Blogs/Vlogs

August Accounts Return 2016 – was the change to an online form worth it?

As a result of problems arising from the introduction of a new online Accounts Return form system, the usual deadline was extended from 31 January to 28 February, when the Education Funding Agency (EFA) were originally planning on reducing the deadline date to 17 January!

Among the many problems arising from the introduction of the online form were:

Registration Issues

  • Original instructions issued were unnecessarily complicated and not clear;
  • Online registration was not immediate so it was difficult to determine for several days whether registration had been successful;
  • Online Accounts Return form system was unavailable for considerable periods of time, which made resourcing of staff to complete the Accounts Return difficult; and
  • User profiles were shared between users because of the difficulty in obtaining user profile access.

Usability Issues

  • Incorrectly logging out of the Accounts Return form resulted in a 15 minute delay to regain access;
  • Data input in the preparer role did not always update which resulted in the data either being deleted or corrupted, nor did it always add up correctly;
  • Data reviewed in the auditor role was not always the same as data completed in the preparer role because of update issues;
  • Failure to correctly reflect changes in accounting treatment from UK GAAP to FRS 102;
  • Information required to be entered on the Accounts Return form was in some cases inconsistent with the description on the Accounts Return; and
  • Data input to the SOFA did not automatically link through to benchmark returns or counter party data - which could lead to inconsistencies when inputting the same data required in different parts of the Accounts Return form.

Many of these issues could have been resolved by fully pilot testing the online Accounts Return form system prior to its implementation. Hopefully, this will not be the case when completing the August Accounts Return 2017.

If you are still having problems submitting your online Accounts Return form, please contact your nearest UHY academy expert. Alternatively to read more academy blogs, click here.

Let's talk! Send an enquiry to your local UHY expert.