Sage LINE 50 V11 User Manual

Line50 v11 User Guide

Powerful accounting software for growing businesses

Copyright

This document and software described in it are copyrighted with all rights reserved. Under copyright laws, neither the documentation nor the software may be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated, or reduced to any electronic medium or machine readable form, in whole or in part, without prior written consent of Sage (UK) Limited (‘Sage’). Failure to comply with this condition may result in prosecution.

This computer program is the property of Sage. The program is protected under copyright law and is licensed for use only by a user who has returned the completed registration card included with the computer program and further is licensed strictly in accordance with the conditions specified in the Software Licence. Sale, lease, hire rental or reassignment to, or by, a third party without the prior and written permission of Sage is expressly prohibited.

Sage does not warrant that the software package will function properly in every hardware/software environment. For example, the software may not work in combination with modified versions of the operating system, with certain print-spooling or file facility programs, or with certain printers supplied by independent manufacturers.

Although Sage has tested the software and reviewed the documentation, Sage makes no warranty, representation or condition, either express or implied, statutory or otherwise, with respect to this software or documentation, their performance, satisfactory quality, or fitness for a particular purpose. This software and documentation are licensed ‘as is’, and you, the licensee, by making use thereof, are assuming the entire risk as to their quality and performance.

In no event will Sage be liable for direct, indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages (including but not limited to economic loss, such as loss of profits, loss of use of profits, loss of business or business

interruption, loss of revenue, loss of goodwill or loss of anticipated savings) arising out of the use or inability to use the software or documentation, even if advised of the possibility of such damages. In particular, and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, Sage has no liability for any programs or data stored or used with Sage software, including the costs of recovering such programs or data.

Nothing in this notice shall exclude or limit Sage’s liability for fraud, death or personal injury arising out of Sage’s wilful default or negligence.

Sage’s policy is one of constant development and improvement. We reserve the right to alter, modify, correct and upgrade our software programs and publications

Copyright:	© 1999 - 2004 Sage (UK) Limited
	North Park
	Newcastle upon Tyne NE13 9AA
	All Worldwide Rights Reserved
Issue date:	02/08/2004
Pbn No:	12701

Read This...

Your Sage Line 50 User Guide is made up of two parts.

The first part deals with setting up your accounting system (if you are a new user) and also the maintenance of your accounts (for established users, i.e. who are upgrading).

In the first part, Setting Up and Maintenance, we deal with:

Installing Sage Line 50 onto your computer and using it for the first time (for new users).

How to use Line 50.

Setting up your company details (defaults).

Setting up your nominal structure.

Setting up your customer and supplier records.

Entering your product or service details.

Entering your opening balances.

Setting up your regular monthly payments.

Setting up prices and discounts for your products or services.

Working with fixed assets.

Setting up an e-banking system.

As a new user, you will have to work through this first part to set up your accounting system. All of the sections may not apply to your business, so you will have to see which ones do apply to you and work through the relevant sections.

As an established user who is upgrading, your system will already have your opening balances on, as well as most of your company details. So, you can use this part of the manual to make changes to your company details and defaults.

The second part is concerned with Daily Activities and Processing and we deal with:

Completing everyday tasks, such as looking after your data, using the search, making journal entries, and so on.

Recording invoices and credit notes.

Sales and purchase order processing.

Recording payments and receipts.

How to carry out credit control activities, such as chasing unpaid bills and writing off bad debts.

Reconciling your bank accounts on your computer with your real bank accounts.

Using advanced stock features, such as working with bills of materials.

Working with Projects.

Producing your VAT Return.

Running a range of financial reports, including your profit and loss and balance sheet report.

Running your month and year end routines.

Working with Sage MIS, which is a management information system.

All the tasks contained in the second part are mostly concerned with processing, i.e. working with your finances as part of your day to day accounting activities. Sometimes you may have to consult the first part of the chapter, for example, if you want to learn how to reconcile your e-banking transactions. In these instances, the User Guide will clearly direct you to where you need to go.

Contents
Chapter 1: Getting Started ...................................................................	1
Transferring Accounting Systems .....................................................................	2
Installation........................................................................................................	3
The ActiveSetup Wizard...................................................................................	4
Registering Sage Line 50 ...............................................................................	13
Getting Started ..............................................................................................	13
About SageCover ..........................................................................................	14
SageCover Online Support ............................................................................	14
sage.co.uk & sage.ie......................................................................................	15
Sage Training .................................................................................................	15
Chapter 2: How to Use Sage Line 50 ................................................	17
Instructions in This Guide...............................................................................	19
The Sage Line 50 Options .............................................................................	20
The Sage Line 50 Window.............................................................................	21
Using Windows..............................................................................................	24
Menu Commands ..........................................................................................	25
Getting Help ..................................................................................................	41
Wizards .........................................................................................................	41
Debits and Credits .........................................................................................	42
Chapter 3: Setting Up Your Company Details ..................................	43
The Configuration Editor ................................................................................	44
Entering Your Company Preferences..............................................................	68
Entering Your Company Defaults....................................................................	77
Setting the Financial Year ...............................................................................	77
Entering Your Bank Defaults...........................................................................	78
The Euro and Other Currencies......................................................................	80
The Countries Table .......................................................................................	82
Passwords and Access Rights.......................................................................	83
Changing Your Password...............................................................................	84
Working With Internet Resources...................................................................	84
The Foreign Trader
(Financial Controller only) ...............................................................................	85
To Set Up the Foreign Trader .........................................................................	86
Opening Balances .........................................................................................	91

Sage Line 50 User Guide
Chapter 4: Setting Up Your Nominal Structure .................................	93
Nominal Ledger Accounts Explained..............................................................	94
The Nominal Account Structure .....................................................................	99
Control Accounts.........................................................................................	100
The Nominal Ledger Window.......................................................................	102
Entering, Editing and Deleting Nominal Records ..........................................	108
Entering Bank Account Records ..................................................................	113
The Chart of Accounts.................................................................................	116
Checking Your Chart of Accounts ................................................................	120
Chapter 5: Entering Customer and Supplier Records ....................	123
Planning Your Customer and Supplier Codes...............................................	124
Entering Customer Defaults .........................................................................	125
Setting an Account Status ...........................................................................	128
Entering Customer Records.........................................................................	129
Opening Balances for Customers ................................................................	133
Entering Supplier Defaults............................................................................	137
Entering Supplier Records ...........................................................................	138
Opening Balances for Suppliers ...................................................................	141
Checking and Clearing Your Customers’ and Suppliers’ Opening Balances .145
Chapter 6: Entering Product Details and
Planning a Stock System .................................................................	151
Product Valuation.........................................................................................	152
Setting Up Your Product List........................................................................	152
Creating Product Categories........................................................................	153
Entering Product Defaults ............................................................................	154
Entering Product Records............................................................................	157
Entering Your Product Opening Balances.....................................................	161
Chapter 7: Entering Opening Balances for Nominal
and Bank Accounts ..........................................................................	163
The Opening Balance Sequence Consists of: ..............................................	164
Entering the Opening Balances for Your
Nominal Ledger Accounts............................................................................	165
Entering the Opening Balances for Your Bank Accounts ..............................	167
Uncleared Items in Your Bank Opening Balance...........................................	168
Checking Your Nominal and Bank Opening Balances ..................................	169
Completing the Opening Balances Procedure..............................................	170

	Contents
Chapter 8: Setting Up Recurring Entries,
Prepayments and Accruals ..............................................................	173
Explaining Recurring Entries.........................................................................	174
Prepayments
(Accountant Plus and Financial Controller Only)............................................	186
Accruals
(Accountant Plus and Financial Controller Only)............................................	189
Chapter 9: Pricing and Discounts ....................................................	193
Using Customer Price Lists
(Accountant Plus and Financial Controller Only)............................................	195
Importing Product Prices onto a Customer Price List
(Accountant Plus and Financial Controller only) ............................................	201
Setting Special Customer Prices
(Accountant Plus and Financial Controller Only)............................................	205
Supplier Price Lists
(Financial Controller users only) ....................................................................	210
Importing Supplier Price Lists
(Financial Controller users only) ....................................................................	212
'Good Customer' Discount ..........................................................................	214
Early Settlement Discount ............................................................................	216
Discounting by Quantity of Product Sold
(Accountant Plus and Financial Controller Only)............................................	219
Discounting by Invoice Value
(Accountant Plus and Financial Controller Only)............................................	222
Checking Discount Amounts & Editing the Total Discount ............................	224
Other Discount Options ...............................................................................	226
The Invoice and Order Defaults Options List.................................................	228
Discounting by Unit Price
(Accountant Plus and Financial Controller Only)............................................	230
Chapter 10: Working With Fixed Assets
(Accountant Plus and Financial Controller Only) ............................	233
Fixed Assets ................................................................................................	234
Depreciation ................................................................................................	235
Depreciation Methods in Line 50..................................................................	235
Writing Off Fixed Assets ...............................................................................	237
Selling Fixed Assets .....................................................................................	237
Creating Fixed Asset Categories ..................................................................	237
Entering Your Fixed Asset Records ..............................................................	238

Sage Line 50 User Guide
Chapter 11: E-Business ...................................................................	243
Contacting Sage..........................................................................................	244
e-Banking ....................................................................................................	245
Configuring Your e-Banking Option ..............................................................	246
Using the e-Payments Option ......................................................................	248
Entering Supplier Bank Details .....................................................................	248
Using the e-Reconcile Option ......................................................................	250
Importing e-Banking Transactions................................................................	250
Reconciling Your Bank Account ...................................................................	251
Transaction e-Mail........................................................................................	255
Setting Up Transaction e-Mail ......................................................................	256
Configuring Transaction e-Mail .....................................................................	257
Processing Incoming Orders and Invoices in
Transaction e-Mail........................................................................................	265
Matching in Transaction e-Mail.....................................................................	267
Help with Transaction e-Mail ........................................................................	274
Sage WebTrader Professional ......................................................................	274
Chapter 12: Everyday Tasks ............................................................	275
Changing the Program Date ........................................................................	276
Checking Your Data .....................................................................................	277
Backing Up Your Data..................................................................................	279
Restoring Your Data.....................................................................................	281
Event Logging..............................................................................................	282
Using the Search to Find Records................................................................	286
Building Your Search....................................................................................	289
Finding Transactions ....................................................................................	291
Using ActiveSearch......................................................................................	293
Using the Spelling Checker ..........................................................................	294
Printing What’s On Your Screen ...................................................................	295
Working with Attachments using Document Manager ..................................	298
Using The Task Manager..............................................................................	304
Exporting to Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook ..........................................	305
Journal Entries.............................................................................................	307
Reversing Nominal Journals
(Accountant Plus and Financial Controller Only)............................................	310
Paying Wages Using Journal Entries ............................................................	312
Setting Up a Petty Cash Account.................................................................	317

	Contents
Chapter 13: Entering Invoices and Credit Notes ............................	319
Special Product Codes ................................................................................	320
Invoices and Credit Notes ............................................................................	321
Batch Invoices and Credit Notes..................................................................	322
Creating Invoices and Credit Notes From the Invoicing option......................	324
Memorising and Recalling Batch Invoices and Credit Notes
(Accountant Plus and Financial Controller Only)............................................	349
Creating Recurring Transactions ..................................................................	350
Entering Invoice and Order Defaults .............................................................	355
Updating the Ledgers ..................................................................................	361
Invoice Profit Check
(Accountant Plus and Financial Controller Only)............................................	362
Creating Mix and Match Invoices and Orders
(Financial Controller Only).............................................................................	364
Invoicing From Telephone Calls
(Financial Controller Only).............................................................................	372
Quotations and Proformas
(Accountant Plus and Financial Controller Only)............................................	374
Chapter 14: Order Processing
(Financial Controller Only) ................................................................	377
Sales Orders................................................................................................	378
The Sales Order Cycle .................................................................................	378
Creating a Sales Order.................................................................................	379
Creating Recurring Orders ...........................................................................	398
Completing Your Sales Order if it has Already Been Despatched..................	400
Saving Your Sales Order ..............................................................................	400
Printing Your Sales Orders ...........................................................................	400
Allocating Stock to Sales Orders..................................................................	401
Order Shortfalls............................................................................................	403
Despatching Sales Orders ...........................................................................	406
Recording Delivery of Goods using Goods Despatched Notes.....................	407
Recording Sales Order Despatches .............................................................	411
Manually Recording Sales Order Despatches...............................................	411
Printing an Invoice Created From the Sales Order ........................................	412
Updating the Ledgers ..................................................................................	412
Deleting a Sales Order .................................................................................	413
Converting Quotes and Proformas to Sales Orders......................................	414
Intrastat Reporting .......................................................................................	417

Sage Line 50 User Guide
Confirming your Intrastat Dispatches............................................................	419
Working With Purchase Orders ....................................................................	424
Creating Purchase Orders............................................................................	425
Completing Your Purchase Order if it has Already Been Delivered ................	440
Saving Your Purchase Orders ......................................................................	440
Printing Your Purchase Orders .....................................................................	440
Putting Purchase Orders 'On Order' ............................................................	441
Recording Delivery of Goods........................................................................	442
Recording Delivery of Goods Using Goods Received Notes.........................	443
Recording Purchase Order Deliveries ...........................................................	447
Manually Recording Purchase Order Deliveries ............................................	447
Creating Purchase Invoices From Your Purchase Orders..............................	448
Deleting a Purchase Order ...........................................................................	448
Confirming your Intrastat Arrivals..................................................................	448
Chapter 15: Project Costing
(Accountant Plus and Financial Controller Only) ............................	453
Introduction to Project Costing.....................................................................	454
Who Can Use Project Costing?....................................................................	454
The Life Cycle of a Project ...........................................................................	454
The Project Life Cycle in Line 50 ..................................................................	455
Setting Up Project Costing...........................................................................	457
Project Statuses ..........................................................................................	458
Cost Codes .................................................................................................	459
Resources ...................................................................................................	463
Working with Projects ..................................................................................	465
Project Records ...........................................................................................	465
Project Only Costs .......................................................................................	472
Stock Postings ............................................................................................	474
Cost Postings ..............................................................................................	475
Billing Your Customer for a Project...............................................................	477
Project Enquiries, Analysis and Reporting ....................................................	481
Completing Your Project ..............................................................................	483
Chapter 16: Recording Payments and Receipts .............................	485
Customer Receipts ......................................................................................	486
Bank Receipts .............................................................................................	488
Memorising and Recalling Bank Receipts
(Accountant Plus and Financial Controller Only)............................................	492
Supplier Payments.......................................................................................	494

	Contents
Recording Bank, Cash and Credit Card Payments.......................................	498
Memorising and Recalling Bank Payments
(Accountant Plus and Financial Controller Only)............................................	501
Batch Supplier Payments
(Financial Controller Only).............................................................................	503
Producing Cheques
(Accountant Plus and Financial Controller Only)............................................	505
Recording Expenses....................................................................................	512
Bank Transfers.............................................................................................	514
Chapter 17: Credit Control ...............................................................	525
The Cash Flow Option .................................................................................	526
Manual Entries in a Cash Flow .....................................................................	530
Credit Control ..............................................................................................	531
Ageing Transactions in Line 50.....................................................................	531
Producing a Retrospective Aged Balance Report.........................................	535
Checking Aged Balances.............................................................................	535
Credit Control for Each Customer ................................................................	538
The Credit Control Window..........................................................................	541
Recording Contact Details ...........................................................................	543
Viewing Transaction History and Aged Balances ..........................................	547
Handling Disputed Transactions
(Accountant Plus and Financial Controller Only)............................................	550
Charging Your Customers for Late Payments...............................................	551
Writing Off Bad Debts ..................................................................................	552
Writing Off Bad Debt Transactions Using the Wizard ....................................	553
Writing Off Bad Debts Manually....................................................................	555
Days Sales Analysis .....................................................................................	560
Suggested Payments...................................................................................	566
Credit Control Reporting ..............................................................................	569
Other Customer Reports..............................................................................	571
Supplier Reports..........................................................................................	572
Chapter 18: Reconciling Your Bank Accounts ................................	573
Bank Reconciliation .....................................................................................	574
Preparing to Reconcile.................................................................................	574
Reconciling Your Bank Account ...................................................................	574
Posting Bank Adjustments...........................................................................	577
Printing a Bank Statement Report................................................................	578

Sage Line 50 User Guide
Chapter 19: Using the Advanced Stock Features
(Accountant Plus and Financial Controller Only) ............................	579
Bill of Materials.............................................................................................	580
Checking Component Availability .................................................................	583
Making Stock Transfers................................................................................	584
Using the Stock Shortfall Option ..................................................................	586
Running a Stock Take ..................................................................................	590
Recording Stock Returns.............................................................................	592
Adjusting Stock Levels.................................................................................	594
Chapter 20: Running Your VAT Return ............................................	595
The VAT Return Checklist.............................................................................	596
Producing the VAT Return............................................................................	597
Checking Your VAT Return...........................................................................	599
Saving your VAT Return ...............................................................................	601
Handling Late Transactions ..........................................................................	603
Handling Future Transactions.......................................................................	603
Reconciling Your VAT Return........................................................................	604
Clearing Your VAT Control Accounts ............................................................	605
Submitting the VAT Return to the Tax Authorities .........................................	606
VAT Audit Reports........................................................................................	607
Entering Scale Charges
(Accountant Plus and Financial Controller Only)............................................	607
Chapter 21: Running Financial Reports ..........................................	609
Reports........................................................................................................	610
Running the Audit Trail Report......................................................................	611
Running the Trial Balance Report .................................................................	612
Running the Profit and Loss Report .............................................................	613
Running the Balance Sheet Report ..............................................................	614
Running the Quick Ratio Report
(Accountant Plus and Financial Controller Only)............................................	615
Running the Budget Report .........................................................................	617
Running the Prior Year Report......................................................................	618
Running the Transactional-Based Management Reports
(Accountant Plus and Financial Controller Only)............................................	619
Running the Audit Assistant .........................................................................	622
The Sage Management Information System (MIS)........................................	634

	Contents
Chapter 22: Running Your Month End ............................................	635
The Month End ............................................................................................	636
Month End Checklist....................................................................................	637
Changing Your Program Date ......................................................................	639
Running the Month End ...............................................................................	640
Posting Opening and Closing Stock.............................................................	642
Posting Monthly Accruals
(Accountant Plus and Financial Controller Only)............................................	648
Clearing Your Stock Transactions.................................................................	651
Printing Your Product Reports
(Accountant Plus and Financial Controller) ...................................................	652
Clearing the Audit Trail .................................................................................	653
Handling Late Entries...................................................................................	653
Posting Late Entries.....................................................................................	653
Chapter 23: Running Your Year End ...............................................	657
The Year End ...............................................................................................	658
Year End Checklist.......................................................................................	659
Backing Up Your Data..................................................................................	660
Running the Accounts Year End...................................................................	662
Historical Data Analysis................................................................................	664
Checking the Financial Year Start Date Setting.............................................	667
Clearing the Audit Trail .................................................................................	667
Deleting Records .........................................................................................	672
Compressing Your Data ...............................................................................	675
Chapter 24: Accountant Link ...........................................................	677
What Is Accountant Link? ............................................................................	678
Using Accountant Link with Line 50 Accountant, Accountant Plus or Financial
Controller.....................................................................................................	680
Exporting Your Accounts Data to File to Send to Your Accountant ...............	683
Recording Material Changes To Your Data ...................................................	686
Importing and Applying Your Accountant's Adjustments ..............................	688
Using Accountant Link with Line 50 Client Manager.....................................	693
Importing Your Client's Accounts Data From a File.......................................	696
Recording Adjustments................................................................................	698
Exporting Your Adjustments and Narratives to File .......................................	700

Sage Line 50 User Guide
Appendix: Installing and Upgrading to Line 50 Version 11 ............	703
System Requirements..................................................................................	704
The Readme File..........................................................................................	705
Information for Users in the Republic of Ireland ............................................	705
Installing Sage Line 50 Version 11 for the First Time
(Single User Version) ....................................................................................	706
Installing Sage Line 50 Version 11 for the First Time
(Multi User Version) ......................................................................................	709
Upgrading from Earlier Versions ...................................................................	715
Preparing to Upgrade from Version 4 or Version 5........................................	718
Preparing to Upgrade from Version 6, Version 7 or Version 8 .......................	720
Preparing to Upgrade from Version 9 or Version 10......................................	722
Upgrading to Sage Line 50 Version 11
(Single User Version) ....................................................................................	723
Upgrading to Sage Line 50 Version 11
(Multi-User Version) ......................................................................................	724
After Upgrading: Converting Line 50 Version 5 Layouts................................	725
Registering Your Program ............................................................................	727

Chapter 1

Getting Started

Welcome to Sage Line 50.

Sage Line 50 lets you record, control and examine your finances quickly in a traditional way, through a state-of-the-art computer program.

Sage Line 50 is a totally integrated system, which means that when you record a financial transaction into one ledger, all the other related ledgers are immediately updated with that information. Sage Line 50 does your double-entry bookkeeping for you.

Read this chapter to find out how to get started with Sage Line 50, including installation and using your program for the first time.

This User Guide covers Sage Line 50 Accountant, Sage Line 50 Accountant Plus, Sage Line 50 Financial Controller and Sage Line 50 Network Versions.

In this chapter:
Transferring Accounting Systems	.........2
Installation ...........................................	3
The ActiveSetup Wizard.......................	4
Registering Sage Line 50 ...................	13
Getting Started ..................................	13
About SageCover ..............................	14
SageCover Online Support ................	14
sage.co.uk & sage.ie .........................	15
Sage Training.....................................	15

Transferring Accounting Systems

To help you achieve a smooth transition from your current accounting system to your new Sage Line 50 program, you should decide on which features and functionality you will use, and when. For example, if you run a shop, you will not enter each customer transaction (so you will have no customer records), but you will need to use cash book functionality to enter the day’s takings. (For details about how to do this, see Bank Receipts on page 488.) Sage Line 50 lets you choose the accounting functions suitable to your business.

As a result of your business needs, you may need to do some, or all, of the following:

Enter your company details.

Set up and check your nominal account structure (this includes setting up bank accounts in Sage Line 50). For an explanation of the nominal account structure, see

Nominal Ledger Accounts Explained on page 94.

Enter your customer records and their opening balances.

Enter your supplier records and their opening balances.

Enter your product details and their opening balances.

Enter the opening balances for your nominal ledger.

Enter the opening balances for your bank accounts.

For many people, moving from one system of accounting to another is a staged process. It doesn’t happen overnight. Because of the nature of bookkeeping, where invoices may not be paid on time and bank statements do not arrive until the end of the month, you may have to make the transfer to your new system gradually.

Also, many people prefer to gain confidence in a new system by choosing to set up one ledger at a time, for example, first the sales ledger, then the purchase ledger (Customers and Suppliers in Sage Line 50), then the nominal ledger. However, other people choose to transfer their accounts in one go, and do so successfully.

Whatever the implementation strategy you choose, we recommend that, until you become familiar with Sage Line 50, you continue using your existing system for a short time. In this way you can check that you are getting the right figures from Sage Line 50, and you can also see the benefits of the new system, as many of your entries are automatically done for you. You should also use the Demonstration Data supplied with your Sage Line 50 program to experiment with all of the different areas of the program.

Getting Started

Installation

This section guides you through installing a single user version of Sage Line 50 for the first time. If you are installing a network version, or are upgrading from a previous version of Sage Line 50, refer to the Appendix at the back of this guide. New users of Sage Line 50 (single user) should follow these instructions:

Note: You must ensure that you are logged onto your computer as 'Administrator', or as a user with administrative access rights, before attempting to install Sage Line 50. The installation process cannot proceed if you do not have sufficient access rights.

1.Shut down any other programs you are running.

2.Put the Sage Line 50 CD into your CD-ROM drive.

If the Sage menu does not appear automatically after a few moments, open the Start menu from the Windows menu bar, choose Run and then type d:\start in the Open text box.

Note: If your drive letters are different to those shown above, replace them with the appropriate letter.

The Installation main menu appears.

3.Before you begin to install Sage Line 50, select ‘Readme’. This contains any additional or late-breaking information about your Sage product.

Note: Sage Line 50 version 11 requires Microsoft Internet Explorer version 6 to run. If you do not have Internet Explorer version 6 on your computer, a warning message appears advising you that you must install it before you continue with the Line 50 installation. Install Internet Explorer from the Line 50 CD, then start the Line 50 version 11 installation again.

4.Click Install and follow the on-screen instructions.

5.When the installation is complete, click Finish. You can now close the installation menu.

A Sage Accounts short-cut is created on your desktop, so that you can double-click on this icon to start the program.

If prompted, restart your PC.

You are now ready to run your Sage Line 50 program for the first time.

3

Sage Line 50 User Guide

The ActiveSetup Wizard

Once you have installed Sage Line 50 you are ready to use it for the first time. To activate Sage Line 50, double-click the Sage icon on your desktop or open the Start menu from the Windows menu bar, choose Programs, then select Sage and finally select Sage Accounts.

Important Note: If you are using a multi-user version of Sage Line 50, the Logon window appears every time that you start the program. When you first use Sage Line 50 program the default logon name is MANAGER, with no password. Once you have completed the ActiveSetup Wizard, you can then set up your access rights and passwords. For more information, read Passwords and Access Rights on page 83.

When you start the program, the ActiveSetup Wizard appears. Use this to enter all of your company information.

Click Next to progress onto the next step or click Back to return to the previous step to re-enter or edit any information.

There are nine screens in the ActiveSetup Wizard when you are using Sage Line 50 for the first time:

Welcome

My Company

My Details

My Financial Year

My VAT Details

My Currency

Program Activation

Program Registration

Next Steps

After the first Welcome screen, you should enter your company information into the relevant boxes on-screen. Information about each of these screens can be seen in the following pages.

If you need additional help on any of the screens in the ActiveSetup Wizard, press F1 or select the Help button for more information.

4

Getting Started

Step 2: My Company

If you are a new user you must select the first option ‘I would like to create a new company’. If you are upgrading from an earlier version, or if you have Sage Line 50 and want to set up a network version, refer to Appendix, Installing and Upgrading to Line 50 Version 11 on page 703.

You must also decide what type of chart of accounts your company needs. Sage Line 50 has a number of charts to suit different business types. For example, you can choose from construction, charities, medical, farming, garage and transport.

Note: There are more chart of accounts to choose from. To see details of the different chart of accounts, press F1, enter the words Chart of Accounts in the Index tab and then select ‘standard’.

From the list, choose the chart of accounts most suited to your needs. If you are in doubt, select the 'General Business - Standard Accounts' layout. This provides you with a basic chart of accounts layout that is suitable for most businesses. To select a chart of accounts, click Browse to access the Company Configurations window. Choose the chart you require and click Open. For more information, see To use an existing configuration file on page 6.

Alternatively, you may have been given a Sage Line 50 configuration file by your accountant, or someone in your company, to use. The configuration file holds all of your basic Sage Line 50 setup information, such as the nominal ledger details and the default settings for your company. For more information about the details held in the configuration file, see the section The Configuration Editor on page 44.

Important Note: You must select the configuration file before you exit the ActiveSetup Wizard. You cannot change the configuration file once you have completed the ActiveSetup Wizard.

5

Sage Line 50 User Guide

To use an existing configuration file

1.From the ActiveSetup Wizard’s ‘My Company’ window, click Browse. The Company Configurations window appears.

If your configuration file has been saved into the default file location, the file will appear in the list. The default file location is C:\Program Files\Sage\Accounts\Configs.

2.Select the appropriate file from the scrolling list. If the configuration file is not in the list, click Browse to find the file.

3.Once you have selected the configuration file, click Open.

Line 50 returns you to the ActiveSetup Wizard and displays the file you selected.

4.Click Next to continue through the ActiveSetup Wizard.

6

Getting Started

Step 3: My Details

Use this step to enter your company name and contact details. When you have completed the wizard, these details will be copied to your Sage Line 50 program. If your company details change, or if you make a mistake, you can change these details within your Sage Line 50 program.

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Step 4: My Financial Year

Use this step to enter your Financial Year start date.

Note: It is important that you enter the correct Financial Year start date as it is difficult to change this date once you have started to enter transactions. If you are in any doubt as to your Financial Year start date you should contact your accountant or your company’s accounts department before proceeding.

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Getting Started

Step 5: My VAT Details

If your company is VAT registered, enter the VAT registration number in the relevant box. You must also specify if your company uses the VAT Cash Accounting scheme. By default, Sage Line 50 calculates tax liability using the Standard VAT scheme.

If you are in any doubt as to the VAT scheme that you are using, you should contact your accountant or your company’s accounts department.

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Step 6: My Currency

You now need to choose your base currency. This is the currency you will use most often to record your transactions.

Note: It is very important that you choose your base currency correctly, as you cannot change it once it has been selected.

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Getting Started

Step 7: Program Activation

You must now enter your Serial Number and Activation Key in the relevant boxes. You can find these on the sticker sheet entitled 'Important Information', which comes within your program box.

If you cannot find your Serial Number and Activation Key, please contact our Customer Care department.

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Step 8: Next Steps

This is the final screen of the ActiveSetup Wizard.

From this window you can access the Configuration Editor. You can use the Configuration Editor to set up the basic information about your company. For more information, see The Configuration Editor on page 44.

From here you can also open the help system to see the Setup Checklist. To do this, click View Setup Checklist.

Click Finish to close the ActiveSetup Wizard.

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Getting Started

Registering Sage Line 50

Unless you register your Sage Line 50 program, you can only use your new Sage Line 50 for a maximum of 60 days. At the end of the unregistered period you will be unable to use the program (however, all of the information you entered during this period will be unaffected).

To register your Sage Line 50 program, call one of the following telephone numbers.

UK residents (mainland), 0845 111 66 66 Northern Ireland, 0845 245 0280 Republic of Ireland, 01 642 0800

If you have Internet access, you can register your program online. From the Tools menu, choose Activation and select Upgrade Program, then click Web Register from the Product Registration window. Follow the instructions on-screen to register your program.

Getting Started

You are now ready to begin entering information into your new Sage Line 50 program. Sage recommends that you follow the structure of Part One of this User Guide in order to lay the foundations of your new accounting system.

This chapter of the User's Guide introduces you to the new Sage Line 50 and shows you how to install the program and where to get help. Chapter two explains how to use Sage Line 50 and shows you some useful hints and tips. Chapter three starts with the first major task which you must complete and continues through to Chapter seven which is the last of the tasks which you should perform in sequence. Chapters eight to eleven explain other key setup tasks. In summary, the tasks you are advised to perform in sequence are:

Set your company defaults. Check that you have entered your company details correctly, including your financial year start date and your VAT scheme. For more information, see

Setting Up Your Company Details on page 43.

Check your nominal account structure (this includes setting up bank accounts in Sage Line 50). Sage Line 50 has already created a nominal account structure for you, but you should check that the structure is right for your company. At this stage you can rename your nominal accounts to suit your business, add additional accounts and delete others that you do not need. For more information, see chapter 4, Setting Up Your Nominal Structure.

Enter your customer and supplier information. If you need to keep details of your customers and suppliers, the next stage is to enter their records and their opening balances. A customer or supplier record is like a card in a card index box. Each record holds information about a specific customer or supplier, such as an address, telephone number, contact name, credit details and so on. Depending on your business you may need to complete both supplier and customer records or you may need only the supplier option. For more information, see chapter 5, Entering Customer and Supplier Records.

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Enter your product information. If your business has stock, you should now enter your product details, including their opening balances. For more information, see chapter 6, Entering Product Details and Planning a Stock System.

Enter the opening balances for your nominal ledger and bank accounts (in that order). Any figure listed on your opening trial balance should be entered as an opening balance against the relevant nominal account. You should enter the opening balance for your bank account after you have entered the balances of all your other nominal ledger accounts. This is the last task which you should complete in order. For more information, see Entering Opening Balances for Nominal and Bank Accounts on page 163.

The remaining chapters of Part One contain instructions on how to set up monthly payments, discounts for customers, your fixed asset details and e-Banking.

About SageCover

If you are new to Sage Line 50, you are entitled to receive free SageCover for a 60-day period. Your cover begins when you register your Sage product. This entitles you to unlimited assistance in registering, installing and starting to use your new software. During this period you can contact us by calling 0845 111 5555, e-mailing your query to [e-mail] or by visiting www.sage.co.uk. There is no limit to the amount of times you can use the SageCover service in this period.

Note: The free period of SageCover applies only to new users of Sage Line 50. If you are upgrading from an earlier version of Line 50, you should use your existing SageCover support contract if you have any queries. If you do not have an existing SageCover agreement, you can subscribe to SageCover as detailed below.

If you want to subscribe to a full annual SageCover period, which gives you additional benefits such as discounted program upgrades, call 0800 33 66 33 if you are resident in the UK (mainland), 0800 1690315 for residents of Northern Ireland, or 1800 255300 for residents of the Republic of Ireland. Alternatively, complete the order forms that are sent to you following registration of your Sage Line 50 program.

SageCover Online Support

If you have SageCover and access to e-mail, you can send online queries to SageCover support. To do this, from Sage Line 50's menu bar, open the Help menu, choose Email Support and follow the on-screen instructions.

On www.sage.co.uk you'll find a wealth of business advice as well as tips on how to get the maximum benefit from your new software. Business advice includes over 100 expertly written articles on topics ranging from "How to write a marketing plan" to "How to write a contract of employment".

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Getting Started

sage.co.uk & sage.ie

The Sage UK website, www.sage.co.uk (or www.sage.ie for users in the Republic of Ireland), is a valuable resource available to you 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can find information on our products and services, print your latest invoice from us or sign up for a free newsletter. It's a convenient place to buy Sage products, find out how to get help and advice locally from a Sage business partner and much more. We are constantly adding new features to the website, so visit regularly to take advantage of our online services.

To access the website, click the sage.com option from your Line 50 toolbar and choose Sage Home Page.

Sage Training

Sage offers a portfolio of classroom training courses for all of our users, designed to enable them to make the most of their Sage software packages. Every Sage training course is written and presented by staff who know and understand Sage software. There are training centres in Birmingham, Bristol, Croydon, Glasgow, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne, North London, Reading, Swansea and Leeds, all offering a range of training courses every month.

For customers who prefer to study in their own time, Sage has also developed a range of self study products, including on-line training courses, interactive CD-ROMs and workbooks with practice data.

For further details about our Training products and course availability, please contact one of our sales advisors on 0800 33 66 33.

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