Choosing an accountant
7 signs it's time to switch accountants
Not sure if it's them or you? Here are the clearest signs your accountant is holding your business back, and what good should feel like instead.
Most owners don't leave their accountant over one dramatic event. They drift for years feeling underserved, telling themselves it's normal. It usually isn't. Here are the signs that it's time to find someone better, and what a good firm should feel like instead.
1. You only hear from them at deadlines
A good accountant is in touch through the year with ideas and warnings, not just a once-a-year request for your records and an invoice. If the only contact you get is a deadline reminder, you're getting compliance, not advice.
2. Your bills are a surprise
Fees should be agreed up front and predictable. Surprise charges for 'extra time' or a tax bill you weren't warned about are signs of poor communication, not complex circumstances.
3. You don't understand your own accounts
If your year-end accounts arrive as a PDF you file away without understanding, your accountant isn't doing their job. Good advisers explain what the numbers mean for you, in plain English.
The other signs to watch for
- Slow or no replies to emails and calls
- Mistakes, or filings that have been late
- No proactive tax planning before year-end
- You've grown, but the service hasn't kept up
Recognise a few of these? You're not being fussy. You're being underserved. Our free review takes a couple of minutes and helps us match you with a local firm that does it properly.
