KB Category: Sage 50 Accounts
Sage 50 Accounts
AccountsMate – Linking to RDA Company
The Issue
AccountsMate uses ODBC to link to Sage 50 companies. A company record is held in the AccountsMate configuration for the organisation for each company connection and contains the ODBC connection. This works fine when the data is stored on the same area on one machine even if that is shared across a local area network because we can use the same path or UNC path to reference the data path in the ODBC connection string for that company.
However, if the Sage Remote Data Access (RDA) is used to allow remote users to access the Sage data this can cause an issue. Because, by default when you set up an RDA connection to a company, Sage takes the next available data folder (by number e.g. C:\ProgramData\Sage\Accounts\2022\Company.004). This may not be (and is unlikely) the same on each PC that has access to the RDA data. So AccountsMate can not have one consistent company connection record in its configuration.
To get over this there are a number of methods:
- Create the same path on each pc for the RDA company. There is an option to override the folder name used in RDA when you set it up. Create one that indicates the name of the company so that the folder is the same on each RDA pc. This takes extra setup in RDA and may not be feasible if companies are already set up.
- Create a company connection record in the AccountsMate configuration for each pc connection to each company. This can be confusing as there will be multiple company records in AccountsMate and the user will need to use the correct one for their pc.
- Create “symbolic links” in Windows to the company data paths.
The first two methods above can be done following the relevant documentation for Sage RDA or AccountsMate and as they have issues as outlined in italics we will not be covering them further here but will focus on option 3 which is the recommended method and should work in all cases.
Solution – Create Symbolic Links in Windows
This method uses Windows symbolic links to create a symbolic folder name linked to the company data folder on the pc. The symbolic link name and path should be the same on each pc and point to the company data path on that pc (which maybe different on each pc).
To do this,
On each PC:
- Go to a common area on the pc e.g C:\ProgramData\Sage\Accounts (i.e. the Sage 50 root data folder)
- At a Command Prompt (ran as administrator), create a symbolic link (e.g. SageLocalDemoData below) to the company data path required (e.g. \ProgramData\Sage\Accounts\2022\DemoData\ACCDATA below) – sample command below:
mklink /d SageLocalDemoData \ProgramData\Sage\Accounts\2022\DemoData\ACCDATA
In AccountsMate Configuration – Company Maintenance add the symbolic link to the Connection. e.g.
AccountsMate Error – Application settings are not for this machine
If AccountsMate displays this error at start up.
it normally indicates that the Pc name may have changed since installing AccountsMate or some of the AccountsMate files have been copied from another machine.
To resolve this either
- rename the Pc back to its original name
- OR reapply the license. – from “Windows Button – AccountsMate – Installation String” – enter the correct license string and click ok.
Sage 50 V32 Software Update
Sage 50 Accounts v32.0 brings you new features and updates.
These release notes provide details of each improvement, plus a list of software issues resolved in this release.
A full details will be found on Sage50Accounts_v32.0_Release_Notes.pdf
Before beginning the install there are a number of preparation steps that should be completed, our Sage 50 Checklist can help you ensure these are done in advance.
Download Software
Once you have this completed the preparation steps you can then download the software.
How to identify if you’re using a 32-bit or 64-bit operating system to install Sage 50 Accounts. In v30.0 of Sage 50 Accounts, we’ve moved to a 64-bit version of the application, which has numerous benefits. For more information on this, see our Sage 50 Accounts v30 – 64-bit article.
Am I using a 32-bit or 64-bit operating system?
Once you have this completed you can then download the software from the links below:
Important Recommendations
- Use a system login with full system administrator rights (to allow installing software etc.).
- Disable anti-virus / firewalls / window defender, while downloading the software.
- Check Reginal Settings on your PC.
- Check and ensure all your company data sets have no errors or warnings.
- Take a full “All Files” backup of all your Sage 50 company data sets.
- If upgrading an existing Sage 50 system that is more than 1 version old, we recommend that you upgrade the data through each major version release (e.g. if going from version 24.2 to version 27, you should upgrade the data to v25, then v26, v27 and on up to v32). This is to reduce the risk of data corruption.
- Note any discrepancies listed on the conversion logs as users may need to take action.
- Turn off automatic updates within your sage for each user
– Help > software update settings > select manual > I’ll check for updates
Click here to get instructions on Upgrading to Sage 50 Accounts v32.0
Sage 50 (SEPA)
SEPA implementation for new plugins – (Ireland)
In 2024, the European Payments Council introduced new guidelines on formatting SEPA Credit Transfer payment files. These changes are part of the move to ISO 20022 standard.
This is for mandatory changes in November 2025, i.e. Send through address line 4 (Town/City) to the relevant ebanking component.
In v32.0 and above, Sage 50 Accounts will be compatible with the new formatting.
Sage are also updating our E-Banking Plugins plugin components, which your software uses to generate files formatted for your bank.
To continue using SEPA EBanking, you’ll need to update your software and your plugin.
The new SEPA plugins for supported banks is only for the latest version of Sage 50 Accounts.
If you need any help with setting up e-banking you can follow the instructions here.
Useful links and Information relating to SEPA
- SEPA EBanking Upcoming Changes
- E-Banking Plugins
- Sage 50 Accounts v32.0
- Sage50Accounts_v32.0_Release_Notes.pdf
AccountsMate Feature – Excel Integration
AcocountsMate allowed exporting Sage 50 to Excel (and other sources) from its original design, but the Excel Integration feature is the next step which allows combining Sage 50 data with Excel features (e.g. formatting, formulae, macros, etc.).
Using this, users can create customised Excel reports from live Sage 50 data.
The video link below demonstrates creating a customised Profit and Loss report with live Sage 50 and Excel functionality.
Sage 50 System Requirements and Recommendations
Supported Systems For Sage 50 – Requirements and Recommendations
It is very important that your Sage 50 runs on a supported system environment. If it is not, then your Sage 50 can be critically effected by issues, some of the major ones are listed at the end of this article.
Summary of System Requirements and Recommendations
The following is a summary of the main items required for a Sage 50 Supported System (the details are documented in the next section below):
- A single machine installation can be set up on a PC with the outlined system requirements (as documented below).
- A multi machine installation should be set up in a client-server environment connected to a Local Area Network (LAN) with the server hosting the Sage 50 data and data services and each client hosting the Sage 50 client application. The server and all the client computers and the network between them should adhere to the system requirements (as documented below).
- Other components (e.g. antivirus, firewalls, browsers, 3rd party software, software drivers, etc.) should all be the correct versions and compatible.
- All operating system software should have the latest patch updates applied.
- Internal network and external internet connections should be reliable, have minimum contention and be as fast as possible.
- Recommend Sage 50 data limits should be adhered to.
- Data checks should be performed regularly to ensure there are no errors or warnings. And data backups should be taken at least daily to minimise data loss.
- Sage Remote Data Access (RDA) requirements should be adhered to carefully. RDA is only advised for ad-hoc remote access by a small number of users for light processing. If full remote access for a large number of users with high levels of processing is required, we recommend using an IT service provider to set up a hosted environment with remote client access.
Details of System Requirements, Recommendations and a Checklist
To determine if your system environment is supported, we have compiled a set of requirements and recommendations as well as a checklist to help you ensure you have the correct items – see the link below.
(Note: The version of Sage 50 may specify a different supported system environment. The information in this article is based on the latest version of Sage 50 available at time of writing).
Issues Causes By Running Sage 50 on Unsupported Systems
If your Sage 50 is running on an unsupported system environment it can cause a number of issues. The main ones that Pimbrook support have seen are listed below:
- Poor performance i.e. slow processing, freezing, locking data, crashing, etc.
- Not integrating with 3rd party applications on the desktop e.g. MS Office (including Excel, Outlook, Word, etc.).
- Cannot email or print documents such as orders, invoices, statements, etc.
- Cannot login to Sage 50.
- Corrupt Sage 50 company data.
If your system environment is not supported to run your version of Sage 50 there is limited support that Pimbrook can provide you.
Sage 50 Tax Codes V27_1 and above Ireland only
How do I set up a tax code in Sage 50 Accounts v27.1 and above? – Ireland only
This guide explains how to set up your own tax codes in Sage 50 Accounts v27.1 and above when based inthe Republic of Ireland.
any of the VAT rates used in the Republic of Ireland are already set up as default tax codes in your software, ready to use. However, if there’s a VAT rate you need which isn’t there by default, it’s easy to edit a spare tax code to suit your needs.
Before we start, check that your computer’s regional settings are set to Ireland and not UK. Read more >
NOTE: This article relates to Sage 50 Accounts v27.1 and above only. For details of tax codes in Sage 50 Accounts and Sage 50 Accounts v27.0 and below, read more >
Create or amend a tax code
Sage 50 Accounts holds 100 tax codes, this includes some tax codes which are not initially in use. If you need to set up a new rate, you simply edit one of these existing spare tax codes. If needed, you can also edit existing codes that are in use.
- Click Settings, click Configuration, then click Tax Codes.
- Select the tax code you want to amend then click Edit.
- Complete the Edit Tax Code window as follows:
Rate Enter the required percentage. For example, to set up a 23% VAT rate, enter 23.00. If you select the Enable EC Code check box, the Rate box isn’t active.
Include in VAT return To include transactions with this tax code on the VAT Return, select this check box. Reverse Charge To flag sale or purchase items that fall under the remit of carousel fraud, for example, mobile phones, select this check box. Don’t select this for standard reverse charge transactions. Resale To flag transactions involving purchases for resale, select this check box. Outside EC or Non EC Transactions To flag transactions that occur outside EU territories, select this check box. Enable EC Code or EC code If this is an EU tax code, select this check box. Then choose the relevant options from the drop-down lists. Link To This option is only available for EU purchase tax codes. If you want to use this tax code to record notional VAT, choose the required tax code that you want to link to. Notional VAT calculates based on the rate of the code you link to.
Rate For RTD reporting purposes, select the relevant option. Description Enter a description for the tax code. - Click OK, then click OK.
Full details of the TAX settings can be download the here on a PDF