Tax related reporting

[Pensioner]

For me it is that time when I utter a big sigh and log into HMRC to do my annual tax return. http://www.flowergenie.co.uk/ideas/forum/Smileys/classic/sad.gif Collecting the required data is a necessary bore which I have done hitherto using MS Money reports. So how to do that in BG was the question.

Using the transaction analyser (BS408) seemed to be the starting point.  There were three requirements - all my gift aid transactions, dividends paid to me, and lastly the state pension paid to me for the tax year in question.  As I use BG also to track my wife's accounts and transaction details across joint accounts, those similar transactions for her had to be excluded.  Pretty simple.

I had used the "Spent on" field to include text like Gift Aid etc.  While the search function (BS408S06) retrieved most of the correct data they were lost in loads of other transactions in the analyser.  I backed off and decided this was the time to use Tags.  Having tagged all the required transactions retrospectively, and added tags to regular payments where possible for the future, selecting the tag on the transaction analyser selection screen was a piece of cake.

Producing and saving the reports followed instantly, and is now set up for the future.  (They even agreed with the MS Money versions!)

Up to now, I have to say I was unsure of what use tags were.  Now they look a pretty powerful way of identifyng ranges of transactions for subsequent analysis and reporting.

Thanks, George, also for the tax year date buttons, which I failed to notice until after I had typed them in several dozen times. Doh!

[ideasguy]

That makes VERY pleasant reading Richard!
As they say, theres more than one way to skin a cat and so it is with Bank Genie   
I'm very pleased you have discovered the value of Tags and even more pleased Bank Genie produced the goods for you
Now all you have to do is stump up the money for Mr Taxman

Tip: Just to make other members aware - in Transaction Analyser BS408:-
http://www.bankgenie.net/UserGuide/bs408s01-2.gif
if you right click on a TYR button you will find an option to set the Start date for your Tax Year.
Likewise the other buttons in that "bank" of navigation buttons.

[barryl]

I am *even* more pleased  about your discovery of tags as I had to persuade George to implement them. I use them heavily..

Just as an aside another way to skin that cat is to use the P&L accounting options in the business options though that would rely on being able to distinguish the transactions you need via their categories).

[ideasguy]

I thought you might comment on that Barry
Bank Genie 3 did not have Tags, but the extra mile to include that feature in Bank Genie 4 was worth it.