Staying open or closing

What to do

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Hi,

We are a small practice, runs a lot of payrolls and there are three of us. One is now in isolation, but given clients loses already will be getting let go.

That leaves two us in a 900sq foot office.

 

While I could organise for us to work from home, the other employee is young and needs support. Additionally, I would need to take two computers, and at least three filing cabinets home.

 

At home, there are three children, albeit 14, 13 and 11.

 

What are your plans?

Replies (10)

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By paul.benny
23rd Mar 2020 08:23

Who is going to run those payrolls if you don't?

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Replying to paul.benny:
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By murphy1
23rd Mar 2020 08:39

I did say I was considering moving to home

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By claudialowe
23rd Mar 2020 08:36

As I work from home this won't affect me, however I expect that by the end of the week, all non essential offices will be closed. I am sure that you could work things out to be able to work from home - do you really need 3 filing cabinets? I can pretty much guess the (few) tax returns that I will be doing in the next 2/3 months, so the majority of my work will be VAT (probably not as they don't have to pay) and monthly payrolls.

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Replying to claudialowe:
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By murphy1
23rd Mar 2020 08:40

Our monthly and weekly payroll files are in three cabinets, and as this is year end, for some we have the current year and the new year until CIS etc has been done

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Replying to claudialowe:
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By SXGuy
23rd Mar 2020 08:50

Whether they have to pay or not is irrelevant, the work still needs doing, how else will the client know how much vat is being deferred?

This also applies to the deferring of July payments, they are afterall 1/2 estimates on account. Therefore simply saying you don't need to pay it till January doesn't cover every scenario. There will be some clients who may have already covered the tax due in the Jan 1/2 estimate and as such there could be no or little to defer.

I'm afraid we all need to drum home to our clients that simply forgetting about everything because no one expects a payment isn't the answer.

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Replying to claudialowe:
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By SXGuy
23rd Mar 2020 08:51

.

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By SXGuy
23rd Mar 2020 08:47

My plans, are to stay put, im one of the fortunate ones who works alone, in his own office.

I have given every client the option of a telephone/email/skype appointment where possible, and those who will need to drop work off can do so from a distance at the office entrance hall way, limiting any contact in the office.

I will then leave any work they pass me, for at least 48 hours to make sure any virus is likely now dead. and of course washing my hands at every stage.

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blue sheep
By NH
23rd Mar 2020 09:07

If you are not ready for working at home, I would strongly suggest you get ready today, lockdown is coming!
3 filing cabinets? seriously?

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Replying to NH:
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By murphy1
23rd Mar 2020 09:34

Thanks, yes just for payroll files. I wouldn't take many more files, only those currently being worked on, but need weekly payroll and monthly now, as rolling forward into 2021 currently.

In lock down, key workers are still expected to work - payroll is part of that

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By SWAccountant
23rd Mar 2020 10:02

In the age of RTI, who the hell keeps paper payroll files!?

If nothing else, this gives you a great motivation to change that.

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