Boot the Accountant?

[Loaded]

Hi,

I'm new to this forum, but have been contracting for the last 3 years. Recently I decided to set up a Ltd company, and did all me reading and research about the process, and selecting accountants etc.

After a lot of decision making, phone calls, and meeting various accountants, I decided to go with a local accountant affiliated with PCG. A couple of weeks back I gave him the go ahead to form the company and gave him a specific instruction to use my home address as the registered address. Last week when setting up the company bank account the bank notified me that the registered MD name for the business was wrong. I chased this up with Companies House and then found that the company had been formed with the wrong address.

Right, so in my head, here's an accountant who I'm paying to provide me with professional advice and services who's made two schoolboy errors in the first five minutes of me dealing with him. Not a good start. Worst though, is the fear I now have of him making further blunders, potentially making me a target for Gordon.

I sent him an email to tell him straight about my concerns, and he was very apologetic, but unfortunately no reason was forthcoming.

Having never dealt with an accountant in this capacity previously, I don't know whether cock-ups are par for the course, so maybe I'm worrying too much. However, if I'm paying him to provide a service, I don't want to be checking everything he does.

So what I'm looking for is a consensus of opinion on whether to give him another chance.

Cheers.

[adart]

Hi,

So what I'm looking for is a consensus of opinion on whether to give him another chance.

No. Consider using SJD Accountancy or Nixon Wiliiams. Plenty of posts on here if you search.

[Loaded]

I'm looking for a pesonal service, not companies that have thousands of contractors on their books, and who are probably being scrutinised by Gordon's cohorts.

[eddiegee]

Look around

i must say sjd are well known for their good service etc and alot of people will agree with me on here, i went with Danbro, who are smaller and more personalised.

Although I think sjd, nixon are worth considering due to the amount of good referrals they have. Just look around and assess which company would work best for you.

[Epiphone]

I'm looking for a pesonal service, not companies that have thousands of contractors on their books, and who are probably being scrutinised by Gordon's cohorts.

Swings and roundabouts. A smaller accountant probably won't be as up to speed on contracting accounts or IR35 but will be able to give a more personal service.

A bigger accountant will be more professional but you may not get the hand holding you'd get with a smaller outfit. The size of the accountant doesn't necessarily translate into a target for HMRC though - unless you're thinking of an MSC.

There's a reason the usual suspects on here - SJD, Nixon, Upton - get recommended. Word of mouth is priceless when making decisions like this. At the end of the day it's your call.

[simondolan]

I'm looking for a pesonal service, not companies that have thousands of contractors on their books, and who are probably being scrutinised by Gordon's cohorts.

The personal service comes from the person you deal with, whether the Company they work for has 10 or 10,000 clients. One man working on his own above a shop is no more or less likely to give you a personal service than an accountant working for a company that employs 100.

[chicane]

I decided to go with a local accountant affiliated with PCG.

Whilst I acknowledge that the PCG is a nonprofit organisation with no dubious agenda, what you did was no more clever than picking a random builder from the Yellow Pages due to their membership of "Federation of Master Builders" or some other meaningless trade body.

Next time, do some research or get a recommendation. This, by the way, applies to all significant supplier selections you'll make in the future.

[monkeyBoy32]

OK - I was about to post something similar to this but thought I'd hijack this one slightly - hope you don't mind.

I spoke to an accountant a while back and we agreed he would act as my accountant for when I contract - 2 weeks before I start contracting he tells me that he doesn't want to work with me! So I call another accountant that is recommended to me, they register my company and now, all of a sudden, there's no contact from them - I've been calling all last week and now today but nothing! I'm actually on the first day of my contract I don't even know if my accountant is still alive?

What should I do? Presumably you'd tell me to get another accountant? If so - are the big names mentioned above the type of companies that get back to you quickly?

Thanks for any advice..

[Epiphone]

And before I forget, name and shame. If they're rubbish the PCG should be recommending them. Unless it's just a human error which happens to all of us.

[Loaded]

Whilst I acknowledge that the PCG is a nonprofit organisation with no dubious agenda, what you did was no more clever than picking a random builder from the Yellow Pages due to their membership of "Federation of Master Builders" or some other meaningless trade body.

Next time, do some research or get a recommendation. This, by the way, applies to all significant supplier selections you'll make in the future.

Oh thanks for your profound reasoning. You know what, I feel so enlightened. If only I had your clarity of thought, then I wouldn't be in this fine mess. Go and patronise someone else.