Sacking my useless (and rude) accountant

[badgerpig]

Hi
Ive been contracting proper for about 3 years and after a brief spell with an Umbrella company I set up my own Ltd via a local accountant who was reccomended by a friend

From the start I found her personally a bit rude to say the least but put this down to chemistry and ignored it as she was apprently a good accountant

Over the last couple of years Ive sent numerous emails, left numerous messages with her secretary that have all either been completely unanswered or led to a blunt one line explanation

last year I was fined £100 for a late submission and her excuse was she'd been in a car accident and was off work but there are other partners in the practice that could have covered? This year I sent reminders and left several messages asking her if she needed further info for my submission

guess what came through the other day?

yep another £100 late submission fine

Ive had enough of the rudeness and now unproffesionalism and have decided to terminate our relationship

My company is registered at their office but Im not sure of the next step?

Is it just a case of notifying company house and finding a new accountant?

Also if she gets awkward do I have a right to any documentation she has produced on my behalf (especially if I have paid for it?)

cheers

[Tax Lord]

Hi,

You will need to complete a 287 form to change the address of your company (you can download the form from companies house website). When you appoint your new accountant they will write a letter to your old accountant asking for all your information. it should be a fairly seemless exercise assuming you have paid all your accounting fees

[Alan @ BroomeAffinity]

Your new accountant should handle all this for you. Send a letter to old one saying you are appointing new acccountant and that the letter gives authority to provide new one with any information they require. That should be all you have to do.

Obivously change RO address at Companies House. New accountant will probably be able to do this for you as well.

Bear in mind the £100 penalty notice might not be accountants fault as many are being issued in error.

[badgerpig]

hi
Thanks for the advice

[s2budd]

This sounds like my first accountant. Everything was always late and she ended up driving to companies house to submit paperwork on time. Not in the Bristol area is she?

Find a new accountant and they will organise the move of the accountant and the companies address for you.

[Little'Old Me]

Late????

I really don't understand why Accountants do this. In Feb I took on a new client, as he was fed up with his old accountant leaving everything to the last minute......

I wrote off for clearance, but still went ahead with the HMRC appointment paperwork in case the clearance was not forthcoming. (4 weeks later and I am still waiting!) I routinely check my HMRC clients accounts, to check things are OK etc... The new client had not had his SA return submitted even though he told me he had signed it etc., and given it to the old accountant at the end of January. I e-mailed him this info. He contacted his old accountant and 3 days later it was submitted. The old accountant sent him a cheque for £100, to cover the fine. He did it automatically, didn't even discuss it!

One client who was late despite my reminders (I aim to do finish Company accounts 30-90 days of the company year end, 75% of SA return before 30 Sept) - I like to relax over Christmas......... penalty was £0.00 !!!! He was pleased. But it was solely due to the payments on account were slightly higher than the final bill.....

Being proactive is not hard, its just a case of being organised and keeping in touch....

[Little'Old Me]

I wrote off for clearance, but still went ahead with the HMRC appointment paperwork in case the clearance was not forthcoming. (4 weeks later and I am still waiting!) I routinely check my HMRC clients accounts, to check things are OK etc... The new client had not had his SA return submitted even though he told me he had signed it etc., and given it to the old accountant at the end of January. I e-mailed him this info. He contacted his old accountant and 3 days later it was submitted. The old accountant sent him a cheque for £100, to cover the fine. He did it automatically, didn't even discuss it!

Being proactive is not hard, its just a case of being organised and keeping in touch....

It now more than 6 weeks since I wrote off for clearance from the old accountant and still nothing.

My client has been in touch as I wanted to make a start on getting his records up to date. His old accountant told him 2 weeks ago he was going to write to me and send everything I need..... I can work without it, but its just professional courtesy. (Its also good to dot the i's and cross the T's, otherwise what is the point of using a professional person?) It looks like I'll just have to send another reminder and CC his institute, something I hate doing, but more than 6 weeks has passed.......