MICHAEL FITZPATRICK

Fitzpatrick & Associates

Fitzpatrick & Associates

Trading since 1996, the firm provides a broad range of accounting, tax and business advisory services. Founder Michael Fitzpatrick is a specialist in insolvency matters and corporate recovery.

ACTIVITY Much of our time and effort was directed to assisting clients with EWSS and other government supports. Our hospitality clients have been decimated, but sectors such as pharma, used car sales, construction and trades have continued to prosper. Since Q3 2020 we have experienced increased demand for accounting, audit and tax services. The pandemic has slowed down the delivery of our audit and consulting services but everything is still running smoothly. CRO deadline extensions have taken some pressure off.

REMOTE WORKING We adapted relatively quickly to remote working after the initial shock. We have learned that physical meetings are not essential, nor is having everyone working in the office all the time. It has also accelerated the movement to cloudbased services. However, remote working has significant shortcomings in terms of the dayto-day interaction, learning and mentoring of junior staff.

Challenging operational issues for us include the delivery of audit services with very limited access to client premises. Managing human resources and on-boarding new clients were other initial challenges, while trying to assist clients in the worstaffected sectors was very challenging.

BUSINESS SUPPORTS The Covid Restrictions Support Scheme – based on metric of turnover – is a very blunt instrument and a poor way of providing targeted assistance. It is primarily beneficial to high turnover/low margin businesses, and we have many clients whose businesses are closed or virtual that cannot avail of CRSS.

‘The CRSS is a poor way of providing targeted assistance’