Saving more on VAT and corporation tax

[northernladuk]

But when you buy a car, it's registered to you, not the mechanic.

I know lots of people like to register their companies to an accountant's address, etc, but unless you are paying the accountant to forward everything to you then you run the risk of not seeing everything. If the accountant is the only one to see the information, then maybe it's best to give them access to your business account and make them responsible for paying the money as well.

I must have read this thread all wrong as I seem to have a bit of sympathy for the OP but no one else does.

The mechanic example doesn't work as you aren't in a contract with a mechanic to manage your car like you are with an accountant to manage your finances. Not the same at all.

You do run the risk of not seeing it. The same risk every single one of us that has an address at the accountants. Which is a lot of us! There surely has to be a level of responsibility from the accountant to furnish you with the correct information and if he doesn't he's at fault. I don't know what level of fault or what you can do about it but some of the blame has to lay with them. I've had an accountant mess up a return in the past and after complaining he paid the fine. He also messed up other stuff and I couldn't see any of it so I left and went to a contractor specialist with the right tools. Yes I was ultimately responsible yadda yadda but forget that. That's not helpful. There still has to be a level of professionalism from the accountant. If he gets information on your account about what to pay when he's got to pass it on surely? If he doesn't he's at fault. Forget the 'ultimately it's you' argument. That doesn't help anything. Accountants can still balls up and that's the problem the OP has?

I'm quite happy to hold my hand up and admit I've got an idea when things happen and are due but I rely very heavily on the accountant to manage/remind/deliver to correct timelines. It's part of the service the offerend/I pay for/we've signed for. I'd probably have a hiccup if my accountants suddenly stopped carrying out his duties as well. Maybe not to this extent but you get my meaning.

Maybe I've missed something in the original post where the OP is truly at fault here but looks a bit harsh to keep blaming him for everything. Some of this has to lay with the accountant surely?

[WTFH]

I must have read this thread all wrong as I seem to have a bit of sympathy for the OP but no one else does.

The mechanic example doesn't work as you aren't in a contract with a mechanic to manage your car like you are with an accountant to manage your finances. Not the same at all.

You do run the risk of not seeing it. The same risk every single one of us that has an address at the accountants. Which is a lot of us! There surely has to be a level of responsibility from the accountant to furnish you with the correct information and if he doesn't he's at fault. I don't know what level of fault or what you can do about it but some of the blame has to lay with them. I've had an accountant mess up a return in the past and after complaining he paid the fine. He also messed up other stuff and I couldn't see any of it so I left and went to a contractor specialist with the right tools. Yes I was ultimately responsible yadda yadda but forget that. That's not helpful. There still has to be a level of professionalism from the accountant. If he gets information on your account about what to pay when he's got to pass it on surely? If he doesn't he's at fault. Forget the 'ultimately it's you' argument. That doesn't help anything. Accountants can still balls up and that's the problem the OP has?

I'm quite happy to hold my hand up and admit I've got an idea when things happen and are due but I rely very heavily on the accountant to manage/remind/deliver to correct timelines. It's part of the service the offerend/I pay for/we've signed for. I'd probably have a hiccup if my accountants suddenly stopped carrying out his duties as well. Maybe not to this extent but you get my meaning.

Maybe I've missed something in the original post where the OP is truly at fault here but looks a bit harsh to keep blaming him for everything. Some of this has to lay with the accountant surely?

Sorry, I didn't mean to be too harsh on ch0pper (who isn't the OP), was just trying to point out the pitfalls. Hopefully he will get this all sorted quickly
and maybe he'll switch to one of the accountants recommended/advertising on here.

[northernladuk]

Sorry, I didn't mean to be too harsh on ch0pper (who isn't the OP), was just trying to point out the pitfalls. Hopefully he will get this all sorted quickly
and maybe he'll switch to one of the accountants recommended/advertising on here.

Amen to that. He needs dump the shower he's with at the moment for sure.

[Ch0pper]

Thank you all for the advice.

I am about to look through the recommended accountants thread and select one.

Re the mechanic thing, it was more to point out that you take on trust what a mechanic tells you as a rule, you can't be expected to know as much about the automobile industry as he does, and to me its similar when you engage an accountant, and when they advise you on matters financial then you tend to take it on trust that they are telling you the right things and providing proper advice. My accountant had ample opportunity to send me those forms and failed to do so. 'Google is your friend' but if Google was the answer to everything we would all be out of work.

Clearly he has let me down and I will remedy that.

[Scruff]

The only point that I've tried to make, is that it's your duty as YourCo Director to ensure compliance. The accountant acts on your instructions, ultimately. It's not knocking you, but the fact that ignoring your Fiduciary Duties under the context of being ignorant is not a valid excuse.

[radish2008]

Don't forget about the hookers and coke habit.

Haha - beat me to it.