FCSA Codes of Compliance
The FCSA operates a best practice Codes of Compliance designed to ensure that its Accredited Members provide services, advice and employment to the highest level of professional and ethical standards in the UK.
The codes of compliance set out by the FCSA provides complete peace of mind to recruiters when selecting an umbrella service for their contractors.
The FCSA Codes of Compliance has been developed by Ernst & Young, in consultation with HMRC, and is available to the public on the FCSA website.
All FCSA Accredited Members are tested annually against the FCSA Codes of Compliance by independent, carefully selected assessors.
The assessors are top-tier regulated accountants and solicitors bound by their own professional standards and code of conduct and are independent of the FCSA.
The assessors are experts in the sector and are carefully selected by the FCSA.
The FCSA Codes of Compliance is continually updated to reflect current legislation.
Non-compliance by FCSA Accredited Members results in the suspension or termination of FCSA Accredited Membership.
The standards for becoming an accredited member are rigorous and very difficult to achieve. Assessments on our business services, operations, policies and processes are examined to ensure adherence to FCSA compliance standards. Assessments are carried out by independent assessors that are not connected to the FCSA. In our case this was Ernst & Young, who are regulated accountants and lawyers. A review of our assessment is also sent to the HMRC, allowing for complete transparency.
Has Anything Changed?
The way we work has not changed as we have always been a compliant provider. The difference now is that the way we work and what we offer has been recognised by the FCSA. In addition it also means that:
We are a trusted and independently vetted supply chain partner.
We have demonstrably the highest compliance standards within the industry.
We have complete transparency with HMRC.
We have a proven track record in the provision of high-quality services and support to workers.
We have access to the top industry experts and advisers.
FCSA is the only compliance standard recognised and endorsed by all of the UK’s leading recruitment bodies, including REC, APSCo and TEAM.
Having demonstrated that we adhere to the FCSA Compliance Code, our accreditation assures you that we operate legally and with your best interests in mind.
We have always taken compliance seriously. Ensuring our service is reliable and most importantly, ensuring that a contractors HMRC contributions are paid correctly and on time. Our service was designed from the ground-up to offer contractors and agencies a compliant and risk-free PAYE solution in response to the many dubious schemes that were being offered in the market. Tax efficient schemes that offered 90% take-home and 100% punishment if caught. We have never offered and never will offer anything other than a 100% compliant service.
Chief Executive of the FCSA at the time, Julie Kermode, stated that
“Payments Pro has worked hard to secure accreditation and I would like to congratulate Ashley and his team for passing our rigorous assessment which is an achievement to be celebrated. FCSA Accreditation is not an easy process and we are seeing an increasing number of contractors and recruiters looking for FCSA’s quality mark when they are considering signing up to a professional services company, safe in the knowledge that they will be getting professional, reliable and expert advice.“
In response our COO Ashley Holdaway, commented:
“We are delighted to have secured FCSA accreditation and it is just reward for our team who work hard to provide contractors and recruiters with a first-class service and reliable advice. In an unregulated industry we have seen and heard about a lot of bad practice by unethical providers who are giving our industry a bad name, hoodwinking contractors to sign up to solutions that are simply wrong. Compliance and transparency, along with value and excellence, lie at the heart of what Payments Pro offers and we are looking forward to working with other FCSA members to drive up standards and provide contractors and recruiters with services that they know they can rely on 100%.”
FCSA or not, our service was designed from the ground-up to be compliant and reliable while also offering outstanding customer service to both contractors and agencies alike.