planIT Services meets rigorous independent standards to join FCSA

 
11 January 2011: The Freelancer and Contractor Services Association (FCSA) will today announce that Chartered Accountants firm, planIT Services, has been accepted as a full member of the Association.
 
In order to be accepted as an FCSA member, planIT Services were subjected to the FCSA Code of Conduct; a rigorous review process established by the Association, following extensive liaison with HMRevenue and Customs.
 
The Code is designed to be the most robust and comprehensive in existence, conducted independently by KPMG - one of the ‘big four' accountancy practices.  It is designed to demonstrate to Government, as well as freelancers and contractors looking for a service provider, that a company is financially stable, provides high quality professional services and operates to the highest standards of transparency and accountability. Compliance with the Code is independently assessed and validated by KPMG, with documentation deposited with HM Revenue and Customs at the end of the accreditation process.


Adrian Learer FCA, Managing Director, planIT Services Limited said:
 
‘I'm delighted that planIT Services has passed this rigorous review process and is now an FCSA member. We have always taken pride in our exemplary compliance standards and today is the result of years of hard work and ongoing investment in robust systems and qualified personnel.
 
‘With the implementation of AWR and the ever increasing legislative red tape within our sector, contractors and recruitment agencies need to know who they can trust. However, it has not always been easy to distinguish between those services providers who will remove your risk and those who will actually put you at risk.
 
‘Many compliance badges that I've looked into have, in my opinion, lacked true independence and professional standards and therefore are devoid of credibility. With the FCSA this is clearly not the case. Being an FCSA member puts planIT in an elite group of service providers with the highest standards of compliance, professional advice and financial prudence. planIT is pinning it's colours to the FCSA mast; this is a badge that genuinely differentiates the best-practice market leaders from the rest.'
 
Stuart Davis, Chairman, FCSA said:
 
‘We are delighted that planIT Services has been able to meet the high standards required to gain membership of the FCSA and are delighted to welcome them to the Association. The  FCSA is increasingly gathering pace towards our objective of ensuring our entire industry adheres to the strict standards of excellence set by the FCSA code.
 
‘At the FCSA, we take great pride in the quality of our membership, the independent nature of our Code, our representation of the flexible workforce with government, and the excellent professional services our members provide to tens of thousands of contractors across a range of sectors in the UK. FCSA membership is the badge of honour every freelancer and contractor should look for when choosing a professional services company to advise them. Only then can they be sure that they will receive a reliable, responsible and robust service.'
- Ends-
 
For more information or to arrange a free advisory meeting with planIT Services Limited, please contact Monty Nevett on 020 7251 8690 or email Monty.Nevett@planitservices.co.uk.

About planIT Services Limited

• planIT Services Limited is a London based firm of Chartered Accountants providing specialist tax and accounting services to contractors.
• Formed in 1996, we are a long standing firm, having successfully provided accountancy services to many thousands of contractors throughout the UK for many years.
• With planIT you always get a personal service with an emphasis on accounting and tax planning tailored to the needs of today's contractor.
• In 2010, planIT teamed up with Iris to provide the market-leading FreeAgent online accounting software for contractors and today are the largest Iris FreeAgent provider in the UK.

About FCSA (www.fcsa.org.uk):

• The Freelancer and Contractor Services Association was established in 2008 in response to a stream of proposed regulation which revealed a lack of understanding from Government as to how the flexible labour market operates.
• That year, FCSA (then SPA) successfully engaged in the HM Treasury consultation process on the issue of subsistence and travel expenses tax relief for freelance workers employed by umbrella companies.
• FCSA has created an industry leading Code of Conduct. To join the FCSA, members undergo a comprehensive review of their business services, operations, policies and processes by means of an extensive questionnaire and onsite assessment reviewed by KPMG. Once this process has been successfully completed the file goes to HMRC along with the report from the accountants. This review process is completed annually to ensure the standards are maintained and any changes to legislation are applied - this is an unrivalled act of open book compliance.
• Association members offer professional services to tens of thousands of contractors across a range of sectors including IT, healthcare, oil and gas, energy and finance.