Mrs Joanna Webb - 13 March 2017

Arnold Webb Accounting Ltd
Droitwich Spa
Worcestershire WR9 0AH

Complaint

The complaint was that Mrs Webb was liable to disciplinary action under the IFA’s Bye-Laws. Bye-Law 12.1 states that a member shall be liable to disciplinary action if they have performed their professional work or conducted their practice or performed the duties of their employment, improperly, inefficiently or incompetently to such an extent or on such a number of occasions as to bring discredit to themselves or their practice, to the Institute, or to the accountancy profession. Bye-Law 12.3 says that misconduct includes (but is not limited to) any act or default likely to bring discredit to the member or to the Institute or the accountancy profession.

Background

The complainant was a client of Mrs Webb. The complainant alleged that Mrs Webb failed to correspond with HMRC on his behalf for a considerable time and failed to provide information to his new accountants upon request. Also that she had provided misleading information about progress of his affairs with HMRC. The Institute complained that Mrs Webb had not co-operated with its enquiries into the allegations.

Conclusion

The Disciplinary Committee found these complaints proved and concluded that the conduct of Mrs Webb was seriously deficient. Mrs Webb had failed to act diligently, carefully, thoroughly or on a timely basis, and her conduct was seriously deficient and reprehensible. The Committee was satisfied that Mrs Webb had failed to co-operate with the Institute in its disciplinary process. The Disciplinary Committee ordered that Mrs Webb be expelled and ordered to pay the IFA’s costs of £2887.