to make sure that you remain 100% compliant.

Speak to Ali Afzal, a Managing Partner at the firm. You can reach directly on email a.afzal@profitsplus.ae.

Note: www.profitsplus.ae is a domain belonging to Profits Accounting and Bookkeeping, an accounting and bookkeeping firm registered with Dubai Economy, Trade License No. 796316.

 

Why You Can’t Ignore Xero Cloud Accounting Software

The Evolution of Cloud Accounting 

In the past few years, we have witnessed the birth and rapid evolution of cloud computing, with more and more traditional services being replaced by their far more efficient, affordable and secure alternatives. Accounting is no different and thanks to the hectic pace technology are moving at, the question is no longer whether you should move to small business cloud accounting but rather, when.

Problems with traditional accounting software

The drawbacks of traditional accounting software in the UAE, certainly play a role in the shift to cloud accounting. The data in the traditional accounting software system isn’t up to date and neither is the software. What’s more, the software only works on one computer – the data needs to be manually transferred between devices, usually by virtue of USB drives. This presents a myriad of other issues, mostly to do with security and reliability.

Traditional accounting software and services in the UAE are outdated since they are rooted in the idea that only one person should have access to the data. This means that important people within your business may not have access to the financial and customer details, which impairs productivity and diminishes the level of customer service your organization can provide.

What’s more, traditional accounting software tends to be costly and updates and regular maintenance are expensive (often not included in the initial price), time-consuming and challenging especially if you’re not tech-savvy. Keeping backups is rarely one and even then, it may cost you more time and money than it’s worth.

When it comes to your company’s financial needs, you cannot afford to settle for outdated accounting services that charge you too much while bringing almost no value to the table. What you need is an experienced, qualified and pioneering accounting firm that will handle every single detail, provide you with cutting-edge accounting tools and allow you to focus on your company’s future growth instead of book-keeping.

What is cloud accounting?

Cloud accounting is the alternative to traditional accounting software, whether it’s on-premises or self-install. The only difference is that small business cloud accounting is hosted on remote servers, similar to the Software as Service business model: data is sent to the cloud where it can be processed and returned to the user.

This means that all functions are performed off-site, rather than on your desktop which minimizes issues related to reliability and security. All you need to take advantage of cloud computing is a reliable connection to the Internet or another network via a cloud application service provider. Because of that, cloud accounting is far more flexible than traditional software – the accounting data can be accessed from any point around the world and from any device that has an Internet connection. What’s more, cloud accounting software in the UAE like the one Profits Tax Consultants use can update your financial information automatically and provide you with real-time financial reporting.

Profits Plus is a cloud accounting firm based in Dubai that will go above and beyond to ensure that your company is provided with qualified accounting services and support your company’s growth and expansion. Our state-of-the-art small business cloud accounting partner software is run by experienced British accountants who have spent more than 20 years of working with British companies and VAT.

Xero Cloud Accounting Software in UAE

One of the key players in the shift towards cloud accounting is Xero, a New-Zealand-based software company that develops cloud-based software for small and medium-sized businesses. Their small business cloud accounting software lets companies share access to the latest business numbers with their teams, accountants and bookkeepers so everyone – including team members around the world – are kept in the loop and up to speed.

This means that you can easily log into any Xero file you want by simply using your Internet connection. You can share access with your accountant who in turn can not only open the file but make adjustments, prepare and lodge BAS and tax returns, and provide real-time assistance if needed. This saves up time and money as the accountant doesn’t necessarily have to send the data back and forth, either digitally or physically.

We at Profits Plus truly believe Xero accounting software has transformed the modern world of accounting in the UAE. Instead of having a monthly meeting with your accountant where you pile mountains and mountains of paper files, you can easily manage your accounting information in real-time. This helps you make faster and more effective decisions. Unsurprisingly, in the past 12 months alone, Xero has shipped more than 1,2000 features and product updates, most of them designed to provide accountants with back time and helping them migrate to methods of value-priced billing while increasing their workload at the same time.

Profits Plus is a 100% cloud-based accounting service, which means that you will be able to take advantage of the flexibility, convenience, and practicality of cloud service based on the Xero Small Business Cloud Accounting Software. In addition, we will integrate accounting systems inside your company, offer you book-keeping as well as expense management services that will enable you to monitor your company’s growth, expenses and earnings.

Benefits

In a nutshell, cloud accounting software like Xero enables professionals in the UAE to save time, and businesses to enjoy greater flexibility, reliability, and security when it comes to financial operations. Xero certified accountants can create a lot of efficiencies going beyond that of manual data entry: using the cloud service, they can finally have time to analyze the work and truly help small businesses remain cash flow-positive.

Some of the benefits associated with using cloud accounting software for business purposes in the UAE are increased accessibility, productivity, organizational reporting and improved back-up and recovery. Small business cloud accounting software can improve the productivity within your organization by saving you enough time to focus on actually running your business rather than spending valuable resources on bookkeeping and accounting.

What’s more, a Xero certified accountant can access your accounting and financial information from any point around the world. This makes it the ideal option for businesses that have remote employees or work with accountants from abroad. This also frees you from having to install and maintain software on individual desktop computers (so you can save money on your IT infrastructure and training expenses). With small business cloud accounting, you can also improve the communication within your business as employees in other departments, branch offices or remote areas can access the same data and version of the software, and make changes if needed.

Xero also makes it easier for you to get real-time reporting and visibility throughout your organization. With cloud computing, subscription-based models are the most popular option – you can pay a subscription to receive updates as soon as they’re launched, without having to invest more money in additional software purchases.

Xero also provides you with better backup and recovery capabilities. Xero, cloud accounting software, makes storing and recovering data more convenient and reliable than in-house servers. All these benefits also ensure cloud computing is one of the most, if not the most, cost-effective option on the market. If you’re looking for a Dubai accountant, working with someone who is Xero certified can save you a lot of time and expenses in terms of maintenance and management of data and servers.

What the future holds

Given the many benefits cloud accounting software in the UAE offers to small and medium businesses, it’s not surprising that experts believe that cloud accounting will become the new normal. What’s more, Xero and similar software may become even more important and relevant as AI and machine learning grows in popularity.

Since we are a 100% cloud-based firm, we are able to offer you high-value, low-cost accounting services by cutting down on conventional, obsolete and expensive hardware and software and passing those savings on to you and your brand. Our mission is to establish an honest, trusting and lasting relationship by going the extra mile and ensuring your satisfaction. Choosing Profits Plus means having a whole team of highly-experienced British accountants at your disposal.

If you’re looking for a UAE accountant but have not yet made the switch to cloud accounting software, it may be a good idea to put a framework in place as soon as possible. Steadily working towards a plan is the key to enhancing what you already have and prepare for the future – and by the looks of it, the future of accounting is synonymous with cloud accounting.

If you are looking for an accountant in Dubai then speak to Ali Afzal, a Managing Partner at the firm. You can reach him directly on a.afzal@profitsplus.ae.

Note: www.profitsplus.ae is a domain belonging to Profits Accounting and Bookkeeping, an accounting and bookkeeping firm registered with Dubai Economy, Trade License No. 796316.

 

What is a FAF File? [FTA Audit File]

fta audit file

The FTA has produced a very concise document on the required functions of accounting software which are needed to produce the FTA Audit files (“FAF”) for VAT and Excise Tax should they ever request it.

What is accounting software?

Accounting software should be a key part of any modern growing business whether a retail store or a service provider and it is not something reserved just for large corporations.

Currently, there are many accounting software solutions being used in the UAE the key players in the market are:

When selecting an accounting solution business owners should ensure that the solution complies with the FTA registration requirements.

Any competent accounting software should be able to produce Sales Invoice, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, and General Ledger but the FTA has very specific requirements, namely the need to generate a FAF File.

FTA Audit File

FAF is something that could be requested by the FTA whilst conducting a periodic audit to ensure that tax and returns have been prepared correctly. It is strongly recommended that businesses check with their software vendors to make sure they are able to produce FTA Audit Files (FAF) if required, otherwise it would be a very costly exercise to do on-demand.

NOTE: It may be possible that your software is able to produce data in FAF but your accounting partner failed to implement and monitor the documenting of the transactions as per the FTA Requirements and you only realize when the FAF is requested at which point it could take weeks to rectify.

Key Elements to be present in the FTA Audit File (FAF) are:

  • Company Information such as Company Name and TRN No.
  • Master Files
    • Supplier File
      • Name of Supplier
      • Location of Supplier by Emirates
      • TRN No. if applicable
    • Customer File
      • Name of Customer
      • Location of Customer
      • TRN No. if applicable
    • Source Documents
      • Purchase Invoices, Imports, Credit Notes (with all details)
      • Sales Invoices, Credit Noted Issued to Customers (with all details)
      • Payments
        • Transaction Date
        • Payment Date
      • General Ledger
      • Product File

In summary, your accounting software must be able to produce all or any of the above if requested by the FTA during a periodic audit of your VAT Return.

Profits Plus Accountants

We are a British Accounting Firm based in Dubai and we help businesses navigate the FTA requirements using the cloud accounting software in the World.

We make sure that you remain 100% compliant.

As a Silver Partner of Xero Cloud Accounting Software, we have a local team based in Dubai with over 20 years of experience (collectively).

If you are looking for an accountant in Dubai then speak to Ali Afzal, a Managing Partner at the firm. You can reach him directly on a.afzal@profitsplus.ae.

Note: www.profitsplus.ae is a domain belonging to Profits Accounting and Bookkeeping, an accounting and bookkeeping firm registered with Dubai Economy, Trade License No. 796316.