Just Been overpaid

[vetran]

were they late paying

You say it wasn't your current agent? One assumes they were late paying, deduct any interest and admin fees due and refund the remainder.

[expat]

Leave it in your account and write back to them first telling them you will have to check all accounts to prove the overpayment then tell them your next accounting run is not for 3 months, that should earn some interest. Then add an admin fee (look see what they had in their original contract for reasonable terms).
Ask them for signed copies of time sheets they are covering.
You could also try telling them the accounting period has expired and that you can not pay.

All things I have seen tried in the other direction.

Indeed

I've never understood how that works: yes we owe you the money but because a certain date has passed we're just not going to pay you it.

[Mordac]

to the tune of £14k.

The agency are now asking for it back.

Any ideas how I can get them to let me keep some of it

Yes. Just send them an invoice for £14,000. Remember to drop them a note thanking them for their prompt payment.

Please name the agency so we can imagine the look on their faces when they receive it

[BoredBloke]

No the payment is a complete mistake on their part. Presumably they were trying to pay sombody else but paid me instead. I have not worked for this agency for 5 months. The fact that they stung me for £100 per day commision means I am inclined to be as slow as possible when it comes to paying them back.

I will ask them for the full details in writing as I will need some documented proof so that this money does not appear on my books and for the VAT purposes.

I also want something in the way of hassle it will obviously cost me.

[Mordac]

You could always issue a credit note against future contracts. Sit back and wait for them to find you a juicy contract, knowing you've already been paid for it. I'm not sure if that's strictly legal, but must be worth a try.

[Denny]

No the payment is a complete mistake on their part. Presumably they were trying to pay sombody else but paid me instead. I have not worked for this agency for 5 months. The fact that they stung me for £100 per day commision means I am inclined to be as slow as possible when it comes to paying them back.

I will ask them for the full details in writing as I will need some documented proof so that this money does not appear on my books and for the VAT purposes.

I also want something in the way of hassle it will obviously cost me.

Just book a flight to Panama and take a very long holiday. £14K will last for ages there.

[BoredBloke]

"Just book a flight to Panama and take a very long holiday. £14K will last for ages there."

Not very child friendly that option. I'm thinking along the lines of you can have x now, but you'll have to wait for the rest as my company can't afford it.

[expat]

"Just book a flight to Panama and take a very long holiday. £14K will last for ages there."

Not very child friendly that option. I'm thinking along the lines of you can have x now, but you'll have to wait for the rest as my company can't afford it.

I'm not being judgemental, but you mean you haven't worked for them for 5 months, they didn't owe you any of it, and you didn't expect it, but you've spent some of it? What would you have done without it?

[threaded]

expat: when you run a real business stuff like that happens all the time. Have to admit it's more usual to be along the lines of they accidentally fail to pay you, but the opposite is not unknown to me.

[expat]

expat: when you run a real business stuff like that happens all the time.

What, you mean automatically spending money you don't have? I must get on with running a real business, I'm fed up with all this budgeting, I mean overly-detailed cashflow projection.