Accountant - how do you find a good one?

GustyGardenGalaxy

My mother has an accountant to do her tax returns, the trouble is that this guy is SLOW. I mean really, really SLOW - he's full of broken promises and takes ages (sometimes years!) to do anything which he has promised to do.

My mother would like to get shot of him but doesn't know how to go about finding an accountant who is actually efficient and reliable.

How does she go about this?


Thanks

Pennywise

Just like any service provider, such as plumbers etc., word of mouth and personal recommendation is the only way.

Surely she knows other people within the family and social circle who have an accountant - she should ask them for recommendations.

If she really can't get a recommendation from a trusted friend, then she should go and see, say, 3 local accountants and go for an initial chat with them - most smaller firms offer a free initial meeting as a "get to know you" session - if they don't then move along to those that do (there are plenty out there). If she likes any of them and they can promise to be more efficient, then she should move to them. If she doesn't like any of them, then move onto another 3. There are literally thousands of accountants out there - dozens in every town - probably 1 or 2 in every village (there are four accountants and three book-keepers in our small village alone!).

The one thing she needs to make sure is that the firms she chooses are properly regulated. Unfortunately, in the UK, literally anyone can call themselves an accountant and they don't have to be insured, they don't have to take regular refresher courses, in fact don't have to have ever taken any exams at all. There are several professional regulatory bodies which have entry requirements and ongoing quality control monitoring, such as the "chartered" accountancy bodies, and also the likes of The !!! of Accounting Technicians, Institute of Book-keepers etc. Of course, there are "unqualified" accountants who are very good, but unless she's got a personal recommendation from an existing client of theirs, they're best avoided to avoid the risk of being left high & dry with poor service and no come back.

Pippa369

My husband is self employed and his accountant was recommended, a great way to get honest and reliable advice.

joanneinwonderland

Totally agree with above posters personal recommendation is always best. If that's not possible simply do a google search for your local area and call them up.

If it's just personal tax returns you're probably best looking at a smaller local firm rather than anyone national. Agree that they should offer a free initial chat to get some background as they need to be comfortable that they can offer your mother the advice and support she needs. Also get an idea of the level of fee's they charge. They should be able to quote based on the information that goes into the return. I know our firm do even though we charge on an "on time basis" but if we've quoted we will stick to that.

Good luck hope your mum finds someone more suited to her needs.

Jo x

GustyGardenGalaxy

Many thanks for the words of advice.

joanneinwonderland

Of course depending what's in her tax return HMRC online is actually quite user friendly and don't see why you couldn't DIY and save on fees?

If there's not too much in it you would manage as the software guides you through it.

jo x

Money_Grabber13579

You could find accountants by looking up the institute's website, ICAEW, ICAS or CAI. (Depending on which region you are in)

http://www.icaewfirms.co.uk/section.asp?catid=16
http://www.icas.org.uk/directory/
http://www.charteredaccountants.ie/Members/Member-Search/

heretolearn_2

Personal recommendation is always good. Otherwise a qualified acct and a member of one of the regulatory bodies (ACCA or ACA). But generally, on level of service, it's a case of suck it and see. A lot of accountants are dreadful on the client care side so we do well around here as it's what we put first! :-)

But there's also a big element of you get what you pay for. There are lots of either unqualified or sometimes qualified accountants working alone out of their spare bedroom. Of course they are cheap as chips. But they can't give the same level/speed of service as a proper firm with multiple staff, where it doesn't matter if one person is sick, or on holiday, or busy with another client and so on. You pays your money you takes your choice basically.

Peter_Simon

I would start by being clear on what type of business you have and what specialist needs you may have. For example if you turnover more than £68,000 you'll need an Accountant up to date on VAT etc. However as someone has already suggested, if you are willing to do a bit of DIY and apply for your own tax returns all you may need is a good reliable bookkeeper.

If it was me I'd make a shortlist of accountants in your local area and then give them a call to talk through your requirements. I think a really good question to ask them is what they need from you: A well organised accountant should be able to tell you exactly what they need to do their job as efficiently as possible.

Don't be afraid to discuss price upfront as prices do vary wildly and I'd definitely ask them if they have a customer charter and referees, most would expect this question.