Accountant charging excessive costs, also wants direct debit payments.

[Graham_07]

What have they got to do with accounts?

They send an annoying form to be filled out to self-employed people too ( which is mandatory).

Nothing at all , but that doesn't stop lots of people dropping them into their accountants to fill out, shure it's only a form, never mind that it takes an hour or more to fill out. After all it gives the government important information to enable them to make even more important decisions. And it isn't as if you had anything else to be doing is it And it's not as if you're going to be charging me for it are you, you're not, are you , serious.

 

[Complainer]

After all it gives the government important information to enable them to make even more important decisions.

The information doesn't just go to the Govt. A lot of the resulting information is made available on the CSO website, and the underlying data (appropriately anonymised) is generally made available to bona-fide researchers by arrangement.

 

[Graham_07]

The information doesn't just go to the Govt. A lot of the resulting information is made available on the CSO website, and the underlying data (appropriately anonymised) is generally made available to bona-fide researchers by arrangement.

Absolutely, which is hugely relevant and useful to the provider of the information. What I like is the last box on the forms where they ask, " how long did it take you to complete this form". I wonder do they care, does it matter if it took you 2 1/2 hours to provide this "statutorily required" information. My point is a lot of people just pass this on to their accountant and think nothing of it. TBH I find CSO forms a total and utter pain in the neck ( I had to say neck as anything more appropriate would have been removed by mods ). I have yet, in some 20 years of completing CSO forms to speak with anyone who has actually gained anything useful from the information they provided to the CSO.

 

[headache]

Had to laugh at your posts Graham and couldn't agree more. I hate those CSO forms and when I hear on the news the words 'figures released today by the CSO' I shudder as sometimes they do need to be estimated or are based on incomplete figures because the client 'forgot' to supply some paperwork at the time.
I was really unfortunate as I got two 2009 payroll surveys this year and I only have a handful of clients. They took ages to do and were really vague.
So people, next time you through one of those forms into your accountant or book-keeper and they look like they are clenching their jaw, its cos they are trying not to ball it up and throw it back at you!
And to the OP - if I were doing your book-keeping I would charge you anything from €100 to €2000 per month depending on complexity!