new accountant and how easy to change

[bassy]

Hi
Can someone recommend a good accountancy firm? I am currently with JSA and am rather less than happy with their service... Has anyone changed accountants in the past and if so was the process painless, I have been with my current accountant for about 8 years but would like to change.
thanks

[tim123]

changing accountants is trivial.

Just find yourself a new one and let them do all the work required for a handover.

Obviously there are dates during the accounting cycle which are better than others (2 days before some important form is due is not going to be a good time) but I'm sure that the new accountant will advise you if this is a real problem.

tim

[xoggoth]

Unless one of the ones you see good reports of on this board I suggest you avoid the big names like the plague. The local high street bloke is usually a much better bet. IR35 aside (and for about £140 you can get separate guidance & insurance for that from QDOS - see shout99 website) there is no "specialist knowledge" required for contracting accounts.

[Underscore2]

I've split from my accountants

and moved onto a composite. Its the easy way forward. I now spend no time worrying about tax, vat, filling out forms. All done for me and I get 82% return. Oh and before all the luns jump in I know Gordon will be after me - but i'll take the risk along with the other 50 guys that work for this company.

[Dundeegeorge]

Another one

"I am currently with JSA and am rather less than happy with their service... "

Bloody hell, there should be an emoticon for this statement, I see it so often!

[Darren@UptonAccountants]

New Accountants

Hi
I am currently with JSA and am rather less than happy with their service

The handover should be handled by the new accountant making the transition as painless as possible. We've taken over a couple from JSA and providing we obtain a written authority and chase them every couple of days the information tends to come through in about 3 weeks!

[philip@wellwoodhoyle]

Very Easy

Yes, I've taken over a few clients from JSA, and like Darren says, relatively painfree for all concerned. I had a few problems a year or two back with their *very* slow response (maybe because they were trying to cover up some mistakes), but my latest went through quickly. I've never believed how much they charge - far, far above average fees.

[bassy]

yes i have noticed that they are rather more expensive than the usual. However, they have made no end of mistakes on my accounts and at the end of the day the point of me having an accountant was for them to do the work - not me cleaning up after them. Someone said about getting a poor response - yep been there done that, it takes multiple emails sometimes for me to get a response from them and i am often passed around between multiple departments as no-one will take ownership of an issue and then each department says 'oh its nothing to do with us - you need to talk to this department'. I'm also not too happy at having to use their software to do my invoicing etc - that is a pain especially as the agency i am currently with auto-invoices.

Is there somewhere that accountants are listed with reviews - as i am a bit nervous of using the 'high st' accountant as i wouldnt know if he was any good (and i currently have no other source of recommendations)? Not interested in going the composite route though.

[bassy]

oh wow - almost all teh accountants that i have seen advertised in these forums are about half the price (and less) of my current and some also do personal end of year tax form as well (i pay about £150 plus for that as an extra). Do i feel like a complete and utter muppet for paying so much for the last 8 years!

[Lucifer Box]

Do i feel like a complete and utter muppet for paying so much for the last 8 years!