Disengaging from my accountant

SmallMoney

Hi Everyone.

I am a regular on here, but I opened a new account to keep business and private sides of my life separate!

So basically just over a year ago I setup a small design company as a second job, partly to provide relief from my crappy day job and also I just like doing it.

Originally, I only envisaged making a couple of thousand a year. That has (happily) well and truly gone out out the window by a huge margin.

I engaged an accountant to just "do the end of year books" and help with questions.

This person came to me through a recommendation from a mutual third party.

Now I know my accounts are a mess, but no one could ever call them complicated. No stock, no late payers, no VAT, no other staff. However I have now been asking my accountant for the final figure I owe HMRC since April 3rd (ish) and I am still waiting, despite wanting to just get it paid! They were promised weeks ago.

I don't even have more than a self done estimate (and spent it, like an idiot, but I still have enough to cover the tax bill in a worst case scenario)

Therefore, how do I disengage from the accountant. We did set a figure of XXX per year and to be fair he has provided some answers to questions I had but I really am not fully believing in the answers I am getting.

He also has that big long number that HMRC to provide to do my accounts and act as my proxy when dealing with tax.

Essentially, I need to get a clean break and get a new accountant. I have a meeting arranged with one for later this week.

Any advice appreciated.

zygurat789

SmallMoney wrote: »

Hi Everyone.

I am a regular on here, but I opened a new account to keep business and private sides of my life separate!

So basically just over a year ago I setup a small design company as a second job, partly to provide relief from my crappy day job and also I just like doing it.

Originally, I only envisaged making a couple of thousand a year. That has (happily) well and truly gone out out the window by a huge margin.

I engaged an accountant to just "do the end of year books" and help with questions.

This person came to me through a recommendation from a mutual third party.

Now I know my accounts are a mess, but no one could ever call them complicated. No stock, no late payers, no VAT, no other staff. However I have now been asking my accountant for the final figure I owe HMRC since April 3rd (ish) and I am still waiting, despite wanting to just get it paid! They were promised weeks ago.

I don't even have more than a self done estimate (and spent it, like an idiot, but I still have enough to cover the tax bill in a worst case scenario)

Therefore, how do I disengage from the accountant. We did set a figure of XXX per year and to be fair he has provided some answers to questions I had but I really am not fully believing in the answers I am getting.

He also has that big long number that HMRC to provide to do my accounts and act as my proxy when dealing with tax.

Essentially, I need to get a clean break and get a new accountant. I have a meeting arranged with one for later this week.

Any advice appreciated.

Just write him a letter.

(Text removed by MSE Forum Team)

Mistral001

Accountants usually expect clients like the OP to submit accounts later in the year and not immediately after the end of the financial year. In fact many small businesses, if not most, like the OP's will not submit their accounts until the January after the end of the financial year for paying their tax by the end of the 31 Jan deadline. Afterall most people want to pay their tax as late as possible.


If there is a particular reason why the OP wants to get their tax paid now rather than later, then the OP should explain that to the accountant.

martindow

Mistral001 wrote: »

If there is a particular reason why the OP wants to get their tax paid now rather than later, then the OP should explain that to the accountant.

Submitting the tax return and paying are independent aren't they? I think you can submit the return early and pay the bill at the last minute if you wish.

phill99

Mistral001 wrote: »

Accountants usually expect clients like the OP to submit accounts later in the year and not immediately after the end of the financial year. In fact many small businesses, if not most, like the OP's will not submit their accounts until the January after the end of the financial year for paying their tax by the end of the 31 Jan deadline. Afterall most people want to pay their tax as late as possible.


If there is a particular reason why the OP wants to get their tax paid now rather than later, then the OP should explain that to the accountant.

That isn't the issue. The issue is that the OP has asked for his return to be done and the accountant hadn't done it. Its about poor professional service, not about when tax should be paid by.

Suarez

Mistral001 wrote: »

If there is a particular reason why the OP wants to get their tax paid now rather than later, then the OP should explain that to the accountant.

The return and calculations can be done now and the tax will still be due on 31st Jan.

Maybe the OP wants to know what they owe to put the amount aside and know what funds are left in the business.

Suarez

Also, I would love it if clients got all there paperwork done this early instead of having a mad January!

Mistral001

Suarez wrote: »

Maybe the OP wants to know what they owe to put the amount aside and know what funds are left in the business.

If this is the case, the OP should explain it to the accountant. Any reason like this in fact should be explained to the accountant (like I said in my post)

Atidi

SmallMoney wrote: »

Hi Everyone.

I am a regular on here, but I opened a new account to keep business and private sides of my life separate!

So basically just over a year ago I setup a small design company as a second job, partly to provide relief from my crappy day job and also I just like doing it.

Originally, I only envisaged making a couple of thousand a year. That has (happily) well and truly gone out out the window by a huge margin.

I engaged an accountant to just "do the end of year books" and help with questions.

This person came to me through a recommendation from a mutual third party.

Now I know my accounts are a mess, but no one could ever call them complicated. No stock, no late payers, no VAT, no other staff. However I have now been asking my accountant for the final figure I owe HMRC since April 3rd (ish) and I am still waiting, despite wanting to just get it paid! They were promised weeks ago.

I don't even have more than a self done estimate (and spent it, like an idiot, but I still have enough to cover the tax bill in a worst case scenario)

Therefore, how do I disengage from the accountant. We did set a figure of XXX per year and to be fair he has provided some answers to questions I had but I really am not fully believing in the answers I am getting.

He also has that big long number that HMRC to provide to do my accounts and act as my proxy when dealing with tax.

Essentially, I need to get a clean break and get a new accountant. I have a meeting arranged with one for later this week.

Any advice appreciated.

I'd just take the Alan Sugar approach and tell him "You're fired!"