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Set up right, connected right

Software and migrations

Short answer

Finbryn sets up, cleans up and migrates the accounting software UK companies run on: Xero, QuickBooks Online, Sage, FreeAgent, NetSuite and Sage Intacct, plus the marketplace and receipt-capture integrations that feed them. You keep the file and the login. The configuration and reconciliation work is contracted through Northlane Solutions Inc. in the United States.

Migration checklist

Illustrative client · August 2026

GBP

  1. Old file backed up with full historyDone
  2. Chart of accounts mapped line by lineDone
  3. Opening balances agreed to the old fileDone
  4. Bank feeds connected and testedIn progress
  5. First month closed in the new softwareNext

Illustrative. An example of the document, not a client's figures.

Why the software is often the real problem, not the bookkeeping

A director opens Companies House's new identity verification requirement, or the accountant flags Making Tax Digital for Income Tax Self Assessment, and finds the underlying ledger was never built to support either. A Sage 50 desktop file that never moved to the cloud, a FreeAgent account set up by a previous bookkeeper who has since left, a Xero file with tracking categories that do not match how the business actually reports: none of that gets fixed by trying harder at month end. It gets fixed by rebuilding the structure first.

What we work in

  • Xero and QuickBooks Online, the two platforms most UK limited companies run on
  • Sage, for businesses moving off a desktop file or consolidating multiple entities
  • FreeAgent, common among sole traders and small limited companies, especially where a bank-linked account already exists
  • NetSuite and Sage Intacct for companies that have outgrown small-business software
  • Dext and Hubdoc, connected so receipts and supplier bills stop sitting in an inbox
  • A2X and Link My Books, for businesses selling through Amazon UK, Etsy or eBay

You keep the Xero or QuickBooks subscription in your own company's name. If you move on, you leave with your data and your login, not a file that belongs to us.

How a migration runs

Every migration starts with a working session to agree the opening balance date, then a parallel import so nothing posts twice. Historical transactions get tied out to bank statements rather than copied across as-is, and VAT codes get checked against Making Tax Digital requirements before the new file goes live. Once the setup is finished, a named pod stays on the account, and any change to how something is coded comes with a short recorded handover memo rather than a surprise on the next management accounts.

Where this fits with FRS 102 and the wider close

FRS 102's Periodic Review 2024 changes, covering revenue recognition and on-balance-sheet leases, apply to accounting periods beginning on or after 1 January 2026, which makes the underlying chart of accounts and lease-tracking setup worth checking now rather than at year end. Software work connects into ongoing bookkeeping and statutory accounts preparation once a migration is live.

Questions

Frequently asked questions: Software and migrations

Do we keep ownership of the Xero or QuickBooks file once you set it up?

Yes. The subscription stays in your company's name, and we work inside it under access you grant and can revoke at any time.

Can you migrate a Sage 50 desktop file into Xero or Sage cloud?

Yes, including opening balances, nominal ledger mapping and open invoices carried across before the old file is retired.

Do you handle the VAT coding needed for Making Tax Digital?

We set up and check VAT codes and digital links inside the software during migration. The VAT return itself is prepared by our team; you submit it from your MTD-compatible software, or a UK agent you appoint submits it through their HMRC Agent Services Account.

How long does a typical UK migration take?

Most single-entity moves into Xero or QuickBooks Online complete in two to three weeks once we have access and an agreed starting balance date.

What does a migration engagement not cover?

We move your chart of accounts, transaction history and reconciliations into the new platform and check the opening balances tie out. We do not decide which platform is right for a regulatory reason you have not confirmed, or take on ongoing bookkeeping unless you separately engage us for it once the migration is done.

What do we get once a migration is finished?

Full ownership of the new Xero, QuickBooks Online or Sage file, with historical data mapped across and reconciled to your old system's closing balances. We hand over a short note on any account that changed name or grouping, so your team or accountant is not left guessing where a figure went.

How is pricing structured for a migration project?

Pricing depends on how many years of history need to move, how many integrations feed the file, and whether a cleanup runs alongside the migration, not one fee for every project. Scope and timeline are set out in your engagement letter before the old file is touched.

What access do you need to run a migration?

Administrator or export access to the old system for the duration of the move, plus setup access to the new platform. Access to the source system is typically removed once the migration is verified and closed, and we never need your online banking credentials to complete the work.

Next step

Talk to the team that would run your books

A short call covers your setup, your software and what a first month would look like. You get a written scope and price after it.