Accounting software for dunces

January 29, 2007 10:22 AM

I need accounting software that will help me manage 20-30 people's income and expenses.

I am not an accountant, and write this question as a complete babe-in-the-woods in terms of accounting software.

I work in an organization that helps those on different types of government assistance manage their money. We receive their funds and then disburse it to rent, bills and personal spending.

All of the checks however are written through a single account not 20 different ones.

Which software do I need? Being able to track all of the transfers and to categorize expenses is absolutely necessary.

posted by MasonDixon to Work & Money (5 answers total)

I'm guessing Quickbooks could do this pretty easily.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 10:47 AM on January 29, 2007

2ed Quickbooks
posted by JujuB at 11:00 AM on January 29, 2007

A free alternative to Quickbooks is Microsoft's Office Accounting Express.

I've downloaded it myself, but I haven't actually used it yet. I suspect that there are some components of the service that you'd need to upgrade for. But if you're with a non-profit / social-work organization, a free alternative might be the only thing that'll work for you, and maybe the components that come in the free program will cover what you need.
posted by Alt F4 at 1:04 PM on January 29, 2007

You could try QuickBooks Simple Start. It's a free download, and supports up to 20 "customers". You can record checks and categorize expenses separately for those 20 people. Email me if you have questions (I worked on this program, and hopefully I can help you out).
posted by hedgehog at 6:57 AM on January 30, 2007

Thanks. And I'll definitely take you up on your offer hedgehog if I need to.
posted by MasonDixon at 3:02 PM on February 1, 2007