Member News

Charlie Walker of TaxAssist Bedford, St Neots and Huntingdon shares his thoughts on life as a TaxAssist Accountants franchisee during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Charlie Walker has been a TaxAssist Accountants franchisee for two years and in that time has grown his practice to look after in excess of 200 clients. Here, he shares how he now spends his days, his feedback about the support provided by TaxAssist Accountants and his plans for the future.

“At the moment, my days aren’t too different to those before the crisis began,” explains Charlie. “The key change has been that my commute is only to another room in my house most days, though I am calling into both shops from time to time to collect non digitised client records and post.”

“We start each day with a team catch up using Zoom, which is as much a social chat as it is a work one. Once the Zoom chat is over and we all know what we are going to be doing for the day, I start my work. This can involve traditional tax returns or, as is often the case now, working with clients to help them to protect their businesses, be that by applying for grants or loans or outlining the impact of the government schemes on them as individuals.”

Charlie operates his practice from shops in Bedford and Huntingdon and an office in St Neots. He himself has benefitted from one of the measures introduced by the Government to support small businesses.

“Having a shop with a rateable value of less than £15,000 means we have been in receipt of a grant of £10,000 from the local authority which is a great help in uncertain times. If anyone would like to know more about the Government’s support measures, I am very much open for business and can either speak over the phone, email or offer a face-to-face meeting over the internet.”

Charlie has maintained regular contact with his clients where he can, during these difficult times and has been praised for doing so. “Feedback from clients ranges from simple emails saying things like ‘that’s great, thanks for the update’ to online reviews from businesses we [don’t yet] act for but who were pleased to be able to get some advice. I have also been asked to take a non-executive director role on the board of a key service provider we act for based on work we have done with them over the last year, and on that I was able negotiate a revised fee structure and interim grant for them. The same client has also agreed to hand over almost their entire financial support and bookkeeping to TaxAssist, so the owners and directors can focus on building their unique business.”  

The TaxAssist Accountants Support Centre has rolled out several measures to support its franchisees, which Charlie is quick to praise alongside the staff members themselves. “The daily updates and regular webinars organised by The Support Centre have been useful but the key thing I have had from TaxAssist in Norwich is continuity. The team has remained the same friendly, helpful and knowledgeable group that they have been since I joined the network in 2018 which has been great.”

Charlie is looking positively on the future and has plans in place to grow his practice. “Clearly the pandemic has caused a huge global shock, but with my services very much in demand, I believe now is a great opportunity to think about expanding my practice and I’ve entered into a discussion about a new premises in a prime location. I know that the economy will contract for a while, but a recent OBR forecast indicates that by early next year there should be a period of rapid growth once again.

“In the meantime, I just want to wish all my clients and colleagues well and urge them to please stay home and stay safe whenever they can.”

Cotton World are a leading manufacturer of textile products, with over three decades of industry experience, and they are working hard to offer support and help during the Corona crisis. 

Managing Director of Cotton World Gary Holley has had a new shipment of navy Polycotton 195 gsm, and he is pleased to be able to offer Scrubs locally manufactured at a production volume of 120 per week. 

Price for full set £24.00.

Our Fabrics

Our leading fabric suppliers hold BCI, GOTS and OE, and GRS 2.1 certifications. We are proud to manufacture textile products using the following fabrics:

– Cotton and Cotton blends, including Poly-Cottons – Organic Cotton and Organic Cotton blends, including 100% Organic with GOTS and OE certification – Recycled Cotton and Recycled blends, our fabric partner is a GRS certified company holding its own unit for fabric opening and blending – BCI Cotton, including 100% BCI with traceability – Fair Trade, our fabric partner is an FLO certified supplier

Please refer to Our Facilities for details about our manufacturing capabilities in the UK and India.

Contact details for Gary Holley can be found here

Whilst some homeworking arrangements may have been in place several weeks ago, due to COVID-19 we are now seeing more and more employees working remotely. So what does H M Revenue & Customs (HMRC) consider to be a homeworking arrangement, and what additional expenses can employees claim since they are now using their own home?

What is a homeworking arrangement?

A homeworking arrangement exists where there are arrangements between the employer and employee requiring the employee to regularly work from home. Current HMRC guidance indicates that where an employee is working from home due to COVID-19, either because the workplace has been closed, or they are following advice to self-isolate, a homeworking arrangement will exist for this period.

It is however still advisable that these arrangements are put in writing and our HR team can assist with this.

Can employers pay employees for extra costs incurred from working from home?

Employers may make a tax-free contribution towards an employee’s home expenses in respect of additional costs that an employee incurs due to working from home, assuming a homeworking arrangement exists.

These payments are typically made to cover the additional costs of heating and lighting the work area, additional home contents insurance or business calls. The allowance however excludes fixed costs which would be payable whether or not the employee works from home, for example mortgage payments or Council Tax.

The employer may choose to reimburse the full amount of the employee’s extra costs, however evidence must be produced to substantiate the reimbursement so detailed records should be kept.

Alternatively, the employer may use HMRC’s approved scale rates of £6 per week from 6 April 2020 (£4 per week up to 5 April 2020) which can be paid or reimbursed tax-free to an employee required to work from home.

Can employees claim tax relief on additional household expenses that are not reimbursed?

Employees may be able to make a claim for tax relief on the difference between the cost of additional expenses and the tax-free amounts received by the employer.

To make a claim for tax relief, the expense must have been incurred ‘wholly, exclusively and necessarily’ in the performance of duties, and there are only certain circumstances where HMRC accept that these conditions are met, including that employees are ‘required’ to work from home. Just being under a homeworking arrangement is not necessarily enough.

HMRC will only recognise the conditions are met for these purposes where no facilities are available for the employee to work at the employers’ premises, and there was no choice available to the employee other than to work from home.

HMRC have not yet confirmed that they will accept COVID-19 as being a situation where employees are ‘required’ to work from home – we therefore await their confirmation that employees can claim tax relief on additional non-reimbursed expenses. The approved scale rate of £6 per week, or reimbursed actual additional expenditure mentioned above have however been confirmed to be available under to COVID-19.

Please get in touch should you have any further queries regarding homeworking arrangements or employee expenses.

Soul Foundation runs a programme through which, in normal times, it distributes food equating to approximately 1,000 meals a week to people in significant need.

This food is sourced from supermarkets and others who have short-lifed stock to dispose of. Norwich City Council have asked the Foundation to be one of three food hubs for Norwich, to help meet the significantly increased need brought about by the current situation. This week we have distributed the equivalent of more than 12,000 meals and we aim to build this to 30,000 per week.

This scaling up has, inevitably, necessitated significant changes to the way in which we operate and we are having to source food through new channels. In some cases this means paying for it although at reduced prices.

We are keen, therefore, to identify other potential suppliers whether for free or heavily discounted. Specific current requirements are for potatoes, crisps, rice, sauces for pasta meals, ready-made meals and long-life milk but we would also like to hear of potential supplies of other foods and toiletries.

I can be contacted on 07836 525555 or at richard.nash@soulfoundation.co.uk.

Regards,

Richard Nash

TaxAssist Accountants may be in lockdown like most of the nation, but they are still very much open for business.

TaxAssist Accountants are working hard to keep in contact with their clients to provide help and guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic. All franchisees are still open for business by following Government guidelines about working remotely, so are still able to communicate, sign up new clients and carry out work.

The Support Centre staff are working hard too and have received very positive feedback from franchisees on the measures that have been put in place to support the network.

Nick Sims, who operates from TaxAssist Devizes and Chippenham, says: “I have never regretted the decision to set-up in practice as a franchisee, I always believed that the back-up of the Support Centre would be both reassuring and an invaluable asset that most sole practitioners can never experience.

“Indeed, this has always been the case but never more so than now. Although Daren Moore (Group Commercial Director) and James Mattam (Group Business Development Director) have led/fronted the effort magnificently, it is very clear indeed that the immense amount of work and tangible output is very much a wider team effort.

“They have been absolutely brilliant and I would be amazed if any other accountancy organisation has got anywhere close to delivering what they have in the past few weeks.”

Terry Peachman from TaxAssist Lincoln concurs: “The information you guys have pushed out has helped enormously as it has informed and educated clients (and ourselves) and helped them (and us) understand and make some sense of what was evolving in front of their eyes.

“In our conversations and by email we have frequently had appreciation expressed for the information sent out through the centralised emails. Thank you for all that you have done to assist us. “My philosophy this week has been ‘what we do for them today our clients will remember us for in the future'”.

Hannah Campbell, at TaxAssist Dalkeith, Leith, Fairmilehead and Musselburgh says: “As a large franchise we are still working our way through phone calls to each client, however the fact that we have been able to keep all clients updated regularly and over the evenings and weekends helps us show clients that we are doing our very best to get this information out to them. I am confident that the loyalty we will get from clients will pay off in the years to come.”

The speed of response to the latest announcements by the Support Centre was praised by Horsforth-based Will Swift: “Massive thank you from me, the team and all our clients to each and every one of you at Support Centre for the monumental efforts you are making during the current situation.

“On top of everything else, a release to all clients within an hour of the chancellor finishing his address last night, very, very powerful for us when taking to clients at a local level.”

TaxAssist prides itself on the friendly, family feel it cultivates both for staff and its nationwide network of accountants. Kingswinford and Wolverhampton based Lloyd Evans comments: “Thank you Karl and the whole team for your FANTASTIC help during very testing times. It is during times like these that you truly realise and appreciate the strength of the bond within the TaxAssist family.”

Karl Sandall, Group Chief Executive, says: “I am always proud of the level of support we provide to our network of accountants, but in these unprecedented times, I have really seen everyone pull together to provide quite exceptional levels of help and guidance. We always value feedback from franchisees and it is fantastic to hear how well our efforts have been received.”

If you would like to find out more about joining the network of TaxAssist Accountants, we are holding Virtual Discovery Days for the next few months, with the next running on Saturday 16th May. For more information click here.

Great Yarmouth Borough Council is urging residents to continue supporting local businesses which are continuing to deliver essential services to their communities during the coronavirus pandemic.  

While many business premises have had to close to support national social distancing measures, food delivery and takeaway services remain operational, as well as grocery shops, hardware shops, car garages, and post offices. In addition, there are varied businesses and self-employed people continuing to operate from home.

A number of locally-based businesses have gone the extra mile to support their communities during these challenging times, including:

• Vehicle dealership Pertwee and Back has loaned vans to the council to enable council staff to deliver food to “sheltered” residents and keep local food banks stocked up, as well as to undertake medical deliveries.

• Thompsons Food Service has donated supplies to the food distribution hub at the Town Hall and has also put together food parcels designed for those who are unable to leave the house, including the vulnerable and elderly.

• Filby Post Office has sourced supplies for the food distribution hub at the Town Hall and is working with volunteers to offer food deliveries for residents who cannot leave the house, as well as top ups for electric, gas and phones.

A number of other organisations have supported the food distribution hub at the Town Hall, including the Lidl stores at Great Yarmouth and Caister, and Norwich City FC Community Sports Foundation. 

The council is updating an online list of grocery shops, food delivery and takeaway services operating within the borough. Visit www.great-yarmouth.gov.uk/coronavirus  

While hotels and guest houses are currently closed to visitors, they are allowed to provide temporary accommodation for key workers. To support local businesses and key workers, the council is maintaining a list of those hoteliers making rooms available for key workers during the pandemic. Visit www.great-yarmouth.gov.uk/key-worker-accommodation

Cllr Carl Smith, the council leader, said: “I’m so proud of the way our whole community has pulled together to support the response. We are doing all we can to ensure our local businesses get the support they are entitled to. Equally, many local businesses which are able to continue trading are doing a fantastic job in tough times.

“A huge thank you to the businesses which have made generous bulk donations to the food distribution hub at the Town Hall. This is helping the council to supply our community-run food banks so they can continue supporting those in need.

“Some businesses have changed their operating models in order to assist their communities, whether working from home or shifting from wholesalers to supplying the public directly. During these challenging times for tourism, it’s great to see hoteliers playing their part in the response by providing accommodation for key workers.

“By everyone supporting the local businesses, this helps to support our local economy and also reduces unnecessary travel from outside the borough. Please do consider using local food suppliers and delivery services, especially if you are struggling to place orders with the national supermarkets.”

If you are a business and are able to donate in bulk non-perishable food or other essential items to include in food parcels, please contact david.helsdon@great-yarmouth.gov.uk (telephone 01493 846343) or laura.goodman@great-yarmouth.gov.uk (telephone 01493 846125) to arrange either a collection from your business premises or a drop-off at the Town Hall. If you are a member of the public and wish to donate food items, please donate these directly to the food banks.

Relief grants for businesses

Great Yarmouth Borough Council has so far handed out £22m in Government relief grants to eligible local businesses – and is reminding those eligible businesses which have not yet claimed their money to complete the online form.

Visit www.great-yarmouth.gov.uk/coronavirus-business-support  for the link to the online form, information and support about the grants, eligibility criteria and further business advice. For advice relating to the grants, call our Business Helpline on 0808 196 2240. For other business advice, contact the Growth Hub via 0300 333 6536 or www.newangliagrowthhub.co.uk

Malicious email attachments, false government grant phone calls and CEO impersonation scams are among a raft of scams undermining businesses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The increasing risk has led the National Trading Standards Scams team to launch Businesses Against Scams, a new element of the successful Friends Against Scams initiative.

The initiative includes a free online training tool to protect businesses, employees and customers from costly scams . The increased risk for businesses has led National Trading Standards to encourage more businesses to join Businesses Against Scams.

The initiative provides free tools for businesses to help upskill and train their workforce, through free online training modules that will help staff identify and prevent potential scams.

Businesses can take the training and sign up at https://www.friendsagainstscams.org.uk/BAS

See attached press release for further details.

HOMEWORKING

Should you choose to work from home, or if your company has decided to adopt agile working practises, following the Coronavirus outbreak we have also included some advice to setting up your home workstation. Working on the sofa might be the norm; however, this can lead to numerous back problems further down the line. Where possible, a separate work area is beneficial for home workers where you can set up a proper chair, desk and equipment. This is not necessarily dependent on space. With a little bit of space planning and clever furniture, you can make any little nook into a productive work area. 

Chairs

If you tend to sit for long periods of time, we would suggest investing in a good ergonomic chair to support various postures throughout your working day. If you are able to take your work office chair home with you then this is a good option. Ergonomic chairs are usually modular and built to your specification e.g. extra-deep seats for tall users or a shorter back for smaller users. Once you have found your perfect chair, take time to set it up correctly to make sure you benefit from all the features of your chair.

Office chairs are required to be adjustable for height and have an adjustable backrest for height and tilt. These features allow the backrest to be adjusted to support the natural curvature of the lower back, which in turn aids correct overall body posture. The height of the chair should allow positioning of the hands on the keyboard so that the wrists are straight, the elbows are resting by the side at 90 degrees and there is minimal reaching or leaning.

If you do not have an ergonomic chair, you could make some comfortable adjustments to your current chair with sitting wedges to angle your pelvis forward slightly for a better posture, to make it a little bit more supportive. If you are sat too low the placing of cushions or pillows on the seat pad may help raise your posture and prevent stress and strain on your shoulders, neck and lower back. 

Footrest

If your feet are off the floor a box will act as a footrest to support your feet and lower limbs. A footrest is used when the height of the chair (determined by arm position as noted above) does not allow a stable base of support to be established by the feet. A footrest will enable the user to gain a stable base of support, which aids in achieving correct posture during seated tasks.

Make sure that your screens are at the correct height

Visual display units should sit directly in front of the user and approximately an arm’s length away, although this can depend on an individual’s focus and eyesight. The top of the screen should sit at eye level so that the majority of the screen is below the horizon. The muscles in the eyes are at their most relaxed when looking below the horizon. 

Use your laptop safely

If you are working from a laptop for any period of time, it is recommended that it is set up on a laptop stand (or on books) to raise it to eye height and it is then used alongside a separate keyboard and mouse to ensure the screen on the laptop stays at arm’s length.

Keyboard

The keyboard should be positioned approximately 10cm from the edge of the desk and within easy reach when sitting in a relaxed posture. This will reduce the strain on the neck, shoulders and back that is often associated with leaning and reaching. Items should not be placed between the user and the keyboard but should be placed either to the side or behind the keyboard or on a document holder. Extra caution should be taken to avoid ‘hovering’ above the keyboard with the fingers and thumb, as this can increase the pressure in the region. If your able to, take your work keyboard home with you.

Mouse

The mouse should be kept close to the side of the keyboard and within easy reach when sitting with the elbow flexed to 90 degrees. Any reaching or rotating of the shoulder to access the mouse can lead to significant increases in shoulder strain that can have flow-on effects to the elbow, forearm, wrist and hand. Using a mouse pad (although not required in new mice) can help to keep the mouse in the optimal position.  If you are able to, take your work mouse home.

Take regular breaks

There’s often a common misconception that ‘home workers don’t work as hard as those in the office’. However, it’s often even harder to switch off as the borders between work and home life blur. If you are working from home, make sure that you agree strict hours with your employer so that you feel comfortable in shutting down at a set time and can get on with your evening just as you would in a 9-5 office.

We also tend to have prompts to move around and take a break. Making a cup of tea might not seem significant, but little micro-breaks are great productivity boosters and also prevent you from sitting down all day. When you are working from home, try setting yourself little reminders to take proper breaks.

It is encouraged that you change your posture, between sitting and standing at regular intervals throughout the day. These posture breaks are to allow you to get up and alter your posture, and also to rest your hands from the keyboard and mouse. As a guide, it is recommended posture breaks of 2 – 3 minutes every 20 – 25 minutes are taken.

According to HSE guidelines (HSE 2003b) work should be planned so that there are regular breaks or changes of activity. It is therefore encouraged that employees take occasional breaks away from their workstation, take lunch away from their desk and lead an active lifestyle outside of work to prevent exacerbation of musculoskeletal problems.

Telephone

If you are a regular phone user in the office, it’s more than likely that you use a landline on your desk. Telephones should be kept in positions where they are easily accessible so that there is no reaching or leaning required to access them. If you work from home without access to a landline, use your mobile on speakerphone or with an earpiece. Avoid holding it to your ear and neck.

IN SUMMARY:

General advice has been given on good posture when operating the DSE and other simple measures that will ensure a safe and comfortable working environment. Improvement in the health and comfort of the individual will depend on the advice being implemented on a daily basis.

During the last few weeks people have been coming together in our communities to tackle the Covid-19 crisis, helping others in need in their neighbourhoods. Over 200 local groups and charities have received essential funding to do incredible things – helping local people get food and medicine, supporting those who are lonely and anxious, and much more: https://www.norfolkfoundation.com/news-events Getting a supply of regular food and essentials to many vulnerable people is a critical part of our funding support, however we are also now seeing the wider impact of Covid-19 on issues such as homelessness, domestic abuse and bereavement, and are focusing on supporting established charities that are making a strategic difference in working to tackle these issues. Could your business help this vital work go a little further? The substantial community effort so far has been made possible with the support of over 1,000 donors, helping to raise over £800,000, and is only the beginning of a long journey towards tackling the fallout from Covid-19 and the issues facing our communities for the foreseeable future. To find out more and donate visit Norfolk Community Foundation’s website: https://www.norfolkfoundation.com/giving-philanthropy/covid19communityresponsefund  

Foundation reaches thousands with free meals  The Soul Foundation is scaling up massively in response to the coronavirus crisis, and is now aiming to deliver 130,000 meals a month across the city. 

The foundation was launched ten years ago by Jon and Chantal Norman, pastors of Soul Church in Norwich. Nik Chapman, director of Soul Foundation, said that people in need now included those “who are vulnerable or ill, or isolating and having difficulty accessing food, through to those who have been made redundant or furloughed.”  Currently the foundation supports vulnerable people through organisations such as YMCA Norfolk, homeless hostels and schools, as well as reaching a number of individuals and families. It has received an array of donations, including thousands of kilos of fresh produce, a chiller van and seven delivery vans. The goods it is supplying include food parcels, microwavable meals and care packages of toiletries and cleaning products. Soul Foundation has launched a donation page to continue trying to self-fund as it does not receive any financial support from the council. Alongside individual donors, shose who have supported the foundation so far include Norwich City Football Club, Norwich School, UEA, Chartwells (Compass Group), Boswell Insurance, Bidwells, Tofuerai and Banham Poultry. 

Read more here

With the country in lock down, we thought this might be a helpful resource to keep you productive in this season.

For many it’s a season of unbelievable challenge. But there are also great opportunities to re-access our plans and priorities.

We’re giving away the first 100 copies! Just click the link below, give us your details and we will post you your free copy! Stay healthy, stay happy, stay productive!!!

www.getstuffdone.me

Anglian Water is today (21 April 2020) celebrating receiving a Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development – the UK’s highest accolade to celebrate business success – for a second time.

The award, which is announced on the Queen’s birthday, was awarded to the water company for demonstrating excellent positive impacts across a number of initiatives such as reducing carbon and improving water quality, as well as continuing to put social and environmental prosperity for local communities at the heart of all it does.

The company first received a Queen’s Award in 2015 in recognition of the development of its ‘Love Every Drop’ strategy since its inception in 2010. The strategy solidified the company’s commitment to sustainability across the whole business, from the water it supplies to the recycling of used water before it’s returned to the environment.

The Queen’s Award stated, Anglian Water had continued to demonstrate clear sustainability leadership, by adopting an exemplary approach in formalising its commitment to wider social purpose through amendments to its Articles of Association – the legal documents that underpin how the business is run.

Two weeks ago, the company clearly demonstrated this commitment by launching its £1million ‘Positive Difference Fund’ alongside a whole package of measures to support local communities and its employees with the fight against coronavirus. 

Alongside this, as part of its longstanding membership with Business in the Community, the company has also been instrumental in setting up a response network –  bringing together charities and community groups who have urgent needs in the current crisis, with businesses who may be able to offer support.

Peter Simpson, Anglian Water’s Chief Executive, said: “Today we’re humbled and honoured that our approach, the way we do business, and the hard work of all our people has been recognised with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainable Development.

“Now, with the backdrop of COVID19, the critical nature of our work has never been clearer; keeping taps running, toilets flushing and drains clear – providing the essential services our customers need, so they can use them without a second thought. But we want to go further. Our business is built on the communities it serves, so it’s absolutely right we extend our support back to them during this time of need.

“I’m proud Anglian Water has received this award for a second time. It’s testament to everyone who works for us, within our business and throughout our supply chain. Every day they put customers, communities and the environment at the heart of their thinking.”

Now in its 54th year, the Queen’s Awards for Enterprise are the most prestigious business awards in the country, with winning businesses able to use the esteemed Queen’s Awards emblem for the next five years.

Applications for Queen’s Awards for Enterprise 2021 open on the 1st May 2020. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/queens-awards-for-enterprise.