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)

And I'm fully booked for independent examining with more enquiries every day, I'm also getting enquiries to help with grant applications, furlough etc. I don't have school aged kids thankfully and have coopted one dd to help me who's not doing a lot. I'm very grateful as haven't had much work since October

@FunnyInjury

It definitely is essential! No delays on tax or Vat return submissions! HMRC will need to plan effectively which means accountants need to work 🤷‍♀️

See also payrollers.

MN is so introspective

I think so too about it being essential.

ceeveebee a bit different to ensuring compliance with the government's own laws then.

Btw, I have to be in the office to file the payroll, can't be done from home for security reasons.

@ceeveebee your DH’s work sounds similar to mine (also Big 4). I’ve been lucky in that we have grandparents nearby to pick up the childcare/homeschool slack. I work evenings normally and I can’t really work with kids around to any great degree, ditto my DH.

Waited to see if OP came back to collect her arse....

She hasn’t.

Still every day is a lesson isn’t it OP?

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)

Some of our clients are care homes, small independent corner shops - their payroll and returns still need to be processed, care home staff walking out due to no pay? But not critical at this moment in time. Nope not at all

Ahhh the curtain twitchers are out again. It's like we're back in April 2020.

Another one?? Is this the new MN hobby...analysing whether people are 'worthy' of their key worker place at school??

Unless you know the ins and outs of every job as well as everyone's personal circumstances you should keep your judgmental attitude to yourself.

Do you actually have any idea what an accountant does

@christinarossetti19

This may be a daft question but why do accountants with regular clients get themselves into a frenzy every January?

I'm self-employed, have been for over ten years, and have never submitted my tax return later than December.

I do my own accounts but the accounts that I know ask their regular clients to submit theirs by July. Given that they relate to the tax year that finished three months earlier, this seems perfectly reasonable.

What have I missed here? It's not like the SA submission deadline is sprung on us as a surprise each year.

I run my own professional practices and my accounting year finishes in July. I literally send my accountant my accounts within two weeks of that date. Within a month he has sent me all the paperwork for signing so I know who needs paying when (self assessment and corporation).

I do hope accountants are charging penalties to those people who sit on it til January and cause a panic.

In the simplest terms:

If you use a bank, have a pension, receive a salary and want your money to remain safe, secure and paid to you - financial services are pretty essential.

Money buys your food and shelter and pays for the response to this pandemic and that money is processed, monitored and protected by workers in financial services.

If the financial system ceased to operate, this country would fall apart in days - that's why it's on the list.

It really amazes me how narrow minded people are to be honest. There may be some accountants who really dont need to work right now but so many are doing really important work, in fact so many people have said how much they realised they need more help right now.

@christinarossetti19

This may be a daft question but why do accountants with regular clients get themselves into a frenzy every January?

I'm self-employed, have been for over ten years, and have never submitted my tax return later than December.

I do my own accounts but the accounts that I know ask their regular clients to submit theirs by July. Given that they relate to the tax year that finished three months earlier, this seems perfectly reasonable.

What have I missed here? It's not like the SA submission deadline is sprung on us as a surprise each year.

If you only work for the people who will submit their data 6 months before the deadline, you greatly limit your client base.

Also, you can ask your clients to submit data by July. Doesn't mean they will do it.

@userxx

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.

This absolutely what you should do or they will never get themselves sorted.

@SueEllenMishke

Another one?? Is this the new MN hobby...analysing whether people are 'worthy' of their key worker place at school??

Unless you know the ins and outs of every job as well as everyone's personal circumstances you should keep your judgmental attitude to yourself.

Totally agree.

Judgy McJudgeFaces all over the place!

@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)

People working tend to feel getting their pay is pretty important & HMRC tend to feel their filing dates need to be respected. Not the same as NHS/emergency services (or supermarket/pharmacy workers etc) but still pretty important.

I do think though that people WOH should get priority on the spaces

(Accountant)

Personally I think if you don’t absolutely have to travel outside the home kids should be at home and you make it work.

I wouldn’t even “technically” be a key worker, I’d be bang square in the definition having a let senior role in the U.K. food chain. But like last lockdown I’m doing it again, at home, alone with 3 small children.

It’s hell but you make it work because why would I put my kids at risk and their teachers?

Some people just don’t cope as well as others. Leave the key worker spaces for the nurses, Drs, supermarket workers etc who don’t have a non key worker at home.

And don’t even get me started on the oh so important dads that keep cropping up on threads who can’t possible do zoom and any childcare.

Whole thing fucks me off

Accountants are not a key worker as per the government list. The closest is this "staff needed for essential financial services provision (including but not limited to workers in banks, building societies and financial market infrastructure)".

As an example an accountant for a small business or someone working in finance and payroll dept of non essential retail are not key workers.

The work they do may be essential for that organisation, but it is not essential in relation to the pandemic.

If we want nurses to be paid we need accountants.

@SueEllenMishke

Another one?? Is this the new MN hobby...analysing whether people are 'worthy' of their key worker place at school??

Unless you know the ins and outs of every job as well as everyone's personal circumstances you should keep your judgmental attitude to yourself.

People really do not know what other people's work entails.

In general careers advice in the UK is shit, which is why so many women get pushed down poorly paid and limiting paths.

There are loads of different types of jobs out there including ones you don't know were actually a job.

Even ones that you have heard of depending on what exactly the person does and/or who they are doing it for are currently considered essential to keep the country running.

Ffs. People can't stop working.

People need to earn money

People need to pay taxes

How hard is that to comprehend.

@Muttitoonegirl

Accountants are not a key worker as per the government list. The closest is this "staff needed for essential financial services provision (including but not limited to workers in banks, building societies and financial market infrastructure)".

As an example an accountant for a small business or someone working in finance and payroll dept of non essential retail are not key workers.

The work they do may be essential for that organisation, but it is not essential in relation to the pandemic.

Totally agree

@Muttitoonegirl you know some accountants are civil servants, and they also work for companies like supermarkets and pharmacies.

I have been an accountant for 14 years and trust me I can assure you that it comes under the 'key worker' category.