Quote from brookson

[diseasex]

Found the thread I was looking for

http://forums.contractoruk.com/accou...countants.html

might be worth a full read before signing on the dotted line...

I've read that before starting this thread. Because lack of the experience with ANY accountant , lack of proper customer service doesn't talk to me as well as hard figures.
I liked the fact that within few secs I had all documents generated, breakdown and info how much money they will save me if I use them + they do bookkeeping inclusive.
It is tempting, but I do recognize the lack of my experience in this field, that's why i'm asking. for 2k a year I can talk to a robot using keypad I guess as long as they save me money. I know this will be instantly criticized so stop yourself

[eek]

I've read that before starting this thread. Because lack of the experience with ANY accountant , lack of proper customer service doesn't talk to me as well as hard figures.
I liked the fact that within few secs I had all documents generated, breakdown and info how much money they will save me if I use them + they do bookkeeping inclusive.
It is tempting, but I do recognize the lack of my experience in this field, that's why i'm asking. for 2k a year I can talk to a robot using keypad I guess as long as they save me money. I know this will be instantly criticized so stop yourself

Hard figures are fine provided you know and understand the assumptions made to get to that figure.

[diseasex]

Hard figures are fine provided you know and understand the assumptions made to get to that figure.

I've got few weeks, so still doing my research.

[Contreras]

I've read that before starting this thread. Because lack of the experience with ANY accountant , lack of proper customer service doesn't talk to me as well as hard figures.

In that case no need to ask, just go for it.

Be sure to add your comments, good or bad, to the other thread after you've been with them for a while.

[Contreras]

Very much my view.

To my mind choosing an accountant based on who quotes the highest take home from a given set of circumstances is akin to asking them what's 2+2 and choosing the accountant who gives you the highest number.

If you want to go down that route, go the whole hog and go with one of the offshore scheme providers who'll offer you 95+% take home.

For the avoidance of doubt and the benefit of anyone searching this thread later, that was NOT a serious comment!

[eek]

Very much my view.

To my mind choosing an accountant based on who quotes the highest take home from a given set of circumstances is akin to asking them what's 2+2 and choosing the accountant who gives you the highest number.

Surely that's wrong. Any decent accountant would first ask what the customer would like the answer to be.

[Chris at CrunchAccounting]

Take home %

When getting a take home percentage, It would be advised to ask for a breakdown of the figure with an accountant from the firm giving you the %.

I know from experience sometimes the expenditure gets added to the take home pay which in my mind isn't 'take home pay', as it is reducing the amount of dividend available.

[JB3000]

Brookston quoted me on 83% take home whereas Nixon Williams 80.1. That's like 2000+ difference , how can that be?
Based on 300pd
25 miles
10 a day expenses
230 days

I've gone through the figures and 80% is spot on. Nixon Williams appear to be using 14.5% as flat rate scheme %.

Brooksons appear to be using 11% for flat scheme scheme % and have probably bunged in some other expenses through the back door, e.g. £4/week for use of home, £25/week for subsistence, used additional weeks on the expenses.

It is amazing in this day and age there are still people who fall for all these sales tricks. Give Brooksons a call and ask them to confirm all the expenses/weeks and take you through step by step take you through their calculation. 83% is unrealistic I'm afraid.

Also, never opt for an accountant referred to you by your recruitment agency.....

[JB3000]

When getting a take home percentage, It would be advised to ask for a breakdown of the figure with an accountant from the firm giving you the %.

I know from experience sometimes the expenditure gets added to the take home pay which in my mind isn't 'take home pay', as it is reducing the amount of dividend available.

Of course expenses are apart of take home pay! If the individual was permanent the expenses would need to come out of their net salary! Do you really work as an accountant for Crunch?

[Jessica@WhiteFieldTax]

Of course expenses are apart of take home pay! If the individual was permanent the expenses would need to come out of their net salary! Do you really work as an accountant for Crunch?

When getting a take home percentage, It would be advised to ask for a breakdown of the figure with an accountant from the firm giving you the %.

I know from experience sometimes the expenditure gets added to the take home pay which in my mind isn't 'take home pay', as it is reducing the amount of dividend available.

Depends what a calculation is trying to portray. I would rather focus on £s of tax liability which will, of course, be reduced by expenses. If the calculation is then % = gross-tax/gross then expenses are implicit in the take home percentage which is more correctly percentage of gross after tax just illustrates the devil is in the detail.

I remember around IR35 time, one (then) well known accountant came up with a wheeze of including in take home the deferred value of extra state pension rights arising from extra NI paid under inside IR35 contracts, the general gist being its not so bad in IR35 its only a 5% hit when you factor everything in (set in the context of 1999 when it looked bleaker than now).