To think accountancy isn't a "keyworker" job?

[hannabull]

One of the parents at school is a self employed accountant who works from home, but sending kids into school. The other parent works out of the home (not a key worker) how is this allowed? Claims to be an essential worker (doesn't work for the nhs or anything, just accounts for small businesses)

So are we really saying somebody who has had since 5th April to submit tax return (paper deadline was October last year) requires their accountant to be a key worker because they failed to plan/delayed doing tax returns till now???

HMRC has said that they will not fine late tax returns if there is a reasonable excuse due to the disruption caused by the pandemic
And companies house has given an automatic extension of 3 months for all companies with accounts due before April 2021
Hth

It's not just the usual tax return dedlines, there are also VAT returns (one month filing deadline), payrolls (must be submitted on payment date), furlough claims (within 14 days). January is always busy, but add in furlough claims (which we don't charge extra for), already means I'm working 12 hours days, 7 days a week, at the moment. If I don't clients get fined for late submissions and furlough claims are disallowed. As for working evenings and weekends, banks and other organisations we need to speak to, don't work 24/7, so we need to contact them during normal working hours to be able to do our job.

Sounds like a lot of people on this thread who wouldn't mind not getting paid or who wouldn't mind their employers going bust!

Well you may not think so but you're not the one making the rules ...

Wherehavetheteletubbiesgone just in time exists for a reason.

The company can buy itself breathing room on its work load by stretching it out and dumping it on its external accountant come January.

The accountants could say no we don't want you as a client but shops keep insisting we pay for food so what you gonna do.

Some of them will be keyworker positions but there will be a lot and I mean a lot of parents taking the piss. So they can have an easy life with sending kids to school. I feel sorry for the teachers to tell you the truth.

@ceeveebee

HMRC has said that they will not fine late tax returns if there is a reasonable excuse due to the disruption caused by the pandemic And companies house has given an automatic extension of 3 months for all companies with accounts due before April 2021 Hth

So even more work for accountants to write letters appealing against last filing penalties? That's more time spent that they can't charge for.

A lot of firms of accountants furloughed staff in the first lockdown because they were audit staff and couldn't go to clients premises. The govt extended the filing date for ltd co accounts by 3 months but vat returns still have to be filed quarterly and a lot of payrolls are weekly and complicated. I'm a bookkeeper and still going to clients premises because their staff need paying and I need to use their computer to do it. If I can work from home I do but not everything can be done from home. If I had kids I'd be wanting a KW place. I think you criticise when you know what's actually involved in someone's job rather than on your perception!

I'm an accountant for the NHS. Presumably its not critical to ensure that the frontline staff have equipment ordered, paid for etc. What people may not realise is several of our staff were redeployed to assist frontline staff in hospitals and now for help with vaccine work.

I would say also it is pretty vital for accountants to be working right now, things are so hard for businesses during this time, the last thing they need are tax returns, VAT returns and other statutory stuff not being done.

If working from home it may well be possible to have kids at home too, especially if senior school age but if you have a 4 and 6 year old I suspect it is near on impossible for some people.

Because that's when clients finally give them stuff. I know someone who basically just drops of shoe box of reciepts along with paperwork

This ^ Start nagging in the summer and hopefully get by the winter. I'm letting a few regular offenders get fines this year. Sick to death of spoon-feeding numpties.

Ceeveebee your Big 4 working husband is not the sort of accountant we are talking about. Presumably he doesn't deal with multiple deadlines for a large number of small clients on a monthly basis?

Add to all that furlough claims, the local closure grants etc etc. Without these many businesses will have to close. Furlough claims for companies with variable hours staff, or part time furlough are really quite complicated.

My DH works for a big 4 firm and they have been told they are not critical workers

Some roles only become critical workers if you work for specific companies/organisations.

Good - I'm delighted. I think as many children as possible need to be in school. It's a disgrace they have shut primary schools. Children yet again, collateral damage and no-one seems to give a shit.

@Wherehavetheteletubbiesgone

So are we really saying somebody who has had since 5th April to submit tax return (paper deadline was October last year) requires their accountant to be a key worker because they failed to plan/delayed doing tax returns till now???

Absolutely not - it's things like payroll services that are run weekly/monthly, furlough claims, SSP claims for self isolation, grant claims, negotiating with lenders/HMRC for payment holidays or extensions. Providing cash flow forecasts to secure loan or grant funding. All to try to ensure employees are paid and businesses go their damndest stay afloat. Even in a small practice like ours with 500 odd clients that's a hell of a lot of work.

All on top of normal work which is pretty critical in its own right.

Of course it's key work!

@Sinful8

Wherehavetheteletubbiesgone just in time exists for a reason.

The company can buy itself breathing room on its work load by stretching it out and dumping it on its external accountant come January.

The accountants could say no we don't want you as a client but shops keep insisting we pay for food so what you gonna do.

Absolutely it exists for a reason but it also has a cost perhaps some businesses need a good HMRC fine to get them to stop leaving things to the last minute. It's like a child who wont do his homework until the morning it is due in.

But it's completely legal to leave things to the last minute. If you fined people for sending info in January even though the deadline is January, that makes no sense. And besides December would just be the busy period then.

PugInTheHouse of course managing finances in the NHS is critical work for the infrastructure of the country.

I was referring to accountants like in the OP who are self-employed (so important to their clients but not critical to the running of the country).

And yes, to the initiated. The Self-Assessment Deadline is 31st January every year, and related to the previous tax year. So accounts submitted for 2021 relate to the tax year April 2019-20.

My old accountant (very kind chap - he taught me how to do my accounts myself although I was happy to pay him he was so reasonably priced) said the same thing about the tsunami of receipts that arrive on his desk every January, so there does seem to be a share culture of Unnecessary Frenzy created by people procrastinating their tax returns.

@RedMarauder

My DH works for a big 4 firm and they have been told they are not critical workers

Some roles only become critical workers if you work for specific companies/organisations.

Agreed - but that’s not what other posters seem to think. A self employed accountant doing tax returns is not working for one of those sectors

Accountancy is critical for the running of any business. And it's like it's own language, you can't just dabble in it and hope you've got it right. You can't stop generating accounts either or you end up in a right mess very quickly.

It might not be saving lives but it underpins every part of the economy.

My point is not everyone knows exactly what someone's actual role is as an accountant. Surely payroll services, furlough and all the other stuff purely related to covid is essential, as well as all the other statutory stuff. Its not about leaving it till minute but there is always something to do, accountants can't do everyone's work in May then have the rest of the time off.

For my private work I have been busier than ever, people are desperate for accountancy help just to keep afloat.

@BlairWaldorfLovesShopping

Ceeveebee your Big 4 working husband is not the sort of accountant we are talking about. Presumably he doesn't deal with multiple deadlines for a large number of small clients on a monthly basis?

No he works on lots of very large deals / clients with multi million pound consequences if they go wrong. But in neither case would he be a critical worker

Hmrc returns are due this month, rather essential thus

Ffs of course it’s a key worker role. What do you think happens if accounts aren’t filed on time? Being jealous won’t get you anywhere OP.