A life more digital with HMRC
I was trawling the internet the other day and came across this great new blog from the HMRC digital relationship lead. It's aimed at software developers, but it's interesting none the less... so I thought I'd share.
I’m Louise Tarpy, HMRC’s Digital Relationship Lead in the new Digital Relationship Management team. Welcome to my first ever blog in which I’ll be introducing our new Digital Relationship Management team and explaining where it fits in delivering HMRC’s digital future. Hopefully, this will be of particular interest if you are a software developer.
Politely referred to as an HMRC lifer, I joined what was the Inland Revenue in 1987. Rick Astley was Number 1, people thought nothing of smoking next to huge piles of cheques, we shared one computer between four and the internet was yet to be invented. Impossible then, for 17 year old me, to envisage a future self whose entire world would revolve around something called digital. And yet, here I am!
HMRC digital... the API circle of life
HMRC’s transformational agenda has a proactive approach to third party software development. It’s about working in partnership with the tax and business software industry to encourage the development of ‘best in class’ products, software that’s personalised to user needs and enables our mutual customers to help close the UK tax gap by being tax compliant.
Our Third Party Software and API Strategy maps out our vision to provide software developers and other third parties, with high-quality, rich APIs that facilitate the production of innovative, personalised, and more sophisticated software products to the market.
We’ve created three teams to enable that strategy and support developers and third parties on their API journey. Each team has a well-defined, yet complementary, purpose.
For the Digital Relationship Management Team think customer relations for product development. Our role is to foster and grow long-term, collaborative relationships with the industry. We’ll get to know you, your products, your structure, your delivery schedules and your strategies. We’ll also listen to your suggestions and feedback on our APIs and wider digital transformation plans, and feed those back to internal HMRC stakeholders. In short we’re the voice of developers inside HMRC and the voice of HMRC to developers.
The two other teams which make up the circle are:
Application Programme Interface (API) Platform Team: In order to facilitate our vision and provide third parties with secure and stable access to HMRC’s APIs we’ve built our own platform, the API Developer Hub. Here you can test your application in a sandbox (test) environment before moving your application into our live production environment. My colleague, Richard Baines, and his team are responsible for the provision and welfare of the platform, while Lisa Barnett and her team provide the Developer Hub services that reside on it. To find out more see Richard’s recent blog.
Software Developer Support Team (SDST): You may already be familiar with SDST, headed up by Dennis Dawkins. The team have a long-established history in providing crucial technical support to developers throughout product development and delivery. They provide service support models tailored to specific consumer needs, and their customers include commercial software vendors, other government departments and financial institutions.
The creation of a Digital Relationship Management team doesn’t change this. SDST remain first-tier operational and technical support for product development. To find out more see contact SDST pages on GOV.UK.
Regardless of which team you initially make contact with, the service you get is the same. All third party API consumers complete our circle.
And it’s not just developers these days
Say software development and it’s natural to think software developer but our API strategy is broadening the scope of that assumption. We’re seeing increasing approaches from banks, accountancy firms and fintechs interested in consuming our APIs for a variety of innovative reasons. Interest has grown at such a rate we’ve recently appointed a Digital Relationship Lead dedicated to the financial sector, Melanie Evans.
Your feedback is valuable
As a new team it’s important we get your feedback, so all of our email signatures link to a short questionnaire and quarterly we issue a longer version. These don’t take long to answer but the results are invaluable to us so, if you’re in contact with us, we’d really appreciate you taking a few moments to complete our surveys . Your feedback will help us to adapt and grow the service you need.
Digital Relationship Management on the road
We’re attending a number of events over the next few weeks with our Making Tax Digital colleagues. If you’re visiting Accountex on 23-24 May, please pop over and say ‘hello’. We don’t bite (honestly!).
My must-see sessions and speakers at Accountex 2018
There are times when a supplier gets the mix ‘just right’. And that’s what we believe the team behind Accountex has done since year one.
As an event, it’s a clever cocktail of suppliers, content and leading speakers that accountancy firms, finance directors and industry professionals all love.
From the outside, the event line-up may seem like a happy coincidence, but when you take a closer look at the speaker line up, the theatres, the support from associations and media partners, you’ll start to understand why Accountex, at London's ExCel on 23-24 May, is unique.
Every accountant should attend
For that reason, we believe every accountant in practice or in business should attend.
To say there is always a lot happening is an understatement and, as a flagship partner, one way we can contribute is with a specially developed app that is available for all visitors to download on to their smartphones.
The 2018 edition is packed with information on all the keynote sessions, seminars and workshops and where to find exhibitors along with useful tools such as a Mileage Tracker and Receipt Manager. These will be invaluable in helping to keep track of receipts and in preparing expenses claims, following the show.
Here are our top 10 sessions
With a wealth of sessions running across both days, there is a lot to take in. Here's our top 10. For details of theatres and session timings, check out the Accountex website HERE.
- The Rocky Road to Success: ICPA Chairman, Tony Margaritelli explores how small practices can punch above their weight and become ultra successful.
- How to Gain New Clients and Build a Strong Digital Brand Author and marketing expert Amanda C. Watts will be sharing essential information to ensure that businesses are profitable, scaleable and potentially – saleable.
- Becoming a Profitable and Effective 21st Century Accountant: Author of 14 books and an expert keynote speaker and thought leader, David Oliver takes a look at the challenges, and outlines a simple and proven approach to remaining connected with clients and becoming a profitable and effective 21st century firm.
- App-stacks, Add-ons, Best of Breed & How to Make Them Really Deliver: Alan Woods, MD of Woods Squared, a multi-award winning practice looks at his best of breed solutions and how brings everything together in one place.
- Making Tax Digital: Theresa Middleton, director, Making Tax Digital for Business, HMRC, will provide information on the background of the Making Tax Digital programme and HMRC’s future plans.
- Making Tax Digital Work For You: Rebecca Benneyworth, lecturer and writer will update delegates on the implementation of Making Tax Digital for businesses and how to start tackling the job of converting clients to digital recordkeeping.
- How Your Firm Can Make More Impact Than You Ever Imagined: Paul Dunn, chairman of B1G1, reveals how the Power of Small can make an extraordinary impact on clients’ businesses AND, as a direct result, your own business, your community and our world.
- Stop Working so Hard, Give More Value and Make More Money: James Ashford, CEO, GoProposal, reveals the strategies he uses in his firm and has helped to implement in hundreds of other firms around the world, to help them to grow more profitably and have a greater impact on their clients.
- The Changes that Make the Biggest Impact: John Stokdyk, global editor, AccountingWeb will share proven techniques to boost practice performance and enhance the client experience.
- 11 Reasons to Launch a Tax App: Daniel Richards, an expert and keynote speaker on the power of mobile technology and apps in professional service firms, will be revealing 11 of the latest reasons to launch your own, branded Tax App.
To make sure that you get the most out of your visit to Accountex we have prepared a free guide for you. Get this free 20-page report and discover the 6 top tips that can make your visit more productive than ever. Download HERE:
MyFirmsApp will be exhibiting at Accountex 2018 at ExCel on 23-24 May on stand 873.
"I’m happy in the hills, walking, mountaineering or skiing"
Paul Shrimpling MD of Remarkable Practice, which helps "do a few small things in a remarkable way so that their firm achieve remarkable results" chats to Ian Moss about his life and career.
The here and now...
How did you get into this business?
Long story but, after having bought accountancy services as a business owner, Steve Pipe and Mark Wickersham of AVN asked me to be marketing director and then managing director of AVN, starting 16 years ago. I then set up Remarkable Practice 11 years ago, with Kate, my wife, and have never looked back.
What have accountants got to learn about quarterly reporting?
Quarterly reporting is a great thing not a bad thing. In fact, quarterly reporting is a gift from the heavens above! MTD is going to force the profession from an annual accounts and annual tax return rhythm into a quarterly reporting rhythm. It’s a gift from on-high because it will force better relations between accountant and business owner for those firms who grasp this massive opportunity.
And what can you teach them?
Quarterly reporting is the best cross-selling opportunity the accountancy profession has ever seen. Yes, business owners won’t be excited about spending more on lower-value compliance services but they might appreciate more timely management information for better business decisions.
In fact some government research into over 15,000 businesses shows that about 5,000 (33 per cent) of them paid a median average of between £2,000 and £7,000 for advice. Quarterly reporting could push this amount higher, and also push up the number of businesses paying for advice.
My focus and passion is the strength of the relationship between accountant and business owner. Quarterly reporting creates a profound and valuable opportunity for strengthening the bond between accountant and business owner.
Because of what I’ve learned from working closely and exclusively with accountants over the last 16 years, I share the ways and means of strengthening the relationship between accountant and business owner and helping the accountants earn the right to greater fees and profits as a result.
Does the idea of information overload concern you?
No. The accountant’s job is a distiller, a filter. Help business owners see the wheat from the chaff, the woods from the trees and they’ll love you for it. Business owners want to growth their business. The government research mentioned earlier shows that the most popular subject of paid-for advice is business growth. And to grow business owners want and need to make better business decisions. To make better business decisions they need better information.
Accountants that provide filtered business intelligence using cloud accounting and the supporting apps set themselves up to be like the best of the worlds whisky and gin – they distil the overload of data and turn it into the information gems for the best of business decisions. If anything information overload is part of the opportunity that accountants must wrestle with to help their business clients see what matters and make the best of decisions.
What’s on the horizon for you and the sector?
Some tough decisions, I believe. Pricing quarterly reporting work in a Making Tax Digital world will determine future profits. Managing accounts production workflow for quarterly reporting will determine the capacity of every firm, and their ability to meet the quarterly requirements of their clients. This will lead to firms deciding who not to work for, and this is always hard to do.
As an influential voice, what impact do you want to have on the industry this year?
Accountants can make a massive and positive impact on their business owner clients – made easier in a quarterly reporting regime. I want to help accountants make the most of this wonderful opportunity.
EARLY DAYS...
Where did you grow up?
Born, learned to walk, run and ride a bike in Nelson, Lancashire. Learned to swim in Durham. Learned to play rugby in Derbyshire.
Were you any good at maths at school?
I was pretty good at Maths until I beat the head of maths at chess in the school chess club and he turned against me!
TRIVIA/MISCELLANY
What’s your favourite film? (you’re allowed more than one)
It’s a Wonderful Life; Up; Toy Story; Blade Runner.
What’s your favourite book? (you’re allowed more than one)
Anything by John Le Carre or Robert Harris and I loved Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell.
What’s your favourite type of music?
Jazz – especially when my three boys play it.
What’s your ideal day out?
If I’m in the mountains (or hills) I’m happy walking, mountaineering or skiing.
What’s your ideal holiday?
Mountaineering, or surfing, with my family.
Is money the root of all evil?
No, it’s a source of freedom and the ability to help others.
Do you support a football team?
It’s a game with too many primadonnas. Let me watch any rugby match instead. Even better let me referee it – my new passion!
Do you have a heroine or hero?
Every person who takes the leap of faith and starts their own business – they’re real superheroes.
Audit fee rules debate heats up
Whether it is taxation or technology, the world of accountancy never seems far from disruption. Rumblings about conflicts of interest in the area of company audits/consultancy roles are another source of controversy in the profession.
Scott Knight, head of audit at BDO, the UK's sixth largest audit firm, is the latest high-profile operator to contribute to the audit fee debate.
He wants to see more restrictions on the range of services auditors offer clients.
Audit fee rules change
The issue is that auditors can be tempted to overlook client difficulties so that they can continue raking in the high fees from other services, such as tax advice, that they provide for the same client.
The EU tried to address the problem in 2016 with new regulations restricting non-audit fees.
But Knight says there are too many grey areas. “The rules are too confusing and it’s too easy to trip up. I would love there to be a really clear black line. The rule should be if you do the audit, you can only do audit and audit-related work. Audit committees should have a really clear demarcation,” he tells the Financial Times.
Failed construction group
The issue came to light recently with the Carillion collapse. Each of the Big Four accounting firms, EY, Deloitte, PwC and KPMG, had provided non-audit services to the failed construction group.
Prem Sikka, professor of accounting at the University of Essex, agrees with Knight.
He tells the FT: He said: “Instead of 125 pages of verbal gymnastics we need a very simple rule — that auditors should act exclusively as an auditor — and that means no consultancy services of any kind for audit clients.
Leads to unfair competition
"That rule should apply to public and private companies, though small and medium-sized businesses could be exempt.
“The provision of non-auditing services by auditing firms leads to unfair competition. Auditing firms have used audits as loss-leaders in the hope that having got a foot-in-the-door, they will then secure lucrative non-auditing work.
"This is an abuse of the external audit function and disadvantages those businesses who cannot use audits as a market stall for selling other wares.”
Sponsors for the British Accounting Marketing Awards
The first British Accounting Marketing Awards, which will feature at Accountex in just three weeks, will be sponsored by MyFirmsApp.
The awards will showcase the best marketing from accounting firms across the UK and recognise those that that have made the biggest impressions and impact over the past 12 months.
Experts from accounting and marketing industries will form the judging panel and include:
- Steve Pipe, speaker and marketing strategist.
- Richard Woods, digital marketing specialist and BBC Apprentice finalist.
- Kelvin Golding, CEO MOST Marketing.
- Steven Briginshaw, business coach and mentor.
- Gary Das, entrepreneur.
- Zoe Lacey-Cooper, Accountex event director.
Winners to be revealed at Accountex
The winners will be announced at Accountex, the accounting profession’s leading exhibition for accountants on Wednesday, 23rd May 2018.
“This is the first time that the profession will be able to see what others are doing in terms of pro-active marketing to win new clients and raise the profile of their practices,” commented Joel Oliver, CEO, MyFirmsApp. “Sharing best-practice and what really works will make a huge difference to accountants that want to develop their marketing potential.”
Amanda C Watts, the founder of TwentyTwo Agency and the British Accounting Marketing Awards says: “Marketing can seem like something that has not been needed in the profession to date, as many firms have chosen to just rely on referrals.
"However modern marketing enables you to build deeper relationships and trust with prospects and clients. I saw a massive gap for Accounting Practices to be recognised for their hard work and dedication."