Sorry, I am after more advice. I have a client who I met through networking. She is from Russia, and has an interpreting company, which is a LTD company. When I took her on as a client, I stupidly didn't look into her company first, and just took her at her word that she owned 100% of her company and didn't have an accountant already. She gave me what I thought was all of her paperwork from the start of her company.
Now it turns out that her ex boyfriend owns 51% of the shares of the company and paid for various things out of his personal bank account (which I don't have any paperwork for) and that the company does have an accountant. She is wanting to buy him out of the company but he is asking for £5.5k as he states that is what he put into the company, however, she has not got any paperwork to show this. I have tried to explain to her that I need all of the company invoices etc, regardless of where they were paid from, in order to do the company books, and that really she should be going to the accountant anyway instead of me. She is having none of it though, and just keeps saying they are not her accountant they are her ex boyfriends accountant. I keep telling her that no, they are her company's accountant! She also claims housing benefit, but can't understand that any money she takes out of the company for personal use is classed as drawings/directors loan and keeps asking how she can account for this not as wages. I keep explaining that it has to be classed as drawings/directors loan if it is for personal use! She also phones me a lot at 8.30-9pm and if I don't answer she just keeps calling back!
Basically, it is all too much hassle that I want rid of, as she just doesn't listen! My question is, how do I politely get rid of her, in such a way that I don't burn bridges, as we know a lot of the same business people. Any advice will be gratefully received!
Find someone else to take her off your hands and then tell her that her case is too complex for you so you have found someone to oversee the transition to her sole ownership.
Say that once everything is back to being smooth you would be happy to take over her books again but for now your professional integrity requires that you make the best decision for her best interests which will be putting her in the hands of someone with more experience of the sort of issues facing her business.
Now the hard part of course will be finding someone to take her on after the first post of the thread! lol.
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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.
Ha ha, well I have a cunning plan, cunning like a fox!
I happen to have a friendly accountant who may well take her off my hands then. Although, he does know her so maybe he won't as he may well know too much of the above! Hmm, I'll have to put my thinking cap on and find some other poor unsuspecting s.. er I mean qualified accountant who can take her on.
Thanks for the advice. I'll let you know how it goes!
I would suggest she could find her own accountant who could be instructed to deal with the buyout, you could of course help her to find one, then he/she can take it on completely or help to manage her. Also a careful worded email saying you cannot and will not take calls outside of working hours and state what they are, I've had to do that with one or two peeps and they even apologised for their previously bad behaviour!!! Think in this age of digital 24/7 chaos that people do genuinely not give it a thought until you tell them to.
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Joanne
Winner of Bookkeeper of the Year 2015, 2016 & 2017
Thoughts are my own/not to be regarded as official advice,which should be sought from a suitably qualified Accountant.
You should check out answers with reference to the legal position
I HATE it when clients call me after 6pm! It's just rude! I have one client who will text me at 11.30pm, or 7pm on a Sunday... I have gently asked any clients doing this to email me when its out of hours, and, I have taken the work address off my phone, so that I can actually switch off! Its been lovely, and doesn't seem to have caused any upset!
Choccy.. I'd just tell her that you have spoken with your "governing body" and you are not insured to do this kind of work, other than being involved in posting up her books. Chances are she is worried that the ex and his accountant will stitch her up , but that's not something she can shove onto you. Plus, if she is committing benefit fraud, ethically, should you act at all?
time to be rude to her and tell her to p*** off!!!
I don't mind emails in the evening and sometimes I respond and sometimes I leave it to the morning, but phone calls I would be very annoyed at! After all we do have a life out side work! Well we all try to have one anyway.
I've had the odd phone call in the evening but it has been arranged first if the client is busy during the day and needs to talk, this I don't mind but I wouldn't make a habit of it.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do. Just remember there are plenty of nice customers that are easy to deal with out there.
I had an email from one of mine at 2.58am. I didn't see it then cos I was in the land of nod, but he was finally doing what I've been asking him to do since April....finding the missing 109 receipts and invoices which will bring his VAT return down. RESULT.
Loving the directness of you two, Amanda and Michelle....gonna try that if I get any hassle out of hours. Or.....🔫🔫💣💣
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Joanne
Winner of Bookkeeper of the Year 2015, 2016 & 2017
Thoughts are my own/not to be regarded as official advice,which should be sought from a suitably qualified Accountant.
You should check out answers with reference to the legal position
Apologies for the delay, I've only just seen the replies (I forgot to tick to email me when someone replies!)
I have found an accountant for her, but he seems reluctant to take her on too (he has been messed around a couple of times by her and we all know the same people). She seems to have a lets say older gentleman helping her out and giving her (incorrect) business advice, but hey ho, not my business. I like the idea of saying I'm not insured for this kind of work. I don't think she is actually committing benefit fraud, she just doesn't seem to understand how a Limited company is different from her when it comes to the accounts!!
You've given me a few things to think about so I'll let you know how it goes!
