Timesheet Not Signed - Options

[pmeswani]

Most/all of us have to fill electronic timesheets for the clients' benefit. These are for internal use and for time/cost allocated to each project. Potentially they can be cross-referenced with your agency timesheets, but these need to be physically signed, so there is no confusion or fraud. Now, I've never had to fill manually 2 different timesheets (is this the case for the poster's complaint?). Sounds a bit backwards/old-fashioned way to me.

I fill in 3 sets of timesheets (2 online each week, 1 manual every 15 days). 1 for the agency I got the job from, Another one for the agency employed by the client (mainly an internal one, for internal budget code) and the last one for the PSC to raise an invoice for me to get paid. To be honest, IR35 or not, I don't see a problem spending 5 minutes each week (or however long it takes) doing timesheets is a real burden. I'm not treated as an employee, and don't have a problem with this level of paperwork.

3 ways (so far) to tackle the issue by the original poster.

1. Sign the internal timesheets, get on with the task at hand and get paid.
2. Negotiate with the company to come to an understanding.
3. Walk away, hope you get a reasonable reference and find another job.

I am sure there are other permutations, such as seek legal advice, etc. but I would opt for an easy life and make sure I get paid.

[NotAllThere]

... and the last one for the PSC to raise an invoice for me to get paid. ...

[pmeswani]

I'm a relative newbie to contracting. Can't get my head around accounting stuff. So I employ a PSC (who I won't name, becuase it would be seen as advertising, etc.) to do all the financial stuff for me... including tax returns, raising invoices, etc. But for them to raise invoices to the agencies for the work I have done, I have to enter my time into an online timesheet via their portal.

[malvolio]

I'm a relative newbie to contracting. Can't get my head around accounting stuff. So I employ a PSC (who I won't name, becuase it would be seen as advertising, etc.) to do all the financial stuff for me... including tax returns, raising invoices, etc. But for them to raise invoices to the agencies for the work I have done, I have to enter my time into an online timesheet via their portal.

So answer me one small question. If you do no work on your own behalf in terms of running the business, and have no knowledge of basic accountancy practices, what makes you think you should be taxed as a business? And when something goes wrong and you get done over by HMRC or a client (ermm, like now), how much use is it pointing at someone else and saying "It's all their fault"? It's your legal responsibility remember (or perhaps you never knew). Plus you're probably way too close to the MSC rules for comfort so are you paying full PAYE or wrongly claiming dividends?

OK, that's three questions. Here's another one - how much don't you know you don't know that you should know?

[NotAllThere]

Mal - it's TheVoice who's being done over by the client, not pmeswani

[pmeswani]

So answer me one small question. If you do no work on your own behalf in terms of running the business, and have no knowledge of basic accountancy practices, what makes you think you should be taxed as a business? And when something goes wrong and you get done over by HMRC or a client (ermm, like now), how much use is it pointing at someone else and saying "It's all their fault"? It's your legal responsibility remember (or perhaps you never knew). Plus you're probably way too close to the MSC rules for comfort so are you paying full PAYE or wrongly claiming dividends?

OK, that's three questions. Here's another one - how much don't you know you don't know that you should know?

As already stated by someone else... it's not me who has the problem with contracts, etc. Maybe you should read the whole thread before jumping down a contributor's throat? But thanks to your comment, I think I will keep my future comments to myself.

[malvolio]

As already stated by someone else... it's not me who has the problem with contracts, etc. Maybe you should read the whole thread before jumping down a contributor's throat? But thanks to your comment, I think I will keep my future comments to myself.

Hang on a mo. OK, you're not the guy with the timesheet problem admittedly, but you are the guy using the PSC. So the rest of it still applies though, doesn't it?

Anyway, I'm certainly not having a pop at you personally, it's all part of the ongoing campaign to make contractors realise there's a bit more to it than most seem to believe.

[pmeswani]

Hang on a mo. OK, you're not the guy with the timesheet problem admittedly, but you are the guy using the PSC. So the rest of it still applies though, doesn't it?

Anyway, I'm certainly not having a pop at you personally, it's all part of the ongoing campaign to make contractors realise there's a bit more to it than most seem to believe.

Not necessarily. Making generalised comments saying that I will fall foul of MSC laws just because I use a PSC is baseless, unless you have evidence to prove that all PSC's are currently falling foul of MSC laws. I chose to use a PSC whilst I am trying to find my feet and get my head around the whole idea of contracting. After the first year, if I am still in Contracting and feel that I will go a long way, I will probably part company with the PSC and go down the route of an Accountant. It may even turn out that Contracting is not for me, but what I am learning from the PSC can be used for when I may decide to start my own business years down the line or when I decide to go to a cheaper alternative.

I am not a complete idiot as you may imply, I just don't have the confidence and time to doing my own accounting just yet.

[NotAllThere]

So, the PSC raise invoices for you. What else do they do that an accountant wouldn't normally?

[pmeswani]

So, the PSC raise invoices for you. What else do they do that an accountant wouldn't normally?

Answer my questions without charging me extra (other than the amount I already pay them). They also chase payments on my behalf if needed. I tend not to trust anyone who works in Finance / Banking / Trading, as they are all theiving gits.