The worst accountant!

[pr1]

I've been through 5 accountants in 7 years, and they have always ended up costing me more just to have everything redone because I've paid monthly and then left them before the CT had to be submitted and they've messed something up. Is this their business model...to annoy you before year-end so you leave and they keep the money!

5 different accounting companies? That seems like a lot unless you are doing something very niche or along the line of legality. Were any/all of them on the recommended list from this forum?

You absolutely shouldn't accept them lying and changing dates on emails etc and should move on, but was that the case with the previous 4 companies too? You must be one of the most unlucky people I've heard of

[Lance]

faking emails, making endless excuses, being constantly ignored and failing to deliver VAT returns for review on time, or just submitting them without approval doesn't feel like acceptable behaviour to me? I'm the problem, unrealistic expectations maybe?

I am sure that you have found 1 bad accountant. But 5?????

[Lance]

5 different accounting companies? That seems like a lot unless you are doing something very niche or along the line of legality. Were any/all of them on the recommended list from this forum?

You absolutely shouldn't accept them lying and changing dates on emails etc and should move on, but was that the case with the previous 4 companies too? You must be one of the most unlucky people I've heard of

Fool me once, shame on you.
Fool me twice, shame on me.

[northernladuk]

Advice could be billed hourly as needed like other professions.

If I hand over the books in October which are due to be filed 9 months later and I pay on completion then what services have I missed out on in the year that a monthly all-paid upfront model (by the time the end of year books need processing) offers? I'm not saying my suggestion is spot on but the current model has its flaws no? and I'm keen to understand if there is a better way in which I put more responsibility on myself to ensure the business is meeting it's regulatory requirements instead of putting my trust into an accountant who has no skin in the game.

A proper accountant probably would but how much do you think a high end accountant bills per hour? You pay what, £1200 a year. Lets assume accountant can be on anything between 50 and 100 quid an hour. That's between 12 and 24 hours spent a year, not including the fact they are available to pick up the phone at anytime they are supposed to be billing other clients hourly. 24 hours a year. Do you think he can be arsed running a billing system for 24 hours a year. They'll spend more on admin, which they'll bill back to you as well. Any clue how much it might actually cost you on an hourly rate... clue... a tulip load more than you are paying now.

Spot on? It's absolutely bloody rubbish and shows a severe lack of understanding as to how it all works. It's pretty clear where the problem lies if you've been through that many accountants yet haven't a clue how it work.

[northernladuk]

This is surprising. I'll learn to let this behaviour slide in the future "faking emails, making endless excuses, being constantly ignored and failing to deliver VAT returns for review on time, or just submitting them without approval doesn't feel like acceptable behaviour to me? "

Maybe you aren't picking the right ones then. I'd be willing to be no one that has replied has been through anything like 5 accountants and virtually everyone else reading this hasn't either. It's just you so you need to fix something. My three points for you to fix would be, re-align your expectations to something like reality, understand what contractor accountants specifically do and have a long hard thing about the method you use to find and investigate your potential accountants.

Also do a bit of soul searching. Do you think they are treating you like crap because you are a crap customer?

[courtg9000]

5 accountants in 7 years. I went through 4 in 28 years! A huge difference. Last accountant retired at easter this year. His tenure of service was from 2009.
Are you buying accountancy services or are you being sold them? There is a huge difference.
I personally recommend not going with so called "contractor specialist accounts"
My advice on this has been the same for the past 13 years or so. Find a good solid small and reasonably local practice and develop a good working relationship with them..

[wattaj]

...develop a good working relationship with them..

This may be the issue.

[Lance]

I suppose it is possible that OP went from SJD, to Nixon Williams, then Optionis, and now is with Caroola.... but that's only 4 crappy accountants.

[mrjaywarren]

5 accountants in 7 years. I went through 4 in 28 years! A huge difference. Last accountant retired at easter this year. His tenure of service was from 2009.
Are you buying accountancy services or are you being sold them? There is a huge difference.
I personally recommend not going with so called "contractor specialist accounts"
My advice on this has been the same for the past 13 years or so. Find a good solid small and reasonably local practice and develop a good working relationship with them..

I've worked with DNS and TaxAssist which might be some names you've discussed in the forum, the others have all been one-man bands. DNS is the only contractor-specific firm.

[mrjaywarren]

A proper accountant probably would but how much do you think a high end accountant bills per hour? You pay what, £1200 a year. Lets assume accountant can be on anything between 50 and 100 quid an hour. That's between 12 and 24 hours spent a year, not including the fact they are available to pick up the phone at anytime they are supposed to be billing other clients hourly. 24 hours a year. Do you think he can be arsed running a billing system for 24 hours a year. They'll spend more on admin, which they'll bill back to you as well. Any clue how much it might actually cost you on an hourly rate... clue... a tulip load more than you are paying now.

Spot on? It's absolutely bloody rubbish and shows a severe lack of understanding as to how it all works. It's pretty clear where the problem lies if you've been through that many accountants yet haven't a clue how it work.

Thanks for the advice, so only the monthly billing option then. Cheers.