Do clients value bound accounts?

Do clients value bound accounts?

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Do clients value bound accounts or would they prefer a pdf these days?

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By Phil Rees
01st Sep 2010 15:00

We are in a period of austerity

It is amazing what can be achieved by offering a fee saving.

We send most accounts and tax returns out as pdf attachments these days.

 

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Should Be Working ... not playing with the car
By should_be_working
01st Sep 2010 15:09

Tangible

I've always thought that a nicely bound set of accounts represented the only tangible thing the clients get for their fees, but in practice relatively few actually ask for them - even those who don't tend to operate over email.

 

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By ShirleyM
01st Sep 2010 15:29

Not any more!

We used to give bound accounts and not one client questioned us when we stopped. Clients regularly 'lose' their copies of the accounts and tax anyway.

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Image is of a pin up style woman in a red dress with some of her skirt caught in the filing cabinet. She looks surprised.
By Monsoon
01st Sep 2010 15:33

Not any more either

We used to give bound accounts and not one client questioned us when we stopped. Clients regularly 'lose' their copies of the accounts and tax anyway.

~Posted by ShirleyM

Absolutely. I send out maybe 2 or 3 bound copies a year now, nearly everyone is happy with a pdf.

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By Phil Rees
01st Sep 2010 16:17

2002 I think it was

The last time I sent out a bound set of accounts was about 8 years ago. Nobody minds. Nobody cares.

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By LisaDeering
01st Sep 2010 17:28

Some do some don't

I've had moans both when we have sent bound copies - "I have to take them apart to file them!"

and when we haven't " Where are those nice sets in plastic covers to keep them clean?"

I would so love to be able to pursuade all of our clients to accept PDF copies or at least simple copies.

 

Oh, and does anybody use special higher quality paper for these sets anymore?

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Image is of a pin up style woman in a red dress with some of her skirt caught in the filing cabinet. She looks surprised.
By Monsoon
01st Sep 2010 17:51

No!

Oh, and does anybody use special higher quality paper for these sets anymore?

 

Posted by

LisaDeering

on Wed, 01/09/2010 - 17:28

Haha, no. They can have a cover but it all depends if I can be bothered to switch the paper over in the printer (probably not!)

I have some premium conqueror laid paper in a box still. I can't remember the last time I used any! Literally years and years ago.

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By cymraeg_draig
01st Sep 2010 18:23

Yes - every client gets a bound copy of their accounts complete with a print out of their tax return and tax computation. We also supply them with paying-in slips ready completed so they can pay their tax when it becomes due.

 

We certainly use higher quality paper (90gsm superwhite) for bank reports as these generally contain graphs and often photographs. A little quality goes a very long way when keeping the bank manager happy.

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By petersaxton
01st Sep 2010 20:31

I do something similar

Every client gets a pdf copy of their accounts complete with a pdf of their tax return and tax computation. I also give them a link to how to pay their tax online.

 

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By cymraeg_draig
01st Sep 2010 23:05

Not everyone wants a pdf

Every client gets a pdf copy of their accounts complete with a pdf of their tax return and tax computation. I also give them a link to how to pay their tax online.

Posted by petersaxton on Wed, 01/09/2010 - 20:31

 

Try a country practice - we have farmers who still talk in £sd and guineas and have no time for these new fangled things like computers, electricity, telephones, TVs and the like. Still it has it's compensations, like the client who came in to pay his bill, and as well as paying also left 5 cwt sacks of potatoes (1/4 ton).  Guess I wont be buying any potatoes for a few weeks :).  My gain is Tesco's loss.

 

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By petersaxton
01st Sep 2010 23:22

More than I think

I'm just going through my client list and chasing up people who haven't sent me information. I'm amazed at the number of people who don't use email. It's more than I thought. With them I am sending letters or SMSs. They usually come in and drop off their information and the next week they come in and sign the tax return and watch me submit it online. I suppose they will pay by cheque as well.

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By girlofwight
02nd Sep 2010 16:32

Simples!

I include a front sheet on the accounts with:

~ signature instructions
~ return instructions
~ Q as to whether they want bound copies, PDFs, etc
~ for Abb accounts, CH filing instructions

 

Lisa

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Red Leader
By Red Leader
02nd Sep 2010 16:50

what about signing?

When you send out PDF only, how do you get a signed copy back? Do you ask the client to print out, sign and return? In which case, maybe it's best to send out the printed copy to save the client the trouble. Some clients have told me that their printers are not up to the job of producing a decent print.

I'd like to dispense with bound (or printed) copies but I can't quite see the practical way forward. What about all the other paperwork that goes with ltd co accounts - letter of rep, draft minutes, CT600, invoice. Send the lot as attachments?

Thoughts?

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By petersaxton
02nd Sep 2010 18:54

Don't need signatures

Except for the Abbreviated Accounts an acceptance of the documents by email is sufficient.

I don't like the Companies House form so usually I ask for them to send a signed copy to me or my wife will get them to sign a copy she brings to them. There was a rush job recently when I trusted the client to post them himself but it was a disaster. First time he put a first class stamp on an A4 envelope and didn't collect the document from the Post Office when it was returned. Then Companies House said he hadn't signed the second attempt. The third attempt he signed every page! Amazingly it took two months to get it from his home to Companies House accepting it.

I had another rush job this week and I had to file online and it was relatively painless so I may do that in future as it seems the lesser of the available evils. I took on a client who was previously with a franchise accountant and it was a mess. She didn't want to send me any information. When I did see some of the information the company accounts didn't have any share capital and she'd done a tax computation and then not included any tax in the accounts!

Hopefully, Companies House and HMRC will come up with something sensible for online filing soon.

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By PUREaccountants
03rd Sep 2010 14:29

Best of both worlds?

Having overhauled our practice to drag it kicking and screaming into the modern world why can't you achieve the best of both?

As part of this new practice we adopted a host of online "cloud" suppliers such as xero, cloud.net etc meaning that my staff can work anywhere, anytime and support clients much more readily.

Having purchased my iPad earlier in the year I have now set up an online document management system (box.net) which I can pull clients tax returns etc from. I then utilise PDF signature software at either my office or client site whereby my client signs their tax return on my iPad. All I do then is save the file over the original in my box.net folder.

Hey presto, a signed and printable version - only one and no wasted paper as yet. For clients who wish to have a printed bound copy they are available (a £5 charge is built into the fee).

Everyone is a winner. There are always clients who want printed, bound copies, how they are produced appears not to worry them - even my mother has signed for a parcel with that useless pen they give you nowadays!

 

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By Bonehill
03rd Sep 2010 14:49

Bound Accounts or PDF?

While the majority of our client communication and approval is now via email, scanning, & PDF, we still always issue two physical bound copies of the final approved accounts on closure of the file as a matter of course, regardless of whether or not it is for an audit, audit-exempt, or small sole trader accounts - It is nice to give the client something "tangible" at the end and it makes no difference to us whether or not the client bins them or saves them: at least they have something "traditional"

If they subesquently want a PDF copy for any reason, it only takes us a second to run them out and email across

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By Rishi13
03rd Sep 2010 16:29

Seen the same from qualifieds and wrost


She didn't want to send me any information. When I did see some of the information the company accounts didn't have any share capital and she'd done a tax computation and then not included any tax in the accounts!

I have seen the same and worst from qualifieds.  Took on a client-HMRC had started an investigation as Capital Allowances were claimed but depreciation was not added back!. Happens. 

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By Phil Rees
03rd Sep 2010 16:52

Capital Allowances were claimed but depreciation was not added b

with cheap software, yes.

 

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By cymraeg_draig
03rd Sep 2010 18:02

No excuse
Capital Allowances were claimed but depreciation was not added back!. Happens.

with cheap software, yes.

 

Posted by Phil Rees on Fri, 03/09/2010 - 16:52

 

The software is no excuse. Are we now breeding a generation of accountants who blindly accept whatever the computer spits out and don't actually check it ?

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By petersaxton
03rd Sep 2010 19:08

Yes

 Didn't you know?

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Image is of a pin up style woman in a red dress with some of her skirt caught in the filing cabinet. She looks surprised.
By Monsoon
04th Sep 2010 09:31

Software

In my experience, some cheap software doesn't do the tax comp (or rather, the adjusted profit part), you have to do it manually, so you can't blame the software!

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By petersaxton
04th Sep 2010 10:21

Digita - not cheap but useful

I use Digita software and I prepare draft accounts before calculating the tax and note the items that are needed for the tax adjustment. I then use the software that has a selection of potential adjustments to help me even if I didn't know the rules.

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