The Most Effective Self-Assessment Software for Accountants

The deadline for self-assessment may have passed a few months ago but that doesn’t mean the work has stopped for accountants. In fact, many still find themselves very busy at the beginning of the new tax year, with many clients looking to get caught up on the previous year’s taxes well ahead of the deadline. 

Of course, with all the chaos of getting prepared for the tax deadline having finally subsided there is some inevitable downtime for many accountants, giving the perfect opportunity to make some changes to their internal systems while things are quieter. 

One opportunity that many accountants take during this downtime is to integrate new tax software, with the quieter period offering the best time to install new systems and give enough time to familiarise themselves with the new software before business picks up again.  

But with so many options available, it’s often difficult to choose the best software for your needs. Here’s some tips for how to find the most effective self-assessment software for accountants:

Now is the Time to Invest in the Cloud 

While desktop self-assessment software is still widely used there is no better time to migrate your system to cloud-based accounting software. 

This offers a host of advantages over desktop software, namely saving a lot of time and effort by automating countless menial tasks, so can have a significant impact on the efficiency of your self-assessment tax processes. 

For instance, a cloud based self-assessment software package can automate data input tasks and generate reports, saving accountants significant time completing menial tasks. You can also remotely connect to the software from any device, enjoy more stringent security protocols, and receive automate updates to the software without the risk of any downtime. 

Simply put, a cloud based self-assessment software ensures your tax processes become much more streamlined, seeing an increase in efficiency and your bottom line. 

Always Consider Usability 

The main reason to use self-assessment software is to make your tax processes easier. The more streamlined the software is, the more self-assessments you can complete on behalf of your clients, so it’s important to select a software that is user-friendly.

This allows you to learn how to use the software as quickly as possible, ensuring you take advantage of the increased productivity that new software provides

Therefore, you should look for vendors that provide software with a user-friendly interface and various training solutions, such as video demonstrations, user guides, and good technical support to cover any initial user problems.  

Software That Offers Integration 

Most accountants use various software solutions and packages, especially when completing different types of tax returns for their clients. This means it’s important to choose self-assessment software that offers suitable integration with the systems you currently used. 

For example, software that is integrated with HRMC APIs means that each client’s self-assessment tax returns can be pre- populated with data currently available to HRMC. This saves a lot of time manually re-entering the data and helps to reduce errors, highlighting why it’s always recommended to choose software with robust integration options.