Longshot: anyone here know Sage accounting software? :-(

*decides this thread is going to go over head*

*leaves*

Okay, this is probably very basic, but it also seems to be a bit counter-intuitive.

It doesn't help that the manual I have, for "Line 50 version 9" seems to contain a mistake on the page that explains this very basic and fundamental concept.

Page 36 of the user manual says:

A debit will show in your accounts as one of the following:

1. An increase in the value of an asset.
2. A decrease in the value of a liability.
3. An item of expenditure.

A credit will show in your accounts as one of the following:

1. A decrease in the value of an asset.
2. An increase in the value of an asset
3. An item of income.

I've put in bold the word that I think is wrong, I think it should say 'liability' rather than 'asset'.

Am I just doing something really stupid?

I can give you a few pointers if you need, just let me know what you need top know. My knowledge of Sage is a bit rusty, but accountingwise I am pretty good.

The bank accounts things is also used in the book, which mentions thatSR and CR appear the other way round on your bank statment, because it's done from their point of view, not yours.

Another quick question if anyone can help, please.

We have a customer who is also a supplier.

They've just invoiced us for a service they did for us, but they still owe us (a far lower sum) for something we did for them over 6 months ago. Is it standard practice to sum the two amounts, so we just pay them the difference?

(I'm in the UK if that makes a difference)

Thanks!

Okay, can anyone help with this...

I have some entries showing up in the bank reconcile window for cheques we sent out over a year ago. It's obvious that whoever we sent them to either didn't get them or has lost them somehow before cashing them.
I'd like to get rid of them from Sage, what's the best way to do that?

(Does anyone know of any good online FAQs, tutorials or forums for this sort of thing? All I can find are adverts for books and courses.)

Alternatively you could make an adjustment posting on the Bank Reconcile window, and write an explicit note in the details that it is for an uncashed cheque. Clearly you still owe whoever lost the cheque and if their audit trail comes barking you will have to cough up, so it is is vital you have details on what you did.

(This is for Instant Accounts version 10).

What nominal code should I use? I think the amounts of the un-cashed cheques are unlikely ever to be claimed, they are for companies that have long ceased trading, which seems to me to make them like the reverse of bad debts. Do I need a nominal code something like the opposite of 'bad debt provision'?

(My Sage is Line 50 version 9, which I think is very similar to yours)

Alternatively you could put it as an income (which is sort of is) and invent code 4999, Uncashed Payments if you want to bolster profits. I do the former, but I also put tiddly bank rec errors of .10 in there so you might want to flag it seperately.

Found this forum that seems quite useful:

http://sageforum.co.uk/viewforum.php?f=1

The manual's useless and I have two text books that only describe the simplest, most run-of-the-mill tasks. Everytime anything unusual comes up I'm stuck again.

How do people learn this? The books I have are rubbish and the only training availible seems to be odd one or two day courses, wheras I think I'd need something alng the lines of an A-level to get to grips with it.

And I still can't find any forums dedicated to it (other than Sage's own) or useful FAQs.

Is this some kind of secret society?

im considering enrolling for a course in sage. does anyone know useful it would be in terms of finding work afterwards? are there any other accounting courses i should know or can just knowing sage be good enough?

sage is prevalent enough for it to have been included as part of my business degree a few years back, but i can't tell you any more than that i'm afraid.