Benefits of integrating Syntax

A job reaches review with issues that could have been picked up during preparation - a director’s loan account that doesn’t reconcile, a disposal missing from the tax computation, a prior-year figure that doesn’t agree. The reviewer raises the point, sends the job back and waits for the correction. On busy weeks, with multiple preparers working across multiple clients, this happens again and again.

Syntax Review connects to your clients’ FreeAgent data and checks the draft accounts, tax computations and CT600 against the underlying transactions and last year’s figures. It flags potential review points before the job reaches final review, with the supporting figures and an explanation for each one. The preparer works through what they can resolve and flags anything that needs the reviewer’s judgement.

The result is a better-prepared job landing on the reviewer’s desk - fewer avoidable issues, less back-and-forth between preparer and reviewer, and senior time spent on the judgement calls that actually need it rather than re-catching routine errors.

Syntax Review doesn’t replace FreeAgent or your tax software. It works alongside what you already use, applying an additional layer of checks before the job is signed off.

How Syntax works with FreeAgent

To review a job, the preparer connects the client’s FreeAgent account to Syntax. Once connected, Syntax pulls the underlying transactional data needed to check the draft accounts, tax computations and CT600 against what’s actually in the bookkeeping.

The preparer uploads the draft accounts, tax computations and CT600, along with the previous year’s return. Syntax checks these against the FreeAgent data and last year’s figures, identifying potential review points - inconsistencies, omissions or figures that don’t reconcile - each shown with supporting detail and an explanation.

The preparer works through the points, resolves what they can in their existing accounts production and tax software, and flags anything requiring the reviewer’s judgement. If the draft is revised, the updated version can be uploaded and checked again against the same FreeAgent data.

Syntax doesn’t write back to FreeAgent or alter any client data. It reads the bookkeeping data needed to run the checks.

How do I get started with Syntax?

You can can connect Syntax with FreeAgent and start running tax planning reviews in under five minutes by following these steps:

1. Create your Syntax account.
2. Authorise the connection to your client’s FreeAgent account, giving Syntax access to the bookkeeping data needed to run the checks.
3. Add the draft accounts, tax computation and CT600, along with the previous year’s return.
4. Syntax checks the draft against the FreeAgent data and prior-year figures, and returns a list of potential review points with supporting evidence.
5. Resolve what you can in your existing software, flag anything needing the reviewer’s judgement and re-upload if the draft changes.
6. The reviewer sees what’s been checked, what’s resolved and what’s outstanding - then signs off as normal.