How to Choose and Get the Most from Your Accountant
Choosing an accountant is an important decision and you need to find one that matches your needs, you feel comfortable with, can trust and whose fee levels are fair.
We’ve produced the following checklist to help you choose and get the most from your accountant…
- Call Whenever You Need. Get an accountant who you can call whenever you need help and advice, without fear of being charged every time you make a phone call.
- Understanding. Get an accountant you can speak to comfortably and confidentally and who can also achieve results for you.
- Commercial Awareness. Talk to them about your business and your ideas and see how commercial they are. Do they understand your business?
- Gives Tax Ideas. Ask them what tax ideas they have for you. You want an accountant who will pro-actively come up with regular new ideas.
- Prepare for Meetings. Make sure you prepare for any meetings you have with them and let them know beforehand what you want answers to.
- Use of Email. Ask if they communicate by email as it speeds up service and saves costs.
- Who Will You Deal With? Will you have a dedicated contact in the firm or will you be passed around lots of different people?
- What Services are Offered? Find out if they offer all the services you need and are likely to need in the future?
- Agreed timescales. Do they tell you when the work will be completed and honour that commitment?
- Existing Clients. Ask to speak with some of their clients to see what they say about them.
- Engagement Letter. Ask for a copy of their engagement letter and make sure everything you need is included and make sure they keep to what they are to do.
- Listen or Talk and Take Action? Do they listen to you? You want an accountant who takes a real interest in you and your business and takes action on what you need.
To find out how we would work with you, please contact us. Also view our promises.
