Icon Accounting - Accounting company in Ireland

A PPS Number is a personal public service number issued to an individual by the Irish Government. The PPS Number is a unique identifier for the individuals who are residing in Ireland. Individuals can use their PPS Number to apply for services from different government agencies and private companies. The Irish Government provides various services through the use of this number, such as applying for welfare benefits and health insurance , paying taxes , housing and education . PPS Numbers are also used by banks and employers when they need to verify an individual’s identity or when they want to collect tax information from them. Using the Personal Public Service Number You can use your PPS number for: * All social welfare services * The Free Travel Pass * Pupil ID * Public health services, including the medical cardand the Drugs Payment Scheme * Child immunisation * Schemes run by the Revenue Commissioners, such as mortgage interest relief * Housing grants * Driv...

We are all prone to occasional stress at work, especially when we are working on a busy project or when we have a tight deadline to hit. Burnout is different, it usually results from more long-term issues, like having overly demanding expectations, working in a highly pressurised environment, or overworking yourself to please as many clients at once.  In general, a person beginning to experience burnout might feel they’ve little or no control over their work situation, they will probably find themselves working longer hours, and may not be able to find any work-life balance. This leads to a feeling of exhaustion, hopelessness, and loss of motivation. It’s important to catch work-related burnout early before it has the chance to escalate into further problems.  Workplace stress tends to snowball for us all. One minute, you’re feeling slightly stressed about an upcoming deadline and the next, you find yourself stuck under an avalanche of missed deadlines, unfinished projects, an...

Earlier this week, the Minister for Finance, Pascal Donoghue, and Minister for Public Expenditure & Reform, Michael McGrath, announced Budget 2023. In this blog, we have highlighted the most common changes that will be relevant to our clients and a summary of the main changes elsewhere! Earlier this week, the Minister for Finance, Pascal Donoghue, and Minister for Public Expenditure & Reform, Michael McGrath, announced Budget 2023. The Budget for 2023 has been built against the background of inflation and cost of living support. At first glance, it looks like a giveaway budget with a bit for everyone, the question is will it be enough to deal with inflation over the next few months or will it add fuel to the fire? Pardon the pun! Taxation receipts for the year to date have been strong, and we are currently running a surplus of € 1 billion in 2022, with a surplus of €6.2billion forecast for 2023. It was widely anticipated that this would be a Budget with large spending, and it ...

While contracting and freelancing are similar yet different, it’s important to distinguish between them. In this blog, we will break down both freelancing and contracting and show you the benefits and differences so you can decipher which title or path is best for you. Since the pandemic, the number of people entering freelancing and contracting roles has shot up. The need for employees to be permanent isn’t as vital as it once was, as employers now look at hiring independent professionals to complete tasks using their expertise and skills-set. Likewise, more workers are now exploring the benefits of acting as Independent professionals, in comparison to that ‘permanent employees. While contracting and freelancing are similar yet different, it’s important to distinguish between them. In this blog, we will break down both freelancing and contracting and show you the benefits and differences so you can decipher which title or path is best for you.   Who are freelancers? ...

Although you may have learned many competencies since you started your career, markets constantly evolve, so obtaining new skills or refreshing current ones will ensure your capabilities remain relevant. To maximize your potential, and indeed your rate of pay, as an Independent Professional, you need to aim to achieve expert status within your field. As an Independent Professional Contractor, you rely heavily on your own skills as an income generation tool. It is a major part of what differentiates your work from others. Although you may have learned many competencies since you started your career, markets constantly evolve, so obtaining new skills or refreshing current ones will ensure your capabilities remain relevant. To maximize your potential, and indeed your rate of pay, as an Independent Professional, you need to aim to achieve expert status within your field. What is ‘upskilling’? Upskilling is elevating existing skills to the next level or acquiring new skills. Upskilling ens...

  We all know it can be grueling to stay on track with our finances. That’s why at Icon Accounting, we want to provide you with all the tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your finances. Below, you will find 5 of our financial tips to keep in mind as an Independent Professional! We all know it can be grueling to stay on track with our finances. That’s why at Icon Accounting, we want to provide you with all the tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your finances.  Here are 5 finance tips to keep in mind as an Independent Professional:   1. Project your earnings and price your rate If you already have a contract secured for the next six months to a year it is easier to work out what you’ll make versus bills, savings, and living expenses. However, if you’re between roles or will be working on shorter contracts throughout the year, a good strategy is to assess what you must earn to live comfortably and then price out what you need to earn in...

When starting out in the world of Contracting, it can feel overwhelming and difficult to know where to start. We will run through the initial steps you can make to help you land your first or next contracting role. When starting out in the world of contracting, it can be overwhelming and hard to know where to start. We will run through the initial steps you can make to help you land your first contracting job.   What you’re selling is yourself Remember, when working as a contractor, you are no longer just a representative for another company or brand: you are solely selling your own services.  The best way to tackle this is to start from the ground up.  Your CV Start by updating your CV with all relevant information, paying extra attention to your skills since this is the main element sought out by contract recruiters. What skills you offer could be learned from previous jobs or from upskilling you have carried out in your own time. Try to keep your CV concise and ta...