Covertax CTA and UK VAT Agent CTA Updated COVID Policy

The basic aim is to protect our people and their families. 

The secondary aim is to stop our people spreading COVID to people we come into contact with.

Our basic policy remains the same for the time being - basically "lockdown".

It will only be amended as team members become fully vaccinated in accordance with the English national rollout AND workplace testing is up and running (expected 1 April 2021). We accept that vaccination does not mean that an individual will not catch COVID, and that an individual will not pass it on. We further accept that the COVID testing kits are not infallible. But we believe we have taken all necessary measures in this respect. This will be revised as and when there is further guidance from the English government and the World Health Organisation (the English Government is a little slow to react at times). We expect to be included in the relatives and housemates testing roll out when that is available. Neither vaccination nor testing is compulsory for our staff, but they have all decided to take part.

Personal protective equipment (FFP3 masks) has been provided to each team member.

But each team member will risk assess working situations that they face. At the moment, apart from following Government Guidelines, in principle no team member will meet with anyone on business face to face – that includes, clients, HMRC and the tax tribunal. Instead we believe that these meetings can be conducted on Teams or Zoom or some similar technology. For example, we know how to screen share, as does most of the world by now! We can also open folders on our system to third parties and share documents that way.

Once each team member is fully vaccinated, and capable of using testing kits, we will consider face to face meetings on a case by case basis, but with no change to our base position as the optimum position. As a rule, we would not expect to meet face to face in a public place. We would also expect the meeting place to be COVID safe. And we will only meet with people who can confirm that they have been fully vaccinated and are subject to a regular testing regime. We will wear masks during meetings and expect those we meet to show us the same courtesy. Our team have our full support in abandoning a meeting if they consider the conditions to be, have become, or will become unsafe. Whilst we appreciate that some people are unable to wear masks, and we also have a disabled team member and other team members with health conditions which could be compromised by COVID, if the people we meet are unwilling or unable to wear a mask, we will not meet face to face. No team member is required to attend meetings. It is a matter of their own judgment as to whether they believe that their safety could be compromised by a face to face meeting and each team member is fully supported in that decision. WE also understand and agree to others being unwilling to meet us face to face because of their own COVID policy, although we do expect that some other form of communication will be used instead (video for example).

We will review these guidelines from time to time in accordance with guidance and law issued by the English Government and the World Health Organisation guidance.

We are happy to consider amendments to these guidelines.

We consider that protecting human health is good for our business.

Steve Botham

Director

9 March 2021