> When are we getting an Aussie accounting Package (with GST support)
Well I've just successfully completed a BAS using gnucash. Following a previous tip on the slug list about setting up GST liability and asset accounts, this worked very well for me. gnucash is double entry, and requires you to understand that plus to certain accounts is a debit, others is a credit. I must say though, gnucash is the only tool I've used that I understood exactly what was going on. It is very simple, really only a general ledger system. I have used quicken, quickbooks, MYOB. I will never ever use MYOB again. Those bastards took my money (well, yours and mine, the $200 the government pissed down the drain for us all at the introduction of GST) and gave me back a complete piece of crap. This was a complete national scandal, and not one word in the papers. Gnucash has some weaknesses : the reports could be better (but this should be relatively easy, just some DSSSL), some things are quirky (AUD for $). Other things are nice : data / date entry is very smooth, polished. There are web based general ledgers, but the setup is a little steep. SQL-Ledger. Requires web server and PostgreSQL. I get the feeling the authors make a living tailoring and installing it. The doco is sparse. I don't think it would be quite as convenient doing books this way. However, if you were big enough and you had a book-keeper / accountant tuned in and willing to work this way it could be really good. In fact, for an accounting firm this could be a great business tool. Gnucash works very well for me. There are some anomalies. My GST accounting is on a cash basis, but normal books are accrual. I don't know how this works with Quick or MYOB. My opinion is that the GST environment and reporting requirements in Australia are such that any GST reporting business has to have someone who understands the basics of accounting. Either that is a book-keeper/accountant, or yourself. No software can truly hide this, in fact hiding it makes the potential for mistakes leading to tax liabilities worse. I've had a very experienced book keeper go completely astray with MYOB. In the end, it is you signing the tax forms, and you that will pay the penalties. Jamie -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ More Info: http://lists.slug.org.au/listinfo/slug
