Good question. This seems to be the rule many of our clients live by. Unfortunately it's this time of year when I realise it's rubbing off on me too!
Looking down my list of unfinished tax returns I can see quite a few that could indeed have been finished a couple of months ago with a bit of effort. Most require a further client meeting, or at least a conversation. And it's the usual culprits, the same names every year.
One of the reasons some of these returns get left at the bottom of the pile is that, quite simply no-one likes those clients! They include the worst cases of the difficult to deal with, un-co-operative, late or slow payers, etc. Maybe I need to toughen up this year and call time on some of them - they don't like or appreciate us, we don't like working for them, so why continue to put ourselves through the same agony each year? How hard can it be to replace those fees?
On the other hand, there are a few clients where we do need to try harder in future.
As usual, January has brought its share of crises in my tax team. A family bereavement has taken a few days away and then my tax senior who has been churning out small accounts and the simpler returns has suddenly received a hospital appointment at short notice that will take her out of the office for the rest of the month. Call me soft, but the alternative date was in April and I couldn't make her wait that long, so we're having to manage. I foresee a busy weekend ahead for the tax team!
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I know recording time is frowned upon by many ...
... but I am sure that if you worked out the profit on the 'last minute' merchants and the difficult clients you would see you are working at a loss, or maybe break even if you are lucky. If you need the cashflow then put up with them but tell them of the problems caused. If you don't need the cash flow then let someone else have the 'headache'.
These are generally the clients we have to 'nursemaid' through the procedure, send numerous reminders, make numerous telephone calls for more information, spend half an hour listening to their excuses for not getting the records in earlier, etc. It isn't any use putting the fees up because they will just become even more difficult to make you 'earn' the extra fees.
Maybe it is because I am getting older, but I no longer have the patience for these clients.
Thanks (0)Just in time or not wishing to participate?
While for some "just-in-time" is a way of life there may be a significant number of people that resent a tax system that is so complex that one has to pay to have the forms filled-in and wish it was simpler and fairer.
Streamline the system so everyone can understand it and at least some will participate better.
Thanks (0)To be fair ...
... for the average joe soap self employed tradesman the tax system is quite straight forward, it is the HMRC operation of it that is the problem!
There are complex cases but they are in the minority, and, IMVHO, most of the complexity has come about by those who can afford to pay tax twisting the legislation to breaking point to find loopholes to avoid paying, resulting in wave upon wave of counter avoidance legislation etc etc and placing an unfair and unequal burden on those in the middle with no scope to avoid taxes, either by dint of being employed, or by not having the wherewithall to afford a good tax accountant (or most likely both!).
Thanks (0)@OGA
I agree .. the majority of our clients are quite happy to pay tax. They just get p*ssed off when they see big companies, and the like, getting away with not paying their dues, and HMRC assuming everyone is on the take the same as the big guys, so the little guys have to jump through hoops (and spend hard earned money) to prove they are not on the take.
Thanks (0)We are also partly to blame not chasing clients early enough not telling them the minimum information you need from them Thinking in September we have plenty of time to do these so no rush
We all work better to deadlines but
Stuck at it all year round this year and it as paid dividends
We will finish all Tax Returns in good time might even take Monday / Tuesday off
Yes indeed I could do so
and now when I do not need it they extend the deadline by 2 days Typical
Cheers
Stewart
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