Looking for an accountant can be daunting, and it’s hard to know where to start or what to look for.
You may have had a bad experience, and are looking to switch accountants, or even starting out fresh, with limited knowledge regarding the taxation of the UK. Whatever the reason, we’re here to break down what things to look out for when choosing an accountant!
Approachable
The first contact with a potential new accountant is usually on the phone. You should hope that the person on the other side of the line is warm and welcoming, and inviting enough to book you in for a face-to-face consultation.
You can expect to be asked a few details about yourself and/or your business to ensure they put you with the most suitable accountant for your needs.
Most accountants should be able to deal with various types of clients, but on a few exceptions some clients have very specific needs. Some accountants may have specialised training or experience in certain areas, and you’ll need to put your trust in the right person who is overseeing your accounts.
Walking into an office, or any room full of people may feel intimidating, but you shouldn’t be made to feel as such. From the off it should be clear where you’re going, who you are seeing, and whether you’ll be waiting long. This brings us on to the next thing to look out for.
Timekeeping
If you’re waiting past your appointment time, what does that say about their timekeeping skills?
You’re a potential new client, and that should be important to an accountancy firm, as you would like to think that they are prepared and ready for you as you are for them.
How long does it take for them to complete the work? And do they stick to that time frame? If the work carried out is very quick, you would wonder why? Could they be rushing the work? If so, are they missing something important? Are they taking too long to complete work? Are they struggling with something, or have they got too much work on the go? These are questions you should keep in mind to prevent potential mishaps.
Price
Onto the important question for most… How much is this going to cost you?
There are some accountants that charge £400 upwards for a simple self-assessment, on top of that, some accountants also charge for minutes in meetings, phone calls and even per email!
This is normally the case with the ‘big firms’, however, the problem with bigger firms is they have a lot of clients, so you can get a little lost in the crowd and that can feel a little impersonal.
You have the other side of it, charging too little, which sounds like a good thing, but you also need to wonder why they are charging so little. Is the reason they are undercharging because they have not got a good amount of experience? Are they just starting out? Are they lacking the right qualifications? If they are charging a small fee, they would have to have an extremely high work output to maintain a decent profit, and in this case are they rushing your work?
Services
Do they offer a range of services that best suit your needs? Not all accountants offer payroll or bookkeeping, and wouldn’t it make sense to do it all under one roof?
Maybe you do not need these services now, however, you may need them in the future, so choosing a firm that has a range of services to offer would be beneficial as changing accountants again is the last thing you would want and can be deemed time consuming and costly.
Here at Diamond Accounts, we offer a range of services, including payroll, bookkeeping, self-assessments, and assisting a wide spectrum of clients.
We always go the extra mile. If you cannot get to us, then we can come to you. We do not expect everyone to be able to reach us in person, so we make time for those people online to give them the most personal experience we can. So, you can be anywhere in the world, and we’ll still ensure your work is completed on time and working towards the best standard as we do for all our clients.
We offer free consultations, and once we have given you a price for the work to be completed (that includes emails, future meetings and telephone advice and queries), you will see there are no hidden costs!
So, drop in or give us a call, and we’ll make sure the kettle is on!
