How to choose accounting software for a small UK practice

Most software buying decisions overweight the demo and underweight the decade. A slick interface gets attention; the things that actually determine satisfaction — data model, pricing predictability, export freedom — rarely appear on screen until it is too late.

Question one: where does your data live, and can you get it out? Insist on full export in open formats. A platform that holds your client records hostage owns your practice, however lovely its dashboards.

Question two: how are rates and rules updated? Software with hard-coded tax figures goes stale the day HMRC publishes new thresholds. Look for a versioned rate database — when rules change, rows change, not code releases.

Question three: what does the audit trail look like? In a regulated profession, 'who changed what, when' is not paranoia; it is paperwork you will eventually need.

Question four: does pricing scale predictably? Per-seat models punish growth. Flat plans with transparent quotas let you forecast costs like any other overhead.

Question five: is the UK actually first-class? UTRs, NI numbers, VAT schemes and Companies House references should be native fields, not text boxes labelled 'notes'.