Let me see if I can help. You can do the
Instrument Proficiency Check either before, after or in conjunction with the
Flight Review. How and to what extent these activities may be combined is at the sole discretion of the person giving the check(s) as long as all required elements of each check to be signed off are satisfactorily completed.
Here are links to the FAR
61.56 (flight review) and
61.57, (Recent flight experience: Pilot in command) The second regulation covers IPCs, as well as landing currency. Note that flight reviews, IPCs, and landing currency are all treated as separate issues. One need not be current in any of these requirements in order to be current, or regain currency in any other.
In other words, in order to
act as the PIC of an aircraft, one must have a current flight review. In order to carry passengers while
acting as PIC, one must be landing current. In order to
act as the PIC under IFR, one must be instrument current. All are separate issues.
You could be instrument current without a current flight review. In this case, you would be unable to
act as the PIC, but as soon as your flight review was current, you'd be current for both VFR and IFR. You could have a current flight review, but lack instrument currency. In this case, you could
act as the PIC under VFR, but not under IFR. You could have a current flight review and instrument currency, yet not be landing current. In this case, you could
act as the PIC, but not while carrying passengers. Go do your landings alone or with a qualified person before loading them up.
I hope this does more to clarify things for you than to further confuse them!
Just make sure you are current and qualified for whatever operations you undertake.
Best regards,
westhawk