As bookkeepers, most of us are aware of the threat that money laundering poses to our industry, as well as to the economy. But in some cases it’s probably fair to say that we don’t often think about the direct or indirect social harm it can cause, facilitating more serious crimes such as human trafficking, illegal drugs and the arms trade. As intermediaries, we have a crucial role to play in disrupting this threat.

We have launched a new Facebook group for IAB students and professional members. The aim of the group is to provide further support to you and a platform where you can interact with fellow members and get to know each other

A new system for next day clearance of cheques is to start later this year. Currently, cheques can take up to six working days to clear, but this will change in October.

Pension Solution was set up by the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association (PLSA) specifically to help small employers through automatic enrolment. The PLSA is an independent trade association acting as the UK voice of the workplace pensions industry.

As I write this, payroll year-end is in full swing and I am considering my pricing strategy for the new financial year. In my opinion, the payroll industry, comprising both payroll software providers and payroll bureau, is seriously undervalued. Most payroll professionals see auto-enrolment as yet another piece of legislation or business process that they are forced to deal with, but to me auto-enrolment feels like the end of a disruptive period, which started with HMRC’s introduction of RTI.