Below are our full terms and conditions that apply when registering as our client.
1. Agreement
1.0.1. You are appointing EDA Professional Services as your accountants, to represent you in all matters related to your selected services and your dealings with HMRC. This agreement is made between both parties. This agreement can only be amended or modified by written agreement signed by both parties.
2. Confidentiality
2.0.1. We take the confidentiality of our client’s information very seriously. All accounts, statements and reports prepared by us are for your exclusive use within your business or to meet specific statutory responsibilities. They will not be shown to any third party without your prior consent.
2.0.2. You may appoint someone else to speak to us on your behalf such as your spouse. However, we would require your consent in writing. Please contact us for further details.
3. Fixed fee quotations
a) We may indicate a fixed fee for the provision of specific services or an indicative range of fees for a particular assignment. All fee quotations are valid for 30 days.
b) It is not our practice to identify fixed fees for more than a year ahead as such fee quotes need to be reviewed in the light of events.
c) If it becomes apparent to us, due to unforeseen circumstances, that a fee quote is inadequate, we reserve the right to notify you of a revised figure or range and to seek your agreement thereto.
d) All fixed fees are quoted based on you or your bookkeeper accurately recording all transactions in our spreadsheet or on any recognised bookkeeping system. This means that all bank balances, assets and liabilities are recorded accurately within your bookkeeping system.
e) Fixed fees do not include bookkeeping. If your bookkeeping is not complete and accurate, or if your bookkeeping does not give a trial balance for us to work from, it will be necessary for us to carry out some bookkeeping prior to preparing VAT returns, management accounts or year-end accounts. Bookkeeping will be charged at our prevailing rates per hour depending on the level of skill required for the work. This will be invoiced soon after carrying out such work in addition to any fixed fee quoted.
f) Fixed fees do not include resolving problems, correcting work or recalculating work that has been carried out by you or your previous agents for past years. If it is found such work is required we would discuss the situation and additional fees with you prior to carrying out any such work.
g) When preparing accounts under a fixed fee arrangement we will make one set of amendments you require, and issue one full set of revised accounts and tax returns with no additional charge. If further information is provided after we have prepared the revised accounts we will charge a minimum of 20% of the annual fee for such amendments and providing further revised accounts. It is recommended that you provide full information relating to your business and income prior to us carrying out any accounting work.
3.0.1. In some cases, you may be entitled to assistance with your professional fees, particularly in relation to any investigation into your tax affairs by HMRC. Assistance may be provided through insurance policies you hold or via membership of a professional or trade body. Other than where such a service was arranged through us you will need to advise us of any such insurance cover that you have. You will remain liable for our fees regardless of whether all or part are liable to be paid by your insurers.
3.0.2. Our fee arrangements and quotations may include Support. The type, scope and quantity of work included as support may be varied at any time by us and is entirely at our discretion and may be defined on an individual basis by us. Support does not include advice, carrying out research, or carrying out analysis.
3.0.3. If it is necessary to carry out work outside the agreed work outlined in any fixed fee arrangement it will involve additional fees. These fees will be computed on the basis of time spent by principals and our staff, and on the levels of skill and responsibility involved. If no fixed fee arrangement is place then any work done will be calculated on this basis. A full list of the time spent and the charge out rates used is available on request. Our normal hourly rates are set by us and reviewed annually. These are available on request.
3.0.4. We will kindly require a deposit prior to work being completed on your behalf. Should there be delayed payments, interest will be incurred. Invoices must be paid in full before any report is signed by us and before the accounts are made available for filing.
3.0.5. Our fees are exclusive of VAT which will be added where it is chargeable. Any disbursements we incur on your behalf and expenses incurred in the course of carrying out our work for you will be added to our invoices. Unless otherwise agreed to the contrary our fees do not include the costs of any third party, counsel or other professional fees.
3.0.6. It is our normal practice to ask clients to pay by monthly standing order or direct debit and to periodically adjust the monthly payment by reference to actual billings. Monthly fees are not refundable in any circumstances. If monthly fees include year-end accounts and for any reason such accounts are not prepared there is no separately identifiable amount that would be refunded.
3.0.7. We reserve the right to charge interest on late paid invoices at the rate of 8% above bank base rates under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998. We also reserve the right to suspend our services or to cease to act for you on giving written notice if payment of any fees is unduly delayed. We intend to exercise these rights only where it is fair and reasonable to do so.
3.0.8. If you do not accept that an invoiced fee is fair and reasonable you must notify us within 21 days of receipt, failing which you will be deemed to have accepted that payment is due.
3.0.9. In the case of a dispute over the level of fees charged we reserve the right to require that the matter is dealt with through arbitration. We recommend that arbitration is undertaken by the fee arbitration service provided by ACCA for members. The fee arbitrator will be appointed by the ACCA president; the fee will be as negotiated with the ACCA arbitrator.
3.0.10. On termination of the engagement you may appoint a new adviser. Where a new adviser requests professional clearance and handover information we reserve the right to charge you a reasonable fee for the provision of handover information.
4. Late Payments/defaults
4.0.1. For outstanding balances overdue by more than 90 days we reserve the right to charge interest at 8% above the base rate per annum until such a time we receive payment in full or receive correspondence from you to resolve the situation.
4.0.2. For sole traders and partnerships the responsibility for any outstanding balances owed to us is of the business owners. For limited companies it is the ultimate responsibility of the director.
5. Authorisation
5.0.1. Once we have received your registration form we will request that an authorisation code is posted to you from HMRC. Please forward any codes received from HMRC to us as soon as possible to avoid any unnecessary delays with your work.
5.0.2. Once you are registered with us we will perform an identity check to conform with Anti-Money Laundering regulations. This check may involve a credit search, to which you agree to us performing. Please note: the search is a soft search and so does not affect your credit score in any way. We do not carry out this check to assess your credit worthiness.
6. Correspondence
6.0.1. We record all correspondence with clients, including telephone calls. Recordings of all calls are saved within our CRM system and only accessed in the unlikely event we should need to refer to them. You agree to us recording conversations for training and monitoring purposes.
7. Your Responsibility for the Preparation of Financial Statements
7.0.1. You have undertaken to make available to us, as and when required, all the accounting records and related financial information necessary for the compilation of your accounts. You agree to make full disclosure to us of all relevant information. The accounts will be approved by you before we submit any accounts or returns to HMRC or Companies House.
7.0.2. You are responsible for ensuring that, to the best of your knowledge and belief, financial information, whether used by the business or for the accounts, is reliable. You are also responsible for ensuring that the activities of the business are conducted honestly and that its assets are safeguarded, and for establishing arrangements designed to deter fraudulent or other dishonest conduct and to detect any that occur.
7.0.3. You are responsible for ensuring that the business complies with the laws and regulations applicable to its activities, and for establishing arrangements designed to prevent any non-compliance with laws and regulations and to detect any that occur.
7.0.4. If you used a professional before joining us as a client then it is important that you provide their contact details to us so that we can request vital information from them. If we cannot acquire the information we need to start work for you then we may charge you an additional fee for the time spent to piece together your previous financials.
8. Our Responsibilities for the Preparation of Financial Statements
8.0.1. We will compile your annual accounts based on the accounting records and the information and explanations given to us by you. We shall prepare accounts to be approved by you before any returns are submitted.
8.0.2. We will advise you as to the adequacy of your records for preparation of the annual accounts and make recommendations for improvements which we consider necessary. We shall not be responsible if, as a result of you not taking our advice, you incur losses or penalties.
8.0.3. We will act diligently to produce financial statements which accurately reflect the information supplied by you regarding your business affairs, but will not be responsible for errors arising from incorrect information supplied by you.
8.0.4. Any liability resulting from errors in the preparation of accounts, tax returns or any other work carried out is limited to the fee we charge for completing that work.
8.0.5. We have a professional duty to compile accounts which conform to generally accepted accounting principles.
8.0.6. If you require us to complete additional work which is outside of the services included in your chosen package then we would charge an additional fee appropriate to the work involved, and will be agreed by both parties prior to any work being undertaken.
8.0.7. If we have any records belonging to you after your year-end procedures have been completed then we will return them to you via recorded delivery. If we have retained any records on your instruction then they will be automatically destroyed after 7 years.
8.0.8. EDA Professional Services has a legal obligation to adhere to all civil and criminal legislation currently in force.
8.0.9. We will provide our professional services with reasonable care and skill and will always make every effort to ensure you meet the relevant deadlines. However, we will not be responsible for any losses, penalties, surcharges, interest or additional tax liabilities due to HMRC, Companies House or any other organisation under any circumstances. We will however, take individual circumstances into consideration and may make a contribution to penalties at the discretion of the management.
9. Accounts/returns
9.0.1. We will be able to act on your behalf for all of your businesses accounting and taxation affairs from the date that we receive your registration form.
9.0.2. We will prepare the accounts and tax return based on the records and other information and explanations provided by you.
9.0.3. Your approval will be required before we submit any accounts or returns to Companies House or HMRC.
9.0.4. We will advise you as to the amounts of tax to be paid and the dates by which you should make the payments.
9.0.5. If after we complete your accounts/tax return you should request amendments to be made to the work already completed, then a quotation will be given to you for the additional work involved. We will deal with HMRC regarding any amendments required to your return and prepare any amended returns which may be required.
9.0.6. Any overpayment that arises will be paid into our client account from HMRC and transferred to your bank account the same working day through faster payment.
9.0.7. We will undertake all correspondence with HMRC on your behalf unless instructed otherwise by you.
9.0.8. It is important that you send your records to us in good time before any deadlines. We will send out frequent reminders from the date of your financial year end so that you know that we require your records.
9.0.9. HMRC investigate a proportion of the tax returns submitted each year. Businesses are selected either at random or because submitted figures look incorrect. As long as your service with us remains active we will represent you during an investigation at no additional charge.
9.2.0. You agree that we can approach such third parties as may be appropriate for information that we consider necessary to deal with your affairs.
9.2.1. If you have registered with us as a limited company, up to 2 director’s self-assessments are included within your fee. Self-assessment periods run from 6th April one year to 5th April the next. The first one to be included in your fee will be the self-assessment period that your first company’s financial year end falls in. For example, if your first company’s financial year with us is 1st July 2017 to 30th June 2018 the self-assessment(s) included will be for period 6th April 2018 to 5th April 2019.
9.2.2. We are general accountants and small business tax specialists and we are able to cater for the vast majority of accounts/tax requirements a small business may have. Where we do not have the relevant skills/expertise we will always endeavour to consult with affiliates for assistance. However there are instances where a specialist is required. For example, if your business requires services such as EIS/SEIS form completion, R&D tax repayments, advice on investments, or TOMS advice we may have to refer you to a specialist who can help. Such specialists may charge a fee for these services.
10. VAT Returns (if applicable)
10.0.1. We will be able to act on your behalf for all of your businesses VAT affairs from the date your registration form is received by us.
10.0.2. We will send the VAT return to you for your approval before it is submitted to HMRC.
10.0.3. We will advise you as to amounts of VAT to be paid (or repaid to you) and the dates by which you should make any payments.
10.0.4. We will undertake all correspondence with HMRC on your behalf unless instructed to do otherwise by you.
10.0.5. Please ensure all supplies made by the business are shown in the records made available to us. It should be understood that our appointment as your agent does not absolve your business from its statutory responsibilities. We would draw your attention to the strict rules and time limits for the submission of such returns and the substantial penalties which may arise if these are not observed. It is therefore essential that we receive full information from you promptly to enable us to ensure that the returns are made on a timely basis.
11. Payroll (if applicable)
11.0.1. To process your payroll we will require certain information from you. This includes:
11.0.2. Notification within two weeks of any employee who is ill for four or more calendar days, including weekends, bank holidays etc. This will enable us to operate statutory sick pay for you.
11.0.3. Notification of any employee who becomes pregnant. This will enable us to operate statutory maternity pay.
11.0.4. Details of any money or benefits made available to employees by you or by a third party through you.
11.0.5. Hours worked, rates of pay, bonuses etc.
11.0.6. Notification of employees engaged by you or leaving your employment.
11.0.7. Details of holiday pay paid to employees.
11.0.8. Any notice of coding received by you (although we should receive a copy)
11.0.9. If any casual labour is taken on, you are required to operate P46 procedures. Completed P46 forms should be supplied to us for processing. Please contact us if you would like us to explain this process.
11.1.0. RTI returns must be received by HMRC on the day that you pay employees so it is very important that we receive your payroll records on time.
11.1.1. It should be understood that our appointment as your agent does not absolve your business from its statutory responsibilities. We would draw your attention to the strict rules and time limits for the submission of such returns and the substantial penalties which may arise if these are not observed. It is therefore essential that we receive full information from you promptly to enable us to ensure that the returns are made on a timely basis.
12. Bookkeeping (if applicable)
12.0.1. If you appoint us to complete bookkeeping on your behalf, we will input your business transactions into a system that best suits your business. We will require all business documentation needed to complete the bookkeeping including sales invoices, purchase invoices, expense receipts, bank statements, paying in/cheque books and credit card statements (if applicable).
12.0.2. We will keep your paperwork until your year-end procedures have been completed, unless otherwise instructed by you. Once we have finished with your records we will return them to you via recorded delivery.
12.0.3. If you complete your own bookkeeping then we would expect to receive records in a reconciled state (if a double entry system is appropriate). We will take samples to check that the bookkeeping has been completed properly. We will bring to your attention anything that does not seem correct and will await your instructions on how to proceed before continuing with your work. If you would like us to correct any bookkeeping errors we will produce a quotation for you to agree upon before any work is carried out.
12.0.4. If after we complete your bookkeeping, you request amendments to be made to the work already completed, then a quotation will be given to you for the additional work involved.
12.0.5. When we quote a price for bookkeeping, it is based upon your estimations of the amount of monthly business transactions you have. Sometimes we find that the amount of transactions is more or less than initially estimated. In this instance we would increase/reduce the monthly fee to reflect the true amount of transactions. We always give at least 10 days’ notice prior to any changes to the bookkeeping fee.
12.0.6. If bookkeeping involves currency conversions then we must charge an additional 20p per transaction to cover the extra time that this will take.
12.0.7. If you have special requests for your bookkeeping requirements or where there is a greater than average amount of complexity – we may quote an hourly rate rather than the standard transactional rate. If we receive bookkeeping records which are more complex than initially estimated we may recalculate the quotation. We will always ask for your agreement of the revised quotation before proceeding with the work.
12.0.8. If you are sending us paper records they must be presented to us in date order and in an orderly fashion overall. Where there is significant time required for us to organise your paper records we may quote an additional hourly rate for the additional work.
13. Contractors and IR35 (if applicable):
13.0.1. If some or all of your business relates to contracting then you should consider your risk to IR35. IR35 is legislation that aims to prevent contractors benefiting from tax advantages over that of an employee acting in a similar capacity. It is your responsibility to assess your risk to IR35 although we are happy to provide guidance and material that will help you decide whether you are likely to be inside or outside of the legislation.
14. Fair Usage policy:
14.0.1. We reserve the right to increase our fees for clients who use our service ‘excessively’ to ensure that the business relationship remains profitable. This policy would mainly be enforced for clients who consume the time of our accountants with unnecessary requests, an ‘unreasonable’ amount of questions, or queries that are not related to accountancy or the services we offer. We are aware that new clients will require more help and advice when they first register with us or if they are new to business and we do take this into consideration.
14.0.2. If we consider a client to be in breach of this policy we will notify them in writing to give a choice of either an increased fee or a reduction in their demands on the time of our accountants.
14.0.3. The unlimited help and advice included within your chosen package relates to the services you have appointed us to complete. For specialist advice or advice relating to topics outside of your selected services, we would seek to charge a reasonable fee that would be relative to the work involved, and will be agreed upon by both parties prior to any work being undertaken.
15. Your personal data, privacy and security
15.0.1. Please take some time to carefully read through our Privacy Policy. This policy outlines what data we collect from you, what we do with your data and how we ensure it is secure.
15.0.2. By agreeing to these Terms and Conditions it is assumed that you have read and understood our Privacy Policy.
16. Complaints procedure
16.0.1. If you would like to make a complaint please email [email protected]. A senior member of staff will review your complaint and respond within 3 working days.
17. Timetable
17.0.1. The services we undertake to perform for you will be carried out on a timescale to be determined between us on an ongoing basis.
17.0.2. The timing of our work will in any event be dependent on the prompt supply of all information and documentation as and when required by us.
18. Applicable Law
18.0.1. Our engagement letter, the schedule of services and our standard terms and conditions of business are governed by, and should be construed in accordance with Scots Law. Each party agrees that the courts of Scotland will have exclusive jurisdiction in relation to any claim, dispute or difference concerning this engagement letter and any matter arising from it on any basis. Each party irrevocably waives any right to object to any action being brought in those Courts, to claim that the action has been brought in an inappropriate forum, or to claim that those Courts do not have jurisdiction.
