John’s Winter Blog 2016

As with the Autumn newsletter, this is a little late. I have been somewhat absorbed with dealing with the filing of Tax Returns before the 31 January 2017 deadline. This year it seems to have been somewhat more traumatic with a number of clients letting me have the information somewhat late but we achieved our deadline with a day to spare. Somewhere during 2016, I missed the 25th anniversary of the firm’s foundation back in 1991 when I opened a very small office in Station Parade Eastbourne with myself, a secretary and a part-time accounts lady.

Some of you may remember Anne Blake and Lesley Downes, both of course have moved on although I see Lesley from time to time at Victoria Baptist Church. Well, in the 25 years, we have grown considerably and there are 12 of us and in recent weeks we have welcomed Colin Dadswell, FCA, DChA, as the firm’s Charity accounts and audit manager. Colin comes with extensive experience in the Charity world and has considerable knowledge of IT matters and taxation and I will be pleased to introduce him to you during the coming year.

We were sorry to lose Nicholas Burton, who moved on, but now working in Tenterden and we wish him God’s richest blessing. Jacob is still progressing well with his ACCA examinations and hopes to be qualified within the next 18 months, and our other trainees, Tina, Michael and Andrew have all progressed well within the last six months and hopefully Tina and Michael will both become AAT qualified later in 2017.

We certainly live in changing times where there is no such thing as the norm anymore and so often difficult to interpret between truth and error, particularly with this new phrase ‘fake news’. So much of this of course comes through the internet and social media and one has to be very careful in deciding what is right and wrong and applying it correctly.

I was giving a talk the other morning at the Eastbourne Christian Area Network breakfast about my work regarding its joys and tribulations and I recall saying that I was part of a Church leadership team at one time where we were asked to study books on management, well I have come to learn that the only real good book to lean on is the Bible and the truths contained therein, a guide to us covering all aspects of life and telling us the means to knowing the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Easter season will soon be upon us and therefore Spring, although Easter is late this year in April, so I suspect my next newsletter will come round about that time. Easter of course the time of new birth and new beginnings.

Well, within the accounting and taxation world, we live with ever changing legislation and this year is no different. We have to consider the new Common Reporting Standard which may affect some Institutions. Again, there are major changes with what used to be called IR35, which will affect those who are self-employed or have Companies as a legal umbrella working in the public sector. Also, the government have announced how the new childcare benefit will work – see my articles on our website on all three subjects.

Well, I wish you peace and prosperity during these challenging days.

John Caladine, FCCA
Caladine Ltd