MYOB Accounting Plus 15 review

Other changes in version 15 are timesavers. In particular, we like the fact that filling in weekly timesheets is no longer just a payroll activity - you can redeploy the same sheets to generate activity slips for time-based billing. And given that more than once we've inadvertently created accounts that duplicate existing ones, the ability to combine accounts - as long as they're of the same type and currency - is timely.

Version 15 also sports better financial controls. Creating a new financial year no longer automatically purges a previous year's closed transactions. In fact, you can opt to retain details for up to seven years - a sensible option given the need to retain financial details for Inland Revenue tax enquiry purposes.

Support for online submission of P35 and P14/P60 payroll tax forms to the Inland Revenue has been slightly updated, but you can't yet submit VAT returns or corporation tax returns the same way. Unlike QuickBooks Pro, there's only the gentlest nod to online commerce, and online banking integration is limited to importing downloaded statements from your business bank account in OFX (Open Financial Exchange) or one of several QuickBooks formats. Once the statement is imported, Accounting Plus does predictably well, automatically reconciling transactions according to cheque number and amount.

If you manage a service-based business and don't need extensive budgeting tools, you'll perhaps be more disappointed by what hasn't appeared in Accounting Plus - most obviously, the program's online integration remains scant. Intuit's QuickBooks Pro range offers a good deal more flexibility and power, at the expense of some accessibility. And that's before Intuit has released its new version; look out for next month's review of QuickBooks 2006.

Author: Tom Gorham