September 2008

Cashmanager RURAL version 3.7

Follow these links to find out more about the new features in version 3.7

The first column of my cashflow is empty!

Understanding financial year budgeting

The choice between cash reporting or financial year reporting

Setting up a financial year budget

Cash budgeting

Reported issues in version 3.7b

Support Hours

The support hours are 8.30am - 7.00pm, Monday to Friday.

July 2008

How do I setup a new other party?

• 1. Open your Transaction screen
• 2. Click on Setup and Other Party
• 3. Click New
• 4. Enter in your clients name, i.e. Joe Blogs, a code i.e JB and their address details
• 5. Enter any additional information under the other tabs that applies

You can also create new Other Party's via the Wagebook, Invoicing/Debtors or when you are entering in a new transaction, next to the Other Party there is a yellow envelope you can select which will take you to the same screen.

Backing-up to archives, How do I do this?

• 1. Open Cashmanager
• 2. Click on Backup
• 3. Put the dot next to Email To
• 4. Next to Email To it will need to say archives@conceptsrural.co.nz (if it doe not have the Archives email address, click Email Setup on the right side of the screen, put the dot next to Computer Concepts Archives and click ok)
• 5. An Email will appear on the screen for you to send
• 6. You will receive an email from Archives stating we have received your email

Please note that sending Archive Emails will not work for web base email.

Support Hours

The support hours are 8.30am - 7.00pm, Monday to Friday.

May 2008

Save Time with Trader Imports

Electronically importing a monthly statement from Farmlands, PGG Wrightson or RD1 will save a great deal of time. To help you get setu[p we have compiled the following instructions.

Other key farm supply companies will be added as they become available - we will advise you as their download becomes available.

Farmlands

Farmlands offer a service where they email you a PDF and CSV file of the monthly statement. To request this, phone customer services on 06 873 1090.

PGG Wrightson

To download bank statements or monthly statements of store purchases you must sign up for "Online Banking".

• 1. Go to www.PGGwrightson.co.nz
• 2. Click on the "PGG Wrightson Finance Online Banking"
• 3. Click on "Click here if you are new to online banking"
• 4. On the Registration page fill in your details and click on "submit"
• 5. PGG Wrightson will then contact you to setup login names and passwords
• 6. Once registered - go to the statements page and choose the "Download Transactions" option at the top right

RD1

To download your monthly RD1 statement you must be registered for Livetime downloads.

• 1. Go to www.RD1.co.nz
• 2. Click on the ACCOUNT HOLDERS menu at the top left
• 3. Click on Livetime Users Guide
• 4. This page will guide you through the registration process. If you hace any questions please phone the RD1 support desk on 0800 731 266
• 5. Registration may take 24 hours
• 6. Once registered you will need to go to the "View Statements" page and download

How to Import into Cashmanager RURAL

• 1. When you save the download file it is vital you remember the file name and location - write it down. (some offer a PDF option - this is not able to be imported)
• 2. Start Cashmanager RURAL and from the Transactions screen click on the Import menu
• 3. Select “Load Bank or Trader transactions”
• 4. Choose the Trader option
• 5. Select the name of the Trader you want to import
• 6. Change the “Data File (path)” by clicking on the 3 dots to the right

Autocoding

This is well worth setting up. Essentially you are teaching the software to associate a piece of “search text” you have defined with a category and extended code. When the software finds that “search text” anywhere on the imported line it will apply your codes.

• Bank Downloads - Click on the Autocode button at the top of the screen
• Trader Import - Click on the yellow lightning bolt symbol to the right of the Note field.
• OR click on the Setup menu at the top of the screen and select - Autocoding.

Search Text

Any sequence of characters can be used as search text (it doesn’t have to be a whole word)

• Other party name
• A suppliers product code
• Part of the product description

April 2008

Where would I enter in the employer kiwisaver and employer tax credit?

(You will first need to make sure that your employee has been setup for kiwisaver)

• To do this open Cashmanager
• Select the wagebook option
• Select setup other party
• Select the employee and click edit click the employee tab
• Make sure that a kiwisaver percentage is selected
• Click ok and then close
• Click new this will bring up a pay worksheet
• Select your employee
• You will have a kiwisaver tab select this and you will find kiwisaver employer and employer tax credit.

March 2008

Year End

Before you send your Year End accounts to your Accountant, it is always good to ensure your data balances. This will save your Accountant time trying to balance your data and ultimately save you money!

You can check your data balances by following the instructions below:

• Open Cashmanager
• Go into Transactions
• Click on Reports and Accountants Annual

The Accountants Annual report will appear and it will tell you if your data is balanced or unbalanced.

If your data is unbalanced, while viewing the Accountants Annual report on screen, click on the Go To button and select Bank Statement Summary.

From the Bank Statement Summary, check the following:

• Opening balance of each account at the beginning of the year. The opening balance should match the opening balance of the first reconciled page for the year.
• The Discrepancy column. If there are any discrepancies showing, go to the page that is showing the discrepancy and you will need to balance the page.

If you are not able to find where your data is unbalanced, please contact our Support Team.

February2008

Finalising your GST return without printing
It is important to make your GST return a final or you will see the transactions in the next GST return. However they sometimes use up a lot of paper!

To make your GST return a final:

1. While you are viewing the report on screen, put a tick in the final copy box (on the left hand side)
2. Click on Print Reports

(If you do not require a printed copy, click on Print Options, put a tick in 'Print to File' and click Ok)

3. Close out of your GST report and in the GST Report Parameters window, it will now show the report is a final

January 2008

How to Filter for Previous Year's Transactions
To see previous year's transactions, use the filter option. To do this:

1. Go into Transactions.
2. Click on the Filter button.
3. Use the down arrow next to Financial Year, to change it from Current to the Financial Year you want to see.
4. Click Ok.

You will be able to see the transactions for that financial year.
To clear the filter, click on the Filter Clear button (next to the Filter button). You will now see your current transactions.

Creating a Secure Off Site Backup
The best way to create a safe off site copy of your data is to email it to archives@conceptsrural.co.nz

1. Click on Backup.
2. Choose the archives option and click next.
3. Go to your email program and do a 'Send and receive.'
4. A new feature is that you will now get a reply to confirm it has been received in our archive.
   

This service is provided free to our PremierPac subscribers. We recommend you use it once a month.

Accountant's Handover - Don't Drop and Run!
Many farmers use a drop and run technique when handing over their data. We encourage you to meet with your accountant and explain how your data has been prepared, review areas that need explanation and discuss the process for transferring your data into their system.

Before the handover, we encourage you to find out what was 'wrong' last year and how it could be improved this year. We note many users make the same mistakes and their accountant makes the same corrections year after year!

Remember the 'Accountant's year end report” can be printed strictly as a cashbook or it can be printed so it includes year end adjustments. Find out which option your accountant prefers.

Livestock tallies do matter! Be careful that the code you record sales against relates to the number of animals in the class at the beginning of the year. Common farm names frequently differ, especially for sales made in the last half of the year.

Change of Balance dates
IRD are requesting that you align your Financial year with your GST returns. If you need to change your balance date, just send us in your latest backup via Email telling us your new year end date. We will fix & return your data to you.

Code Setup Restructure

• In the Setup Codes window, you can drag and drop extended codes from one category to another. This allows you to easily restructure your codes and dramatically improve the presentation of reports.
• Category codes can also be dragged and dropped. This is the order they appear in reports.
• Section Headings should drag, but in this release creates an error message. We will notify you when a web download is available. 
• Inactive Category and Extended codes can now be hidden

PDF and Excel Reports

• A fantastic new feature is the ability to create reports in the Adobe PDF format and easily email them to your accountant, advisor or banker.
• The Cashflow report can also be put into an Excel spreadsheet format (includes formulas).

GST Report Audit

• To check that the correct GST code has been applied to transactions it's a good idea to view the transaction listing in the report in all three sort orders. The options are Cashbook order, Code order, GST type order.
• Print the report. Mistakes are much easier to see on paper.
• Good transaction comments make checking transactions much easier.

Sorting Transactions

• You can now sort by Date, Reference and Entry Order.
• This is available in the Transaction and Reconciliation windows.
• Sort by Reference is ideal for locating unpresented cheques.

Invoices

• In the Invoicing module (Not Debtors) payments can be recorded to each invoice and the status will change from 'Unpaid' to 'Part paid' or 'Paid'. To add more than one payment keep pressing the 'enter' key so a new line is created in the payments table. This is easily missed!
• Payments do not transfer to the Cashbook (You need to purchase the Debtors module to do this. It also has a products list, aged balances reports etc )

Patch Download Now Available

• We recommend all users download the latest version
• To install the patch, go to the downloads page, choose the file to download and click on Run when prompted. (On a 28k modem it may take 15 minutes to download)
• When complete, start CA$Hmanager, Click on Help | About and check the version

It's Time To Think About Year End!
It's worth going through your transactions to check that everything is OK, even if you have a June financial year. This way you will be prepared when the end of the financial year arrives.

Balancing the Books Checklist:-
1.       Run Sprinclean
a.       From the opening screen, click on Tools Springclean
b.      If there are errors, fix them. If you cannot, call our Helpdesk
2.      Run the Balance Report
a.       From the Transactions screen, click on Reports and Balance.
b.      If you have more than one bank account, choose one account.
c.       Click on update.
d.      Does it say it is balanced?   If No, Go to section4
3.      Check the Unreconciled Transaction list.
a.       Could any of the unreconciled transactions be duplicates of a 'real' transaction that is reconciled - If yes, Delete
b.      Do any of the unreconciled transactions belong to last year? 
c.       If yes, why are they still unreconciled?  If they aren't 'real' you will need to create a reversing transaction (same code, opposite value, with the reversal box ticked) and reconcile them to your next bank statement.
4.      Balance Report does not balance
a.       Which account is not balanced?
b.      Which page does not balance in the 'All Statements' summary on the last page of this report.
c.       Do any of the balances show as red? This means the opening balance does not equal the closing balance on the previous statement (NB they are ordered by closing date - if out of order the date is wrong!)
d.      Is the opening bank balance on this report the same as the opening balance shown on your bank statement on the first day of your financial year. (Please do not pretend you know better and adjust this balance in any way!)
e.       If No, close the report and click on Setup |Bank accounts and edit.
f.        Repeat steps 1-4 for any other bank accounts.
5.      Check the consistency of coding
a.       It is important that you apply the same codes to all the same types of transactions, otherwise you accountant will be confused!
b.      Try asking your accounting clerk if there are improvements that could be made on last years coding effort.
c.       From the transactions screen, Click on Reports | Analysis by code.
d.      Check that transactions make sense for the code they are allocated to. Good clear comments will really help you decide what the transaction was about.
e.       If a transaction needs recoding:-
                              i.      Note the transaction date, the GST inclusive amount and its code.
                            ii.      Close the report. In the transaction screen, click on Filter and filter for the code. This will show all the transactions to this code.
                          iii.      OR, click on the grey 'Line amount' column header, in the 'Find' box, type in the inclusive value, click on OK.
                          iv.      If this is not the transaction you require, press the F3 function key.
                            v.      Repeat until you locate the transaction. Correct it as required.
                          vi.      Repeat for other transactions as often as required!
6.      Check GST coding
a.       You may have made mistakes in past GST returns. It's better to find them yourself than have your accountant break the bad news. Now is a good time to do an audit.
b.      Don't try to correct the transactions. It will not let you and even if you could change it, you cannot undo what was sent of to the IRD /ATO. 
c.       If mistakes are found, consult with your accountant on the best solution
7.      Check the Livestock Reconciliation
a.       Open the Cashflow window.
b.      Change the 'View' control at the top middle to show 'Actual'.
c.       Double click on any of the 'Month' columns for a livestock category.
d.      You are now in the actual stock reconciliation.
e.       Click on the 'Auto Calc” menu at top left and choose balance on Closing. This is very important!
f.        In the numbers tab, enter the same values into the 'Open' column as appear as the closing numbers of the livestock account in last year's statement of accounts.
g.       Enter births.
h.      Check the sales and purchases make sense. Double click on the tally to see the list of transactions. (These are cashbook transactions). Note: It is vital that you allocate sales to the stock class name that applied at the beginning of the financial year, not the name you know them by at the time of sale!
i.        Enter your estimate of deaths.
j.        The closing column should show how many animals you have on hand! Is it correct!
8.        Well done, have a cup of tea!

 

Keyboard Shortcuts
Transaction entry can be much quicker once you learn about keyboard shortcuts.
Examples:-

• To initiate a new expense transaction, press the minus key.
• To add GST to a value, type the number in, hold down the Ctrl key and tap +(Plus).
• To print a list of keyboard shortcuts. Click on Help | Contents | Search. Then search for 'Keyboard Shortcuts' and click on Display.

GST Final Copy
It is important you click on 'Final copy' once you have completed a GST return otherwise you will get the same transactions included in the next return.

The rules the software uses to including a transaction in the GST return are:-

1. The transaction is dated between the start and end date for the return period
2. OR the transaction has an earlier date and was NOT included in a final return

Tip:
If you don't want to print the full report again, follow these steps:-

1. Select 'Final Copy'
2. Click on the “Print option' button
3. Click on 'Print to File' and click OK.

This will update the Final Copy status for the transactions.
We strongly recommend you put aside a backup immediately after doing a Final Copy.

Very Long Supplier Statements
Statements from stock and station stores can be very long and look daunting to complete. Indeed some people cheat at put it all to one total!
Tip:

1. Pick off the big transactions first
2. Locate all personal items and lump into one code total
3. Don't be scared to group together all the rats and mice of pipe fittings etc into one total. If you need the detail later you can still look up the statement.

Part Paying a Supplier Statement
If you are part paying a supplier statement follow these steps:-

1. Temporarily put $1 into the bank amount.
2. Record over several lines details of the amounts you want to pay
3. Click on the little balance scales symbol beside the cheque amount. This will add up the line amounts.

Removing a spare bank statement page

1. Begin the reconciliation process
2. Set the opening and closing balances for the page to zero
3. Run springclean.

This will remove all pages with a zero opening and closing balance that also have no transactions recorded to them

 

Bank Reconciliation
How much effort is involved in reconciling transactions depends on the system you use.

There are two options:-

1. Work down the bank statement line by line and searching the transaction list for the matching transaction.
2. Work down the transaction list (on the screen) and scanning a bank statement for matching transactions

The first method involves working down the bank statement line by line and searching the transaction list for matching transactions. While this may seem the 'obvious' choice it has a couple of drawbacks:-

1. Searching the transaction list is tedious, especially if the transactions are not in bank statement order.
2. It does not identify duplicate transactions.

The second option involves working down the transaction list line by line, ticking each line of the printed bank statement as you press the 'Match' button. When you have got to the end of the eligible transactions, all the bank statement lines should be ticked.

This is the recommended process.

Quick Tips
When in Reconcile Mode:-

1. Pressing M for match or N for no match is quicker than using your mouse.
2. Pressing the minus key initiates a new transaction in the reconciliation mode.
3. Double click on a transaction to change it.

Applying Codes to Transactions

There are three ways of applying codes to transactions:-

1. Selecting codes from the code drop down lists
2. Searching for a matching code description with the new 'Search' tool
3. Selecting a code from the code setup list (like it was)

Code Drop Down Lists.
The usage options are:-

1. Select the code using your mouse
2. OR by using the keyboard only:-

1. Press the down arrow to drop the list
2. Press the letter of the first letter in the code - it will take you to the first code starting with that letter
   OR press the up and down arrows to scroll up and down the list

• Press Tab to select the code, close the drop down and move to the next field

Searching for a matching description
To use the power of the search facility:-

1. Type in a short sequence of letters that might identify a description found in:
1. The category description
2. The extended code description
3. The saved code comments
   NB Typing the code and searching for it is unlikely to be useful - you already know it!
2. Click on the 'Search' button, it should list all the codes that contain the sequence of letters or word that you are looking for.
   NB - a sequence of 3 or 4 letters that make up part of the description should be adequate.
3. Click on the code you require.

Visually scan all codes (The old way)
The old code list can still be used:

1. Click on the search (magnifying glass) icon
2. Click on the 'New' button
3. Locate the code by scanning the list, expanding where needed
4. Click on the 'Select' button

Tips

• Don't click on the search button until you have entered something to search for!
• Search for a word or part of a word that you expect to be found in the code description or saved notes.
• From the search window, clicking on the 'New' button takes you to the old code list.