Reply to: Accountant demands paper/PDF bank statements

[Clare@InTouch]

Will do, although as i'm with RBS i'm usually just grateful if I can get access myself!

Ooooh curious!

In that case just a screenshot or a copy of the final statement will do - providing everything else makes sense there's no need for copies of everything. We can view HSBC or Cater Allen, but not RBS as far as I know.

[GB9]

I suggest you contact your bank and ask them about read only access.

Will do, although as i'm with RBS i'm usually just grateful if I can get access myself!

[mudskipper]

I just did a screenshot of my end of year balances.

[SueEllen]

Well my accounts are due in the next few weeks so i'll get you a log in (although you may need to tell me how!).

I suggest you contact your bank and ask them about read only access.

[GB9]

I'm not suggesting you give your accountant access - I agree you should never do that.

But you can give them access to read only. Your accountant can then simply log in from their side and view your transactions.

Well my accounts are due in the next few weeks so i'll get you a log in (although you may need to tell me how!).

[meb]

I've been with cater Allen for years and they've always mailed account statements every month to my accountants as well as myself. I'd get in touch and ask them to do it for you. They might not do it backdated but it'll save you doing anything next year.

I'm currently with crunch and they upload my transactions weekly from cater Allen so they must have a read only service or something like that available

[jmo21]

My accountant has always required scans of my bank statements

So it's never been a big deal for me, I scan them in and email them.

If it helps them get it right then that's fine with me.

[Maslins]

It's certainly not a legal requirement, it's just a matter of an accountant needing to satisfy themselves of the data integrity. And we're all satisfied in our own unique ways

That's my take on it too.

With a csv you stick the wrong number at the top and the balance carries through wrongly all the way. If you've got fraudulent intentions, nice and easy to manipulate it.

A pdf on the other hand, you'd need a long time very carefully overwriting stuff, trying to format it to not look out of place...and if you just changed the year end balance to be higher/lower then it wouldn't tally with the numbers immediately before/after. Therefore it's a lot of work to create a convincing fraudulent document.

If someone goes to that lengths with a pdf and gets it past me, then I would still feel I'd done my duty of taking reasonable care. I don't think I'd feel the same way with a csv.

[Clare@InTouch]

I have a trustworthy face

That's the thing as well - it sometimes depends on the client too (risk based approach) and what their records are like as to what proof you want. If everything is a mess and you can't reconcile the sales/bank/VAT/PAYE then you're likely to ask for copies of everything. If everything balances and it's all neat and lovely you need less to satisfy yourself that the accounts represent a true & fair view of the company.

[BolshieBastard]

It's certainly not a legal requirement, it's just a matter of an accountant needing to satisfy themselves of the data integrity. And we're all satisfied in our own unique ways

I have a trustworthy face

[Clare@InTouch]

My accountant has never questioned me when I send them company account debits and credits on an excel spreadsheet.

You can change a PDF just as easily now with PDF Editors so dont see the substance of it being a 'legal' requirement.

It's certainly not a legal requirement, it's just a matter of an accountant needing to satisfy themselves of the data integrity. And we're all satisfied in our own unique ways

[BolshieBastard]

My accountant has never questioned me when I send them company account debits and credits on an excel spreadsheet.

You can change a PDF just as easily now with PDF Editors so dont see the substance of it being a 'legal' requirement.

[Clare@InTouch]

Give an accountant access to my bank account?!?!?! Never!

Can you get read only access?????

I'm not suggesting you give your accountant access - I agree you should never do that.

But you can give them access to read only. Your accountant can then simply log in from their side and view your transactions.

[GB9]

Can you not give them read-only access? Then they can just log on and view without the need to bother you.

Give an accountant access to my bank account?!?!?! Never!

Can you get read only access?????

[Jessica@WhiteFieldTax]

As Craig and Claire have said they are being pratts. Final bank statement in PDF to confirm closing balance and a CSV of transactions is fine.

"Company policy" is a brilliant catch all "we-want-to-do-it-this-way" thing. Escalate if you need to.