Standard Name Format - Definition document

Standard Name Format (SNF) is a method of transmitting data from accounts packages to self assessment tax packages.

Changes required for the 2007/8 tax return

No changes have previously been necessary to SNF since it was introduced in 1998. However, the format of the self-employment data in the 2007/8 tax return has changed (but not for partnerships where the return currently remains the same). Although the layout and wording of the profit and loss account and balance sheet boxes have changed, with two exceptions there is a one-to-one relationship between the old boxes and the new boxes. The following changes have therefore been made to SNF and the rest of this page updated to reflect these changes:

• The self-employment return no longer has an OtherDirectCosts box in the profit and loss section. If a tax package receives an amount under this standard name from accounts packages that have not been upgraded, the amount should be included under CostOfSales

• The standard names MotorExpenses and Travel are combined into the new Car, van and travel expenses box

• The self-employment return has a new balance sheet box entitled Other current assets and prepayments. The SNF code OtherCurrentAssets has been created for this box. If an accounts package incorrectly uses this standard name in a partnership balance sheet, the amount should be included under Debtors

• The group of standard names entitled Adjustments and capital allowances has been removed from the standard. These were rarely used by accounts packages. If these codes are received by a tax package a warning should be given and the amounts ignored

See snf before 2007_8.htm for details of SNF before the above changes.

Key features:

• Supports transmission of data via the clipboard or a text file (the text file format is being phased out and will not be supported by VT Software in the future on the grounds of simplicity)
• Vendor independent
• Tax year independent
• Easy to implement

Tax packages using Standard Name Format:

Drummohr Technology - Tax Assistant
Legatio - FastTax
Forbes - ProTax
Objective Tax
Keytime
PTP - TaxReturn
QMS - SA2000
Taxcalc (except Lite)

Accounting packages using Standard Name Format:

AccountsVision
Compac
Eureka/Techniforce
PROacc Systems - PROcap
VT Software
Viztopia

(Please note there is no connection between VT Software Limited and VizTopia Software Limited)

If you are a software developer and you implement an SNF import or export facility, please send an email to VT Software so that your name can be added to the above lists.

Introduction
Standard Name Format (SNF) is a method and data format for the export of accounts data from accounts packages to self assessment tax software packages. It is easy for software developers to implement and simple for the user. It uses standard names instead of tax return box numbers to identify amounts, and so should not need to be altered from year to year if the box numbers on the tax return change.

SNF has been devised by VT Software after consultation with tax software vendors. VT Software undertakes to supply details of SNF free of charge to anyone who makes a request, and it is hoped that SNF will be adopted as a universal standard by both tax software vendors and accounts package vendors.

SNF supports the transfer of data via the clipboard or a text file. Most tax packages only support the clipboard method, as this is the easiest to use.

SNF applies to unincorporated businesses only. Unlike the personal tax return, the CTSA tax return does not contain a pre-formatted profit and loss account and balance sheet.

Overview of usage
The user chooses a command in his accounts package such as Export via Clipboard (Standard Name Format). He then switches to his tax software package, selects the appropriate client, tax year and trade and chooses a command such as Import via Clipboard (Standard Name Format).

If data is exchanged via a text file and not the clipboard, the user also has to enter a file name in each case.

Data format
Data is copied to the clipboard or saved in a text file in the same format. The format consists of a line for each tax return box. The lines are separated by carriage return and linefeed characters. Each line consists of the standard name for the tax return box, a tab character and the amount in the box. The amount should not contain any thousands separators such as commas. The sign convention for the amount should be the same as that used on the tax return. The standard name is followed by the word Disallowable to identify disallowable expenditure. For example:

The items can appear in any order. Lines for zero amounts must be included. The names are not case sensitive. The names never include spaces.

The extension .snf should be used for text files. The default folder/directory should be c:\snfdata.

Data groups
The accounting package may transmit one or more of the following groups of data:

• Profit and loss account
• Balance sheet
• Disallowable expenses (may not be supported by some accounting packages)

The tax package should only reset an item to zero if a zero line is included in the data transmitted. The user may have chosen to enter a group of data such as disallowable expenses directly into the tax package, and he will not want this data to be reset.

Identification lines (clipboard or text file)
The clipboard or text file should also include the following identification lines:

AccountsPackageName
BusinessName
PeriodEnding

These are intended to identify the data to the tax software package, and not to set boxes in the tax return. AccountsPackageName should always be the very first line on the clipboard or in the text file. PeriodEnding should be a date in the format dd mmmm yyyy. The tax software package may choose to use this data to prompt the user before importing the data. An example of these lines is as follows:

List of standard names

Sample data

Further information or comments

For further information or to make comments, please contact:

Philip Hodgson
VT Software Limited
Swan Centre
Fishers Lane
London W4 1RX
Tel: 020 8995 1142
Fax: 020 8995 1763
email: philip@vtsoftware.co.uk