Disappearing accountants mystery

Disappearing accountants mystery

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I saw this on People Per Hour yesterday. Basically someone's accountant has vanished and left them in a spot of bother.

I see things like this all the time and always wonder what's going on. 

Is there a serious issue that afflicts us accountants? Or are we just very irresponsible. Presumably if they have a decent amount of clients and want out it would make far more sense to sell the fees to someone else ....

Replies (17)

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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
31st Oct 2012 11:53

Don't know

I don't know, but it does seem to happen with alarming regularity. I have encountered it a number of times.

 

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By ShirleyM
31st Oct 2012 11:59

So have I :(

The reason was obvious in one case, as he had embezzled loads of my new clients money, but the police caught up with him.

I sometimes feel like just closing the door and going to sleep for a year ... but that is maybe because I am old & cranky.

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PJ
By paulgrca.net
31st Oct 2012 12:11

I have come across the same

thing a number of times - they tend to be unqualified (by experience or examination) sole traders who operate from home and up sticks and move when everything catches up with them

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By ShirleyM
31st Oct 2012 12:26

It was an ACA

... that defrauded my client and did a runner. I think it is more to do with a person and how greedy, stupid, unethical, etc. they are, rather than the qualifications.

I do sometimes wonder if qualifieds escape detection a little longer than unqualifieds.

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David Winch
By David Winch
31st Oct 2012 12:38

Cross-threading

You might also be interested in this recent thread.

A while ago the level of misconduct by solicitors was a particular concern of mortgage lenders.  Perhaps unfairly some lenders took the view that such misconduct was much more likely where the solicitor was a sole practitioner.  So they started refusing to deal with any sole practitioners.

In reality there are a great many entirely reputable sole practitioner solicitors (and accountants) and ultimately the lenders back-tracked on this.

But the likelihood is that an accountant who just evaporates because the work has got on top of him (perhaps because he did not initially realise the responsibilities he would be taking on) is much more likely to be a sole practitioner in a relatively new practice.

One just hopes that this does not unfairly prejudice the good and reliable sole practitioners out there!

David

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By carnmores
31st Oct 2012 12:45

@shirley

you have serious competition

 

 but that is maybe because I am old & cranky.

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By ShirleyM
31st Oct 2012 13:04

@carnmores

No, other people who are old & cranky are good company, not competition.

We can exchange whinges and moans :)

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Replying to ianthetaxman:
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By Phil Rees
31st Oct 2012 16:12

In that case

ShirleyM wrote:

No, other people who are old & cranky are good company, not competition.

We can exchange whinges and moans :)

Are you on Facebook?

 

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By carnmores
31st Oct 2012 13:17

@Shirley

that made laugh!

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By User deleted
31st Oct 2012 16:53

Slightly younger and cranky?

Can I join the club?! I think I was a squirrel in a previous life and that's why I frequently feel the need to hibernate in winter :)

But on topic, maybe it's just people who are struggling to cope and think that burying their heads and ignoring everything will make it go away? (I'm hoping that the same principle will apply with the trick or treaters tonight!).

I've found that the worst offenders for not responding are (ex) Chartered middle-aged men.

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By Maslins
01st Nov 2012 13:26

I personally would guess it's less likely to be the ones who get swamped with work, more those who pick up a few clients but not enough to make a decent living.  They therefore take on a full time job/move overseas/whatever, potentially leaving the few clients they did have in the lurch.

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By MissAccounting
01st Nov 2012 14:09

Ironically, I have just taken on a client who has been unable to get in touch with their "accountant" for a number of weeks.  A quick search suggests they may be enjoying a brief spell in Her Majesty's accommodation for fraud!

 

Rather than start a new topic, can anyone give me any pointers what to do regarding professional clearance?  Previous advisor was a one man band with no staff.

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By justsotax
01st Nov 2012 14:21

In that case perhaps rather than

asking permission, say you assume permission will be granted unless contacted...or something along those lines, then at least you have tried to get permission in one way or another.....

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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 Nov 2012 14:26

You don't need permission!

Professional clearance is a courtesy. You do not need permission.

What you need are the brought forward balances etc. If he was a one man band who's now in prison, then you're not going to get them, so request what you can from HMRC and make the best of it.

 

 

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By NewACA
01st Nov 2012 14:35

Prison visit- Ha Ha!

Maybe a prison visit. Ask the accountant in there if the client is dodgy :-)

I've never been to prison before, could be interesting!

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David Winch
By David Winch
01st Nov 2012 14:43

It's quite difficult to get in.  You need to have made an appointment and produce ID and make sure you do not have with you a mobile phone, computer, anything which records sound or pictures, or any significant amount of cash.  Anything like a briefcase will need to be left at reception.  You may be searched before being admitted (depending on the category of the prison).

Getting out, on the other hand, is straightforward!

David

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By User deleted
01st Nov 2012 16:14

I think it is common ...

... as there is so much relentless pressure, deadlines and penalties these days many eventually crack.

Stangely enough there was a blog post on this subject this week

https://www.accountingweb.co.uk/blog-post/depression-profession 

 

 

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