1. What are your fees?
A simple question, but often an extremely important one. You not only need to know how much their services are going to cost you, but also how you will be billed. Some accountants offer a flat all-inclusive fee for their services, while other will charge an hourly rate. You should also check how the invoices will be delivered and when they will be anticipating payment to be made. Putting everything on the table up front ensures that there are no unexpected bills landing on your doormat further down the line.
2. What services do you offer?
Accountants offer a wide range of services. Just as your business might not need all of them, some accountants don’t offer them all.
Some accountants offer everything under the umbrella, while a few specialise in certain areas, like bookkeeping or tax return. So this question is vital to make sure that they can provide all the services that you need from them.
3. What experience/qualifications do you have?
You would never hire someone without finding out if they’re qualified for the job.
Discovering an accountant’s past experience is vital to making sure that they are capable of working with your company.
Always ask what experience they’ve had. Ask what types of companies they’ve worked for before and what success they’ve had.
4. What value can you add to my business?
An accountant will be able to provide your business with far more value than simply completing your annual tax returns and producing your accounts. They should be able to help your business grow and expand over time. A good accountant will be able to provide you with advice on how best to structure your company, ensure you are compliant with your legal obligations as a business owner, and provide assistance with running a payroll as your business develops.
A good accountant doesn’t just make sure that you’re compliant. They’ll work with you to streamline your processes, make sure you’re always using the best systems available for your business and discover ways to help legally minimise your tax commitments.
5. How often will you meet?
This is also a good chance to bring up exactly how you’ll communicate with them. This could be:
Entirely online or over email.
Video or phone calls.
In-person by physically working in your office for certain days of the year.
Regular face-to-face meetings to discuss the current shape of your business.
All businesses have their preferred way of doing this. There’s no right or wrong answer here, it all depends on what you feel is the right approach for you.
6. Which, if any, accounting programs or systems do they recommend?
Accounting programs can aid in mitigating some of the drudgery of record keeping, but you’ll want to be sure any systems you use are familiar to the accounting firm. They may have their own recommendations.
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