 CAUTION: The accountant Link has been removed in Sage 50 Accounts v29.
If you are not the accountant using Client Manager, please refer to our Accountant Link for clients guide. Many businesses send their Sage 50 Accounts data to an accountant to prepare their final accounts. The main methods of sending data to the accountant are: - Remote Data Access (formerly Sage Drive) (Recommended) - Your client can grant you access to their data from a remote location. This means you can work on their live data as and when required, while your client continues their day-to-day processing. Read more >
- Backup and restore - Involves your client suspending processing in Sage 50 Accounts while you have their data. Read more >
- Accountant Link - Your client can continue to process in Sage 50 Accounts while you have their data. When you send back a file containing the adjustments, your client can import it into Sage 50 Accounts and merge the two sets of data. You can't use Accountant Link at the same time as Remote Data Access.
 NOTE: To use Accountants link, your client must be on the same or a lower version of Sage 50 Accounts as you. If you import from an earlier version, customer and supplier refunds aren't available.
Please click the options below to find out how to set up and work with the Accountant Link. Import your client's data Your client uses the Accountant Link option to create a data file to send to you. They must also advise you of the password they set for the file. - Open the relevant company or create a blank company.
- On the menu bar click Modules, click Wizards then click Accountant Link.
Alternatively you can import your client's data by choosing Import in the Accountants' Dataset Manager.
- Click Import then click Next.
- Click Browse, locate and select your client's data file then click Open.
- Enter the password as advised by your client, then click Import.
If the data is from an earlier version an Information message appears to convert the data, click OK.
- After the data imports, select Check data now or Exit without checking, then click Exit.
If the data is from an earlier version the software automatically checks the data.
Recording appears on the status bar until the Accountant Link Wizard is run to export the adjustments to send to your client.
Import material changes Once your client has exported the data, and before importing the adjustments, any amendment the client makes to the data is classed as a material change. When a material change is posted, for example, a bank payment or creating a new customer record, a confirmation message appears asking the client to record the detail of the material change. You can then import this information to see any changes the client has made since the original export was made.  TIP:The material changes should arrive on an email as .dta files.
- In Sage 50 Accounts, on the menu bar click Help then click About.
- Make a note of the Data Directory.
- Open the email from your client, and save attachments to the data directory you noted in step 2.
If you're prompted to overwrite any existing files, click Yes.
- In Sage 50 Accounts, on the menu bar click View, click View Client Changes then click the Material Changes tab.
Working with adjustments Once you import your client's data, and before exporting the accountant's adjustments, any amendment you make to the data is classed as an adjustment. When you post an adjustment, for example, a bank payment or creating a new customer record, a message appears asking if you want to record the detail of the adjustment. 
NOTE: There's an issue where the Please wait ...Posting Transactions window appears over the top of the Confirm window. To read the message drag one of the windows to the side. 
| Yes | Posts the entry to the data and records the details within View > Comments and Adjustments > Adjustments tab. |
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| No | Posts the entry to the data but doesn't record the details within View > Comments and Adjustments > Adjustments tab. |
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| Don't ask me this again while I'm working in this dataset check box | To prevent this message appearing every time the accountant posts a material change, select the check box. |
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View the adjustments NOTE: You can only view the adjustments that you've chosen to record. - On the menu bar click View, click Comments and Adjustments then click the Adjustments tab.
When you select an adjustment, further information appears in the Adjustment Details section. If required, you can record additional information in the Accountant Comment box.
Table of Adjustments When your client merges the data, some adjustments are posted automatically and some must be posted manually. | Type | Details |
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| Automatic | The Accountant Link posts the following adjustment automatically: If you import transactions only Customer, Supplier and Nominal transactions appear when the data is sent back through the accountant link. | | Manual | The following adjustments must be manually entered in Sage Accounts:- Change program date
- Bank transfer
- Customer payment on account (SA)
- Supplier payment on account (PA)
- Customer receipt (SR)
- Supplier receipt (PR)
- Recurring entries
- Backup
- Clear Audit Trail
- Lock Date
- Bank opening balance
- Invoice update
- VAT Return
- Contra entry
- Deletions
- Period end
- Import
Once entered, select the I have completed this task check box and click Next or Continue. |
Export adjustments - On the menu bar click Modules, click Wizards then click Accountant Link.
- Click Export then click Next.
- Complete the Accountant Link window as follows:
| Save as | Select the location where the file is to be saved.
Filename - This consists of the company name together with the date and time the file was created and has a file extension of .saa. For example: Stationery & Computer Mart UK 200711231148.saa
If required both the file name and directory can be changed. |
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| Password | Enter a password for the file.
The password must be between 8 and 10 characters and is case sensitive. You can't decode this password once it's been set. If you can't remember the password set on the file you must recreate the file by completing the Accountant Link wizard to export the data again. |
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| Confirm | Enter the password again. |
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| Comment | A default comment appears here. This can be replaced or added to if required. |
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- Click Export.
- If your client is using an earlier version the Select Data Format window appears. You must export the data to the same version the client is currently using.
- Choose from the following options:
| Navigate to file | If you select this option when you click Exit the folder you saved the file to automatically appears. |
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| Email file | If you select this option Sage Accounts creates an email and attaches a copy of the export file. If required, amend the details on the email and then click Send.
For Sage Accounts to automatically create the email you must use Microsoft Outlook. |
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Recording no longer appears on the Status Bar and the Accountant Link process is complete. If your client needs any help with importing this file, please refer them to our Accountant Link for clients guide. Cancel accountants link or stop recording To cancel the accountants link or stop recording, export the adjustment as if you're sending the file back to your client. Then delete the file. For details of how to export the adjustments, please refer to the section, Export adjustments. [BCB:62:F1 Help Centre promo:ECB] [BCB:21:Support message - Sage Q&A Live:ECB] |