If you are already using Sage 50 Accounts and need help, there are four free resources available to you already.

1. The F1 Key – Context sensitive, it is available from within the software at any time by pressing the F1 key (this is a common help feature from windows based software). This will take you to the relevant help topic from the sage help files, this is a shortcut to accessing the right information, instead of opening help and searching for a subject.

2. PDF Guides – Some common topics are covered in .pdf format from the help menu, these include opening balances, transactional email and excel integrated reporting.

3. Tutorials – Again from within the help menu, there are tutorials which are automatically installed when you install your Sage 50 Accounts software. They range from how to create new customer records and reconciling a vat return.

4. Demonstration Data – If you go to File/Open/Open Demo Data, you can access the demonstration data which is installed with the software.  Many people like the hands on approach to learning, so this enables the user to try things out without risking your companies real data set.

Of course if you need technical support, you can always take out Sage Cover.

A few tips on making sure your Sage 50 Payroll 2010 is set up right for the payroll year.

1. Make sure you are using the right legislation for the new tax year by checking the Help/About menu.

2. Check employee tax codes, as although there were no general increases in L suffix tax codes, your employers may have had P9 notices from HMRC for specific employees, containing tax codes to use in the new tax year. Please be sure you actioned any notices.

3. Checking small employer relief status (if eligible) is just a case of making sure you have marked the relevant check box within the software, this will help in recovering the right values for statutory payment such as maternity and paternity pay.

4. Remember that your year end returns for 2009/2010 must be submitted to HMRC by 19th May, or you are likely to receive a penalty from HMRC.

If when you are running a report or layout in Sage 50 Accounts 2010 from a previous version, you may get the following message:

“The specified data source could not be found. Check that the data source is correctly registered”

If you edit the problem report or layout when the message appears, you will likely either see no variables or tables in the in the variables pane, or in data>Joins, you get the message “Object reference not set to an instance of an object”

All you need to do is reset the data source within the layout or report, you can do this by:

Edit the report or layout>Data>Change Report Data Source>New Data Source>select Sageline50v16>OK>OK

Then File>Save>File>Exit