Late payers during virus

How to deal with?

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I took over a block of clients last year in Dec from a friend who was ill and couldnt cope. I did their returns (just) in Jan then invoiced end Feb/ beg March (couldnt do anything sooner as I had to take some time off for parential illness reasons)

Clients were not used to monthly DD and paid annually after return had been submitted and in any event they would have thought that DD set up immediately meant paying over the next year in arrears so I intended to issue invoice for 2019 and tell them that DD first payment was end of April etc was towards the next year 2020

Then the virus hit and hardly any have paid. 

I'm going to be bad here... shall I do the usual 'chaser' when due or shall I just hope?

I know we dont run a charity  but I've done the work and they knew an invoice would be coming

Replies (5)

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By Jfg
23rd Mar 2020 18:10

Whilst hindsight is a wonderful thing, I always insist on payment before I file any kind of return.
Whilst dd is a constant income
stream, I have had trouble lately with clients that I have disengaged with. The argument is always about how much they have paid for.
I worked for a practice who set out by letter their terms. These were next years fee (providing nothing untoward happened), they would make an appointment when their accounts were ready to sign them off and bring a cheque to pay for them and also, collect all their paperwork. Always seemed to work well.

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By whatdoyoumeanwashe
23rd Mar 2020 18:16

I'd definitely chase them, unless perhaps they're all owners of independent cafes and pubs.

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By youngloch
23rd Mar 2020 18:36

All you can do is communicate with them - there's limits to what anyone can do right now and we all just have to do as much as possible to get through this.

I believe that the clients we work with, and take care of, will never forget the support we are likely to have to give them.

Right now all we can do is choose to do work for clients, or not do work for clients.

If you choose the latter then you know what the result is going to be.

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the sea otter
By memyself-eye
23rd Mar 2020 18:40

Remind them that they will need their returns doing next year.

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By SXGuy
23rd Mar 2020 20:42

Why the hell did you submit before any payment? Yes invoice works been done.

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