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Wow.
That was the polite version so Richard doesn't have to edit the swears. Stories like this make me feel almost competent.
What can be done to stop him practising (literally!) and calling himself an accountant?
That's right - nothing!
Practising? It doesn't even sound as though he read the introduction to the training manual.
God help his clients if he feels he's done enough practising and is ready for big boy stuff.
Practising? It doesn't even sound as though he read the introduction to the training manual.
God help his clients if he feels he's done enough practising and is ready for big boy stuff.
There's a training manual? That'll upset PNL.
Note in para 99 of the case report Judge Redston says:
"Mr Drammeh trades as M&D Accountancy Services and he has other clients for whom he provides tax filing and related services. In some countries, such as
Germany, only those who have passed a specified professional qualification are allowed to give tax advice. But in the UK, a person can act as the tax agent for another person, and/or represent them in correspondence with HMRC, providing that other person has confirmed the agent’s appointment to HMRC in writing.
In some countries, such as
Germany, only those who have passed a specified professional qualification are allowed to give tax advice. But in the UK, a person can act as the tax agent for another person, and/or represent them in correspondence with HMRC
This forum has been through that argument so many times before! Qualifications do not necessarily equal competence. There are some very knowledgeable advisors who have no initials after their name and some appalling advisers who have an armful of letters. How is the poor sop on the street supposed to know?
'Stories' like this always make me wonder if the professional bodies will ever lobby government to get the term 'accountant' protected so that the people who train and work hard are not put in the same category as someone who does not understand how self assessment works....
You gotta laugh...........and cry at the same time!!
Every walk of life has it's clowns.
What are his clients thinking when inviting him to act? It also explains what I hear often,
"My mates accountant only charges £75 (cash) and gets him back twice as much repayment"
To which I reply
"Then why waste your time and money sitting in front of me, I am clearly missing a trick somewhere, (NOT), you should go see that "professional" bye"
I don't deal with any nonsense from anyone, just show them the door and close the file.
of course had his trading name contained 'tax specialist' or something along those lines then I would understand the outcry from the qualified people....but of course, being a chartered accountant does not necessarily make you competent on the tax side.
Therefore by all means protect 'accountant', but I would also suggest 'tax adviser' should be protected...(otherwise the words 'cake and eat it' comes to mind)
of course had his trading name contained 'tax specialist' or something along those lines then I would understand the outcry from the qualified people....but of course, being a chartered accountant does not necessarily make you competent on the tax side.
Therefore by all means protect 'accountant', but I would also suggest 'tax adviser' should be protected...(otherwise the words 'cake and eat it' comes to mind)
100% agree with you there. But I would as I'm a CTA!
I understand that the qualified v unqualified debate is well trodden ground. But seriously, why is it in this country that we allow anyone regardless of experience, competence or criminal conviction to set themselves up as an accountant, tax adviser etc and be let loose on an unsuspecting public? Despite this guy's incompetence there is no mention of anybody taking any action to intervene in his practice to protect his other clients so he just carries on regardless. I know that there are good and bad qualified and unqualified, but being qualified, at least you were assessed as competent at some point your professional life and have a professional body for people to complain to.
In my Inland Revenue days, sometime in the last century , the D.I. { District Inspector } kept a ''black book'' of the local rogue agents. Needless to say, some excellent back duty results ensued and life made extremely difficult for such incompetent wasters.
Now we have MTD proposals to make life less easier for all and sundry. Progress within HMRC doesn't quite stack up.
My friend, a director, used a well known West End accountant for his company accounts. His easiest personal tax return ever was done not only using figures from the wrong year, but a random amount was put in the tax paid box giving rise to a rebate of many thousands of £s which the chartered accountants got paid into their account. Not a word to him....and he didnt owe any bills...and it was just kept by them. It was literally 2 boxes to fill in...and worse than that, he got an invoice from them for £1,200 !! So let's stop banging on about qualifications...they are worthless.
The official meaning of accountant " a person concerned with the maintenance and audit of business accounts and the preparation of consultant reports in tax and finance"
I believe Chartered Accountant is protected. I dropped my letters and joined ICPA i have seen good and bad both sides of the fence.
Many years ago i worked with a girl who achieved pass rates between 70-80% in her exams however, could not apply anything she had learned in the real world which in my opinion is where you learn how to do the job.