- "In the last 20 years our business has changed considerably…and as the focus of our business has changed, Bird Luckin have moved with us."
Alex Tanner, George Tanner (Shalford) Ltd - "Bird Luckin has looked after us incredibly well for over 60 years, they are pro-active and innovational - meeting all our needs to help us achieve our aims."
Richard Stubbings, Cliffords Limited - "I can honestly say that Bird Luckin are the best firm of accountants and auditors I have ever dealt with - and I don't say that lightly!"
Colin Webb, Walthamstow Stadium - "It's important for us to know that we will always be able to contact the right people to give us the right advice and support."
Jane Bennett, Bennetts Funeral Directors - "Although we deal mainly with one Partner … we also know that if we need to contact someone else who is a specialist in another area, we can get the advice we need quickly and easily"
Jeremy Ruggles, J.S. Wright & Sons Ltd - "Bird Luckin got us to a stage which would have taken us months - if not years - to reach on our own, and they got us there in a matter of weeks"
Matthew Sullivan, SNC Ltd - "You can be a good accountant, but if you don't have an understanding of the industry it can be very difficult. "There are two or three people we have regular contact with at Bird Luckin who know our business well, and it makes a difference.""
Robert Church, W A Church (Bures) Ltd - "The work which Bird Luckin has done for Boddingtons over the past few months has helped shape our future direction for the better."
John Warner, Chief Executive, Boddingtons Ltd - "Bird Luckin has acted for us since our inception 10 years ago. They have a very 'can do' yet highly professional attitude - we are very appreciative of their support and advice over the years."
Marlon Fox, Outlook Property Ltd
Rights for working parents
Being a parent is not easy, but neither is being an employer of parents. Although the requirement to pay tax credits through the payroll to employees has now ceased, there are several forthcoming changes to employment law which are designed to help working parents, and for which employers need to start planning now.
Maternity and paternity pay and leave
Maternity pay is currently payable for up to nine months and the mother can take a further three months unpaid leave if she qualifies.
Fathers now benefit from an additional period of paternity leave, introduced alongside the extension of Statutory Maternity leave to 12 months. Fathers (and other paternity leave claimants) may take any unused maternity leave that the mother has not taken, if she returns to work after six months, but before the end of her maternity leave period.
Flexible working
Once the parent is back at work he or she can ask their employer for a flexible working arrangement, if their child is aged under six. Parents of disabled children can ask for flexible working if their child is aged under 18. The Work and Families Act extends this right to a much wider range of carers, including those who care for adults.
Childcare costs
While the parent is working, someone has to pay for the childcare, and the Government has been urging employers to help with these costs. Employers are able to provide their employees with childcare vouchers, or pay for childcare directly in a private nursery, with the first £55 per week for basic rate taxpayers being free of tax and national insurance contributions (NICs). This figure may be reduced for higher rate taxpayers.
A solution, which is perfectly acceptable to HMRC, is to substitute some of the employee's pay with the childcare vouchers. This way the employer can save on national insurance, since employers' NICs are not payable on the value of the vouchers. However there are some practical difficulties with such a salary sacrifice. The employee must agree to the change in their gross pay before it takes effect, which normally means signing revised terms of employment. When an employee is no longer eligible for the childcare vouchers, perhaps because the child is too old, the vouchers should be withdrawn and the employment terms readjusted.
If you run your own company and have young children you can give yourself tax-free childcare vouchers, but remember that vouchers may only be redeemed with a registered or authorised childminder or nursery. The vouchers do not qualify as tax-free if they can be exchanged for cash.
Workplace nurseries
Employers who provide a workplace nursery can allow their employees to use the facilities with absolutely no tax charges. This is a very good deal for the parents who receive free or subsidised childcare close to their place of work, but many smaller employers cannot afford to set up such nurseries.