Reply to: Moving Accountants

[Maslins]

You'd think that'd be the case, but it really isn't. If you aren't happy, leave immediately.

Depends on whether your current accountant is getting everything done ok, but you feel they could be better...or whether they're making an absolute hash of everything/gone AWOL. The former, my view stick with them until year end. The latter, yes, jump ship ASAP.

[Alan @ BroomeAffinity]

You'd think that'd be the case, but it really isn't. If you aren't happy, leave immediately.

I agree with this. It's a kind of sunk cost fallacy that stops this.

[simondolan]

Great, thanks for the replies.

Sounds like its probably easiest to leave this until the end of the current tax year.

You'd think that'd be the case, but it really isn't. If you aren't happy, leave immediately.

[Craig@Clarity]

I don’t think I’ve come across an accountant who charges or would take a clients money for a year in advance in this niche although I’m sure there will be the odd one or two we don’t hear of but if it was me and the client had a month or two left before the year end with their old accountant, I’d suggest to them to continue and pay the monthly fee up to that date and then move across. If they were 3-4 months or more away from their year end I’d say move across, no catch up fees and provide them with a good service. It would be unfair for a client to pay twice for the same period.

[northernladuk]

Hmmm...If I was getting a shoddy service from my existing provider, and the new one suggested I pay for a whole year in advance, I wouldn't be comfortable with that. What if the service is no better? It's hard to tell in advance, as inevitably sometimes the sales patter is slick and the service that follows doesn't match up to the promises. I'd want them to prove themselves half decent first.

That's exactly what I was thinking. A month or two free would be a bigger pull for for me, not shelling out a full year on something I've just had a bad experience with.

[Maslins]

Just suggesting a way for you to get new business, easily, from reluctant movers, by making it easy for them to make a decision.
I got really pissed around when I moved, albeit from SJD to a FreeAgent one, but I'd happily pay up front for a year to just get it done, without any of the 'you need to pay extra, or be with use for xx months'.

Hmmm...If I was getting a shoddy service from my existing provider, and the new one suggested I pay for a whole year in advance, I wouldn't be comfortable with that. What if the service is no better? It's hard to tell in advance, as inevitably sometimes the sales patter is slick and the service that follows doesn't match up to the promises. I'd want them to prove themselves half decent first.

[ckms]

Have you checked your letter of engagement for notice periods and termination? Have they delivered anything late or outside of any timeframes in your T&C's?

They claim to have updated their T&Cs in the 4 years since I joined but unless they've sneaked through an 'updated terms' email in that time I've not knowingly signed or agreed to anything in this regard

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[Dom at Fox Bartfield]

Accountants

My accountancy firm (Boox) told me they require 3 months notice to leave them! Anyone ever come across this scenario before?
[/URL]

Have you checked your letter of engagement for notice periods and termination? Have they delivered anything late or outside of any timeframes in your T&C's?

[ckms]

My accountancy firm (Boox) told me they require 3 months notice to leave them! Anyone ever come across this scenario before?

Sent from my SM-N960F using Contractor UK Forum mobile app

[fiisch]

I've just moved and it couldn't have been easier...

Switched to Gorilla based on forum recommendations and they've been a pleasure to deal with. The only tax on my time has been providing company documentation (which I had to hand anyway) and updating FreeAgent (previous account wasn't a FreeAgent user), which didn't take all that much time.

It also flagged up a few anomalies regarding company setup that new accountants advised was incorrect.

Switching accountants is far less onerous than continuing to deal with a shoddy one.

[Dom at Fox Bartfield]

Accounts

Just suggesting a way for you to get new business, easily, from reluctant movers, by making it easy for them to make a decision.
I got really pissed around when I moved, albeit from SJD to a FreeAgent one, but I'd happily pay up front for a year to just get it done, without any of the 'you need to pay extra, or be with use for xx months'.

We've done this before in a couple of cases, especially if the client moving across already has a Freeagent (or other online provider) account with the data all up to date, makes the transition easier and more seamless.

[Alchemy Accountancy]

Just suggesting a way for you to get new business, easily, from reluctant movers, by making it easy for them to make a decision.
I got really pissed around when I moved, albeit from SJD to a FreeAgent one, but I'd happily pay up front for a year to just get it done, without any of the 'you need to pay extra, or be with use for xx months'.

True…for example, start-ups in a lot of sectors, including this one, often take a loss leader position offering no catch up fees at all (or something like that) in order to get their name known…

[Lance]

We don't do up front fees for a whole year like that...but if we did, yes. Unsure what you're getting at?

Just suggesting a way for you to get new business, easily, from reluctant movers, by making it easy for them to make a decision.
I got really pissed around when I moved, albeit from SJD to a FreeAgent one, but I'd happily pay up front for a year to just get it done, without any of the 'you need to pay extra, or be with use for xx months'.

[Maslins]

If the OP paid you up front for the whole year would you do the year end for no additional fee?

We don't do up front fees for a whole year like that...but if we did, yes. Unsure what you're getting at?

[Lance]

I'd agree with this (though for clarity it's your company's accounting year which is relevant, not the personal tax year).

You can switch whenever...but with "pay monthly" firms, you'll minimise the risk of duplicated payments if you tie it in with a year end. Eg if you were to leave 1 month before the end of your accounting year, your "old" accountant would unlikely be prepared to do that year end's figures without you sticking with them for the final month. If you wanted the "new" accountant to do them, they'd likely want a one off payment in addition to one month's fees to do so.

If the OP paid you up front for the whole year would you do the year end for no additional fee?