FTA Accredited Tax – Accounting Software Requirements

Apart from meeting the business requirements like managing accounts payable, accounts receivable, inventory management, order management, billing etc. the accounting software is one which helps the businesses in producing the accounting information into tax reporting.

For example, the sales transaction recorded in tax accounting software will help you to generate VAT compliant invoice (Tax Invoice), reporting of sales and VAT details into VAT Returns (VAT Return Form 201) and maintaining and generating various other reports like Audit file (FAF ) as required by the law. On the other side, it also takes cares of your business needs like generating the sales registers, Accounts receivable and various other MIS reports as required by the businesses.

Therefore, tax accounting software is an accounting software which has an inbuilt capability to generate the tax reporting from its accounting records with zero or minimum efforts. In simple words, it's an accounting software which fully meets your business needs and 100% complies for VAT requirements.

Key requirements for Tax Accounting Software issued by FTA

To put the FTA's requirements in broader perspective, a Tax accounting software must have the ability to automatically generate FTA Audit File (FAF), VAT returns in the prescribed format and VAT complaint tax invoice and Credit/Debit Note. These are functional guidelines which a Tax Accounting Software should include along with various other non-functional requirements.

The following are some of the key requirements of Tax Accounting Software.

• The tax accounting software should automatically generate non-editable VAT return files as per the format prescribed by FTA. More importantly, with minimum or zero efforts or without the help of any other IT specialist.
• Automatic generation of FAF (Audit File) by a user. The FAF should be complete, accurate, and in a format that is readable by the FTA.
• Supports issuance of tax invoices, credit/debit notes and self-billed invoices that comply with the VAT Law.
• The tax accounting software must be accompanied by comprehensive documentation to assist auditors, both internal and government and users, in understanding how the software operates. This would include a user manual (printed and/or web-based) and thorough system-based help files.
• Access controls to ensure that only authorised users can access and process data based on the permissions given
• Password control features should be built into the system, i.e. password change upon initial login, minimum password length, password complexity, Password history, etc.
• Inbuilt capabilities to prevent, detect and correct the Incomplete and invalid data to ensure that details in VAT return and FAF file is complete and accurate.
• Inbuilt control to prevent the editing and deleting of entries made.
• The tax accounting software has suitable provisions for back-up of data and restores as when required.
• The system should allow creation of multiple user profiles with different access rights
• The system should have the capability to generate configured reports on weekly, monthly, quarterly and annually.

The above are the some of the key tax accounting software requirements which software need to meet in order get FTA certification or accreditation.

At regular intervals, FTA verifies the Tax Accounting Software in accordance with the guidance issued. The accounting software which meets the requirements is accredited or certified by FTA as 'Tax Accounting Software' and is listed in FTA' Tax Accounting Register (TASR).

Click Here to access the list of FTA accredited Tax accounting Software.

It highly recommended for businesses to use the tax accounting software which is certified or accredited by FTA. This is because, it guarantees to automate all tax-based responsibilities, i.e., keeping track of records, payments, file returns, etc. and saving businesses time and reducing the compliance cost.