• Visitors can check out the Forum FAQ by clicking this link. You have to register before you can post: click the REGISTER link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. View our Forum Privacy Policy.
  • Want to receive the latest contracting news and advice straight to your inbox? Sign up to the ContractorUK newsletter here. Every sign up will also be entered into a draw to WIN £100 Amazon vouchers!

SJD accountants

Collapse
X
  •  
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    #41
    Having tried most of the big name contractor accountants in the past, I've settled on Kevin Fagan at KPF Accountancy who I've been using for over 5 years.

    £42 per month including FreeAgent subscription. Very responsive, great value service, and he's never got pregnant, been promoted or left his own company. Some of the advantages of using a smaller ICAEW chartered accountant with 20 years experience.

    Comment


      #42
      Originally posted by minstrel View Post
      Having tried most of the big name contractor accountants in the past, I've settled on Kevin Fagan at KPF Accountancy who I've been using for over 5 years.

      £42 per month including FreeAgent subscription. Very responsive, great value service, and he's never got pregnant, been promoted or left his own company. Some of the advantages of using a smaller ICAEW chartered accountant with 20 years experience.
      Presumably he's the business owner, so he's not going anywhere. A plus of small Partner led firms compared with the big boys and the account managers.

      Comment


        #43
        Originally posted by Andrew@NymanLinden View Post
        Presumably he's the business owner, so he's not going anywhere. A plus of small Partner led firms compared with the big boys and the account managers.
        A plus but also a negative, they can't service everyone. I have always had this challenge.

        Its intriguing that this thread has been resurrected by an ex-SJD employee

        My advice to the original poster is find an accountant that provides the service you are looking for. The less work you do the more expensive they're likely to be, the more you do the cheaper a solution you can find.

        The overriding factor has to be compliance. Are you getting the right IR35/MSC guidance? Do you understand your responsibility of owning and running a Limited company?...there's no price for compliant advice, in the long run it will cost you a lot more than the odd £20 a month!

        Comment


          #44
          Originally posted by DanielGenieAccountancy View Post
          A plus but also a negative, they can't service everyone. I have always had this challenge.

          Its intriguing that this thread has been resurrected by an ex-SJD employee

          My advice to the original poster is find an accountant that provides the service you are looking for. The less work you do the more expensive they're likely to be, the more you do the cheaper a solution you can find.

          The overriding factor has to be compliance. Are you getting the right IR35/MSC guidance? Do you understand your responsibility of owning and running a Limited company?...there's no price for compliant advice, in the long run it will cost you a lot more than the odd £20 a month!
          Think I've now sussed out who all you ex-SJD peeps are now

          Clearly one person can't service 12,000 contractors, but if the business owner prefers to deal directly with their clients, rather indirectly via account managers, there's certainly no reason that they can't service a decent sized portfolio. I guess it depends how large you want the business to grow. You can also bring in (tie in) other business partners if the portfolio grows beyond what you can service yourself, but of course, your profits would be lower than hiring an account manager.

          Comment


            #45
            A professional spy!

            I would love to look after all the clients I've signed up but with managerial responsibility service can suffer, which is unfair on clients.

            We've trained some brilliant accountants here, so clients are happy to be passed on.

            Comment


              #46
              sjd not trustable, make silly mistakes

              Originally posted by Eirikur View Post
              Filing returns takes too long and is full with mistakes (ltd and personal)
              They used to be quite pro active sending reminders for a lot of stuff, like payment of NI due, most of these reminders seem to have gone
              They lost my personal tax return details and then wanted to charge me because I had to refile and that was after their deadline after which they charge £100 or so.
              In general need to chase them myself on many things

              But mostly it's the price quality ratio when paying them almost 1.8k per year (incl VAT) for the little amount of work they do, I would just expect a little bit more from them
              I have been with SJD for a year, joined because they put adverts everywhere.
              Disappointed so far, wrong calculation of personal returns, I spot it and they did correction, but I wonder
              maybe many client will not bother the check themselves.

              Since then, I have to do calculation myself for every figure they provide, they made silly mistakes again afterwards

              For company account, they started last November and told me it will be done quickly, I did not mean to rush them because deadline is May, but each time I checked, just being told will be done next week. Eventually, it was only done till I complained after 5 months

              I think it is just I am unlucky, the account assigned to me seems not capable doing her job.

              Complained to her, she said she reported to her manager, but did not get any response after a week, seems to me they got used to complaints and do not expect small client like me to stay for long time.

              Time to leave now, I think problem with big company like SJD is just when you raise your voice, you could hardly be heard due to the way they manage

              Comment


                #47
                Originally posted by minstrel View Post
                Having tried most of the big name contractor accountants in the past, I've settled on Kevin Fagan at KPF Accountancy who I've been using for over 5 years.

                £42 per month including FreeAgent subscription. Very responsive, great value service, and he's never got pregnant, been promoted or left his own company. Some of the advantages of using a smaller ICAEW chartered accountant with 20 years experience.
                The Website says:

                £55.00 per month (ex VAT) including the award winning FreeAgent software (RRP £29.00 pm)

                Comment


                  #48
                  I know a little about the Freeagent partner discounts and at £55 PCM there's not a lot of profit in this. I doubt this is a sustainable model. I may be completely wrong.

                  Comment


                    #49
                    Originally posted by john1973 View Post
                    I have been with SJD for a year, joined because they put adverts everywhere.
                    Disappointed so far, wrong calculation of personal returns, I spot it and they did correction, but I wonder
                    maybe many client will not bother the check themselves.

                    Since then, I have to do calculation myself for every figure they provide, they made silly mistakes again afterwards

                    For company account, they started last November and told me it will be done quickly, I did not mean to rush them because deadline is May, but each time I checked, just being told will be done next week. Eventually, it was only done till I complained after 5 months

                    I think it is just I am unlucky, the account assigned to me seems not capable doing her job.

                    Complained to her, she said she reported to her manager, but did not get any response after a week, seems to me they got used to complaints and do not expect small client like me to stay for long time.

                    Time to leave now, I think problem with big company like SJD is just when you raise your voice, you could hardly be heard due to the way they manage
                    I understand that SJD offer a guarantee, one of the points is that your accounts will be done within 4 weeks, so if you've been waiting 5 months there is a claim to be made.

                    Looking at their website, they seem to have lost a lot of staff since the sale to a private equity group, perhaps this is showing up in their service levels.
                    "The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance." Cicero

                    Comment


                      #50
                      Originally posted by ruasonid View Post
                      The Website says:

                      £55.00 per month (ex VAT) including the award winning FreeAgent software (RRP £29.00 pm)
                      The post was from last year. FreeAgent and KPF have both put up prices since then, but it is still great value.

                      Incidentally, Kevin at KPF has never taken more than a fortnight to do my annual accounts and often turns them around in a couple of days.

                      Comment

                      Working...
                      X