Brookson group acquires InTouch accounting

[BrilloPad]

Ms Jackson, all fine and dandy. But maybe the contractor needs to eat? He/she may not have the luxury of walking away from a paid job.

They will not need to walk. No agency is going to walk away from a lovely fat commission for a bit of a backhander.

[Waldorf]

I’m sure this is widespread in the industry, especially with the bigger operators. I’ve heard of cash bribes, televisions, bundles of cash handed out on a Friday night etc, all seem to deny this goes on.

I’ve always thought this practice had been outlawed by the Bribery Act but perhaps the sums are too small for the authorities to be interested.

[Maslins]

I’m sure this is widespread in the industry, especially with the bigger operators. I’ve heard of cash bribes, televisions, bundles of cash handed out on a Friday night etc, all seem to deny this goes on.

I’ve always thought this practice had been outlawed by the Bribery Act but perhaps the sums are too small for the authorities to be interested.

Certainly the ICAEW insist you tell clients any time you're getting a kickback. I don't feel this is particularly enforced though. Indeed when I talk to accountants with my MVL Online hat on, often one of the first questions they ask is how much commission we pay for referrals. The answer is none, as liquidators aren't legally allowed to pay kickbacks...but in turn it seems most liquidators get around that by paying overly inflated "statement of account" fees to the accountant for getting the client's affairs in order.

Whether it's just in accountancy, the professions more generally, or the population as a whole I don't know, but IMHO genuine ethics seem to have died a death. Even the institute's ethical guidelines are seen by many as things to pay lip service to/find loopholes to get around them.

[lucyclarityumbrella]

I’ve always thought this practice had been outlawed by the Bribery Act but perhaps the sums are too small for the authorities to be interested.

Nope we wish - when we raised it with HMRC and Bis they simply said if it is a "business arrangement" it is fine

[northernladuk]

Nope we wish - when we raised it with HMRC and Bis they simply said if it is a "business arrangement" it is fine

At least they got a phone call.......