Anyone ever had a client insist you use a specific accountant??

[Andy Hallett]

I suspect you are seeing the impact of the Criminal Finance Act kicking in. Effectively if an agency are complicit with evasion they can land on the naughty step.

I am fairly sure you will start to see some recruitment firms ask for certificates of compliance from accountants in the near future.

[northernladyuk]

How would anyone in the chain know what accountant you used? It might be on your company accounts when they are filed with CoHo but that proves nothing, and doesn't count in this case.

The accountancy aren't going to tell anyone because that would breach your confidence, and you wouldn't have to show anything because that is your (and their) commercial confidence as well.

TBH, I've never heard of an accountant being forced on a contractor - and unless they happened to be the accountant I was already with, I'd be walking briskly away.

I suspect there is a misunderstanding somewhere.

Case closed.

[TheFaQQer]

How would anyone in the chain know what accountant you used? It might be on your company accounts when they are filed with CoHo but that proves nothing, and doesn't count in this case.

The accountancy aren't going to tell anyone because that would breach your confidence, and you wouldn't have to show anything because that is your (and their) commercial confidence as well.

TBH, I've never heard of an accountant being forced on a contractor - and unless they happened to be the accountant I was already with, I'd be walking briskly away.

[Eirikur]

One time an agency (Glotel) wanted to push me towards an accountant for a contract in Belgium. When I spoke to the guy he sounded dodgy and when I googled him, it turned out he was wanted by the South African serious fraud squad. I politely declined.

[Lance]

Had an agency once tell a contractor they wouldn't pay the dodgy Isle of Man company he routed his money through. Not quite the same thing though.

I suspect there's either been a misunderstanding or the agency is getting a kick back

I think this is maybe not so far off.
An agency would have no sight of an accountant unless it were a scheme surely?

[ladymuck]

Had an agency once tell a contractor they wouldn't pay the dodgy Isle of Man company he routed his money through. Not quite the same thing though.

I suspect there's either been a misunderstanding or the agency is getting a kick back

[northernladuk]

Brollys maybe, but I don't remember seeing a post about being forced to use a specific accountancy?

Good point. Yes you are right.

[jmo21]

We've had plenty of examples where it has to be from a list but we've not seen anyone that I can remember that's said no thanks and walked off. As long as you do some research in to the list and pick a decent one it would be daft to turn down a good gig just because of their stance.

Brollys maybe, but I don't remember seeing a post about being forced to use a specific accountancy?

[northernladuk]

Sorry - my question was - has anyone ever seen a client insist you use a particular accountancy firm from their approved list, and not engage with you if you dont use them?

We've had plenty of examples where it has to be from a list but we've not seen anyone that I can remember that's said no thanks and walked off. As long as you do some research in to the list and pick a decent one it would be daft to turn down a good gig just because of their stance.

[BrilloPad]

Client getting kick-backs.

[daemon]

Sorry - my question was - has anyone ever seen a client insist you use a particular accountancy firm from their approved list, and not engage with you if you dont use them?

[stek]

Ok, theres a forum thread running on another forum and a lady on there is insistent that her husband has - for his first contract - with a particular client not only use a particular agency (fair enough), and if he uses an umbrella company it has to be a specific approved list (ok, maybe, but unlikely if its through an agency anyway), but apparently he has to use an approved accountancy firm off their deemed list??

Apparently its a 2+ years engagement for a "big name" company, but is this at all possible?

Seems banal to me?

May as well go brolly for piece of mind - with no travel/accom allowable the difference in gross to net isn't that much nowadays...

[daemon]

Ok, theres a forum thread running on another forum and a lady on there is insistent that her husband has - for his first contract - with a particular client not only use a particular agency (fair enough), and if he uses an umbrella company it has to be a specific approved list (ok, maybe, but unlikely if its through an agency anyway), but apparently he has to use an approved accountancy firm off their deemed list??

Apparently its a 2+ years engagement for a "big name" company, but is this at all possible?

Seems banal to me?