by admin
December 20, 2011 in Uncategorized
We are getting ready for our Christmas holidays now so are just letting you know our opening hours over the festive period.
We are closed from Thursday 22nd December 2011 to Monday 2nd January 2012 inclusively and we reopen for our busy January period on Tuesday January 3rd 2012.
May we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
by admin
November 15, 2011 in Uncategorized
Just to let you know that we are back to normal and up and running with the same office hours (and great service!) as before.
Thank you for your patience.
by admin
October 27, 2011 in Uncategorized
We’re making some more changes behind the scenes and there are also some holidays being taken over the period Friday 28th October 2011 to Tuesday 15th November 2011. Therefore the following arrangements have been made.
- We won’t be contactable by telephone from 12 noon on Friday 28th until 8:15am on Tuesday 15th November. Our answering machines will be on but we cannot guarantee that we will be able to pick up any voicemails so please also send us an e-mail at the same time.
- Live chat will be unavailable.
- We will be responding to e-mails but they will not be checked a often as normal so please allow up to 3 business days for a reply.
Sorry for any inconvenience caused and thanks for your understanding with this. We will be back to normal in mid-November.
by admin
October 19, 2011 in Uncategorized
About six million people are set to receive tax rebates averaging £400, while another million will learn they have underpaid their tax by about £600.
Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) said letters would begin going out in the next few months, with those owing money able to pay in stages.
It is the second year tax and National Insurance discrepancies have been identified by a new computer system.
HMRC said the number of cases would reduce “as the new system beds in”.
Those who will be told they have underpaid tax are expected to owe between £500 and £600 on average.
The rebates, which relate to overpayments in 2007-08 or earlier and will include interest, are due to be settled by December 2012.
If you have any questions then please get in touch with us.
Full story at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15363168
by admin
October 17, 2011 in Uncategorized
8 So what experience do you have?
As mentioned above, we use only qualified Chartered Accountants and each team member has up to 50 years experience in their field. As a minimum our team will have five years accountancy experience.
9) Are there any other business services that you offer?
Colledge & Co’s sister divisions offer monthly fixed fee services for sole traders and partnerships through sole trader accountants.com (click here to go to the website) and a monthly fee package for contractor limited companies and freelancers through kontracta.com (click here to go to the website.)
10) So who do I contact?
Please feel free to call us on 0845 604 2028 or e-mail on info@colledge.co.co.uk. We look forward to hearing from you.
by admin
October 14, 2011 in Uncategorized
5) What are your rates then?
We offer a competitive rate to new and established businesses. We promise to cap our fees for the first year according to our initial agreement. Should the value of work carried out be in excess of the quoted fee we will charge no extra and also advise you of what likely fees would be for subsequent years.
As mentioned above you also get ALL work carried out by qualified Chartered Accountants.
6) Where do you work?
We are based in London and Leicester. We do not consider ourselves geographically tied to these areas however and will be able to provide assistance across the UK; these however may be subject to additional overnight stays and travel costs.
7) What type of businesses do you serve?
We make ourselves available to all types and sizes of business – no business, or business idea, is too small. We have on hand a wide range of accountancy experience covering all sizes of business and, as such, are generally able to provide assistance for all businesses. If there is a service you require that is not listed on our services page, please call us on 0845 604 2028 to see how we can help.
by admin
October 12, 2011 in Uncategorized
3) Qualified in what?
All of our team are qualified Chartered Accountants and members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW) with experience across a broad range of businesses in the UK and overseas. Indeed one of our team has 50 years accountancy experience!
The company behind Colledge & Co (MPC Financial Consulting Ltd) is a Member Firm of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).
Additionally amongst the team there is ICAEW accreditation in the new International Financial Reporting Standards and a Certified Fraud Examiner (qualified via the Association of Fraud Control Examiners)
4) Why do you mention ‘qualified’ so often?!
Unlike the term ‘Solicitor’ or ‘Architect’, the word ‘Accountant’ is not legally protected in the UK (despite extensive lobbying by the UK Accountancy Bodies). So therefore unlike someone who fights a case for you or designs a house, anyone can call themselves an accountant and do your books. Potentially there could be problems!
However not everyone can call themselves a Chartered Accountant. They must pass stringent exams and a comprehensive accountancy education in the form of 3 years of on the job training before being admitted to the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (“ICAEW”).
The ICAEW is a body of 130,000 accountancy professionals worldwide and is consistently held as being a premier institution with a premier qualification. Members are bound by strict Institute Guidelines and are legally responsible for upholding such standards in the courts system. Member firms must have adequate professional indemnity insurance should there ever be problems.
These additional responsibilities set down on its members give all clients a comfort of an enhanced service. We are proud to be Chartered Accountants and an ICAEW Member Firm for this very reason! For more information please visit www.icaew.com.
by admin
October 10, 2011 in Uncategorized
1) So who are Colledge & Co?
Colledge & Co is the trading name of MPC Financial Consulting Ltd that began in 2004 to offer accounts, book keeping and general business functions for businesses in the Leicester area. It has now expanded to Central London and South West London in addition to the East Midlands – and has expanded its range of services based on experience from within the company. Where possible, services once only within the reach of big companies are being offered to SMEs and start ups. Also big companies will be able to obtain professional services from a smaller firm of accountants and in effect obtain a premium service for a more value for money fee.
MPC Financial Consulting Ltd is a member firm of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and member of the ICAEW Practice Assurance Scheme.
2) So why use Colledge & Co?
We believe that we offer an alternative for the following reasons:-
• Your work is undertaken by a qualified Chartered Accountant rather than someone who is yet to possess a qualification. The rates charged are more than comparable with that of a trainee at the larger accounting firms so you will be getting a better value for money service.
• We cap our fees for the first year of business with you within the range agreed at the time of our appointment.
• We travel to your premises to discuss accounts and collect book rather than require you to come to an office.
• A free, no obligation advisory appointment is offered for start ups and potential new businesses.
There are no contractual tie-in periods with us- we only enter into long term contracts at your request. You are free to come and go as you please.
For professionals relocating to the UK from overseas we offer advice and services from the time you enter the UK to the time you leave. The owner has done similar (but in the opposite direction!) so not only has experience in relocations but also has a sympathetic understanding too!
by admin
October 5, 2011 in Uncategorized
Colledge & Co …
Colledge & Co and all of their staff are chartered accountants and the company behind us is a member of the ICAEW Practice Assurance Scheme.
In many, many firms, the bulk of the work is completed by a trainee accountant, someone who is ‘qualified by experience’ (i.e. not qualified) or in some cases, a piece of software. The final accounts may be signed off by someone who is suitably qualified but with Colledge & Co, the whole thing is completed by someone who is qualified.
For a great value for money service too. We believe that you are getting a service from fully qualified chartered accountants for a fee that is less than that charged by businesses who are either not chartered accountants or those who primarily use unqualified staff for the bulk of their work.
Please check our credentials!
We are part of MPC Financial Consulting Ltd, registered company 05301313. You can check our existence via the Companies House website.
MPC Financial Consulting are a member firm of the ICAEW. Please check our status here. You can also find out more about the ICAEW here.
For more information on the director please click here. You can check any of our accountants’ memberships by calling the ICAEW too. We are also happy to answer any questions so feel free to contact us at any time.
If you are currently comparing us against other providers then please also remember to check their credentials too.
To conclude
- Would you fancy having your plumbing done by someone who woke up and decided that he was a plumber this morning?!
- Would you like your teeth being pulled out by someone who is in their first week of training to be a dentist?!
- Would you fancy your dog being operated on by software driven machinery?!
Then surely you wouldn’t want your accounts, tax and VAT being completed by anyone else than a suitably UK qualified chartered accountant!
by admin
October 3, 2011 in Uncategorized
Anyone can call themselves an accountant!
Now unlike the term ‘Solicitor’ or ‘Architect’, the word ‘Accountant’ is not legally protected in the UK (despite extensive lobbying by the UK Accountancy Bodies). Unlike someone who fights a case for you or designs a house, anyone can call themselves an accountant and do your accounts, VAT and tax. You too can get up one morning and call yourself an accountant and start a business over the internet! Indeed there are many organisations that have. This is a situation that is not repeated in most other countries worldwide.
This could lead to big problems. You may be getting sub-standard advice, the ‘accountant’ will not be supervised by a suitable body and they may not be even carrying appropriate insurance.
If you have a problem with them there is every chance that it will not be addressed by anyone; If you find yourself in a position of being investigated by HMRC or any other statutory body, the advice (or ‘advice’) you received may not have been worth the paper it was written on and you are left to face the consequences. Even if you end up going through the hassle of taking them to court for professional negligence, the chances of getting any damages you’ve been awarded aren’t exactly brilliant.
Oh and they aren’t even necessarily any cheaper.
However not everyone can call themselves a Chartered Accountant
They must pass stringent exams and a comprehensive accountancy education in the form of 3 years of on the job training before being admitted to the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (‘ICAEW’). After qualification they are required to continue with ongoing professional development to keep on top of the game! This must be certified to the ICAEW and all qualified chartered accountants are subject to an audit of this certification.
The ICAEW is a body of 130,000 accountancy professionals worldwide and is consistently held as being a premier institution with a premier qualification. Members are bound by strict Institute Guidelines and are legally responsible for upholding such standards in the courts system.
Member firms must have also have sufficient professional indemnity insurance should there ever be problems. Again, the level of cover must be submitted to the ICAEW each and every year.
These additional responsibilities set down on its members give all clients a comfort of an enhanced service. We are proud to be Chartered Accountants and a member of the ICAEW Practice Assurance Scheme for this very reason!