should i pay the accountant the full amount

designeditdesignedit

First year in business started April 7th 2024. With no prior experience, we chose an accountant on our local high street. He didnt want us to use an online digital service, so over the year I collated spreadsheets of income and expenditure along with paper receipts/invoices. Delivered the ledger files to his office early April 2025. 
Hadnt heard anything by Sept, so I emailed only to be told that as he was approaching retirement, another member of staff would be doing my self assessment return.
Chased up again last month and received a reply from the owner of the accountancy company saying that due to a huge backlog, theyve had to outsource some of their work. My job is still being attended to by the person who took over from the original accountant.
I should add here that having spoken to my new accountant, my tax return should in effect be quite simple. Sole trader, turned over less than 50k, not limited company. Books prepared and presented exactly as I had been asked to do them. 
I am minded to, before its too late, prepare the 24/25 book keeping once again, this time on Freeagent as that's what I am now using with new accountant and ask her to do the tax return for 24/25. 
But...obviously this is going to cost me to pay her and no doubt the previous accountant will want paying too. 
What would you do in terms of paying the original agent? As well as any work they may have done on the tax return, theyve told me that theres approx 17hours additional costs due to answering emails, phone calls etc. I dispute there is that much. Several of my emails went unanswered apart from the occasional 'I am on a big VAT job with an imminent deadline, I'll get back to you'. ...and this was for instance just a simple question about purchasing a van. And never got abck to me aboout it anyway!

MyRealNameToo

What does your contract have about turn around times?
About cancellation notice/costs?

Ultimately they have until the end of January to complete the work so whilst it's disappointing not to have been completed by now it's not technically a problem right now either. If the contract has no timescales listed then you at least have to pay for the work done and it may mean paying for it all twice when you consider any fees for cancelling etc. 

Accountants arent always that quick. My company financial year ended in May but only yesterday did they produce the financial statements for the company but thats well within the time limit so no harm no foul. 

itsthelittlethings

Don't pay the old accountant if they haven't done the work. Send them a clear email to this effect instructing them not to do the work for you as its taken too long.

itsthelittlethings

Oh I didn't read that they've done some work already. I'm sure they'll get it done in time.