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Claire Fitzpatrick FCA looks back on her career, from trainee auditor to the frontier of blockchain technology innovation. What’s wrong with me?” For someone who has enjoyed a varied and successful career in professional services and large corporations, it might come as a surprise to learn that Claire Fitzpatrick asked herself that very question in her 30s as she watched her peers move into senior roles. “You just need to get on the track,” she was told – a less than subtle reference to the perceived linear path to CFO/CEO roles. But as Claire readily admits, this isn’t how she operates. The Dublin native has made serendipitous career moves since leaving PwC in 2000 to work with one of her audit clients, Point Information Systems, but the draw has never been status or salary. Instead, her career has been guided by two things – people and culture. Venturing out While working as a PwC Audit Senior with Point Information Systems, Claire saw the culture she wanted to work in – ambitious, fast-changing and transformative. “I remember coming back after a year and the company had changed completely, whereas some other companies I audited would be the same year-on-year,” she said. “It was evolving at pace and the energy there just stood out for me.” Claire joined the company and her role expanded her knowledge base in a variety of new disciplines from engineering to sales and marketing. This diverse exposure would be of great benefit to her later in her career, not least when she returned from a working holiday with Nestlé in Australia and New Zealand to a role in O2. The company was in expansion mode at the time and Claire managed to experience the full life-cycle from early adoption to the sale of the business, which she was centrally involved in. From there, Claire moved to Wayra, Telefónica’s start-up accelerator, to accelerate digital embryonic businesses. As Claire recalls, it was a move that raised some eyebrows at the time. “A lot of my peers thought it was a step down for me in career terms, but I really wanted to get involved in the innovative digital space,” she said. “It reminded me of the energy and pace I felt in Point Information Systems and I had experience of both start-up and corporate environments, so I was able to bring a lot to the table.” Start-up life In her first three weeks in Wayra, Claire met with hundreds of entrepreneurs and developers across the tech ecosystem and this intensity continued unabated for three years. The hub was a success, investing €6 million in the Irish start-up ecosystem including 33 equity investments while returning the same amount. “For early-stage start-ups, that’s a great return,” she said. However, following the sale of O2 to Three in 2014, Telefónica ultimately closed its Wayra hub in Ireland and Claire decided to take on a new challenge.  The idea of starting her own business had never entered her mind, but the closure of Wayra meant that Claire and her two colleagues faced a fork in the road. “We saw real value in what we were doing at Wayra, and we were good at it,” she said. “So, we decided to set up Red Planet and to flip the accelerator model on its head. We started with the corporate to understand the problem it was trying to solve, and then sourced the best start-up talent to solve that particular problem.” The venture was successful and it achieved what Claire describes as “the holy grail” for start-ups – being sold to a large corporate. Red Planet was acquired by Deloitte in 2017 and Claire continued to work with the firm for 18 months. “Selling our start-up was a tough decision, but the right one. Deloitte was really good at the strategy piece and identifying the challenges facing their clients, while Red Planet was able to find the solutions in the start-up world and develop them to scale. We were very good at curating diamonds in the rough.” Blockchain calling At this stage in her career, Claire faced an inflection point. Not content to simply go with the flow, she began plotting her next move when an opportunity arose to join a new blockchain venture headed by the co-founder of Ethereum, Joseph Lubin. The company was founded in 2014 and was at the forefront of Ethereum blockchain technology innovation. It needed someone to establish its base in Dublin and build its team, and the company ultimately chose Claire as its Director of Strategic Operations. The Dublin hub, which is known as ConsenSys Ireland, is developing the products that will enable society and enterprises to advance to the next level of blockchain adoption. Claire is very excited about the bigger picture. “In the future, you won’t even know you’re interacting with blockchain. It will be just like the Internet where nobody really thinks about or considers the infrastructure or protocols – they just see the applications,” she said. “Blockchain will be as transformational as mobile telecommunications was 25 years ago. We are part of a new industry, a new technology, new products, and a market which we have to create and educate. That’s a big challenge, but a very exciting one.” Leadership style But amid the excitement and potential lies ambiguity, and it takes a certain type of person to thrive in an ambiguous environment according to Claire. “Given the nascent nature of blockchain technology, we’re continually refining our vision and new industries are constantly wanting to explore new directions with the technology. So, although everyone in the company has goals to achieve, some are set in stone and some evolve to meet the needs of our clients,” she said. “That’s no different to a traditional organisation but we do differ in that we could have to tell staff to drop projects and pivot in a new direction at a moment’s notice – and some people find that challenging.” Luckily for Claire, working in a maturing industry adds to the allure of her new role in ConSensys – one she believes will contribute to a decentralised, democratised future for individuals. “It’s a rollercoaster, but with experience and age comes perspective and balance,” she said. “And the most important thing for me, throughout my career, has been the people I work with. My colleagues today are not necessarily wired like me but we work well together in the good times, and the challenging times, to make something great happen. That’s what it’s all about.”   Claire’s advice for Chartered Accountants Chartered Accountants will have a central role in the deployment of blockchain technologies and rather than wait for mass adoption, Claire believes the time to upskill is now. “The conversation around blockchain has moved from proof of concept to pilot schemes so when we’re talking to clients, we’re discussing real systems as opposed to hypothetical ideas,” she said. “So, I wouldn’t recommend waiting to start blockchain projects because we will reach the point of mass proliferation quicker than most people expect.” “The first step for all Chartered Accountants is education. There are free educational resources through ConsenSys Academy and Blockchain Ireland is working to raise awareness of what’s coming down the tracks,” Claire added. “But it’s vital that Chartered Accountants realise that anyone can quickly become a laggard in this dynamic environment.” “Finally, I would stress the point that Chartered Accountants don’t need to worry about losing their heads in the weeds trying to understand the programming and coding side of things,” she said. “They should educate themselves with regard to the characteristics and applications that they can see for blockchain in their business.”

A new report proposes measures for the sustainability of owners’ management companies and lays the foundation for a more structured approach to managing apartment complexes or managed estates. By David Rouse In a professional audit or reporting capacity, Chartered Accountants may encounter owners’ management companies (OMC). Readers living in an apartment complex or managed estate may even have been asked to serve as an OMC director. OMCs, while in form incorporated typically as companies limited by guarantee (CLG), are in substance hybrid entities. They sit at a corporate crossroads between not-for-profit companies, property management businesses and residents’ associations (see Figure 1). Many readers will be familiar with the legacy construction and financial issues facing these companies. High-profile cases such as Priory Hall and Longboat Quay, as well as other less prominent estates, have featured in the press in recent years while corporate governance failings in OMCs receive periodic attention in court reporting. The country’s largest OMCs have multi-million euro annual service charge budgets. And yet, the stewardship of these companies is entrusted to unpaid, untrained directors (the term “volunteer director” is deliberately avoided, as in law, there is no such thing – a director is a director). There is as yet no firm handle on the number of OMCs in the country. However, it is estimated that the upper limit is likely to be about 8,000 companies. New report A recent independent report titled Owners’ Management Companies – Sustainable Apartment Living for Ireland considers issues that will be familiar to those with even a passing knowledge of managed estates and OMCs. The report was jointly commissioned by the Housing Agency and Clúid Housing. The Housing Agency works with the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, local authorities, and approved housing bodies (AHB) in the delivery of housing and housing services. Clúid is the State’s largest AHB, managing  just over 7,000 homes across the country. The inadequacy of annual service charges, failure to provide for building maintenance (sinking) funds, and the persistent problem of mounting debtors are just some of the topics assessed. International best practice is examined, and Ontario and New South Wales are among the comparator jurisdictions featured. The future demand for high-density housing is signalled in the context of new Government policy, such as the National Planning Framework and the Climate Action Plan. To audit or not to audit? Recommendations for reform across a range of relevant regulatory systems are proposed. Of interest to the accountancy profession will be the recommendation for the removal of the audit exemption currently available to OMCs, most of which, as noted earlier, are incorporated as CLGs. Companies Act 2014 provides the audit exemption for CLGs. In this way, small not-for-profit companies without shareholders may benefit from a reduced financial and administrative burden. (It should be noted that under sections 334 and 1218 of the Companies Act, any one member of the CLG may in effect demand an audit.) However, while OMCs are not-for-profit, they are responsible for multi-million euro property assets in the form of estate common areas. Considering the centrality of OMCs to property values, good title, and quality of living spaces, the value of an audit to members in terms of assurance, transparency, and governance cannot be overstated. Finance and governance The creditworthiness of OMCs in the context of current under-funding is also considered. Regulation over and above corporate compliance enforced by the ODCE is recommended. Dispute resolution outside of the courts is advocated, as are more cost-effective avenues for service charge debt recovery. Personal insolvency practitioners will be aware that OMC service charge debt is an “excludable debt” under the Personal Insolvency Act 2012. Only with the consent of the creditor (i.e. the OMC) may management fee balances be reduced or written off in a Personal Insolvency Arrangement. The report’s other recommendations include mandatory training for OMC directors, the standardisation of accounts to a format prescribed for OMCs, and enhanced insurance obligations. Reform may be some way off. In the meantime, practitioners should be aware that the Institute’s practice toolkit, Owners’ Management Company PQAs, was updated in 2018. This replaces the 2011 version. As the Institute’s product catalogue notes, and as may be recognised from sectoral weaknesses highlighted in this commentary, although OMCs can be small in size, they may be higher-risk clients. Future regulation of the sector could mitigate a number of the risks identified.   David Rouse FCA is an advisor with the Housing Agency, a director of the Apartment Owners’ Network CLG, and a director of one of the country’s largest OMCs.

Three years after its commencement, Construction Contracts Act, 2013 continues to provide a pathway to cash flow in the construction sector. By Pat Breen TD This innovative and important legislation for the construction sector, which was commenced in 2016, regulates payments and particularly the timing of payments under construction contracts. While many businesses in the construction sector are aware of this legislation, some businesses may not be fully aware of the detailed statutory protections and obligations set out in the Construction Contracts Act, 2013. One of the key objectives of the legislation is to provide payment certainty for subcontractors, who were considered vulnerable in the payment cycle in the construction sector. As the construction sector continues to expand, cash flow is critical and it is cash flow that is at the core of the Construction Contracts Act, 2013. Therefore, construction businesses should ensure that their payment practices comply with the terms of this legislation. I consider that members of the accountancy profession are uniquely placed to encourage construction businesses across the country to review their payment practices to ensure that they comply with this legislation. I welcome the opportunity provided by Accountancy Ireland to highlight this legislation, and a brief summary of the main provisions of the Act is set out below. Further information on the Act is available on the website of my Department at www.dbei.gov.ie. Applicability of the Construction Contracts Act, 2013 to construction contracts The Construction Contracts Act, 2013 applies to certain construction contracts entered into after 25 July 2016, but not to all such contracts. For example, it excludes: Contracts of a value of not more than €10,000; or Contracts that relate only to a dwelling of not greater than 200 square metres where a party to such a contract occupies, or intends to occupy, the dwelling as his/her residence; or Contracts between a State authority and its partner in a public private partnership arrangement. All other construction contracts must comply with the provisions of the Act and the parties may not seek to exclude a contract from the legislation under any circumstances, whether the contract is an oral contract or a written contract. Construction contracts to which the Act applies must provide for the following contractual terms: The amount of each interim and final payment, or an adequate mechanism for determining those amounts; The payment claim date for each amount due, or an adequate mechanism for determining it; and The period between the payment claim date and the date on which the amount is due. Main contracts and subcontracts Main contractors are at liberty to agree their contractual terms with their clients, subject to adhering to the mandatory provisions required by the Act as outlined above. However, if a main contract fails to fully incorporate the mandatory provisions, then the Act imposes the applicable contractual term or terms set out in the Schedule to the Act, terms which are also applicable to subcontracts. The Act stipulates that all subcontracts must at least provide the following payment claim dates: 30 days after the commencement date of the construction contract; 30 days after the payment claim date referred to above and every 30 days thereafter up to the date of substantial completion; and 30 days after the date of final completion. The date on which payment is due in relation to an amount claimed under a subcontract shall be no later than 30 days after the payment claim date. The Act permits the parties to a subcontract to make more favourable provision for a subcontractor than the above contractual terms. Payment claims An executing party – the party which carries out the work under a construction contract – is required to submit a payment claim notice to the other party no later than five days after the relevant payment claim date. If the other party disputes the amount claimed by the executing party, that party is required to respond to the executing party in writing no later than 21 days after the payment claim date setting out the reason(s) why the amount claimed is disputed and the amount, if any, that it proposes to pay to the executing party. It may be possible for the parties to reach an agreement on the amount to be paid to the executing party. However, if no such agreement is reached by the payment due date, the other party is legally required to pay the executing party the amount, if any, which the other party proposed to pay in its response to the contested payment claim notice from the executing party. This payment shall be made no later than the payment due date in accordance with Section 4(3)(b) of the Construction Contracts Act, 2013. Statutory adjudication of payment disputes The Construction Contracts Act, 2013 also introduced, for the first time in Ireland, a statutory right to refer a payment dispute for adjudication. A ‘notice of intention’ to refer a payment dispute for adjudication must be served by one of the parties to the payment dispute. The parties may then jointly agree to appoint an adjudicator of their own choice, within a five-day period. However, if the parties cannot reach agreement on who to appoint, an application may be made after the five-day period to the Chair of the Construction Contracts Adjudication Panel, Dr Nael Bunni, to request the appointment of an adjudicator to the dispute. The appointed adjudicator, whether appointed by agreement of the parties or by the Chair, is required to reach a decision on the dispute within 28 days. This period may be extended in certain circumstances.   Pat Breen TD is Minister of State at the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation.

Large customers are good for business, but can stretch your cash flow.  By Peter Brady Have you recently received a ‘polite letter’ from your US multinational corporation (MNC) customer advising of a stretch in your credit terms from 30 days to 90 plus? Or, indeed, from any of your MNC customers? In recent years, the extension of MNC credit terms has become business as usual across the globe but for SMEs, it is anything but business as usual. Think about it. How would an extension of credit terms impact on your cash flow and projections this year? And what are the implications for your growth strategy in 2020 and beyond? Winning a contract with a large MNC is a measure of success for established SMEs. However, an extension of credit terms can feel like a double-edged sword as it puts excessive strain on cash flow. Why does it matter? A strain on your cash flow can have many implications, all of them negative. The first impact is on your suppliers – they expect payment in 30 days. There is an immediate gap in cash flow and you are unlikely to have sufficient sway with your suppliers to realign. This could mean: You are not in a position to fund the initial costs of fulfilling contracts; Pressure is placed on your existing supplier relationships in the form of increased risk around quality, timely delivery and higher prices; Capacity to deliver on-time to customers is affected; and Ability to grow the business at pace is limited. The lost opportunity  It may seem obvious, but having cash tied up in debtors with long credit terms is a fundamental challenge for most SMEs. If SMEs could access this cash early, it would give a distinct competitive advantage when negotiating terms with key suppliers. Think of what you could do if your invoices were paid on day one, not day 90. First, you could pay your suppliers early, enhance the relationship and ultimately secure better terms. Second, you could deploy funds into driving new customer acquisition and fund new business tenders with the comfort of cash flow certainty. So what do you do? You have two options: 1. You could try to negotiate: know where you stand in your customer’s eyes. Do your products or services play an important role in their success? Is your product or service critical to their delivery? Even so, unless you are the sole producer of a key strategic element, there’s another company out there to potentially replace you. Alternatively, your customer might offer softer credit terms in exchange for a pricing discount – but cutting margins is an extremely expensive source of finance and unlikely to be recovered. This course of action doesn’t make good business sense, as it is a race to the bottom. 2. Look at funding options to bridge the gap: the financial market is developing all the time to reflect the needs of business. For decades, when Ireland’s SMEs needed to fill the cash flow gap left by extended credit terms, they had limited choices – commercial overdrafts, short-term lending or an invoice discounting facility. That may have been adequate in the past but such is the success, ambition and global reach of Irish SMEs across all sectors today, this range of funding options falls short of their requirements. Commercial overdrafts are harder to secure and are generally seen as an unreliable method of funding, not directly aligned to the changing requirements of a business. Similarly, short-term lending is onerous to put in place and comes with significant levels of conditionality. An invoice discounting facility continues to plug the cash flow gap for many SMEs in Ireland. However, invoice discounting facilities are operationally clunky and carry significant fixed and hidden costs and limitations. They are therefore not really fit for purpose for today’s SMEs. Many SMEs often have a small number of key strategic customers in their sales mix. Supported by government bodies such as Enterprise Ireland, Ireland’s SMEs have a global footprint. Exporting is crucial to scalable business success, and not just to Western Europe. SMEs are securing contracts across the globe – US, Canada, EMEA and Asia. Invoice discounting facility For years, the invoice discounting facility has serviced working capital funding requirements. However, the facility comes with three major limitations: The facility limit; Geographical restrictions; and Debtor concentration risk limits. The facility limit At the outset, SMEs are subjected to a long and onerous process to get approval for the invoice discounting facility. Fair enough, you may say, as this is effectively a loan and it follows that the bank providing it decides how much the facility is for. SMEs must enter into a long-term commitment, often saddled with non-usage charges or exit fees. SMEs must also pay credit insurance and sign a personal guarantee – something entrepreneurs have grown to fear. Geographical restrictions Exporting to the UK? Great. Exporting to United States (US)? Not so great. Country risk and the law of the land plays a major role in how traditional lenders assess the risk and granting of facility limits. If the country in which your customer is located is outside of what is considered in banking terms to be palatable, funding limits and exclusions will apply. Debtor concentration risk limits The most common reason for restricting funding under an invoice discounting facility remains customer or debtor concentration. It applies when an SME becomes over-exposed to a single debtor. The debtor could be a large household brand name, but traditional lenders must impose facility limit restrictions. For SMEs, it is somewhat ironic that the more business you do with a key customer, the more your funding is limited. So, back to your US multinational extending its credit terms. You’ve worked tirelessly to win this business, but you can’t sustain 90 days’ credit and this customer accounts for over 60% of your debtor book. Your business needs: Consistent certainty of funding, without any limit relating to geography or debtors; Funders who recognise the strength of your business model and the substance of the underlying transactions; and Access to working capital to scale your business globally. Market and product innovation Invoice, purchase order and recurring revenue trading are collectively known as “receivables trading”. Receivables trading ticks all the boxes. It enables SMEs to leverage their customer relationships. By selling invoices and future invoices (purchase orders) to a pool of capital market funders, SMEs can access finance when they need it. What difference do capital market funders make? The funders are capital market institutional funders, pension funds, corporates and sophisticated investors – and there is a large pool of these funders. The fact that there is not just one entity, but a pool of funders purchasing the receivables (invoices or purchase orders) eliminates the requirement for imposing concentration or geographic limits on the SME. It extinguishes the need for any commitment, lock-ins or fixed costs. At no stage is there an ask for a personal guarantee. This funding solution puts control back into the hands of SMEs and allows them to decide when they need to access funding on their terms – a liberating benefit. How does it work? Receivables trading is available via an online platform. A pool of institutional funders (the buyers) are members of the platform. SMEs (the seller) uploads their invoice or purchase order and the buyers purchase them. The model is ideally suited to established SMEs with MNC or sovereign debtors. The SME can use the online platform in conjunction with their existing facility by carving out specific debtors from the invoice discounting facility. In conclusion Business is constantly changing and working capital funding has caught up. Alternative funding where sellers and buyers connect directly via an online platform is fast becoming the norm. With this funding solution, SMEs can tender for business of any scale globally – confident that they can fund the upfront costs. It’s a gamechanger for most. According to the Central Bank Survey of SMEs, which was published in January 2019, the top two reasons for credit applications were working capital, and growth and development. ISME’s quarterly business survey reveals that 70% of Ireland’s SMEs still rely solely on traditional bank funding. In Europe, it’s only 30%. Alternative funding is the future of funding. Peter Brady FCA is Co-Founder and CFO at InvoiceFair.

Blockchain represents both an end and a beginning for the accountancy profession. By Fearghal McHugh and Dr Trevor Clohessy Transparency can be considered the holy grail of governance best practice. The codes, acts and markets demand it as it enhances the view of corporate transactions, which has in turn affected issues such as environmental and sustainability reporting. Transparency is the core of blockchain, which will affect accountancy while satisfying this core principle and driver of good corporate governance. The difference is that it will not take the blockchain elements outlined below as long to become mainstream as it has taken to impact on environment and sustainability concerns. The consensus is that blockchain and its technologies will change the people skills, the processes, the systems and the structure of accounting practice currently applied to any transactions involved in the recording of any information. This has big implications for those in the sector but, significantly, gives a market opportunity to those who are not. Indeed, this opportunity is further enhanced when artificial intelligence integrates with blockchain. Scale of disruption The potential disruption is on the same scale as Amazon, which competes with all retail shops in the country. The first to market with the ‘Accountazon’ brand, named here first, will dent the current position of large or small practices. Accountazon requires accountants, but the ability to scale, integrate and generate output based on fully transparent and rules-based decision-making at the lower level of processing while, at the upper level, having the decision-making and knowledge base of a collective of highly-paid accountants will affect the accounting industry. This can drive the accounting industry to build on specialisation and value proposition offerings at a higher level than those currently generating income. In other words, intelligent computer systems will do what accountants currently do. The impact will force the industry to seek a new place away from rudimentary transaction-type roles of fundamental audit and tax processes. This will require in-depth knowledge (which artificial intelligence can replace) to pure decision-making; in essence, the better the decision-making, the higher one’s revenue and reputation. The purpose and role of accountants will remain, but will be implemented at a higher knowledge application and analysis level and further away from the current operations position and perspective. A personal approach There is no need for panic yet. As with Amazon, retail shops have continued in business but the pricing, delivery, support, convenience and speed we enjoy from the online retailer may also need to be addressed in the accountancy industry; we need to make accountancy accessible, friendly, convenient, productive and transparent. Either the market or the technology will drive the change, or the accountancy industry will embrace it first and deliver value. A Ryanair approach, encouraging a more direct business model using technology, could be applied in the accountancy industry and is more likely now with blockchain and artificial intelligence. The middleman remains the accountant, however, and if it is deemed that a lot of processes don’t add value, the middleman needs to present a value proposition that cannot be offered by the system itself in order to add future value. In the Ryanair model context, so many travel agents adjusted and seem to have found that personal service, customisation and the time taken to provide a tailored travel package for customers is what many consumers want. The drive for digitisation An example of a driver of this type of change arose earlier this year when the then-head of the IMF, Christine Lagarde, urged central banks to launch digital currencies to satisfy public policy, financial inclusion, security, consumer protection and privacy in payments. While blockchain is mostly linked with cryptocurrencies, digitisation policies embraced by companies like Nestlé, Guinness and Glanbia are being encouraged by stakeholders but embraced in a controlled manner. Blockchain technology is part of the cryptocurrency system that actually worked. It is becoming embedded in many industries from manufacturing to web-based services, facilitating faster and more secure transactions on a growing scale. When companies and consumers have a better, easier, faster and more transparent way to do business, they will select it as time is a critical factor in corporate life. The practical elements and approaches to blockchain, as highlighted below, will be seen by clients as having the potential to reduce charges and the time involved in accountant reviews and advice, which Revenue could see as a means of speeding up returns. Public versus private Blockchain is not a mobile application, a company or a cryptocurrency. In its simplest terms, blockchain is a ledger that records transactions digitally and records details about the transaction. These details are recorded in multiple places on the same network. Blockchain comes in two flavours: public and private. A public blockchain allows anybody on the network to input transactions and data onto the blockchain. No single entity controls the network. A public blockchain operates like Wikipedia in that users have a composite view that’s constantly changing. Bitcoin, the tradename used to represent the familiar digital currency along with another called Ethereum are examples of public blockchains. Private blockchains work in a similar fashion to public blockchains, but with access restrictions that control who has access to the network. One or multiple entities control the network. Think of this in terms of a traditional database system that can only be accessed by specific authorised employees. Two features differentiate blockchain digital ledgers from traditional ledgers. First, the assets and transactions recorded in these digital ledgers are secured through cryptography. As an example, in season four of the Netflix drama, Narcos, Guillermo Pallomari’s financial ledgers records are taken as evidence by the Drug Enforcement Authority (DEA). However, due to the complicated coding system deployed by Pallomari within these financial ledgers, the DEA is unable to decipher the transactions and/or assets in order to use them as evidence. Pallomari holds the encryption key, which would enable the DEA to crack the code. In terms of blockchain, this also holds true. Due to sophisticated encryption keys, the transactions and assets are secure, immutable and unforgeable. Second, blockchain encompasses the disintermediation of traditional financial intermediaries (e.g. banks, brokerages, mutual funds). This disintermediation is made possible by smart contracts, which are complex algorithms that execute the terms and conditions of a traditional contract without the need for human intervention. This leads to a superior ability to prove custodianship and ownership of assets, which could potentially improve efficiency and enhance transparency while also reducing costs and income in the accountancy profession. Complexity and novelty Today, a number of multinational technology organisations enable businesses to implement blockchain practically. For instance, Microsoft currently offers a blockchain development solution that combines the advantages of cloud computing (e.g. virtualisation, scalability, pay-as-you-go pricing model) and blockchain. This service is called Blockchain-as-a-Service (BaaS) and comes with a set of development templates (e.g. smart contract development and integration) that users can deploy and configure with minimal blockchain knowledge. However, prior to diving into the blockchain sea, accountancy organisations should adopt a caveat emptor mantra. History suggests that two dimensions impact on how a new technological trend and its business use can evolve. The first is complexity, which is represented by the level of coordination required by the organisation to produce value with the new technology. The second dimension is novelty, which describes the level of effort a user requires to understand the problems that the new technological trend can solve. The more novel a concept is, the greater the learning curve. Accountancy organisations can develop adoption strategies that map possible blockchain implementations against these two dimensions. Complexity and novelty can vary from low to high in terms of the stage of technology development. For instance, accountancy organisations that are new to the blockchain concept may want to introduce a pilot initiative that is low in novelty and low in complexity. One such initiative could encompass the inclusion of cryptocurrency transactions in a firm’s transactions processes. New skills While blockchain is spread across many systems, it is not public. It protects transactions because they are shared and copied on many parts of storage devices, and would require all parts and copies of the transaction to be amended and/or deleted to have an effect. Deleting a transaction in one place is easy, deleting it from several locations and tracking each one – while not impossible – would require some work. This capability could potentially scare some in that transactions cannot suddenly be erased, but it is encouraging for others. Apply this concept first to the level of payments and receipts and build that up to management reporting, budgets and strategic reports to ensure a higher level of accuracy and clarity. This will eventually lead to a sense of integrity, another governance ideal. With reference to speed, this can move business from reliance on past information to live analysis and if it’s faster, it will be cheaper in the long-run to produce. While a positive for business, it will not require the skill of a finance professional but a computing-finance professional. In a 2018 Irish industry report, one of the authors, Trevor Clohessy, identified that IT/education providers must do more to demystify blockchain and expedite the learning process. The report outlined how the core competencies and skills required for blockchain are broader than the core technology and encompassed skill sets, which fall under the following categories: Foundational technology (e.g. cryptography, public key architecture); Distributed ledger technology (e.g. mining, consensus algorithms); Forensics and law enforcement (e.g. money laundering, dark-net); Markets, economics and finance (e.g. business modelling, cryptonomics); Industrial design (e.g. supply chain, Internet of Things); and Regulations and standards (e.g. smart contracts, governance frameworks). From an accountancy perspective, it is envisaged that certain traditional skills relating to accountancy will be eliminated or reduced (such as reconciliations or provenance assurance, for example). Blockchain transactions will enable new value-adding activities but while the range of extant skills required will change, this change need not be Byzantine. It is envisaged that the markets and regulations categories outlined above will be important for bridging the blockchain literacy gap between various business and technology stakeholders. Looking ahead, accountancy practices can examine their business models in order to derive value from blockchain. Janus, the Roman god, contained both beginnings and endings within him. That duality characterises blockchain too. It will put an end to traditional ways of doing things and usher in a new era for business and for the world at large. It will be divisive, pervasive and transformational all at the same time, and will encourage accountancy professionals to look ahead and not base their operations and decision-making on past data. The blockchain future is one with present and predictive transacting data systems with in-built transparency and integrity.   Fearghal McHugh is a lecturer in Chartered Accountants Ireland and GMIT. Dr Trevor Clohessy is a researcher and lecturer in GMIT.

Unconscious bias isn’t going away – and neither is the pressure for diverse and inclusive workplaces, writes Dr Annette Clancy. Companies are under increasing pressure to improve gender equality, level the pay gap and generally change their approach to workplace inclusion. Part of this demand stems from equality legislation, but there is also growing public pressure to act. However, research tells us that we prefer to be in the company of people who are similar to us. We assume that we will have more in common, that we will be understood and liked, and that there will be minimal conflict. Of course, most of these assumptions are in the realm of fantasy – we all know people who are very similar to us but with whom we have fractious relationships. We also assume that the opposite will be true when it comes to people who are dissimilar to us. Consider, for example, the many stories in the US media of white people calling the police to complain about black people going about their business in their neighbourhoods. Head over heels? Freud went one step further and told us that the relationship between leaders and followers was like the act of falling in love or the state of trance between hypnotist and subject. What Freud was getting at was that we are unconsciously predisposed (in our personal and work lives) to choose people with whom we have a strong emotional attachment. At first glance, none of that makes for very good practice when it comes to increasing diversity, improving recruitment practices or searching for a new job. Hiring the most qualified candidate based on their CV and how they interview for a position seems straightforward enough, but it isn’t just what’s written down or their skills that will always convince the panel to appoint a candidate. Biases based on gender, race and other factors can present unconsciously and influence the decision, even when the panel has the best of intentions. Quick judgements Unconscious bias refers to a bias that we are unaware of and is out of our control. Our brain makes quick judgements about people and situations, and our culture, experiences and background influence these judgements. Everyone has unconscious bias and although training can increase awareness, research suggests that it has a limited effect on behaviour. One of the reasons why training is limited in its effectiveness is because the bias is ‘unconscious’. One afternoon’s worth of instruction is not going to eradicate a lifetime and a society-worth of unconscious programming. What has shown some promise is holding managers, teams and companies to account for the decisions they take. Other strategies include regular discussions on bias, making it an ordinary reflection point and not a ‘once-off’ conversation that is forgotten as soon as it happens. A good starting point for discussion is Harvard’s Project Implicit Tests, which will give you immediate feedback on your biases towards a wide range of issues. Mitigating bias Biases can affect your expectations of different groups. In hiring processes, it’s important to ask if you hold male, female or non-binary candidates to different standards. Assessing candidates ‘blind’ by concealing their name, for example, is another way in which organisations can mitigate bias. Likewise, as a jobseeker, do you have biases towards particular companies that are out of your conscious awareness and may be hindering your search? Biases can also affect how you manage your staff and may be a contributory factor as to why you retain or lose staff. Do you, for example, welcome challenges to your management style? Is it possible that you harbour different expectations of male and female staff members? How open are you to questioning your own unconscious bias? Unconscious bias isn’t going away, and neither is the pressure for diverse and inclusive workplaces. Bringing both of these topics right into the mainstream might be the first step towards having the conversation.   Dr Annette Clancy is Assistant Professor at UCD School of Art, History and Cultural Policy. Annette’s research focuses on emotions in organisations.

Paula Nyland considers how Chartered Accountants involved in the third sector can improve transparency and prosperity to the benefit of charities and society at large. The third sector on the island of Ireland impacts directly or indirectly on the work of every Chartered Accountant, whether as a director/trustee, audit practitioner, employee or volunteer. In the Republic of Ireland alone, the sector includes 9,500 non-profits that are incorporated as companies, more than 4,000 primary or secondary schools, and 800 friendly societies, co-operatives, trade unions, professional associations, political parties or charter bodies. Another 15,000 or so are unincorporated associations, clubs and societies. Chartered Accountants are critical to supporting and directing this sector, and it’s important that they are aware of some of the impacts of changing regulatory conditions on their practice.  Greater financial transparency and accountability Since 2014, when it was established under the Charities Act, 2009, the Charities Regulator in the Republic of Ireland has been working to bring greater public transparency and regulatory accountability to the work of the charity sector – about one-third of all non-profits. The Regulator now plans to introduce new regulations that will clarify the reporting requirements for charities in the form of an Irish version of Charities SORP. Charities SORP is a module of FRS 102, which provides guidance on financial accounting and reporting for charitable entities. It is currently mandatory for UK charities, but only recommended for charities in Ireland. Based on our analysis of all of the financial statements filed by Irish non-profits since 2015, Benefacts has discovered that just 12% of Ireland’s incorporated charities currently file financial statements using Charities SORP on a voluntary basis. This will change when the forthcoming regulations are introduced. All larger incorporated charities (more than €250,000 in income or expenditure) will be required to meet these higher standards of disclosure, and will no longer be permitted to file abridged accounts. Currently, the level of abridgement in charities’ accounts here is running at 37%, and this is something the Charities Regulator has repeatedly spoken out on – most recently after the launch of Benefacts’ Sector Analysis Report in April 2019. For the audit profession, there is a clear need to become familiar with these reporting standards, because the question is no longer whether Charities SORP will become a requirement for larger charities in the Republic of Ireland, but when. Guidelines on fundraising and internal control Even in advance of the new regulations on financial reporting, the Charities Regulator has been active in setting standards for the charity sector, with guidelines for fundraising from the public issued in November 2017 and a governance code issued at the end of 2018. These measures, coupled with the Internal Financial Controls Guidelines for Charities, have created a strong foundation for control within the regulated charity sector, in particular for the people serving on the boards of charities and non-profits. VAT repayment scheme  Elsewhere in Government, there have been measures to respond to campaigns from within the sector. Following years of lobbying to change the VAT regime for charities, Government introduced a new scheme that has made €5 million available for recovery annually by charities against VAT paid from non-statutory or non-public funds for costs after 1 January 2018. The deadline for 2018 claims was 30 June 2019. DPER Circular 13 of 2014 Without having the full force of regulations, the standards for financial disclosures promulgated by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) nonetheless deserve to be more widely understood by the accountancy profession. Circular 13 of 2014 is the most important statement of the disclosure standards that are expected of all entities receiving State aid, and it is the responsibility of every government funder to ensure that these are being followed. They set out the requirements for reporting every source of government funding, the type of funding provided (loan, current or capital grant, service fee), the purposes of the funding and the year in which funding is being accounted for. Abridged accounts do not meet the standards of DPER 13/2014, nor do accounts prepared using the new standard for micro-enterprises, FRS 105. FRS 105 (micro entities) When the Companies (Accounting) Act 2017 was commenced on 9 June 2017, it introduced the concept of the Micro Companies Regime, which is provided for in Section 280 of the Companies Act 2014. This allows smaller companies (with two of the following conditions: turnover of €700,000 or less, balance sheet total of €350,000 or less, and no more than 10 employees) to prepare financial statements under FRS 105 instead of FRS 102. FRS 105 provides for minimum disclosures: no directors’ report, no requirement to disclose directors’ remuneration, no disclosure of salary costs or employee numbers. In 2017, 5% of non-profit companies reported to the CRO using this standard, including some that receive funding from the public or from the State.  Charities in the UK are not permitted to report using FRS 105, but as yet there is no such regulation in the Republic of Ireland. The burdens of disclosure Many Irish non-profit organisations receive funding from more than one source – some from many sources, as will be clear from even a cursory glance at the listings of well-known names on www.benefacts.ie. As well as multiple funding sources, most major charities are regulated many times over, if you count the oversight responsibilities of the CRO/ODCE, the Charities Regulator, the Housing Regulator, Revenue, HIQA et al. The high administration and compliance burden represents a real cost – including, of course, the cost of audit fees. At a minimum, of course, company directors must confirm that the company can continue as a going concern; Charities SORP requires that trustees disclose their policy for the maintenance of financial reserves and it is expected that these will reflect a prudent approach to maintaining funds to see them through periods of unexpected difficulty. These are sensible, indeed fundamental, principles and the annual financial reporting cycle is intended to give confidence to all stakeholders that the directors/trustees fully understand their responsibilities and are fulfilling the duties of care, diligence and skill enjoined on them. The €20 million or so currently spent by non-profit companies on audit fees (as yet the public has no access to the accounts of unincorporated charities) should be money well spent. The better the quality of the financial statements, the more these can play a role in initiatives being explored by a number of Government agencies to explore cost-saving “tell-us-once” solutions, supported by Benefacts. Who is accountable? Using current data from filings to the CRO and the Charities Regulator, Benefacts reported in Q1 2019 that 81,500 people are currently serving in the governance of Irish non-profit companies and charities. 49,000 of these serve as the directors of 9,500 non-profit companies, and the rest are the trustees of unincorporated charities. All are subject to regulation, and they include many members of Chartered Accountants Ireland.  By any standard, this is a large sector with more than 163,000 employees and an aggregate turnover in 2017 of €12 billion, €5.9 billion of which came from the State (8.4% of all current public expenditure in that year). Most of this funding was concentrated in only 1% of all the bodies in the sector. Voluntary bodies enjoy some of the highest levels of trust in our society, but it has become clearer in recent years that this trust does not spring from an inexhaustible reservoir. It must be continuously invested in and replenished by the work of every non-profit, most especially in the form of ample and transparent public disclosure – about their values, their work, its impacts, and the sources of their funding. Above all, the board carries responsibility for setting a tone of transparency and accountability, and directors/trustees need to be aware of their personal responsibilities in this regard. As professionals, we are often looked to by our friends and family, by our clients, or by our fellow directors/trustees for advice or leadership. We all know that in any kind of business, the consequence of a loss of public confidence can be dire; in non-profits, it can be fatal.   Paula Nyland FCA is Head of Finance & Operations at Benefacts and Co-Chair of the Non-Profit and Charities Members Group at Chartered Accountants Ireland.

The Property Services Regulatory Authority (PSRA) writes: The Property Services Regulatory Authority (PSRA) licences and regulates Auctioneers, Estate Agents, Management Agents and Letting Agents (licensees). The PSRA works to protect the interests of the public by ensuring that high standards are maintained in the delivery of property services by licensees. The PSRA considers the opinion of the Reporting Accountant, and the work leading to that opinion, on whether client moneys are managed in accordance with PSRA Client Moneys Regulations by a licensee as paramount in their assessment of licence renewal applications. In this regard, a licence renewal application must be accompanied by a signed accountant’s report relevant to the licence(s) held. The PSRA acknowledges the vital work undertaken by accountants in completing these reports effectively.   Accountants are required to review the books of account and records of the licensee and give an opinion on whether the licence holder has complied with the PSRA Client Moneys Regulations and to report where breaches of the Regulations have occurred. While the vast majority of reports received do not require the PSRA to request additional information, in some instances the PSRA is required to query the licensee’s application, including the content of the accountant’s report. By way of information, common issues encountered by the PSRA while reviewing licensees’ applications and accountant’s reports include: The most recent updated specified accountant’s report is not completed. Specified accountants reports are available at http://www.psr.ie/en/psra/pages/accountant’s_report Accountants fail to complete Section 4 of Part I of the relevant renewal accountant’s report expressing an opinion as to whether the regulations have been complied with by the licensee. Incorrect calculation of the balance on the Balancing Statement. The name of the Client Account(s) does not match exactly with the name on the relevant bank statement. A client account must be in the name of the licensee and contain the word “client” in the title. Issues of greater concern to PSRA identified in 2018 include: Liabilities to clients reduced on the balancing statement (Appendix 3A of PSRA/S35 – Renewal ABC) by deducting moneys owed in, which were intended for clients, but had not yet been received or placed in the client account. An example includes: where a licensee pays money out of the client account to a landlord in advance of receipt of rent by the licensee from the tenant. In a small number of instances this transaction is not shown as a liability on the client account by the licensee when completing the balancing statement. Before giving an opinion, the accountant should be satisfied in respect of the statement in section 3.3 of the report, namely “I have obtained the client account balancing statement(s) prepared by the Licensee as set out in Appendix 3A and checked that the information therein is in agreement with the books of account and records of the Licensee”. Liabilities to clients are not reported on the balancing statement (Appendix 3A of PSRA/S35 – Renewal ABC). Before giving an opinion, the accountant should be satisfied in respect of the statement in section 3.3 of the report as noted above. Licensee using one account for all client and business transactions. This is a breach of the Client Moneys Regulations and is required to be included by the accountant at Appendix 2 of the accountant’s report. Instances where a deficit/surplus on the client account has been identified but not addressed by the licensee, despite confirmation in Appendix 3B that funds have been paid into/withdrawn from (as appropriate) the client account by the licensee and the signed accountant’s report being submitted as part of the licence renewal application. In these instances, the PSRA has by way of follow up confirmed that in such cases outstanding monies owed have not been repaid to the client account. The PSRA encourages that you consider whether there is evidence of any of the above issues arising when completing the accountant’s reports on behalf of licensees. The PSRA acknowledges the engagement of accountants with licensees and the cooperation extended to the PSRA in addressing queries. More information regarding accountant’s reports and the PSRA in general can be found on www.psr.ie. The PSRA may be contacted on 046 9033800 or by email at info@psr.ie in relation to any query you may have when completing PSRA Accountant’s Reports. Members should refer to Technical Release (TR) 03/2018 ‘Licence applications under the Property Services (Regulation) Act 2011 and the Property Services (Regulation) Act (Client Moneys) Regulations 2012’ issued in June 2018.  

Orla McGahan writes: 1. Join a network “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” There are 1,730 Chartered firms in practice in Ireland. Of that, around 950 are sole practitioners; and yet, there are only 40 listed networks. Even with an average of ten members per network, there are a lot of people out there going it alone. Don’t isolate yourself. The benefits of being part of a network are copious: A case study group – for those times when a case needs to be talked out.  A forum to benchmark – to benchmark fees, charge out rates, overheads, staff salaries, and so on, can be invaluable. Consider joining a network outside your geographical or competitive area if necessary.  Knowledge sharing – share experiences on dealing with Revenue, CRO and other areas. For that moment when you are just having a blank, being able to run it by a trusted colleague. Referrals – often within a network various members specialise in varying fields, industries or disciplines. This can lead to additional work through referrals. CPD and training – organising training by network offers more flexibility to custom make the course, attendees, and location, while gaining cost reductions. 2. Don’t underestimate the value of your work I was lucky enough to be shown early in my practice life (by a client!) that the value of your work is not the time it took to put together the relevant documents and submit them to the appropriate authority. But rather, and more importantly, your fee should reflect the time, effort, knowledge and experience you have gained over the years which gives you the technical and practical knowhow. For a lot of practitioners, our work revolves around solving problems or doing work our clients do not have the time, knowledge, skill or experience to do. Make sure the price you put on your work adequately reflects value to both you and your client. 3. Stock control - record your time How often do we criticize clients for inadequate stock control and yet how many of us, particularly partners, do not record our time? We sell time. Fact. And yet quite often we have no control over it. There are many good CRM packages available to practitioners offering time recording systems with simple reporting facilities. Invest in one and use it. It will pay for itself, and then some. Find the discipline to record your time, every day. 4. Organise your time and stick to it! As the saying goes – “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” If I were to pick one thing that will make a difference, it’s time management. This is crucial to creating and maintaining an easy (easier) practice life. Plan, systemise where possible, and stay on top of The annual return and compliance review - do this when it comes in or as it falls due; Anti-money laundering compliance; Engagement letters; Practice housekeeping – A Chartered Accountant I know, who runs a very successful practice, has developed the habit of spending the first hour of his day, every day, without fail, to practice housekeeping. And his success is testament that it works; CPD and your CPD record; Staff mentoring records. 5. Embrace technology and update your software regularly Efficiencies leading to higher profitability and better cash-flow can be achieved with regular investment in software and technology. Incorporate this cost as an ongoing overhead. 6. Value your staff I’m sure this is not the first time you have been told this, but your staff are your most valuable asset. “We are only ever as good as the people around us”. Invest in your staff. The cost of losing an experienced staff member goes far beyond the financial cost. Added to that, a new staff member will take at least six months to become comfortable and familiar with the position. The cost of this should never be underestimated. Invest in training, talk to your staff openly and regularly (maybe over a nice lunch) about the things that make a difference to their enjoyment of the position, and it’s not always about salary. Particularly in the current environment, taking care of your staff should be a high priority. 7. Self-care In the words of Stephen Covey (The 7 habits of highly effective people) – “sharpen the saw”. Take care of yourself, your health, your mental health and your private life. As a practitioner, the pressure to develop, to stay up to date technically, meet deadlines, manage staff, and still live your life can sometimes be overwhelming, not to mention managing the expectations of clients. We carry a huge responsibility. So take time out regularly and routinely to take care of yourself. 8. Get involved in your Institute For some members “The Institute” may seem like an anonymous entity from which they can feel somewhat disconnected. But the Institute has many more facets than members realise and offers many valuable services. In addition to the staff, many member volunteers are lobbying and working away for the interests of its members. Volunteers are always required in many areas. The benefit of involvement and having an active role is that you can help shape and change the world in which you work, influence policy and changes in legislation, education, membership and many other areas. And as an added bonus, involvement gives you a sense of belonging to the Institute of which you are a member. 9. Agree fees upfront and in writing When you make this routine a habit, it is second only to time recording in revolutionising your practice, your fee recovery and your cash flow. It focuses your mind in identifying exactly what service is required, what the client is willing to pay for that service, and the timing of when you will get paid. It opens the doors for a discussion on what work the client wants done, and identify any work they are willing to do themselves. Make a list of the steps involved in the work and use this as a template to assist in the conversation. The benefit is that it saves a lot of stress and bad feeling when you think you’ve done a great job only to find that the client does not appreciate it and is unwilling to pay for it. Orla McGahan is the principal of McGahan and Co, and is a member of the Members in Practice Committee of Chartered Accountants Ireland.  

Jeremy Twomey writes: With autumn’s arrival, it is timely to look back at the key events thus far in 2018 that have impacted accountancy practitioners. As in previous years, regulatory and legislative change has continued apace, including: The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force across Europe on 25 May, resulting in the largest change to the Irish & UK Data Privacy regimes in over a generation, with wide ranging effects on all businesses, including accountants; and The Companies (Statutory Audits) Act 2018 was signed into Irish law in late July, with its resulting principal changes for practitioners outlined in a dedicated article in Technical Signpost below. It is fair to say that achieving compliance with these new requirements presents a challenge for practitioners, especially so soon after the introduction of the Small and Micro Company regimes in ROI via the Companies (Accounting) Act 2017, as well as the new and separate Auditing Frameworks for Ireland and the UK early last year. 2018 has thus far also been a very busy year for the Institute’s Practice Consulting team, as we work to assist our members across the island in meeting the challenges they face. Our Training courses in the areas of Auditing, Financial Reporting and GDPR are proving particular popular. We have developed these three courses to address the practical needs of our members, providing clear examples of how to address the issues in each respective area that both you and your clients face each day. An example from our Financial Reporting course includes how to meet the various financial statements note disclosure requirements under the Small & Micro Company regimes. We use the experience that we have gained from numerous compliance assignments at practices over the years, together with the knowledge garnered from developing our practice aids such as Pro Forma Financial Statements, Procedures for Quality Audit (PQAs) and our recent comprehensive GDPR guidance and related templates. Marrying these with insights from the Institute’s Professional Standards Department on key regulatory compliance issues that they see at firms as part of their monitoring role, our courses help to ensure that both you, and your clients, stay ahead of emerging issues and meet your regulatory requirements. Feedback that we have received over recent months on these courses has been very positive and each carries a 3 hours CPD credit. Looking ahead, our upcoming courses during the autumn months include courses on Auditing and Financial Reporting in five regional centres across the island (Belfast, Cork, Galway, Limerick and Sligo), as well as Dublin. We typically provide both of these courses in one day at each centre, allowing participants to attend both courses, should they wish. Further details on the dates and times during November and December for each course/location, as well as booking details, are available on the Professional Development area of the Institute website. The option of availing of these three courses in-house at your firm also continues to be very much in demand. This option allows you to tailor a particular course to your firm/staff’s specific needs, while having one of our consultants provide a course at your practice is a particularly cost efficient way to meet CPD requirements for both you and your staff. One very popular example of such an in-house course over recent months is our half day GDPR consultation, where one of our team can visit your firm and offer practical advice and guidance on how to tailor your procedures, make progress on your GDPR journey, and meet key compliance milestones. Other courses that we are running during October and November at the Institute include two courses focused on regulated areas. The first in late October focuses on Accounting and Auditing for Charities and Not-for-Profit Entities, while the second in late November concentrates on other Regulated Entities such as Insurance Brokers, Auctioneers, Owners’ Management Companies, Occupational Pension Schemes and Solicitors. If you are providing accounting or audit services to any of these organisations, then these courses may be for you, as we provide practical updates on the recent key changes in the standards, regulations and legislation affecting these sectors. As you prepare for the remaining busy months of the year, and indeed for 2019, it may be worthwhile taking some time now to consider your current CPD requirements and how best to tackle these needs. As ever, my colleague Conal Kennedy and I are available to contact (see contact points below) on any of your practice related training needs over the coming months.

Jeremy Twomey writes: Meeting General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliance requirements has become a top priority for Irish businesses over recent months and accountancy practices are no different. Recognising that GDPR implementation presents both specific challenges and opportunities for accountants in practice, the Practice Consulting team has also been busy both offering advice and providing practical guidance in this area for our members. This guidance can be found at  https://www.charteredaccountants.ie/knowledge-centre/guidance/gdpr/gdpr-resources and includes the following: GDPR 8 Step Guide; Explanation of GDPR terms; GDPR Template Outline Procedures to be tailored and used by an accountancy firm; and Example paragraphs for a client engagement letter addressing GDPR and a template privacy statement. From talking with our members in practice over recent weeks, it is evident that practitioners are at different stages on their journey to GDPR compliance. While it may appear a daunting exercise at the outset, the process of becoming GDPR ready can be broken down into a few key practical steps. With this in mind, in this article, I am going to outline the key points to achieve GDPR implementation from our 8 Step Guide: 1.  Raise GPPR awareness As a starting point on your GDPR journey, the partners and staff at your firm need to be fully aware of the Regulation, the work to be undertaken to ensure compliance, the likely problems that may arise and any budgetary implications. A basic step that can be undertaken in-house at your firm is a GDPR awareness presentation for all the staff. Your clients also have to comply with GDPR, so it is worthwhile checking that they are aware of these changes, to tell them of their GDPR obligations and how your processes may be changing. Such support may be an ‘added value’ opportunity for your firm to assist your clients. 2.  Appoint someone senior to oversee the process & resource this appropriately Your firm should appoint someone internally to take control of understanding GDPR and how it will affect your practice. It is essential that this a senior member of staff who will take responsibility for overseeing the GDPR compliance process at your firm. While it is expected that the majority of the work in relation to meeting the requirements of GDPR can be undertaken internally, a project team may be required, which may include external support and assistance on certain issues. Hence, it is vital that reasonable funding and resources are set aside to achieve your GDPR requirements. It is currently envisaged that most accountancy firms will not be required to appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO). It is, however, recommended that you still appoint someone to be responsible for data protection within the firm going forward, but give them a title other than DPO (i.e. “Data Privacy Lead”). 3.  Review and update existing information and cyber security measures Having comprehensive levels of information and cyber security is a key step towards building a resilient organisation and ensuring GDPR compliance. It is therefore recommended that members should review their existing security measures and update as necessary. Both controllers and processors are required under the Regulation to implement “appropriate technical and organisational measures” to ensure a level of security appropriate to the risks that are presented by the processing of personal information. Such measures are described as including: Pseudonymisation and encryption of data (The use of secure portals to share documents is also of benefit); The ability to ensure ongoing confidentiality, integrity, availability and resilience of processing systems and services; The ability to restore the availability and access to personal data in a timely manner in the event of a physical or technical incident; and A process for regularly testing, accessing and evaluating the effectiveness of technical and organisational measures for ensuring the security of the processing. Detailed listings of examples of both practical physical and technical security measures to aid GDPR compliance at your firm are included in the full version of our 8 Step Guide as published on the Institute website. It is important to remember that managing cyber risk is not simply about managing data within your firm. Therefore, it becomes necessary to document the security risks from your supply chain (e.g. cloud service provider), as well as your own organisation. 4.  Map your data With the many potential pitfalls of non-compliance to GDPR, taking action to map any gaps in relation to the personal data your firm holds is critical. The first step is to get started by scoping the problem and mapping the data flows associated with your firm. It involves identifying, understanding and mapping out the data flows into and out of the organisation. As the data map evolves, you should be able to identify the flow of data, as well as gaps in required contracts and consents for processing data under the GDPR, and risks in security measures etc. that will need to be prioritised and resolved to ensure compliance. This requirement for data mapping is quite far reaching when you think about it. A typical accountancy practice possesses the following: accounting and tax software, audit software, payroll software, practice management systems, network drives and, of course, paper accounting, tax, company secretarial and audit files. This review will also need to extend to the many individual devices on which information is stored (e.g. laptops, desktops, tablets, phones and memory sticks). Finally, it is important to emphasise that, when completing your data mapping, GDPR compliance is only required for personal data that you hold. Company data is, for example, beyond the scope of the regulation, however your data mapping exercise may have an added benefit of identifying efficiencies that you can implement at your firm for non-personal data as well. 5.  Review your contracts with clients and suppliers As the GDPR imposes new obligations on data controllers and data processors, you will need to make sure you understand your status and your responsibilities with regard to both client data and firm data. At the very least, firm contracts will need to be updated to reflect the requirements of the GDPR. Accountancy firms should review their existing contracts with their clients, suppliers and sub-contractors to identify whether the accountancy firm is the data controller or data processor of any personal data it processes under the different contracts. This involves identifying which party ultimately determines the purpose and means of processing data. It is of vital importance that you satisfy yourself that your firm is correctly assigned the role of either data controller or processor (with matching appropriate requirements/liabilities) before signing any contract with your client or supplier. Remember that entering into a contract on the wrong basis may potentially open both you and your firm to unnecessary requirements/liabilities that may be difficult to overturn. More detailed guidance on each of these areas is included in the full 8 Step Guide, while Section 5 of our Outline Policies and Procedures provides advice on your firm’s likely status as either a Data Controller or Processor for a variety of possible assignments that you may undertake. Both of these documents can be found on the Institute website under GDPR resources. 6.  Employment contracts & information for your employees As with existing legislation in this area, under GDPR, certain information must be supplied to employees before their personal data is collected and processed by your firm. The information will typically be provided in the form of a notice to job candidates, and a further privacy policy will be supplied to successful job applicants as part of their on-boarding induction to the firm (typically included in an Employee Handbook along with other firm policies). It is also important to remember that, for the processing of employees’ personal data, where possible, the employer should rely on performance of the employment contract as the legal basis for processing, rather than consent. Consent is a weaker legal basis for such processing, as it can for example be easily withdrawn by the data subject Finally, do not forget to review (and redraft as necessary) employment contracts to update any data protection references or sections to comply with GDPR. 7.  Draft/update data protection policies and controls to meet the new requirements The GDPR introduces the principle of ‘accountability’. This means that all organisations must not only ensure they are compliant with the GDPR, but be in a position to prove this too. The best way to prove this is to document your data protection policies and procedures. We suggest that your firm’s GDPR policies and procedures should include, but not be limited to, the following (Outline policies in several of these areas are included in “Outline GDPR Policies and Procedures” on our website): Who is responsible for GDPR at your firm and what are the reporting lines? Data Processing Your policies in this area should detail the categories of personal data collected by your firm and the purpose for which it is collected. In addition, these policies should detail your firm’s role as a Data Controller and also instances when you act as a Data Processor, together with your responsibilities in fulfilling these roles. Data Subject Rights Your firm will need to have specific policies and procedures in place to ensure the rights of your data subjects are upheld under GDPR and that you have adequate processes and resources to meet the requirements of the Regulation. Specific subject rights areas requiring defined policies and procedures include: Data Subject Access Requests (DSARs); Right of erasure (Right to be forgotten); The right to restrict processing; The right to object to processing; and The right to data portability Some of these rights may not be enforceable by the data subject where data is held under legitimate purpose.   Data Governance Example areas of data governance to be considered for inclusion in your GDPR related policies and procedures include the following: Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs), Privacy by Design and Privacy Notices, Document Retention, Security and Breaches. 8.  Staff training and ongoing compliance While not all staff will need to understand the GDPR in its entirety at your firm, each of your staff should at least be aware that data protection is an issue for everyone. For staff who do not deal with personal data, training can be limited to an annual (refresher) course on information and cyber security. On the other hand, for staff who regularly deal with personal data, training should focus on security over data, plus an awareness of the firm GDPR policies and procedures on a regular basis (at a minimum annually or more often if the need arises). Again this can be tailored to their particular role and responsibilities. Ongoing testing Testing in the areas of IT Security and other key aspects of GDPR compliance (e.g. audits of records held for constant compliance) should be formalised into a regular ongoing programme of work at your firm, as well as outsourced providers. Cyber security is a rapidly evolving area. Meeting best practice in May 2018 does not mean you will maintain compliance over the months and years ahead; you will need to keep this area under review. Conclusion At first glance, the process to ensuring GDPR compliance may appear to be a massive undertaking and a drain on resources for your firm. It is important to bear in mind that most accountancy firms and small businesses are in the same boat as you, and that by breaking down the required steps into clear manageable stages as above, you too can achieve GDPR Compliance in a timely manner. Should you need further assistance, Practice Consulting has also developed a half day consultation offering. One of our consultants can visit your firm and offer practical advice and guidance on how to tailor your procedures, make progress on your GDPR journey, and meet key compliance milestones. If you have any question in relation to GDPR, please feel free to contact either Conal Kennedy or myself in Practice Consulting.

Jeremy Twomey writes: Billed as the most important change in data privacy regulation in over 20 years, and with its enforcement deadline of 25 May 2018 fast approaching, ensuring General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliance has become a top priority for the majority of Irish businesses. Over the last year, the Institute has been helping its members to prepare for GDPR in a number of ways. For example, we have provided guidance via articles in recent issues of Accountancy Ireland, while in the last few weeks we have run a series of half day roadshows and courses in a number of towns and cities across Ireland. In addition, the Practice Consulting team has been busy preparing detailed practical guidance in this area, explaining what the changes resulting from GDPR will mean for accountants and their clients. This guidance will be available under the Knowledge Centre section of the Institute website, and is designed to answer the GDPR-related questions that members have contacted us on over recent months. While preparing this guidance, it became evident that a number of “myths” have developed over the last couple of years surrounding the implementation of GDPR. In this article, I am going to address a few of these and try to help you ensure that you do not fall foul of these, as you prepare to achieve GDPR compliance at your firm. Myth 1 - GDPR Compliance is a once off project to be achieved by 25 May With so much hype surrounding the regulation, one should remember it is not a once off event or test for compliance. Unlike planning for the Y2K deadline in 1999, GDPR preparation doesn’t end on 25 May; it requires ongoing effort. It’s an evolutionary process for organisations; 25 May is the date that GDPR will be enforced but no business stands still. You will be expected to continue to identify and address emerging privacy and security risks in the weeks, months and years beyond May of this year. GDPR will require ongoing governance of data, as organisations migrate to new systems or apply their customer data to new markets and trends. Initial compliance is the first heavy lift, but ongoing governance is the long-term reality! All entities falling under GDPR should endeavour to be fully compliant by the implementation day, although this may not be possible in all instances. In such circumstances it is important that you address the essential elements of compliance at your firm as soon as possible, and can demonstrate your ongoing efforts in this regard in a comprehensive documented plan of work. Myth 2 - GDPR is only for large firms, a small accountancy practice or company is not expected to have the time or resources to achieve compliance You will have to comply with GDPR, regardless of your size, if you process personal data. Small accountancy practices do not escape the demands of compliance. GDPR needs to be prioritised by all firms, regardless of size. The vast majority of businesses across Ireland are small businesses and it is important to remember these firms often process a lot of personal data, and their data protection reputation and liability risks are just as real as for larger entities. Myth 3 - With Brexit, entities located in the UK, including Northern Ireland, will not have to comply with GDPR GDPR will apply to all EEA countries and any individual or organisations trading with them. As it comes into force on 25 May 2018 (before the UK is due to leave the EU), UK individuals & organisations must ensure compliance with the new regime by then. The British government has confirmed that the UK’s decision to leave the EU following Brexit will not affect the commencement of GDPR. Post Brexit, it is envisaged that if a UK organisation or individual processes personal data, then they will have to do this in accordance with GDPR. To ensure that the UK will be GDPR-compliant post Brexit, the new Data Protection Bill (currently going through Parliament in London) incorporates all of the GDPR. Myth 4 - GDPR is a completely new approach to Data Protection It is vital to remember that GDPR builds upon the existing legislation in this area. It is an update, not a wholesale revision, to meet the changes in technology and data use over the last twenty years or so. As a result of these changes, consumers’ privacy and data were not by now as well protected as they could be. GDPR rectifies this by increasing the responsibility on organisations to use personal data appropriately and to hold it securely. Although GDPR is not a completely new approach, it is more stringent in its application and the fines for non-compliance have been considerably increased. This means that doing nothing is not an option, although GDPR does allow organisations to take a risk based approach, based on your size and circumstances. Many organisations struggle to assess where they should start in preparing for GDPR. It is helpful to remember that we have had data protection legislation in both the UK and the Republic of Ireland for a number of decades and therefore, firms who have taken data protection compliance seriously are already in good shape for beginning to meet GDPR’s increased compliance standards. Myth 5 - GDPR is just more bureaucracy and work for small firms, with no potential  benefits When legislation of this nature is announced, one can take either a positive or negative view of the task at hand. If you take a negative view, you will see GDPR as more bureaucracy and cost to your firm. If you take a positive view, on the other hand, you will view GDPR as a necessary strengthening of the rights of individuals, and indeed a potential  opportunity. As accountants position themselves as strategic advisers to clients, GDPR is also an opportunity for firms to demonstrate to clients that they can securely hold and process information in accordance with data requirements, and that protection of client data is a priority for the practice. As a result, clients are likely to see their accountants as trusted professionals with whom they can partner to drive their business forward. Therefore, being a leader in this area may enhance your practice and its reputation. In addition, as trusted business advisors to your clients, you must have sufficient knowledge of this new legislation to be able to provide sound advice. SMEs need to be ready when the new law comes into force, but they may struggle to know where to start. Chartered Accountants in practice can help these small businesses bridge the gap to GDPR compliance and, in the process, win new business. Myth 6 - Outsourcing GDPR compliance will be a quick fix for me and my firm There is no quick fix to GDPR compliance. No one piece of software or outsourced service provider is going to provide everything you need to comply with GDPR. For accountancy practices, GDPR will impact on how you manage and store data across your entire firm (e.g. client, prospective client, contact, supplier and staff data). You cannot outsource your responsibility for this information, and compliance with GDPR will require considerable time and preparation from all levels within your practice. With the implementation date of 25 May approaching quickly, it is important to start sooner rather than later on this. Myth 7 - GDPR only applies to Digital Processing Under GDPR, data processing covers both automated personal data and manual filing systems. Manual/paper records are included if they are part of a ‘relevant filing system’. This means papers stored systematically, for example, in a filing cabinet are probably included, but ad hoc paper files may not be. Members should ensure that they apply the same levels of diligence to paper records as they do digital records and that any decisions made regarding the lawful basis for processing, adhering to data protection principles and upholding data subjects’ rights include paper records held. Myth 8 - Under GDPR, accountants will only be seen as Data Processors and hence avoid much of the responsibility that falls on Data Controllers in this new regulation The UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has previously advised that it considers that an accountancy firm providing accountancy services acts as a data controller. The firm’s status as a data controller in relation to clients arises because the firm has flexibility over the manner in which it provides services to its clients and will not be simply acting on their instructions. In addition to this, the firm has its own professional responsibilities regarding record-keeping and confidentiality. Therefore, because an accountant “determines what information to obtain and process in order to do the work”, firms act as “controllers in common” with clients. Under GDPR, member firms will also be data controllers with regard to their firm data (e.g. employee information). If there is any doubt regarding your status as a processor or controller in relation to your firm’s activities, you should take legal advice. Going forward, firms will need to ensure that client terms and conditions reflect this reality, potentially extending engagement terms as appropriate. No doubt, for many accounting practitioners, much work remains to be done to fully meet GDPR compliance requirements. Between now and the end of May, firms new  to the process will need to examine their existing data processing, review their data protection policies, procedures & controls, and identify any gaps that need to be addressed. Following on from this, firms will need to implement any changes required in a structured documented manner to meet the needs of GDPR and continue to show full compliance long after the implementation date. The Institute will continue to assist members on your GDPR compliance journey, with ongoing updates to our available guidance in this area and, should you have a specific query in this area, please feel free to contact the Practice Consulting Team.

Conal Kennedy writes: For many years we in Practice Consulting have assisted members to buy, sell and merge their practices. During the recession years, and for some time afterwards, there was very little activity, but in recent times we have been receiving more enquiries and helping more practices. A firm with a recurring fee base has a value based primarily on its goodwill. It is usually preferable to arrange succession from within a practice, but in the absence of this, a sole practitioner approaching retirement age might consider realising the value of the firm by selling the goodwill to a growing practice. There are other circumstances where a practitioner may be interested in selling their practice. On the other hand, many practices have informed us of their intent to purchase, if an opportunity arises. In other cases practices may come together by way of acquisition or merger in order to pool resources and leverage the benefits of increased size and more diverse skillsets. Many mid-sized practices would be interested in offering a senior position or partnership to a dynamic sole practitioner. This possibility might be of interest to a member who has set up on practice relatively recently. The member has found that he or she has the ability to run a business and acquire clients, but the pressures of being entirely alone are just too much. This profession is a people business and in any deal, the human element is always crucial. More important than top line valuations is the ability to trust your counterparty, to establish open communication and a good working relationship. The value of a practice still tends to be based on a multiple of its fee income and the classic 1:1 ratio of recurring fees to practice value is the starting point of many conversations. That said, buyers and sellers should be aware of the changes and pressures arising in recent years due to market forces. The general skill shortage in the profession means that the staff of the practice may be the most important element in judging the inherent value of the practice. Specific purchasers may be interested in purchasing a niche practice with clients that fit specific criteria. There is any number of ways to structure the deal. If a capital sum changes hands, then this may be based paid in stages over time. There may be a clawback based on clients who do not transfer. Separate arrangements need to be made to deal with WIP and debtors that are outstanding at the date of transfer. In general every aspect can be varied by either party to suit the circumstances of the deal. Practice Consulting assists practices to come together. We work in complete confidence. If you are interested discussing any of the matters in this article, please contact Conal Kennedy Tel: 00 353 1 6377396 or Jeremy Twomey  Tel: 00 353 1 6373972.

Claire Percy writes: Members consistently tell us that “protecting and promoting the Chartered brand” is one of the key services that Chartered Accountants Ireland can provide to them. Often, this feedback relates to student recruitment and the continuity of the profession. However it is also critical in terms of helping consumers, employers and business decision-makers understand the value of choosing a Chartered Accountant. The Institute supports the brand year-long across all its services and through a range of promotional activities. This includes the annual brand advertising campaign, “Make Sure your Accountant is a Chartered Accountant”, which is currently running. The key message of the campaign is that businesses can have confidence in the training, standards and experience of Chartered Accountants in every sector. This “confidence” message is being carried across radio, press and online. This year, in order to maximise the local benefit to our firms and members nationwide, a number of regional innovations have been introduced, with regional press and radio in use alongside national outlets. In order to connect the advertising even more directly with our network of 1,500+ practices around the island, the campaign is also supplemented by a direct mail initiative. All firms should by now have received a pack containing two high-quality window vinyls for use on their offices windows or doors. The purpose of this is to promote visibility of the recently-refreshed Institute logo on the high street. This will help consumers link the advertising message to their own local Chartered Accountant – and create a “multiplier effect” that builds the confidence message for all members. The pack also provides access to co-branded marketing materials and gives links to download logos for use on firms’ own websites and promotional materials. There was also an online competition to win a table at this year’s annual dinner – simply by showing the Chartered logo in action. The design of this campaign was greatly assisted by the input of the Members in Practice committee and Strategic Communications committee. We are very keen to  hear wider feedback, and in particular may look at offering a more permanent signage option in future. Please take a look at www.charteredaccountants.ie/Brand for more information or to get in touch with feedback on the campaign or how we can assist you to make the Chartered brand work for your firm.