How will Brexit affect your Sage 200 System?

The UK is leaving the EU single market and customs union at the end of the transition period on the 1^st January 2021.

Brexit will have implications for all UK businesses who trade with companies outside of the UK no matter if they are within the EU or outside the EU.

Brexit will also impact on how many of our customers currently use their Sage 200 system and we, at Smith Cooper, have been asking Sage about potential system changes for several months.

Due to the ongoing nature of the Government negotiations, it is tough for Sage to commit to firm software amendments for all customers until final decisions have been made.

Whilst it is likely that changes to Sage 200 will be deployed swiftly following the final decision, there are many changes that can be made now in preparation. We have already been discussing these changes with some clients, but if you would like us to contact you then please complete the enquiry form.

All businesses will be affected in different ways depending on the countries they trade with, volumes produced and what products they’re handling, alongside other factors. The official Government Transition site is a great resource to see how the changes will affect you specifically and what you need to do.

What can you do now?

With regard to Sage 200 changes, as a result of Brexit, there are several things that it is likely you will need to do that we can help with if required. Some of these are listed below:

• The commodity code and country of origin fields will need to be populated in your stock module. Smith Cooper can provide scripts to import these as a batch process.
• EORI number (Economic Operators Registration and Identification number) will likely need to be added to all customer and suppliers. Versions of Sage 200 from 2019 R1 have an analysis code import as standard. Earlier versions do not. Smith Cooper can assist as required.
• Document Layouts will need to be amended to allow for all of the above as well as specific information required for Irish exports. This may also involve amendments to Spindle backdrops if you utilise that software for your documents.

What do I need to consider on January 1st?

Due to the nature of the change, there are some tasks that you simply will not be able to do prior to January 1st. The following tasks could, potentially, be required within Sales and Purchase ledger but also within Sales and Purchase order processing for live orders (including part shipped/received transactions).

• Customer and Supplier default VAT codes will need to be updated
• On open Sales Orders, the VAT code will need to be amended for any lines that have yet to be fully despatched
• On open Purchase Orders, the VAT code will need to be amended for any lines that have yet to be fully received

As previously stated, The Brexit process is very much a fluid situation and there may be more requirements and considerations which emerge prior to the 1st January date. We will, of course, provide more information as the situation requires or as we receive it from Sage.

We are already receiving multiple requests from our clients to make changes to their Sage 200 system, and are now starting to take bookings for the new year to assist with the multiple Account and transactional VAT changes that will be required at that point.

If you would like to discuss your specific requirements in more detail or would like to book a Smith Cooper consultant to make your VAT changes in the new year, do not hesitate to contact us via the website form, [email protected] or 01332 959008