Introduction It is now almost ten years since the Personal Property Securities Act 1999 ("PPSA") was enacted. Despite this, in our insolvency work we still regularly come across suppliers who have not performed the necessary registrations, and as a result lose priority to other creditors. This is highly unfortunate, given that a PPSR registration is simple to do and costs only $3.07. A PPSR registration is a little like income protection insurance - not terribly exciting to think about now, but it can make all the difference if the unexpected happens. We encourage all our clients to check that they, and their own clients, are fully conversant with this vital area. In this short article we attempt to explain the…

Many businesses are facing hard times in the current market. Your business might be one of them. Early action is critical in determining whether your business can be rescued or not. Taking steps to ensure your company remains financially sound will minimise the risk of an insolvent trading action. It may also improve your company's performance. There are serious penalties and consequences of insolvent trading including civil penalties and criminal charges. Insolvency can be established by either of the Cashflow or Balance Sheet tests. Note, importantly, that the company only needs to fail one of these tests to be insolvent. The Cashflow test is simply whether the company can pay its debts when they fall due for payment. If you are paying…

The content of this article may be out of date - please refer to our more recent articles for up-to-date information. THE CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT AS A BUSINESS PARTNERChartered Accountants think of themselves as something quite different from bookkeepers. They regard themselves as business partners who can and do add value to the business of their clients. If they are sincere in this, they need a good working knowledge of company law, commercial law and the law of meetings and need to be in a position to advise their clients accordingly. They need to have the judgment to know when the services of a solicitor are required and need to be able to select the requisite solicitor. A FAILING OF THE…