John K Mitchell's Misc Blog

Thomas Coombs & Son are a firm of Chartered Accountants in Leeds that service many local, regional, national and international businesses and individuals.  Although they are one of the oldest and most respected independent firms of Chartered Accountants and business advisors in Yorkshire they are fully committed to an independent future and keep up to date with modern technology to make sure that this happens.

One of Thomas Coombs specialities is acting as Accountants for charities< including grant making trusts, schools, museums and social welfare charities across the UK.  As members of the UK200 Charities Group they can give advice on a wide range of items including compliance, taxation and planning.

Streets Accountants are a Top 40 UK firm of Chartered Accountants with offices across East England and the East Midlands housing 22 partners and directors and employing nearly 150 staff.

Their clients include owner managed and family businesses, professionals, corporate entities, public sector organisations and high net work individuals both within the local areas and across the UK.

In addition to the normal accountancy services Streets have a dedicated tax practice that aims to ensure that their clients legally minimise their tax payments both at the current time and in the future.

Having offices in Cambridge, Grantham, Hull, Lincoln, Newmarket, Peterborough, Retford and Wyboston Lakes, mean that Streets can service clients throughout the East Midlands, East of England, and South and East Yorkshire.

PAW Consulting Ltd are a firm of Accountants in Reading that was established in 1998 and have many clients in the local community including both small and large businesses.

Their client list covers a wide range of industry sectors including :-

• Media and television
• Tour operators
• Internet businesses
• Wholesale distribution
• Residential care homes
• Pharmaceuticals
• Event management
• Mobile phone partners
• Consultants
• Recruitment
• Design
• and many others

Interestingly for accountants they publish their typical accountancy fees and offer a discount on the cost of preparing annual accounts for the first year that you use them as accountants.  Looking at these typical fees the author, who ran his own business for several years could have saved over £1,000 a year in accountancy fees if he had used PAW Consulting as his accountants.

The UK court of appeal has rejected calls from the accountancy profession for legal professional privilege (LPP) to be extended to the profession.

Dismissing the appeal, Lord Justice Lloyd said the definition of LPP was a matter for parliament not for the courts. He commented  “If it were to apply to members of other professions who give advice on points of law in the course of their professional activity, serious questions would arise as to its scope and application. To which accountants should it apply, given that ‘accountant’ does not by itself denote membership of any particular professional body, or the obligation to comply with any, or any particular, professional obligations?”

“To which other professional advisers would it apply? To what areas of the law would it apply as regards the advice of any adviser who is not a lawyer as such? These questions are serious and important and would require a clear answer in order that the scope and application of the extended LPP should be known and understood.”

The judicial review application was brought by the insurance company Prudential and was backed by the ICAEW and said that LPP should apply to advice given by accountants as the same advice given by solicitors or barristers enjoyed the protection provided by LPP.

From the comments made by Lord Justice Lloyd it seems that one of the problems is that anyone is entitled to call themselves an accountant and that there is no need to join a professional body, or take any professional qualifications, to do so.  This is unlike the legal profession which is protected and means that you can only call yourself a solicitor if you are qualified and registered.  The author wonders whether the next step will be that firms of accountants employ a solicitor to “sign off” the advice or act as a go-between between the client and the accountant – he knows that given the choice between the advice from an accountant or a lawyer when dealing with tax he would go to an accountant every time, just like he would go to a solicitor when buying or selling a house or for legal advice about employment etc.

Paul Evans and Co are a firm of Accountants in Pontypridd, Mid Glamorgan that were established 1994 and have clients of all sizes and ages in many industry sectors both in Pontypridd and across Mid Glamorgan and South Wales.

As you would expect from a firm that has been established for nearly 20 years, they are able to offer both general tax and accountancy services but the senior members of the team also have individual specialist skills which allows them to provide extra services and advice to clients.  Mr Paul Evans says on the website that “I understand the pressure, worries and hard work faced by people in their daily business lives and the effect it can have on their personal lives.  My advice takes this into consideration“

Paul Evans and Co are a firm of Accountants in Pontypridd, Mid Glamorgan that were established 1994 and have clients of all sizes and ages in many industry sectors both in Pontypridd and across Mid Glamorgan and South Wales.

As you would expect from a firm that has been established for nearly 20 years, they are able to offer both general tax and accountancy services but the senior members of the team also have individual specialist skills which allows them to provide extra services and advice to clients.  Mr Paul Evans says on the website that “I understand the pressure, worries and hard work faced by people in their daily business lives and the effect it can have on their personal lives.  My advice takes this into consideration“

Campbell & Stenton Accountancy is an established firm of Accountants in Doncaster, South Yorkshire and Howden, East Yorkshire that provide accounts, taxation and business advisory and support services to a wide range of businesses and individuals across the region.

Their clients cover many sectors including :-

• Computer contractors and freelancers
• The construction industry
• Engineers
• Manufacturing
• The professions
• Retailing
• The Service sector

Campbell and Stenton pride themselves on offering a practical, friendly and efficient service to their clients being able to react quickly to their clients needs.

New blog post : Preparing for a Smooth Staff Handover http://bit.ly/9qamOf

Graham Hunt and Co are an independent firm of Chartered Accountants in Hockliffe on the A5 near Milton Keynes.  Established in 1992 they moved to their current offices in 1999 having previously been located in High Street, Toddington.

Having undergone controlled growth since their formation they now have over 300 clients, many of whom are from the local communities while others are from further afield in Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Northamptonshire.

They offer a comprehensive selection of accountancy, tax & business advisory services to clients ranging from private individuals, through sole traders, partnerships, companies and LLPs in many industry sectors.

New blog post : Health and Safety for Small Businesses http://bit.ly/9sS5a6 health-and-safety

RDP Newmans is an established firm of Accountants in Harrow, North London that also has offices in Southend in Essex.

Formed in 1962 they have a varied portfolio of owner managed businesses in several business sectors.  Being based in both Harrow and Southend means that RDP Newmans can provide a flexible and down to earth approach to accountancy and business advice to clients in a wide area of both North-West London and South-East Essex.

Realising that for many owner managed businesses time is a commodity in short supply RDP will take care of all the routine tasks such as bookkeeping, accounting, payroll, taxation and company secretarial jobs meaning that you have more time to actually run your business.

New blog post : Self Hosted v Off Site Blogs http://bit.ly/cnN93x

King Freeman are a firm of Chartered Accountants in Leicester city centre that was established in 1984 and has three partners, all of whom have individual specialist skills that enables them to give their clients a first class service.

The firm has many clients in the local community, and across the region, of all sizes and in many industry sectors including :-

• Agriculture
• Construction
• Manufacturing
• Professions
• Retailing
• Services

In addition to the usual accounting, auditing, and tax services King Freeman are able to give you advice on how to improve and develop your business, helping your business to grow and become more profitable.

New blog post : Bookkeeping and Accounting - What is the Difference? http://bit.ly/d3EELT

BDHC are Chartered Accountants in Cardiff and Chepstow that was formed in 2009 by the merger of Best Davies and Hamilton in Cardiff and Rosemary Chicken Chartered Accountants in Chepstow, although both of these firms could trace their history back many years.

BDHC are Chartered Accountants in Cardiff and Chepstow that was formed in 2009 by the merger of Best Davies and Hamilton in Cardiff and Rosemary Chicken Chartered Accountants in Chepstow, although both of these firms could trace their history back many years.

KG Accountants have offices in both Streatham and Muswell Hill, meaning that they can service clients in wide areas of North and South London.  They state on their web site that they see their role as being business advisors in a modern environment while still maintaining the traditional accounting services needed by businesses.

They make several promises on their website including :-

• A free initial meeting to discuss your business needs
• A fee that is fixed in advance and payable in monthly direct debit payments
• Help with tax planning
• Help with business development and training
• A promise that your accounts will be completed within 30 working days of you providing them with all the books and records.
• They will appoint an account manager to deal with you.

Thomas May & Co, Chartered Accountants in Leicester, is one of the leading independent firms of Chartered Accountants in the East Midlands. As a six partner firm they currently employ 50 staff in their office at Allen House, Newarke Street, Leicester, just half a mile from Leicester railway station and near the Leicester Royal Infirmary.

Their client base consists of a wide range of clients, from owner managed family businesses through to a local building society and credit unions.  Apart from the SME sector, Thomas May particularly specialise in services for solicitors, registered charities and other regulated businesses.

Certax are a group of Accountants and Tax Advisers with 14 offices in London with locations ranging from East Ham, Ilford, Marlow, Windsor, Holborn, Enfield and many other areas in inner and outer London.

Each of the offices offers a similar service with many of them being aimed at the smaller business and individual that needs tax advice or accountancy services.