Alan Secker & Co - Chartered Accountants

<BODY BACKGROUND="as-bkgd.gif" VLINK="#990099" ALINK="#FF0000" LINK="#0000FF"> <CENTER> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="100%"> <TR VALIGN="TOP"> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" BGCOLOR="#CC0044" WIDTH="99%" HEIGHT="20"><FONT FACE="Arial" COLOR="#FFFFFF"> <A NAME="AS_SPEC_TOP"></A> <STRONG>        Solicitors</STRONG></FONT></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="100%"> <TR> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" WIDTH="4%"></TD> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" HEIGHT="20" WIDTH="99%"><FONT FACE="Arial"><BR> A report of the Investigation and Monitoring Unit of the Law Society covering a 7 month period, found after undertaking:<BR> <BR> <STRONG>1,916</STRONG> Monitoring visits of which<BR> <STRONG>1,451</STRONG> concerned accounts; and<BR> <STRONG>  465</STRONG> investments that;<BR> <BR> Compensation Fund payouts were 'limited to' <STRONG>£10,700,000</STRONG> <BR> Referrals to the unit in respect of fraud, increased by <STRONG>28%</STRONG> <BR> Inspections revealed breaches in the Accounts Rules of <STRONG>43%</STRONG><BR> Monitoring Inspections revealed breaches in the Solicitors Accounts Rules 1996 of <STRONG>50%</STRONG> <BR> <BR> Before you become a statistic, take advice from someone who knows your business. <BR> <BR> We have been involved in providing solutions to in-house accounting difficulties, without contemporaneous disruption to day to day operations, for the long term benefit of clients.<BR> <BR> Some of our solutions have included redesigning stationery, such as requisitions. Or targeting computer operating instructions for each type of user (fee earners, cashiers and so on). Not everyone in the firm needs to labour through a two inch manual.<BR> <BR> We maintain a careful watch on changes in Law Society rules and practise. All obligations placed upon our clients devolving from the Solicitors' Accounts Rules and other regulations are met both in substance and form.<BR> <BR> Our clients benefit from having accountants with an in-depth knowledge of the processes at every level of a legal practise.<BR> <BR> </FONT></TD> </TR> </TABLE> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" BGCOLOR="#CC0044" WIDTH="99%" HEIGHT="20"><FONT FACE="Arial" COLOR="#FFFFFF"><STRONG>        Non-Residents and Ex-Patriates</STRONG></FONT></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" HEIGHT="20" WIDTH="99%"> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="100%"> <TR> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" WIDTH="4%"></TD> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" HEIGHT="20" WIDTH="99%"><FONT FACE="Arial"><BR> For several years a growing segment of our practise has been devoted to the UK tax affairs of ex-patriates and other non-residents with income arising in the UK.<BR> <BR> Most of them had been unaware of their entitlement to allowances that could reduce their UK tax liabilities and were surprised when we obtained significant repayments for them. <BR> <BR> In recent years the range of people that are eligible for personal allowances has been increased to include EC citizens. <BR> <BR> With tax credits on dividends becoming irrecoverable, the range of income upon which repayments made be gained is reduced but not eliminated. If you have earnings, trading or property income arising in the UK, contact us. <BR> <BR> </FONT> </TD> </TR> </TABLE> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" BGCOLOR="#CC0044" WIDTH="99%" HEIGHT="20"><FONT FACE="Arial" COLOR="#FFFFFF"><STRONG>        Computer Industry</STRONG></FONT></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" HEIGHT="20" WIDTH="99%"> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="100%"> <TR> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" WIDTH="4%"></TD> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" HEIGHT="20" WIDTH="99%"><FONT FACE="Arial"><BR> during the early 70's, Alan Secker became involved in systems analysis and software selection before the advent of the microcomputer in 1975. <BR> <BR> Anticipating the impact of this forthcoming technology, he joined the Amateur Computer club, meeting some of the brightest minds then in the industry. Their advice was to 'soak it in through the pores'. This is precisely what he did, becoming treasurer of the ACC in the late 70's. He took hardware and software courses at night school and built his first machine in 1978. Professional relationships with a wide variety of companies and individuals followed. Since then there probably isn't an inch of the industry that we haven't touched. <BR> <BR> We act for systems analysts, programmers, solution providers, system maintenance enterprises and OEMs. <BR> <BR> </FONT> </TD> </TR> </TABLE> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" BGCOLOR="#CC0044" WIDTH="99%" HEIGHT="20"><FONT FACE="Arial" COLOR="#FFFFFF"><STRONG>        Property</STRONG></FONT></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" HEIGHT="20" WIDTH="99%"> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="100%"> <TR> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" WIDTH="4%"></TD> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" HEIGHT="20" WIDTH="99%"><FONT FACE="Arial"><BR> <BR> During the '50s and '60's it was deemed a natural step to sell one's manufacturing business, plough the proceeds into property and retire on the rents. Inflation and value added ... refurbishing war-worn or dilapidated buildings enhanced values. <BR> <BR> The British banking world, unable to see further than the end of its pre-war pre-eminence saw land, bricks and mortar as the only security. Money it seemed, was always available for property speculation but little else. <BR> <BR> It was during this period that Alan Secker was weaned as a young accountant's clerk. Articled to a firm peppered with small property investment clients, he cut his teeth on void relief and maintenance claims. <BR> <BR> After qualifying with Goodier Smith & Co, he went to Stoy Hayward to garner some experience of large clients and on his first day was presented with a fast growing public property company, with a multiplicity of subsidiaries to audit. Scraping by with a little help from his friends, he was amazed to be called back at the request of the M.D. to take over as chief accountant for a year. <BR> <BR> The authority granted was enormous as was the responsibility but the training and experience gained at both professional firms, when brought to bear, contributed to cash flow, general efficiency and the only reliable source of information for the management department since the inception of the company. <BR> <BR> The reason, you see, is that knowing when to collect rents and monitoring payments is not enough. When are the insurances renewal dates? what is the maintenance cycle? What is happening to occupancy? We must not forget to give notice on the right dates, and so forth. <BR> <BR> Today, this is child's play using even basic database systems but then it meant using cleverly designed stationery to minimise pen-strokes not key strokes. <BR> <BR> In the early 70's we experienced a recession and a property crash. Inflation went into reverse and the banks' collateral diminished. They called in their loans. How on earth can you convert bricks and mortar into cash? Only by selling to a market that had no available borrowing power. <BR> <BR> During the melee that followed, we saw former self-appointed millionaire geniuses contemplating suicide as their capital gains tax bills loomed. We negotiated a get-out for a client owing a fringe bank a £1M by paying a single once-and-for all payment of £1,000. <BR> <BR> We act or have acted for surveyors, quantity surveyors, estate agents, property consultants, developers, property dealing companies, property investment companies and land-scapers. <BR> <BR> The property business? We think we know what you mean. <BR> <BR> </FONT> </TD> </TR> </TABLE> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" BGCOLOR="#CC0044" WIDTH="99%" HEIGHT="20"><FONT FACE="Arial" COLOR="#FFFFFF"><STRONG>        Travel</STRONG></FONT></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" HEIGHT="20" WIDTH="99%"> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="100%"> <TR> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" WIDTH="4%"></TD> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" HEIGHT="20" WIDTH="99%"><FONT FACE="Arial"><BR> We have been involved with the travel industry since the late '60s. Preparing reports for ABTA, IATA and the Newspaper Publishers Advertising watchdog. We have considerable experience of High Street agencies, on-line agencies, Tour Ooperators (and the dreaded Tour Operators Margin Scheme) and Tour organisers. We've arranged finance for bonds and written specifications for dedicated computer systems. <BR> <BR> </FONT> </TD> </TR> </TABLE> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" BGCOLOR="#CC0044" WIDTH="99%" HEIGHT="20"><FONT FACE="Arial" COLOR="#FFFFFF"><STRONG>        Financial Services</STRONG></FONT></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" HEIGHT="20" WIDTH="99%"> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="100%"> <TR> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" WIDTH="4%"></TD> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" HEIGHT="20" WIDTH="99%"><FONT FACE="Arial"><BR> We have acted for Investment and Insurance advisors/brokers for many years. We have specialist experience in the bookkeeping and accounting requirements for these and other back-to-back commission based industries. <BR> <BR> </FONT> </TD> </TR> </TABLE> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" BGCOLOR="#CC0044" WIDTH="99%" HEIGHT="20"><FONT FACE="Arial" COLOR="#FFFFFF"><STRONG>        Hotels</STRONG></FONT></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" HEIGHT="20" WIDTH="99%"> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="100%"> <TR> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" WIDTH="4%"></TD> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" HEIGHT="20" WIDTH="99%"><FONT FACE="Arial"><BR> Our experience ranges from small red-brick Victorian family hotels to large Central London institutions. <BR> <BR> Hotels are like small towns. Each corner can be both a cost centre and an income centre. From the night-porter who arranges cabs or flowers at outrageous times to the banqueting suite. It all has to be controlled and accounted for and the systems put in place have to be up to the job. <BR> <BR> </FONT> </TD> </TR> </TABLE> </TD> </TR> <TR> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" BGCOLOR="#CC0044" WIDTH="99%" HEIGHT="20"><FONT FACE="Arial"><FONT FACE="Arial" COLOR="#FFFFFF"> <A NAME="AS_SPEC_BOT"></A> <STRONG>        Printing and Publishing</STRONG></FONT></FONT></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD ALIGN="LEFT" HEIGHT="20" WIDTH="99%"><UL> <LI><FONT FACE="Arial">Artists</FONT></LI> <LI><FONT FACE="Arial">Authors</FONT></LI> <LI><FONT FACE="Arial">Cartoonists</FONT></LI> <LI><FONT FACE="Arial">Copy writers</FONT></LI> <LI><FONT FACE="Arial">Corporate Brochure Publishers</FONT></LI> <LI><FONT FACE="Arial">Journalists</FONT></LI> <LI><FONT FACE="Arial">Photographers</FONT></LI> <LI><FONT FACE="Arial">Printers</FONT></LI> <LI><FONT FACE="Arial">Publisher -Magazines</FONT></LI> <LI><FONT FACE="Arial"> -Books</FONT></LI> <LI><FONT FACE="Arial">Book-binders</FONT></LI> </UL> </TD> </TR> </TABLE> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" WIDTH="100%"> <TR> <TD VALIGN="top" WIDTH="100%" ALIGN="CENTER" HEIGHT="7">  <FONT SIZE="4"><B>    | <A HREF="#AS_SPEC_TOP" TARGET="BODY"> Top </A> | <A HREF="#AS_SPEC_BOT" TARGET="BODY"> Bottom </A> | <A HREF="index.html" TARGET="_top"><FONT SIZE="4"><B> Home Page </B></FONT></A> <FONT SIZE="4"><B> | </B></FONT> </B></FONT></TD> </TR> </TABLE> </CENTER> </BODY>