We have just taken delivery of our new exhibition stand. Can you spot the latest member of the Arithmo team.

We need a name, any suggestions?

We may only be 12 days in to the New Year but we have been working hard behind the scenes on improving Arithmo’s features.

This afternoon an update to the invoice template has gone live. Users can now upload their business logo, change the font and have greater control over the text shown on their invoices. As with all things we have tried to keep this process as easy as possible making the bookkeeping for small business’s straight forward.

We are always trying to add to the online accounting features to Arithmo. At the moment the team here is doing the last testing on our new invoice system system. It will allow for much mroe flexibility.

What’s happened is, we put in a customisable invoicing template, but kept it simple. Turns out our clients want it more sophisticated, even if it’s a bit more complex. So we’ve changed it. We think we’ve kept it as straightforward as we can though.

Once we’ve checked it over, clients should be able to tailor their invoices to their hearts’ content.

I was just reading about the numbers of people who filed their tax returns over the internet. Lots apparently. In fact nearly six million of us.  

The actual amount was 5,759,006, which is 51% up from last year, and getting on for 2/3 of the total number of returns. Moira Stewart, you done good.

Not surprisingly, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Stephen Timms, was delighted. Amongst other things he said “…more and more people are recognising the benefits of filing their tax return online” and that online filing is easier and quicker.

Can’t argue with that. But I think he may be missing the point. And when I say ”missing” I mean ”blatantly ignoring”. 

It is a fact that this increase coincides with new tax return filing rules that can fine you £100 if you don’t file online. If you didn’t use the internet and filed after 31 October, you were penalised.

It’s not for us to say, but surely at the very least it’s a possibility that people went for the  web based system because otherwise it would cost them £100. Perhaps that had some influence on people’s decision to file online? We will probably never know.