Reply to: Nasa Consulting, any thoughts?

[eatenrifles]

Anyone still using Nasa umbrella? How much are they charging (umbrella margin) these days please?

£17.50 a week when I contacted them last month. They will also salary sacrifice into your own existing pension scheme for £5/week.

[northernladuk]

Anyone still using Nasa umbrella? How much are they charging (umbrella margin) these days please?

Have you thought about asking them?

[kumarz]

Umbrella fees currently?

Anyone still using Nasa umbrella? How much are they charging (umbrella margin) these days please?

[P45]

NASA umbrella

NASA was recently suggested to me as my usual umbrella was not on the agency approved list. I have never come across such a finicky umbrella.

I formed the impression that their payroll department "looked for ways" to reject expenses. It became so frustrating that after the second week and being expected to submit my expense claim for the third time, I informed my agency I wanted a move to my preferred umbrella which co-incidentally was now on their approved list.

They can state they have HMRC requirements to adhere to etc etc, but to reject a £20 petrol expense claim because a £2 lottery ticket and a £1 bar of chocolate were listed on the same receipt, the reason given was "the VAT for each item was not shown". Silly me the actual receipt had a total VAT amount, surely it is not that difficult to calculate what 20% of £20 is, perhaps they are too busy answering calls from candidates that they haven't got time to even use a VAT google calculator. After a wasted phone call, they relented let that one go through, I hope the HMRC don't hunt me down for spending a spending a few extra quid while filing up?

Subsistence rejected due to not listing departure and arrive home times, fair enough I suppose, but I was only claiming the bare minimum for a 7.5hr day as reflective on my timesheet.

Following week mileage again rejected because no home or work post codes were listed, even though they know my home address and place of work. I assumed it is on-file as they asked me for the info when signing up, plus it was on my prior mileage claim. Okay fair enough, I must remember to list relevant post codes even though they don't change every day.

Resubmit, again rejected due to attached petrol receipt being dated after date of expense claim. I can only assume HRMC make no allowance for anybody that may fill the tank prior to starting a new contract?

In the end it seems like an up hill battle and to think I was paying them for all this hoop jumping. When I get home, I want to wind down relax, not have to re-submit expense claims three times, make phone calls to somebody who can't separate and calculate 20% of £20. Sure I could have RTFM they kept sending me with every rejection, something I don't even resort to in my profession unless it's a last resort.

I've been contracting for the last 8 years, a bit long in the tooth and certainly wasn't prepared to pay for the privilege of, as I felt, 'being messed around'. I'd had enough of that with another big umbrella company based in Warrington whose pay slips might as well have been written in hieroglyphics for the sense they made.

Sure like a good obedient contractor I would have "got weekly expense claims" spot on eventually, but not wanting to switch in the first place (since learnt agencies can't dictate who you can or can't go with, despite their approval lists), the constant hassle exacerbated the situation. I don't mind paying £10 per week extra to avoid the pettiness, which they of course they blamed on the HRMC.

Oh, nearly forgot, first week I never got paid, received mid-week txt from agency funds sent to company, NASA claimed they never received anything. Who was right and who was wrong, I don't know, ended up getting paid few days late, overall experience "utter frustration".

[Rolex44]

I'm with NASA

Hi

I saw this thread and thought I'd just chime in with a few thoughts. We've been going since March 2006, and currently payroll about 1200 contractors a week. So are (I like to think) reasonably well established.

In terms of one of the posters mentioning 'just go with the big boys', one reason not to is we charge a tenner a week, whilst the two august organisations mentioned above charge around £25 a week. In terms of customer service I feel we punch well above our weight for the price we charge and show that cheap doesn't mean poor service.

But ultimately beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So I will leave to other contractors to judge!

I signed with them 6 months ago and they are better than most others I have used during the last 15 years. No trouble getting intouch with them, although I'm not fond of their online mileage and expenses claims form. They seem to be the cheapest on charges.

[Yonmons]

I know this is an old thread now but just to add my comments I used NASA for 3 month at the start of the year and had no issue with them I was happy with their service, I would still be with them now on another contract but the Agency does not have them on their "Approved list" (whats all that about anyway ?) I am now with Paystream (touch wood ) no problems with them so far 10 weeks in. So you pays your money !

[LisaContractorUmbrella]

Thanks for your response. I appreciate what you are saying, but I have provided them with those figures you have mentioned in order to carry out their calculation....Nevertheless, see how it goes....

Oh ok well in that case you should be able to get the figures you're after and a breakdown of same - good luck

[curious]

To be fair PAYE is a little more complicated than putting figures into a calculator In order to be able to give an accurate calculation you would need P45 figures which would show tax paid to date, your current tax code, whether or not you were being taxed on a week one basis, whether or not you have student loans which need to be taken into consideration and what pay week funds were actually being processed in if you were on a cumulative code. If you were on a cumulative tax code then any gaps in payment make a difference to the tax that you will be liable to pay.

Thanks for your response. I appreciate what you are saying, but I have provided them with those figures you have mentioned in order to carry out their calculation....Nevertheless, see how it goes....

[LisaContractorUmbrella]

As I have got their quotation I was checking on the calculations as I did with others and first of all I was asking about their tax deductions as according to my calculation it should have come down to a few pounds in minus, but their illustration showed zero. So I wanted to know how was it calculated as I used HMRC's threshold to my own calculation. Secondly I wanted to see an illustration with my current tax to date and total payment to date figures involved, but they said they would not be able to do it until I am registered and my account is up and running with them... However I still cannot see why they cannot put those figures into the calculations - after all from my point of view all they need is a calculator for that. Am I not right?

Other than that the sales manager quoted a slightly different admin fee per month, which confused me....So I wanted to clarify if there were hidden fees or not involved.

To be fair PAYE is a little more complicated than putting figures into a calculator In order to be able to give an accurate calculation you would need P45 figures which would show tax paid to date, your current tax code, whether or not you were being taxed on a week one basis, whether or not you have student loans which need to be taken into consideration and what pay week funds were actually being processed in if you were on a cumulative code. If you were on a cumulative tax code then any gaps in payment make a difference to the tax that you will be liable to pay.

[curious]

Nasa Consulting, any thoughts?

Hi there

Would you be able to email myself directly with what your query is and I will respond asap.

my email address is james.watsonatnasaconsulting.com and my number is 0117 929 7683

Many thanks

James

Thanks, I will do and update you further.

[curious]

What were you asking for clarification on exactly?

As I have got their quotation I was checking on the calculations as I did with others and first of all I was asking about their tax deductions as according to my calculation it should have come down to a few pounds in minus, but their illustration showed zero. So I wanted to know how was it calculated as I used HMRC's threshold to my own calculation. Secondly I wanted to see an illustration with my current tax to date and total payment to date figures involved, but they said they would not be able to do it until I am registered and my account is up and running with them... However I still cannot see why they cannot put those figures into the calculations - after all from my point of view all they need is a calculator for that. Am I not right?

Other than that the sales manager quoted a slightly different admin fee per month, which confused me....So I wanted to clarify if there were hidden fees or not involved.

[James Watson]

Nasa Consulting, any thoughts?

I have asked this umbrella company for a quotation, which I received, but as soon as I ask for clarification they do not respond. They make the impression that they do not want people to register with them.... I was just about to do so, but they put me off.... Anyone has any RECENT experience with this company at all? I would appreciate any feedback please ASAP. Thanks in advance!

Hi there

Would you be able to email myself directly with what your query is and I will respond asap.

my email address is james.watsonatnasaconsulting.com and my number is 0117 929 7683

Many thanks

James

[LisaContractorUmbrella]

I have asked this umbrella company for a quotation, which I received, but as soon as I ask for clarification they do not respond. They make the impression that they do not want people to register with them.... I was just about to do so, but they put me off.... Anyone has any RECENT experience with this company at all? I would appreciate any feedback please ASAP. Thanks in advance!

What were you asking for clarification on exactly?

[curious]

NASA Umbrella service

I have asked this umbrella company for a quotation, which I received, but as soon as I ask for clarification they do not respond. They make the impression that they do not want people to register with them.... I was just about to do so, but they put me off.... Anyone has any RECENT experience with this company at all? I would appreciate any feedback please ASAP. Thanks in advance!

[Crazydiamond]

Avoid Nasa Umbrella

Fair point! The fact you took the time to drop a message says good things in my eyes.

Now I've had a little more than 30 minutes to research everything, I feel pretty pleased with choosing Nasa even if it was a slightly panicked last minute decision (one which, lets be honest if you had to do a last minute decision, you might be worried about it too), I'll give honest feedback once the first payroll has gone through but I'm feeling pretty confident about it and hopefully many more contracts in the future!

I have used Nasa Umbrella since February 2013 at first sight they appear to be good the sales team is excellent.

I realised that the payslips did not have the YTD Tax and NI figures or how much you have earned in employment. When I asked them why this is they answered " oh it's a known issue we are working on resolving it " more than a month later I continue to receive payslips without the Year to date figures (YTD) granted all the pay calculations appear to be correct but having the YTD figure on your payslips is a must.

They keep fobbing me off saying we'll solve it but never do the other annoying thing is that they send you the payslip at 5.30pm on a Friday afternoon after their office shuts so if you have a query you'll just have to wait till after the weekend.

They are cheap at £12 which is what they keep telling me ( suppose that what they are saying is that at £12/week what do you expect)

Anyway I would not recommend them and you should pay that little extra for a quality service

6/10

Best of Luck