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• # 96568
• Mon 16 Dec 2013 12:50 AM

Hello, just wondering if anyone can give me some advice please.

I've been asked by a friend of mine, who is a sole trader not vat registered if i can create a few spreadsheets for his accounts before he takes them to his accountant to get help to submit his self assessment.

I am not qualified and still training towards my AICB and just wondered is it ok for me to do this? Obviously i wont be getting paid and all he is really asking me to do is to enter what he has manually written down in his books (he has not used the double entry method) and put onto computer (Excel) so it's easier and tidier for his accountant to work with.

If this is ok for me to do, is it also ok for me to do a profit and loss report for him? He would then take this to his accountant to get it checked or am i jumping in by doing this?

Any advice greatly appreciated as I don't want to do the wrong thing.

Thanks

• Shelley 

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• # 96571
• Mon 16 Dec 2013 07:24 AM

In any other field of work you would be doing a favour for a friend because you are good at maths and they find it difficult.

Unfortunately this isn't any other field and for the same reason that I won't help my husband with his club accounts (and boy are they a mess) I think you are right to consider the possible, if erronious, implications of helping.

You probably need to ring the ICB and get an official answer, I personally would need a written understanding that you are doing a favour for a friend, that you are not qualified and that nothing you do for your friend can be taken as 100% accurate.  That sort of letter - which the accountant might need to see - may be too much for your friend.

I am picky though, so others may have different replies for you.

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• # 96573
• Mon 16 Dec 2013 10:10 AM

Thanks so much for your reply Theresa.  I took your advice and called the ICB today and providing i'm not getting paid and am simply duplicating his bookwork onto computer excel spreadsheets as a one off it's ok to do so. 

I wont be attempting a profit & loss report, will leave that to the accountant so I am in no way responsible for his accounts, just simply making them look a little tidier for his accountant to work with. 

Thanks again, much appreciated.

• Shelley 

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• # 96589
• Mon 16 Dec 2013 08:54 PM

Hi Shelley,

Glad you got a good answer, I have to be very careful of what work I do where because I am not only self employed (basic AICB) but I also work part time for an accountant.

The lady I work for is lovely, she has invested in some of my training (an Excel course because she doesn't want the hassle of building decent workbooks) and she is also training me for payroll and will be training me for personal tax as well in the fullness of time - we went to the lengths of getting a solicitor to draw up the contract to make it completely clear that any work I do for her is under her direction and her practice licence - not mine!  A very necessary thing as I do not hold a licence for payroll or tax as yet.

The pay isn't brilliant but the training and mentoring more than make up for that - I've been very lucky to find someone who was prepared to take a novice with good exams but little relevent experience.

I wish you lots of luck in your studies and hope you manage to build the future to dream about :)

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• # 96664
• Fri 20 Dec 2013 08:55 PM

I'm glad that the ICB gave the answer that I would expect

• Bruton Young Bookkeeping
  
  

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• # 96683
• Sun 22 Dec 2013 11:02 PM

Thanks so much Theresa and wishing you all the best for the future too :) 


     

• Shelley 

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