I paid a supplier the wrong amount - we're not talking much - I almost had it sorted but didn't have time to phone the supplier to finalise repayment and they called my client - I was going to tell, once I'd fixed everything, and if I couldn't fix it, I would have re-paid it. The suppliers are PMN and PML hence the error - no excuse I know. Now I feel a bit rubbish - cheer me up - what blunders have you made?? Go annonyous if you want!
I once answered the phone for my boss and said "oh hello Mr Davies". My boss sat beside me whispered "tell him I've gone on holiday". So dutifully, i told the client :
"he said to tell you he's gone on holiday".
feel better yet ?
Tim
-- Edited by Don Tax on Thursday 21st of July 2011 06:45:35 PM
Do point out what a good supplier they are, so many don't check their books or don't report payments which they know must be made in error. I have to chase payments, just had one this month, that have been paid to the wrong supplier, so you are not a lone.
A year or two ago, in the days of paper VAT Returns, I very carefully made sure that I had prepared, and where necessary organised cheques for my clients VAT Returns for a particular month. It was a very hectic time, as I was going on holiday. (You know how it is - headless chicken mode as the holiday date gets closer.)
When I returned from holiday, I went into my home office the first morning back, and there sitting on the desk were the envelopes containing the Returns and payments - In my haste I'd clean forgotton to post them, and it was now past the month end!!
Luckily it was quite early days for the business, so it was only 3 clients, but I had to do alot of apologising, and offer to pay the fines if anyone got one. (Which luckily they didn't.)
Always remember when I was a junior in my first job, did a job no problem, went through manager to partner, reviewing with client, when they suddenly realised that I'd not taken account of VAT, at all.
Some years ago one of my clients asked me on the 31st January for his UTR number and HMRC bank details to pay his self assessment bill (quite a large bill at that). I sent it over to him at 8am on the 31st, after pulling an all nighter, only to discover a couple of days later when checking my work and payments that I had given him the wrong bloody UTR number. I did a cut and paste job and in my exhausted haze gave him another client's UTR. I was able to get it fixed easily enough, took a few phone calls and the fines were reversed, but I was so embarassed. Thank god I double checked my work.
Probably the worst I've made was paying a supplier a dollar deposit twice. It was lot of money and I felt physically sick when I realised the error. Luckily (and unbelievably !!) the MD was "ok-ish" about it, as it was a regular supplier. I honestly thought I was going to get sacked.
I also messed up a Vat return and triggered an inspection because I claimed the previous quarters payment. Stupid I know but I hadn't realised the Sage Line 100 only uses the one Vat account.
__________________
Tony
Responses are intended as outline only. Formal advice should be sort from your Institutes Technical Department or a suitably qualified Accountant.
I had the opposite where I sent invoices with a clients bank details on. Clients were then paying into my clients account rather than mine and I was wondering why I wasn't being paid. Luckily it was a good client that gave me the money back!
Not sure what happened but it was during a system change that caused it.
__________________
Phil Hendy, The Accountancy Mentor
Are you thinking of setting up your own practice or have you set up and need some help?
If so a mentor may be the way forward - feel free to get in touch and see how I can assist you.
Not my mistake, (still trying to think of my best one) but when I was going through a divorce my accountant sent a full set of my accounts to the person I was divorcing.
For two years prior to that every piece of correspondence had gone to my address but the accounts alone went to my ex's!
Luckily it wasn't a nasty or vindictive divorce and we still got on well even through proceedings so the soon to be ex just passed me the letter unopened.... Phew!
__________________
Shaun
Responses are not meant as a substitute for professional advice. Answers are intended as outline only the advice of a qualified professional with access to all relevant information should be sought before acting on any response given.
Shaun you've just reminded me of something terrible I did in my last job. In 2003, I worked for an organisation which had two manufacturing plants, and as a management team (and with great pressure from our parent company) we decided to close one location. This unfortunately resulted in redundancies. I had to do the calculations, and copied the details for a meeting...and left the original on the photocopier...which was found by the office manager...who was losing her job. We dealt with the fallout as best we could, but it was a truly awful experience for everyone (yes, I know, more so for the poor souls who were losing their jobs) and was one of a number of reasons why I set up on my own the following year.
Thank you everyone, you've made me smile and giggle, I especially liked the onewhere the VAT returns were left on the desk while you went on holiday!!!.
As it happens, my clients were absolutely fine about it, phew.
