Time and fees software for UK accountancy practices

Record chargeable time, approve it and turn it into fees, with WIP and lock-up in view.

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Two months free. No credit card. We set it up for you.

Most UK practices know their chargeable hours are not all reaching the fee note. Time gets recorded late, WIP sits unbilled for months and recurring fees are set up again every year. hidma is time and fees software that brings time recording, approval, billing and WIP into one place, and sends finished invoices to Xero.

Built for how UK practices bill

Chargeable time, recorded while the work is fresh

Staff record time against the client and the type of work, such as year-end accounts, self assessment, VAT returns, payroll or advisory, from desktop or phone. Copy last week to start this week, so regular work takes seconds to log.

Approval before anything is billed

A manager or partner approves time before it reaches billing. Approved hours become an invoice with the right charge-out rate already applied, set by person, type of work, client or job.

Fixed fees, monthly fees and hourly work together

Most practices mix fixed fees for compliance work, monthly fees for bookkeeping and payroll, and hourly billing for advisory. hidma puts them on the same invoice, in pounds, with VAT applied, and tracks the time behind every fixed fee so you can see whether it is paying.

WIP and lock-up you can act on

The WIP report shows approved, unbilled time by client, job and age, so old work is billed before it is written off. Unpaid invoices are tracked by age too, so partners can see how long money is tied up between doing the work and getting paid.

Recovery and profitability by client

See recovery rates, write-offs and profit by client, job and team member. Find the clients whose fixed fee no longer covers the work, before the next fee review.

Works with Xero

Approved bills go to Xero as invoices with the right contacts, tax rates and account codes, and payments sync back. Practices with more than one company can link each one to its own Xero organisation. QuickBooks is coming soon. Read about the Xero integration.

Moving from Digita, CCH or a spreadsheet

Many practices still run time and fees in a desktop system that only works in the office, or in a spreadsheet that one person keeps up to date. hidma runs in the browser and on the phone, so staff record time wherever they are and partners see WIP, lock-up and recovery without waiting for a month-end report.

Moving over is simple. We take your client list, staff, charge-out rates and recurring fees, set them up for you and check the first fee run with you. Most practices are recording time in the first week and billing from hidma in the first month. If you use Digita today, see how hidma compares with Digita Time and Fees; for CCH, see hidma vs CCH iFirm.

Set up with you

We set up your clients, team, rates and recurring fees with you, and most practices have everyone recording time in the first week. The first two months are free and no credit card is needed. Your data is encrypted in transit and at rest, hosted in the EU and independently audited. Read more on our security page.

Questions UK practices ask

Can hidma bill in pounds?

Yes. Invoices can be raised in pounds, euro or whichever currency you bill in, with VAT applied.

Does hidma replace our accounting software?

No. hidma handles time, billing and WIP and sends invoices to Xero, which stays your accounting system for your books and VAT returns.

Is hidma only for accountants?

No. It is also used by law firms, advisory firms and architects. See hidma for UK law firms and hidma for accounting and audit firms.

Is hidma a time and fees system or a practice management system?

Both, for the parts that matter to billing. It records time, prices it, raises the fees and tracks what is still unbilled and unpaid. Your accounts stay in Xero.

Further reading: WIP in accounting, how timesheets work in an accounting firm and moving to fixed fees without losing money.