1stcontact and HELP??

**Sockpuppet** · 10 April 2007, 09:27

For ****s Sake Do A ****ing Search You Lazy Person

Edit: Edited...having a bad day.

**spearfish** · 10 April 2007, 09:37

i've searched about 1stcontact... not much info and they are old posts..

sorry...

**Burdock** · 10 April 2007, 09:40

I think Sockpuppet is suggesting that you leave 1st Contact, and run your own limited company with the help of a bona fide firm of accountants...as per the general gist of advice on this forum!

**The Lone Gunman** · 10 April 2007, 10:16

I am in a generous mood this morning so I wont repeat what socky said, though he is correct.

MSCs will be targeted. Former MSCs may well be targeted more. Staying with them exposes you. The difference in the package does not seem much different to what thye were doing as an MSC so HMRC may well say they are still an MSC.
Do you follow?

They seem a little expensive.

You own the Ltd. You make the decisions.

PM our tame Accountants:
User names
Darren@1stAccountancy (now Upton).
Simon@SJD.
Nixon Williams.
The Puma.

They will tell you what thye offer and how much they charge. Be wary of any who tell you the others are rubbish.

**bangface** · 11 April 2007, 20:35

Originally posted by spearfish

Hi everyone.

I've been using 1stcontact (operating a Ltd company but using their MSC servics for a while now and due to the recent changes they have totally changed their structure.

What is annoying is that the communication between themselves and me their customer is totally rubbish. I don't even know where I stand. I've had to ring them about 20 times to get info out of them.

Anyway, they have decided to change their structure and provide more traditional accounting services to us clients now. But still I'm not really sure what they'll be doing and what I'll have to do.

Below is an extraction from their website of their new fee structure...

Service Annual Fee*
Ongoing Compliance Pack £700
Includes:

Company Formations
Online Bookkeeping
VAT Pack
Salary Compliance
Tax Helpline
Total Value £1100 if taken separately
(Flexible payment options available)

Salary Compliance Pack £200
Includes:

NI/PAYE Calculation & advice
Quarterly Salary Health Check
Total Value £240 if taken separately
Year End Returns Pack £200
Includes:
Completion of P35
Completion of P11d & P14
Total Value £240 if taken separately

Year End Compliance Pack £250
Includes:

End Year Returns Pack
Personal Tax Return
Total Value £350 if taken separately

Now, i've been on the phone to a couple of accountants and they can basically offer everything for between £60-100 ex VAT.

Should I stick with 1stcontact or go someone else?

Is anyone here continuing to use 1stcontact?

Also, their expense system has stumped me.. I will admit that I am a bit naive when it comes to accounting, but they have a system that any company expenses are payed by your personal account, then you submit an expense claim and only receive 20% of the total expense back in salary!!!

HELP!!!

Ditch the MSC and either handle the Limited Company admin yourself or Go Umbrella

**Mr Pancamo** · 11 April 2007, 21:33

I would stay well away from 1stContact...I used to be with them, and they are not worth the service they provide.

IMO, get yourself a decent account and handle your business account yourself..

**spearfish** · 12 April 2007, 08:32

thanks for the feedback

1stcontacts service over the past couple months has been very poor. I've decided to go elsewhere.

BUT. I have to wait until my company year end and wait till 1stcontact fix up my books so I can pass them off to the new accountants. Otherwise I'll have to pay up for it..

Does this sound right?
I've been speaking to SJD, Nixon..etc..

**PAG** · 12 April 2007, 09:27

If you are forming a new company then you can start trading immediately via new company, just get your agency to redraw the contracts with new company.

Let whoever you are with settle books in their own time.

**shane101** · 17 April 2007, 22:56

Hi all

First off: Spearfish, I'm not trying to hi-jack your thread, I think this is related and might help you too

I'm currently with 1st Contact and getting very frustrated with them. I'm not an accountant and want something basic where all I really need to do is put in my invoices each week, like my 1st Contact SMC company used to be. Would I take a big knock in take home pay if I went with an umbrella company instead? I've heard Giant spoken of quite highly, anyone have any experience with them? I'll probably only work a total of 6 months in the UK before I head home to South Africa in November or December. My work so far has been very sporadic, generally a couple of weeks here and there, I've finally got a decent length contract, 2 months, but no telling what will happen after that. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Shane.

1stcontact and HELP??