Getting sick of my greedy boss- any advice please?

[Liz1tummypain]

My boss is in the building/property development business and though I actually get on well with him there have been 2 occasions where I have to bite my tongue. Firstly a well-known public charity paid him rent twice- about £4k each time and he's keeping quiet. Another one is a little local business keep messing up and over-paying us. They've overpaid by over £10k now. I'm just ticked off by his greediness. Would you just accept this?

I'm confused too. What accounting system are you using? Because if it was Xero, Sage, QuickBooks etc both overpayments would stick out like a sore thumb. How are the transactions being recorded?

If he is doing this, it's likely he's doing a whole lot more as well. You could anonymously get in touch with HM Customs and Excise and suggest that perhaps a VAT inspection is well overdue. They like to hear from whistleblowers...

Have you considered that the people paying these sums might be equally dishonest or that backhanders are happening somewhere down the line?

@Liz1tummypain

@ MsMarple if somebody keeps paying more than they owe, I'm not sure if it is theft. Is that theft to keep the money that people pay you in error?

Yes.

Wont it come to light when they check their accounts. Two outgoing payments for the same amount would flag up

@HandlebarLadyTash

Wont it come to light when they check their accounts. Two outgoing payments for the same amount would flag up

Not necessarily if the charity or whoever hasn't got a robust system (and clearly they haven't) Systems that I have worked with would not let you pay the same invoice twice or just pay a sum of money without a corresponding invoice to match it against. Payments of the same amount to the same organisation are very common e.g. council tax, rent, etc

@Liz1tummypain

@ Palaver, yes, it's just me and one other lady in accounts and she is used to looking the other way.

Why have you not just returned it then?

I have been Head of Finance for several larger organisations for many years and if any of the team had found an error like that, it would have been dealt with correctly without any need to get CEO “permission” or whatever else it is you are waiting for.

Watching this with interest....curious which accounting system is used that this isn't blatantly obvious, and therefore of interest to auditors!

Perhaps they pay without being invoiced?

Certainly you don't get billed for domestic rent you just pay each month.

If you work in accounts and the accounts are incorrect.. wouldn't you be to blame for not putting it right or raising it?

Would he admit openly he is going to dishonesty keep the money?

I'd do the letter thing personally. You don't want this hanging over you.

@RandomMess

I would send a statement and include a note "further to your request here is a statement"

Someone rang up and asked for one didn't they

Genius!

@DeathByMascara

Watching this with interest....curious which accounting system is used that this isn't blatantly obvious, and therefore of interest to auditors!

If your turnover is under about £10million and you have less than circa £5m in assets and less than under 50 employees, you are not required to have a full examination of your accounts by independent auditors.

One tactic of some dodgy business owners is to employ relatively junior accounts clerks who are trained to do the basic stuff but not all that much else, and one long-term senior accounts person who has been there since the year dot, and who does as they are told. When they are told to transfer x amount from here to there, they just do it, and don't ask questions.

I was a freelancer for some years, and it really opened my eyes. And yes, I did turn clients down when I twigged what they were up to, or what they wanted me to avert my eyes from. Or, in one case, they expected me to do as I was told no questions asked and commit what I knew was VAT fraud. I told them to stuff that job.

It's easy to book it in the accounting system as an extra receipt against that debtor, no income. In fact that's what you would have to do anyway to match the bank and waiting to see what the other side want to do -maybe send a refund or maybe just not pay next months bill to cancel it out.

At sone point he may treat it as in one if not reclaimed and it would be taxable as normal.

(Not saying that's ethical but accounting wise it's very easy to process it correctly)

@Liz1tummypain

@ MsMarple if somebody keeps paying more than they owe, I'm not sure if it is theft. Is that theft to keep the money that people pay you in error?

Yes you idiot.