CAVA offers free consultancy for small traders
Many small publicans finding themselves in dire straits at the present time and who think they might benefit from financial advice can make use of a free non-means tested service from Chartered Accountants Ireland.
The Institute provided a service for many years known as FISC (Financial Information Service Centre) but due to the recession has recently reorganised the service as the Chartered Accountants Voluntary Advice (CAVA), in operation since January 2012.
The advice is generally provided in Community Information Centres where other services like MABS, FLAC (free legal aid) are also available. Often MABS, which helps with personal budgeting, refers clients to CAVA.
CAVA volunteers are all qualified chartered accountants from a range of business backgrounds. They will advice self-employed people in financial difficulty but the service is not confined to business people. For example, people seeking help may be OAPs asking about tax and their pension, employees with a tax query, someone needing information on starting a business or help with financial and tax issues arising from marriage breakdown.
Even for those publicans who have an accountant, a visit to CAVA will not clock up a bill and a new view can be beneficial, states CAVA.
The service operates by appointment only. The CAI has provided Drinks Industry Ireland with the list of centres below:
