Reply to: Agency asking for details of my Accountant

[TheFaQQer]

The agency have stated that they require a reference from my accountant.

If you've already got the job, tell them to poke it.

Tell them you're in the process of changing accountants and will be doing it yourself from now on, but you are happy to send a reference as a company director.

[Craig at Nixon Williams]

We sometimes receive questionnaires from agencies to check that we are not an MSC provider - it could be so that they can do this. The reason, I assume, that they are interested in this is because the MSC legislation includes debt transfer provisions where unpaid PAYE/NIC can be transferred to other third parties that have been involved in the provision of the worker (the agency).

[SueEllen]

Yes. I suppose that you are right. Thanks for being a voice of reason SueEllen. Perhaps I am being too "difficult". It still seems stupid to me though.

You are not being difficult.

The agency is obviously too stupid and too tight to do it another way so definitely get the accountant to bill them.

[SueEllen]

Yes. I suppose that you are right. Thanks for being a voice of reason SueEllen. Perhaps I am being too "difficult". It still seems stupid to me though.

You are not being "difficult".

There are other ways to check these things but this is the easiest for the agency and they obviously think it's the cheapest, so yes definitely get the accountant to bill them.

[malvolio]

The agency have stated that they require a reference from my accountant.

I do not really mind but do not see the point and I will be charged by the accountant for the reference.

I could understand if they require a credit check but really the accountant is not going to do that and really I should be (and have) credit checking them.

The thing is my accountant can confirm that he is my accountant. That's fine but I will be charged by my accountant for providing that useless information.

Tell your accountant that he should bill the agency... He works for you, remember

[worzelGummidge]

I suppose they can argue they have done due diligence i.e. confirmed that your company is not insolvent, pays VAT.

Yes. I suppose that you are right. Thanks for being a voice of reason SueEllen. Perhaps I am being too "difficult". It still seems stupid to me though.

[SueEllen]

The agency have stated that they require a reference from my accountant.

I do not really mind but do not see the point and I will be charged by the accountant for the reference.

I could understand if they require a credit check but really the accountant is not going to do that and really I should be (and have) credit checking them.

The thing is my accountant can confirm that he is my accountant. That's fine but I will be charged by my accountant for providing that useless information.

I suppose they can argue they have done due diligence i.e. confirmed that your company is not insolvent, pays VAT.

[worzelGummidge]

The agency have stated that they require a reference from my accountant.

I do not really mind but do not see the point and I will be charged by the accountant for the reference.

I could understand if they require a credit check but really the accountant is not going to do that and really I should be (and have) credit checking them.

The thing is my accountant can confirm that he is my accountant. That's fine but I will be charged by my accountant for providing that useless information.

[Ticktock]

A side point - do they need (or want) to know details of your Accountant, or the Accountant you used when you formed your company?

For me those aren't the same. If this is to do with the due diligance / IR35 checks then they're welcome to the details of my original slow, unresponsive accountants, and good luck to them getting any replies within 6 months of contacting them...

If they want details of my current accountants, then why?

[northernladuk]

[Pedant]
Do you need their accountant to know credit worthiness?
[pedant/]

Do they need yours to do what they are trying to achieve

[FatLazyContractor]

Did you ask them who's theirs is? You need to check their credit worthiness before engaging with them.

[Pedant]
Do you need their accountant to know credit worthiness?
[pedant/]

[northernladuk]

Did you ask them who's theirs is? You need to check their credit worthiness before engaging with them.

[Eirikur]

I had to provide my accountant's details once as part of the security check for a contract. Accountant (SJD) signed a form with some dates and facts, without any problem

[saptastic]

Maybe its more a marketing question and they just want to refer you to one of their chosen contractor accountant 'partners'?

[malvolio]

Is it in response to a question on one of their Due diligence checklists that looks like below?

This is an IR35 liability assessment question; have you been professionally advised how to treat your gross income in respect of this contract. It ignores the point that most of us use specialists for reviews to establish our IR35 exposure, not our accountants, and we are not bound to follow that advice anyway.

It's their contract and their client that actually determines your status. It's about time we started getting aggressive about this kind of intrusive detail that is actually of zero value anyway, just so they can blame someone when their own DD checks break down. Ask them why they need you to tell them what your position is. Bet they don't have an answer