Worley Pritchard saves hours of time and gains flexibility with IRIS Elements

After more than a decade on PTP, Worley Pritchard migrated to IRIS Elements by themselves, using IRIS’s step-by-step notes and self-help videos. The migration was finished overnight, and returns were being submitted in Elements the next day. Now, Director Chris Pritchard can complete a tax return in 3 minutes from start to finish. The faster preparation helped during busy periods, such as when one colleague’s Easter absence meant Chris completed an unusually high number of returns. Because Elements is cloud-based, he can also work from anywhere with an internet connection, including evenings, to fit around personal commitments.

Based in the West Midlands, Worley Pritchard is a small but mighty accountancy practice with a team of three. The firm looks after mainly self-employed individuals and sole traders, completing around 500 tax returns a year alongside roughly 20 partnership returns - a workload that leaves very little room for software that slows anyone down.

A decade of doing things one way

Worley Pritchard had been using PTP for more than a decade and knew the software inside out. That familiarity was an asset right up until the outlook changed. With Making Tax Digital approaching, Director Chris Pritchard could see the arithmetic of a three-person practice starting to tighten. "MTD is where it's going to really hit us because we're such a small team," he says. Moving to a cloud platform was the obvious answer, but learning one after a decade of muscle memory felt like the harder part. "I was twitching like a rabbit's nose when they first started talking about the migration from PTP to Elements, because I knew PTP inside out and was concerned at the thought of learning a new platform," he admits.

The migration that happened early

IRIS had set a migration date, but client deadlines arrived first. Several returns needed completing straight away, so rather than wait, Chris decided to make the move himself with technical expertise he cheerfully describes as extending only to "turn it on and off again". The step-by-step notes and self-help videos carried him through, and it was finished by the following morning. "I went through all the steps by myself, and it was a piece of cake. It was so easy to migrate to IRIS Elements." he says.

The only awkward moment came afterwards, when IRIS rang to help with a migration that had already happened. "IRIS called me and I had to apologise saying I'd done it myself and already submitted returns on Elements," Chris says. His advice to anyone facing the same move is simply to follow the process as written: "As long as you follow the steps and you don't try and dodge a step; it is a piece of cake. It was an absolute piece of cake."

Three minutes for a tax return, start to finish

Chris taught himself to set up returns, build the sections and process them in IRIS Elements. What took working out the first time now takes seconds, and the returns themselves have collapsed to a fraction of their old preparation time. "IRIS Elements is a lot easier to use than PTP. Once we've got all the figures ready, I can do a return in 3 minutes from start to finish."

The time savings became particularly noticeable during busy periods. While a colleague was away over Easter, Chris completed an unusually high number of returns, prompting surprise from the rest of the team. He told us, “My colleague was shocked at how many tax returns I had completed. I replied, ‘yes, because it’s so easy and that quick to do’.” For a small practice preparing for increased reporting obligations under MTD, these efficiency gains are particularly valuable.

Worley Pritchard also benefits from the flexibility of IRIS Elements. Because the cloud solution can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection, Chris is able to fit work around personal commitments without compromising client service. He says, “IRIS Elements allows me to work on my own schedule. Sometimes I log in at 7pm and do a little bit here or there. As long as I have a solid internet connection, I can work from anywhere, which is a lifesaver for being part of a small firm because the work needs to be done.”

Why IRIS Elements is the solution of the future

Having now worked on both desktop and cloud solutions, Chris is clear about how the two compare. "PTP would now appear very old and clunky. However, Elements is very smooth, efficient and user-friendly. I absolutely recommend IRIS Elements."

For Worley Pritchard, the move to IRIS Elements has delivered a smoother workflow, faster return preparation, greater flexibility and a straightforward migration experience, helping the firm prepare confidently for the future while continuing to provide excellent service to its clients.