Month: April 2022

All about requesting your documents using Karbon!

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As a cloud-based accountancy practice, we very rarely ask you to bring in physical copies of your documents to our offices in Haverhill. This option is available to you if you really need it, however we find most of our clients prefer to send their information in digitally. This also has the benefit of being able to keep your original hard copies safe!

When we send requests for your documents we use a system called Karbon. We may request various documentation from you over your time with us starting right at the onboarding stage.

When do we use Karbon to send requests?

During onboarding we will use Karbon to send you requests for your ID and to fill in some information forms. After this, you will get requests from Karbon annually for your accounts and tax return information, and to confirm that your details have not changed. If you have bookkeeping services or reviews with us, we also may use it to request bank statements.

If you have changed any of your details such as your name or address, we may also use Karbon to request updated ID from you.

Why do you use Karbon for this?

Karbon is fully GDPR compliant so you know your data is safe. It is more protected than if you were to simply email it to us as it is harder to hack than an email account. For this reason, if we ever have to send sensative documents to you then we will use Karbon for this as well.

What does it look like when Karbon sends me a request?

All requests from Karbon come in the form of “checklists”. To access your checklist and upload your documents you need to click on the “manage checklist” link inside your email.

All requests from Karbon come in the form of “checklists”. To access your checklist and upload your documents you need to click on the “manage checklist” link inside your email.

Once in your Karbon checklist, you will be able to see your task. Clicking on a task will expand it and allow you to read any extra comments or directions that we have written.

Use the “Upload files” button to upload your documents safely and securely, or if you want to ask us a question use the “comment” button. We can reply to you directly on this chain and you will get an email every time we leave a comment.

When your task is completed, tick it off on the left. This will let the person who sent you the task know that you have completed it straight away. Make sure all of your completed tasks are ticked off otherwise you will continue to get reminder emails automatically.

We love Karbon and its interactive workflow features and we hope that this process makes it as easy and safe as possible to get your documents to us so that we can complete your accounts and tax returns!

Why we love Dext!

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Dext, formally known as Receipt Bank, is a software that we recommend so much that we include it in all our Limited Company and Sole Trade services!

Using it, you can take a photograph of your receipts and it will extract the information from them with 99% accuracy and upload it to your accounting software.

Why do we love it so much?

This easy to use and time saving software fits right in with our ethos of “life is too short to be doing your accounts”! Instead of spending lots of time manually inputting the data from all your receipts, invoices, or bank statements, you can upload them to Dext instead. This means you can get the right information into your Xero account quickly and easily.

If we do your bookkeeping for you, then using Dext also keeps our bookkeeping team happy! You will be able to send the necessary information with as little effort as possible whilst allowing them to keep on top of your bookkeeping, a definite win-win!

We love a product that saves time like this does, and just think about what you could be doing with the time you save!

How does Dext work?

Our fantastic bookkeeper Charlie has prepared a video giving you an overview of Dext and some of its features:

To make things even easier, Dext have prepared a helpful PDF guide on how to use their mobile app. Download it by clicking here.

Dext have also got some very helpful videos on their YouTube channel. Below is a video that goes into more detail about the various methods that you can use to submit your information to Dext, including Fetch, email, and the mobile app.

If you are struggling with using Dext or have any questions about it, please contact any members of our bookkeeping team as they will be happy to help you

1 Accounts Team Building Day March 2022

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Last week we closed the office for the whole day so that our team could enjoy our first Team Building day since the pandemic started!

We have added several new team members since our last team building day in 2019 including Fran, Katy, Che, Charlie and Harry! This is a huge growth for any firm but especially for one that puts family values at the forefront. This day was incredibly important for us to all bond as a team now that we are back in the office with all our new team members. It was also nice to be able to socialise outside of the office!

Axe throwing with Wild Blades!

Katie organised a wonderful day for us all. We visited Wild Blades, another local Haverhill business, for a day of axe throwing and team building challenges!

Despite the warnings of snow, the weather started out sunny but cold. Handy as the entire day was outdoors. Dan and Toby from Wild Blades gave us a safety breifing (axes are dangerous!) and then taught us the standard one-handed throw.

After a bit of practice, most of the team got this, some even hitting bullseyes early on! Jenni M. had an advantage as she had done it before, and it should be no surprise to anyone that Paul, James, Adrian and Charlie picked it up quickly.

Unfortunately, there were a couple of us who didn’t manage to master the one-handed throw. No matter how hard she tried, Fran couldn’t manage to hit the target with the right end of the axe using this method. Luckily, during a tea break, she practiced with Toby and tried a two-handed throw, and finally managed to hit the bullseye! Seeing this, Jenni D. also decided to try this method and also found it much easier.

Playing Games

Once we could all actually hit the target with the axe, we started playing games! First, we did a couple of quick rounds to see who could score the most. The first round was won by Paul (no surprise there) and the second round was won by Che! Charlie and James maintained a consistent second and third place. There were many other games including naughts and crosses, hit the card, and thump the stump.



Team Building Challenges

After a lovely lunch, we then began the team building activities. We had to work together to complete a series of 9 tasks in order to complete the Viking ship and sail to victory. It came down to the wire, but with us all working together and putting our strongest team members forward towards the end, we managed to complete all the tasks with 19 seconds to spare!

Overall we had a lovely day and feel like a much stronger team because of it, both in team spirit and arm strength! Dan and Toby from Wild Blades planned a fantastic series of events and were wonderful hosts and teachers who joined in with our banter perfectly. We highly recommend them.

A big thanks to Katie for organising the day for us, we can’t wait until the next one!

1 Accounts Team at Team Building Day - Wild Blades Axe Throwing

Why do we ask for your bank statements?

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Depending on which service you are on, you will find that you receive requests from members of our team asking for copies of your bank statements.  You may receive different emails from different team members depending on the work they are undertaking for you.  Whilst we try to eliminate asking for the same information on multiple jobs sometimes there are instances where information is requested more than once.  This may be sent as part of an auto request from our system, then again manually by an individual looking at your records in real-time.
We would like to clarify why you are asked for these and why it is so important they are provided to us when asked.

Why do we request copies of your bank statements?

We request copies of your bank statements to check the balances in your accounting software are correct and that all transactions have been correctly accounted for.  Many of you will have ‘bank feeds’ from your bank accounts which feed transactions directly into your accounting software.  Whilst bank feeds are usually reliable there can be instances where they drop out for security purposes or there are blips where transactions are missed or duplicated by the feed.  In order for us to spot these errors in a timely manner, and to ensure your records are always as accurate as possible, we will ask for copies of your bank statements for a given period or as at a given date to check.
If entering transactions from your bank account manually into your accounting software without bank feeds there is always a larger risk of errors – if you would like to discuss bank feeds with us or you need any help with this please get in touch.

When will we request copies of your bank statements?

Depending on your service levels with us or the nature of your business you will get asked for statements at different intervals.  This could be in relation to the following jobs:

  • Bookkeeping service (once a month)
  • Monthly Review (once a month)
  • Quarterly Review (once a quarter)
  • Year-end accounts – 3 months before your year end as a 9 month ‘Health Check’ and again once your year-end date has passed
  • Sole trader accounts and tax return – annually (unless you have our sole trader bookkeeping service)
  • Ad-hoc – if we (or you) notice there has been a problem with the bank transactions or feed we may ask for copies at unusual intervals

How do you upload your statements for us?

You will receive an email from us that looks something like the email on the right.
To upload your bank statements, you need to click on “manage checklist”. The next page will ask you to input your PIN. If this is the first time you have done this process then you will be asked to create one. If you have forgotten it, there is a link underneath to reset it.


You will then be taken to your checklist where you can upload your statements. You will also be able to see the due date, exactly what we need from you, and be able to send us a message using the comment function. There is no “submit” button, but once everything is uploaded we will be able to access it at our end and will be notified that you have uploaded your statements.
The system we use is called Karbon and it is completely cyber-secure and GDPR compliant so you do not need to worry about your information.

What happens if the bank balance in your software does not agree to your bank statements?

If we complete your bookkeeping we will identify and correct any bank issues as part of our service at no extra charge.
If you complete your own bookkeeping we will help you identify the difference.  We can complete any corrections for you for a fee (on request), or alternatively you can complete the corrections yourself. If you complete your own bookkeeping we would advise you check the bank balances in your software to the bank statements weekly ideally or monthly at the latest to make sure any error are picked up in good time. If you need any help with this or are struggling with your bookkeeping please get in touch.