Frequently Asked Questions

These are a few of the more common questions we get asked by prospective clients considering using our services...

How easy is it to change accountants and why should I change?

If your existing accountant is offering you an excellent pro-active service at a fair fee then stick with them. However, different accountants will save you different amounts of tax and provide different levels of business advice. If your present accountant doesn’t offer the type of service you want and that we do offer, then changing over to us is very easy. It involves just one letter from you and we take care of everything else for you. Your existing accountant is not usually allowed to charge you for providing the normal handover information.

You seem to offer a lot. Are your fees expensive?

No! We offer fixed fees linked to the value of what we provide. We’re not always the cheapest and as with many things in life the cheapest is often the most expensive in the long run. However, we are not expensive and we offer excellent value for what we provide. Most importantly we never undertake work without agreeing the fee arrangements in advance so you always know where you stand.

I've just had my accounts done and don't need an accountant until next year, so is there any need to contact you now?

We can’t over emphasise the importance of tax planning at an early stage, not crisis driven advice. Ideally you do tax planning before the year even starts but after that, the earlier the better. The same is applicable to all areas of advice and we are about helping you change the future, not just reporting what has already happened.

Will you come to visit us for an initial consultation?

Yes. It often helps to see your business, books and records, etc at first hand and we are always happy to invest our time without charge to show you what we can do. Of course, if you prefer to visit us, that’s fine too.

When and how soon can you come to see us?

When’s good for you? Let us know and we’ll do our utmost to help. If you need to see somebody urgently, we’re always out and about and can arrange to see you very quickly.

Is your fixed quote guaranteed for more than one year?

We’re not in the business of providing low quotes just to get your business for the first year and then raising the fees. We want you as a long term client who trusts us to do what we say we will do. We quote what we anticipate to be a fair fee for the value provided and would only anticipate normal inflationary increases if the work stays the same. Very occasionally there may be reasons why the amount of work involved exceeded what was expected but we would sit down and discuss these with you. In some cases, where it is clear exactly what work is involved we can guarantee the fee for more than one year.

You seem to be offering so much that I'm just not used to from my present accountant. How do I know you will deliver?

All we can say is that as accountants, you’d expect us to be a bit analytical, which is true. As such do you really think we would offer you something we couldn’t deliver that is backed up by our 100% risk free guarantee. Our clients are used to this level of service. You are also more than welcome to speak with some of our existing clients who have the experience of our service.

How to choose and get the most out of an 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.
Fixed Fees – Make sure you get a fixed fee wherever possible for your work. If not, get a fee they won’t go beyond without your agreement. Don’t worry about hourly rates, it’s the value of what you get that matters and the more experienced accountants with higher hourly rates can do the work a lot more quickly and efficiently anyway.
Understanding – Get an accountant you can speak to openly and honestly who understands what you are saying and who you understand.
Will Visit You – Ask them if they will visit you for an initial consultation free of charge. Why do you have to spend time travelling, find parking and wait around for them when they are the one trying to get 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.
Fixed Timescales – Agree fixed timescales by when work will be done and get them to guarantee it.
Commercial Awareness – Talk to them about your business and your ideas and see how commercial they are. Do they understand your business?
View their Website – To see how pro-active they are and what they offer to clients. If they don’t even have one for you to find out more about them or it’s a very poor website what does that say about the service you’re then likely to receive.
Quick Response – Make an enquiry and see how quickly they respond. If they aren’t fast now when trying to get your business, what will they be like when they act for you?
Who Will You Deal With? – Find out who you will be dealing with 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?
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 or mostly talk at you? You want an accountant who takes a real interest in you and your business and takes action on what you need. If not, lose them, lose them quick!