accountant not doing form filling

[Bigbird]

What Simon said. It sounds like your accountant is trying very hard to make sure that there is no chance of him being classed as an MSC provider.

Co House forms can be completed by your accountant but should be signed and submitted by the Director and Co Secretary.

I charge my clients £75 per year if they want me to be their Co Sec, which most of them are happy with as then all they have to do is sign whatever I send to them if it needs a director signature. If I am not Co Sec then I am happy to advise them and/or fill in forms but it will be charged at my hourly rate and is specifically excluded in my contract terms which define the services I provide for my monthly set fee.

[malvolio]

Well as the OP only talked about companies house forms I am assuming it is these forms he is talking about (which an accountant shouldn't be filling in).

Clarification please!!

Good point - I missed that completely!

[simondolan]

You might want to be a bit careful about signing a blanket waiver what with the MSC legislation still unclear.

I use a local accountant (read as not a specialist contractor accountant) and he just made me sign a waiver document to give him the authority to send all my forms etc. Some still need my signature, and in those cases he'll fill them in, post them to me, I sign and send back to him, and he deals with the rest. Sounds like you have a lazy accountant...

[Jason D]

You should check your engagement letter. The scope of yours and his responsibilities will be defined in it. Sounds like he has not included returns but worth having another look so you know exactly what he is responsible for and what he is not.

I do not include annual returns but if a client asks I will do it at cost - its hardly onerous. You can do it online for £15.00.

[Ardesco]

The annual Companies House return is not an accountancy one, is it? I can't think of any other mandatory forms that don't go to HMRC...

Where are the accountants when you need them!

Well as the OP only talked about companies house forms I am assuming it is these forms he is talking about (which an accountant shouldn't be filling in).

Clarification please!!

[thunderlizard]

Accountants should be sorting out the financial side of form filling, e.g. company accounts and tax returns. Non-financial compliance stuff (companies house registration, data protection registration etc.) - I don't see why that should be his job at all.

"Only you have the authority to submit forms to Companies House" is stretching the truth. Some forms need to be signed by the directors, but that's not to say somebody else can't write the numbers in the boxes and put the letter in the post.

[TheFaQQer]

Hi,

I hired a local accountant last year, and my understanding was that he would manage the affairs of my limited company. He seems ok in some respects but he pushes a lot of form filling onto me.

He says stuff like, "Only you have the authority to submit forms to Companies House," and "The ethics of my accountancy prohibit me from this".

In general have people had success in getting their accountants to manage all this? Is he taking advantage of me? Should I get an accountant who is not so lazy?

D.

I'm intrigued by what you asked him to do that would breach his accountancy ethics - care to enlighten us?

[Cowboy Bob]

I use a local accountant (read as not a specialist contractor accountant) and he just made me sign a waiver document to give him the authority to send all my forms etc. Some still need my signature, and in those cases he'll fill them in, post them to me, I sign and send back to him, and he deals with the rest. Sounds like you have a lazy accountant...

[malvolio]

The annual Companies House return is not an accountancy one, is it? I can't think of any other mandatory forms that don't go to HMRC...

Where are the accountants when you need them!

[Ardesco]

I disagree, there are some forms that he should not be filling in and you should do yourself. I would expect your accountant to give you relevant information required, but unless you have nominated him as a company officer he should not be doing all the form filling and sending them off to companies house for you.

There shouldn't be much to fill in (I think it's one form a year for companies house just verifying that no information needs to be changed), but you shouldn't expect to have everything done for you!!

I don't know exactly what forms are being pushed onto the OP but I suspect it is these, if there are a lot of others as well then the accountant is probably slacking

[malvolio]

As your accountant has said, Only you have the authority to submit forms to Companies House.

Running a LTD means you have to do a bit of legwork yourslef, if you want it all done for you go join an MSC........

Wrong. See my previous answer...

[malvolio]

Hi,

I hired a local accountant last year, and my understanding was that he would manage the affairs of my limited company. He seems ok in some respects but he pushes a lot of form filling onto me.

He says stuff like, "Only you have the authority to submit forms to Companies House," and "The ethics of my accountancy prohibit me from this".

In general have people had success in getting their accountants to manage all this? Is he taking advantage of me? Should I get an accountant who is not so lazy?

D.

You're paying him for professional advice and guidance. Most accountants see that as extending to filling the various mandatory forms so that no mistakes are made, and ensuring they are submitted on time. However, you have to provide the raw data for them to do so, and you have to sign it or nominate them to HMRC as your agent.

If your accountant is unwiling to fill in the forms for you, I should get another one sharpish. Dogs, keeping and barking spring to mind...

[Ardesco]

As your accountant has said, Only you have the authority to submit forms to Companies House.

Running a LTD means you have to do a bit of legwork yourslef, if you want it all done for you go join an MSC........

[darrenb]

Hi,

I hired a local accountant last year, and my understanding was that he would manage the affairs of my limited company. He seems ok in some respects but he pushes a lot of form filling onto me.

He says stuff like, "Only you have the authority to submit forms to Companies House," and "The ethics of my accountancy prohibit me from this".

In general have people had success in getting their accountants to manage all this? Is he taking advantage of me? Should I get an accountant who is not so lazy?

D.