The Positive Accountant - Vol 2 Ed 17
I'm struggling a little bit with the definitions of what can and can't be open from July. Barbers yes, beauty salons no. What about a hairdresser that does nails ?
Pubs yes, gyms no. (Perhaps a little Prime Ministerial bias coming in here ?)
And if I'm reading it correctly, the pubs that open are being encouraged to have the drinks ordered and paid for by app. A few pints down and I can't see any problems there !
Theatres can open but not with live acts (doesn't that make them a cinema? Or are they referring to wooden acting being OK ?)
One thing is for certain, even if your business is allowed to open, it won't be quite as simple as just unlocking the door and turning the lights on ! And as so often has been the case in this crisis, the government's approach is to say 'follow common sense', but threaten prosecution for health and safety breaches regardless. Some tricky decisions and a bumpy road ahead !
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What are my positives today:-:
1. I wasn’t in Bournemouth today
I assume you saw the pictures ? Aside from anything else, who on earth could enjoy sitting on a beach that crowded, with no public toilets open. What do people think they are going to be swimming in?
And here is the really sobering thought. How come all those people could be there on a Thursday, which ordinarily would be a working day ?
The answer, I suspect, is that a large proportion are on furlough - being paid by the taxpayer (and the debt paid for decades to come)
2. Strictly’s back on in the Autumn
Most readers know that until recently I had a double life, running a dance school as well as being an accountant.
What is less well known is that for over ten years I’ve been featured on BBC Radio Suffolk as an unofficial Strictly pundit. This morning out of the blue I found myself talking live on air about sequinned face masks. And the real irony, plugging - as best one can on the BBC - a business which is closed down...
3. Boris’ Brexit Jet is back in the air
When I heard that the PM’s official jet was having some work done - I was alarmed.
Why ? In my early days of private aircraft ownership, I flew my plane in to the same airfield for some work ( it needed a new alternator).
To cut a very long and painful story extremely short, three months later it left on the back of a trailer resembling a meccano kit with the engineers basically saying that although they had taken moreorless the entire plane apart, they couldn’t find how to put it back together. (Luckily I found some that could, albeit in Devon)
So I am pleased and relieved for the PM that his Voyager still has the wings attached.
What am I talking to clients about ?
VAT....the idea of a VAT cut is gaining traction in the press. And it has form - in the recessions of the early 90's and the banking crash, VAT rates were cut.
For businesses that get their VAT back, my next point is only partly relevant. But where you can't recover VAT (eg buying a car, or where your business isn't registered for VAT), it might be worth holding back on significant purchases. I've been speaking with a couple of clients today on that very point.
Until tomorrow, stay safe, stay positive
Adrian
Silly I know. But it made me smile I guess there aren't many cows on Bournemouth beach ?
