Artema benefits from speed, simplicity and time-savings after TaxCalc switch

Yuval Salomi, Partner at Artema, explains: “What we found with Sage, especially when iXBRL kicks in, there were just so many unnecessary buttons and processes to push and go through.

"Whereas with TaxCalc, the process is a lot neater, sleeker, and frankly, you just shed off everything that doesn't need to be happening.” 

With so many accountancy software providers to choose from, why did Artema opt for TaxCalc? Yuval says he was drawn by its simplicity after the complexity of the old software:  

“Sage is very technical kind of product, whereas that’s not the case with TaxCalc. It’s just simpler and friendlier to use.  TaxCalc was that up-and-coming kind of star, and I really liked that,”

he adds. 

"The value for money was also a major attraction. The price was a fraction of what we used to pay Sage. We managed to halve the costs."

Yuval says:

“A lot of practices who have ended up with Sage, IRIS, or Digita - and rave it about it for some reason - probably end up overpaying for functions they don’t use, whereas with TaxCalc it’s pretty simple and the pricing is relatively straightforward to understand. You don’t get too many bells and whistles that frankly nobody uses anyway." 

Artema has acquired several accountancy practices in recent years, requiring a switch to TaxCalc in some cases. So, how did that go? 

Yuval says:

“With every acquisition that we've made, the transition from the previous software to TaxCalc was relatively straightforward in terms of the process of migrating the data. Plus, it wasn’t a complicated piece of software to study or work with.” 

Accountants are often anxious about switching, fearing disruption and delays - and the impact that will have on critical client work. But Yuval has a different way of looking at it, saying: 

“What accountants need to think about is the inefficiencies when you do accounts on the wrong software. It’s about the long-term impact – not just the short term downtime.” 

Artema uses TaxCalc for personal tax, CT600, accounts production, trust returns, and AML checks. The firm also uses CloudConnect, enabling it to move away from using a server.

 “People don’t need to log in remotely via VPN now. They can just work from home, and that has been a massive advantage – particularly during Covid.”

In terms of the main benefits of switching to TaxCalc, Yuval highlights being able to work faster.

“I’m going to say we’re 20% quicker with TaxCalc and, as people learn more about the software, probably even 30% quicker.”

 And how does that time saving help? 

“The software allows you to get the numbers over and done with, while you can concentrate on the real delivery of value to your clients.” 

Yuval highlights several features that he and his team like due to driving greater efficiency. 

The Xero integration 

“You can map the trial balance from Xero to TaxCalc at pretty much a press of a button. That saves you a lot of time.”

Personal tax workflow 

“When you download the relevant report, you know exactly what sources of income people had in the previous year. Then you can allocate it to the relevant member of the team accordingly.” 

Corporation Tax

 “Once the Corporation Tax gets calculated, you press the button and that brings that charge to the accounts production schedule without posting the journal manually.”

HMRC data fetch

Yuval highlights the fetch feature, which lets accountants instantly pull client data - like P60s, state pension, and employment income - directly from HMRC, saving time and hassle. It’s fast, accurate, and reduces errors.

“It means you don’t need to chase for that paperwork from the client,”

64-8 agent authorisation

Online 64-8 is a digital way for accountants to get authorised by clients to deal with HMRC on their behalf. 

Yuval explains:

“You used to have to do a manual form. But now you can apply for 64-8 from the TaxCalc software directly. You don’t need to do it separately with HMRC. This makes the process faster, easier, and keeps everything in one place.” 

So, how would Yuval sum up his experience with TaxCalc when talking to fellow accountants? 

“TaxCalc is just simple and quick - you can’t get lost in it. It does what it says on the tin. It’s just a straightforward, strong tool to have in our tech stack.”

And how does that time saving help? 

“The software allows you to get the numbers over and done with, while you can concentrate on the real delivery of value to your clients.”