Poll: How do you do your bookkeeping?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
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Nov 30, 2016

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "How do you do your bookkeeping?".

This poll was originally submitted by Maeva Cifuentes. View the poll results »



 
Muriel Vasconcellos
Muriel Vasconcellos  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 05:37
Member (2003)
Spanish to English
+ ...
Spreadsheet plus accountant Nov 30, 2016

I use spreadsheets to keep track of my business and tax-deductible business expenses. My accountant does my tax return and advises me on ways I can improve my bottom line. We have worked together for 22 years, since I moved to California.

 
Gianluca Marras
Gianluca Marras  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 13:37
English to Italian
Accountant Nov 30, 2016

Necessary here in Italy

 
Ana Vozone
Ana Vozone  Identity Verified
Local time: 12:37
Member (2010)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Spreadsheet and accountant Nov 30, 2016

I use a basic spreadsheet to enter all completed jobs and invoice numbers, dates invoice sent and paid, etc., and I have an accountant who deals with all matters.

 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 12:37
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
Other (spreadsheet + accountant) Nov 30, 2016

I do my own invoicing (Excel template) and I use a spreadsheet for payments received and due but I have an accountant for the monthly VAT returns, the yearly listing and all the other financial statements. He is worth every euro I pay him!

 
DianeGM
DianeGM  Identity Verified
Local time: 14:37
Member (2006)
Dutch to English
+ ...
Accountant Nov 30, 2016

also required here in Greece.

 
Michael Harris
Michael Harris  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 13:37
Member (2006)
German to English
Accountant Nov 30, 2016

I do the invoicing mayself, but leave everything else to my accountant - costs about €2500 / year for everything, including my wife´s tax declaration.

It is a lot of money, but without him I would probably have to pay a lot more taxes because he knows where the legal tricks are.

[Edited at 2016-11-30 19:39 GMT]


 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 13:37
Spanish to English
+ ...
Other Nov 30, 2016

Haphazardly, reluctantly and scattily. Thankfully, I have a "gestor" or agent to help me with my tax returns, who isn't really an accountant or lawyer, just someone who understands the ins and outs of Spanish bureaucracy, officialspeak and shifting goalposts.
My invoices are simple Excel spreadsheets. I keep a list of all my issued bills in a table in a Word document and send my agent the list every quarter. He prepares my tax returns and I usually pick them up and take them to the bank t
... See more
Haphazardly, reluctantly and scattily. Thankfully, I have a "gestor" or agent to help me with my tax returns, who isn't really an accountant or lawyer, just someone who understands the ins and outs of Spanish bureaucracy, officialspeak and shifting goalposts.
My invoices are simple Excel spreadsheets. I keep a list of all my issued bills in a table in a Word document and send my agent the list every quarter. He prepares my tax returns and I usually pick them up and take them to the bank to pay them directly, but I understand you can now submit everything online... although I'm not sure I'm happy about that, at least until some colleagues have tried it out and reported favourably on the system. For now, I'd rather keep going with my old modus operandi until I get dragged kicking and screaming into the wonderland of totally paperless billing

[Edited at 2016-11-30 10:06 GMT]

[Edited at 2016-11-30 10:07 GMT]

[Edited at 2016-11-30 11:43 GMT]
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Christine Andersen
Christine Andersen  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 13:37
Member (2003)
Danish to English
+ ...
Other Nov 30, 2016

I ought to vote that I have an accountant, but in fact my husband does the accounting - he is an economist and knows about the tax rules. He uses a spreadsheet to keep track of things. Otherwise I would have to pay an accountant to do it.

I have trouble with figures - I understand the logic, but looking at a page of figures just makes me feel dizzy!
It's invoicing day today...


 
Marguerite Storm
Marguerite Storm  Identity Verified
United States
Local time: 07:37
Member (2003)
English to French
+ ...
I use accounting software Nov 30, 2016

Wow I was surprised by the answers. I used Translation Office 3000 for many years and loved it. I recently switched to Wordbee because to3000 isn't Mac compatible. I recommend you try either one. They are the a to Z solution for fast and easy management. Invoicing takes 30minutes every month.

 
EvaVer (X)
EvaVer (X)  Identity Verified
Local time: 13:37
Czech to French
+ ...
Spreadsheet Nov 30, 2016

In fact, a quite complicated system I developed in Excel. Just modifying it - my business changed, I need different statistics, and the number of jobs, invoices and clients I programmed is no longer sufficient.

 
Jon Hedemann
Jon Hedemann  Identity Verified
Denmark
Local time: 13:37
English to Danish
+ ...
Translation Office 3000 Nov 30, 2016

I use AIT's great software suite for translation professionals. To learn more, please visit http://www.translation3000.com/aitpn/277.html

[Edited at 2016-11-30 21:28 GMT]


 
Mario Freitas
Mario Freitas  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 09:37
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
All by myself Dec 1, 2016

I understand some people in some countries are obliged to have an accountant.
Other than that, I think it's worth it to learn it, as you'll find out you never really needed an accountant and you can actually do a better job and be better acquainted with your own data, after all, you are doing it for yourself, and the accountant is doing it for someone else.

I use a few hours per month to fill up all the forms and spreadsheets (a few minutes each day), and about two hours to fi
... See more
I understand some people in some countries are obliged to have an accountant.
Other than that, I think it's worth it to learn it, as you'll find out you never really needed an accountant and you can actually do a better job and be better acquainted with your own data, after all, you are doing it for yourself, and the accountant is doing it for someone else.

I use a few hours per month to fill up all the forms and spreadsheets (a few minutes each day), and about two hours to fill in my income statement, as I have everything organized and know exactly where all the information is.

Unless you have a registered company with a lot of movement or employees, it's really burning money, IMO. An individual freelancer does not need an accountant.
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Diana Llorente
Diana Llorente  Identity Verified
Spain
Member (2014)
English to Spanish
+ ...
Spreadsheet Dec 1, 2016

neilmac wrote:
He prepares my tax returns and I usually pick them up and take them to the bank to pay them directly, but I understand you can now submit everything online... although I'm not sure I'm happy about that, at least until some colleagues have tried it out and reported favourably on the system. For now, I'd rather keep going with my old modus operandi until I get dragged kicking and screaming into the wonderland of totally paperless billing

[Edited at 2016-11-30 10:06 GMT]

[Edited at 2016-11-30 10:07 GMT]

[Edited at 2016-11-30 11:43 GMT]


 


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Poll: How do you do your bookkeeping?






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