Reply to: Face to face with your accountant

[psychocandy]

I am very sorry to read of your experience lucozade, could you please PM me the details of your accountant and I'll happily address this with them, as we are happy to meet a contactor in any major city.

I meet about 100 contractors a year, but then I freely offer meetings which are often snapped up!

Any major cities in Wales? Possibly not - LOL

[mudskipper]

Would have loved a face-to-face when my accounts ended up in a mess all thanks to SJD.

I continually asked the question "am I setting aside enough Corp Tax" and was told yes you are.

Only to discover later that I was some £10K short when it came to my year end.

No need now as Crunch are fantastic. The web based system is superb and the support you get over email and telephone is very good too. A lot cheaper to boot!

Difficult to see how you managed that, when the SJD spreadsheet clearly shows your estimated corp tax liability if you fill it in accurately.

Actually that's something I haven't seen on my new accountant's portal - must ask if it's there.

[Scott C Accountant]

Meeting face to face is optional if the travelling distance is not too far!

I look after lots of contractors nationwide and probably 90% have never met me and most contact is conducted via e-mail and telephone calls and this works well.

[Danielsjdaccountancy]

Would have loved a face-to-face when my accounts ended up in a mess all thanks to SJD.

I continually asked the question "am I setting aside enough Corp Tax" and was told yes you are.

Only to discover later that I was some £10K short when it came to my year end.

No need now as Crunch are fantastic. The web based system is superb and the support you get over email and telephone is very good too. A lot cheaper to boot!

I am very sorry to read of your experience lucozade, could you please PM me the details of your accountant and I'll happily address this with them, as we are happy to meet a contactor in any major city.

I meet about 100 contractors a year, but then I freely offer meetings which are often snapped up!

[lucozade]

SJD nightmare

Would have loved a face-to-face when my accounts ended up in a mess all thanks to SJD.

I continually asked the question "am I setting aside enough Corp Tax" and was told yes you are.

Only to discover later that I was some £10K short when it came to my year end.

No need now as Crunch are fantastic. The web based system is superb and the support you get over email and telephone is very good too. A lot cheaper to boot!

[IR35 Avoider]

I had the same accountant from 1988 to 2010, never met them face-to-face. So it wasn't necessary, even before the internet.

I used phone, snail-mail and (except in early years) email to communicate.

[captainham]

LOL. So if you get investigated, do you get the option to pick venue for meeting?

Time to get an accountant based in the Outer Hebrides then! Might put them off!

Don't see why you can't pick the venue. If they want to come and see you, the books, etc, then I'd have thought you'd be well within your rights to insist that this happens at your accountant's office, as they're the experts, have all the records, will charge you a fortune to visit your own location, etc.

[psychocandy]

Is there any merit to picking an accountant that is nowhere near you and nowhere an HMRC office?!

I thought I read once (although it may have been urban myth) that HMRC cancelled an investigation into a contractor as he insisted on only meeting them at his accountant's office, which was hundreds of miles away from both the contractor/HMRC office, and so HMRC didn't bother and cancelled the investigation (allegedly due to a restriction on travel costs within HMRC at the time).

I have no idea where I read this though, it was just one of many things I found when researching my own transition to contracting.

LOL. So if you get investigated, do you get the option to pick venue for meeting?

Time to get an accountant based in the Outer Hebrides then! Might put them off!

[Nathan SJD Accountancy]

... I thought I read once (although it may have been urban myth) that HMRC cancelled an investigation into a contractor as he insisted on only meeting them at his accountant's office, which was hundreds of miles away from both the contractor/HMRC office, and so HMRC didn't bother and cancelled the investigation (allegedly due to a restriction on travel costs within HMRC at the time).

I have no idea where I read this though, it was just one of many things I found when researching my own transition to contracting.

HMRC sometimes just cancel meetings anyway occasionally. Any excuse they choose to use is fine by me.

Regarding meeting new and even prospective clients. Personally, I meet quite a few. Possibly as high as 70%. This is usually right at the start of the relationship to discuss their current circumstances and how it can be improved going forward through their company etc.

I find that usually after having met a person, had lunch, tea, coffee etc. with them, the relationship is less formal going forwards and more relaxed and familiar. Everyone has different expectations, some want a meeting, some don't. But the majority of contractors that I personally speak to when they are considering or just join SJD want a meeting, so I meet them. I do find that it is much more common with the inexperienced, first time contractors though.

[psychocandy]

Never even spoken to my accountant. All done via email.

As long as he answers within a day or I dont need to speak to him....

[captainham]

I would just like to say we are based on the Isle of Wight, and the ferry service is awfully expensive and unreliable - we are happy to write to HMRC on a clients behalf and say that

[Jessica@WhiteFieldTax]

Is there any merit to picking an accountant that is nowhere near you and nowhere an HMRC office?!

I thought I read once (although it may have been urban myth) that HMRC cancelled an investigation into a contractor as he insisted on only meeting them at his accountant's office, which was hundreds of miles away from both the contractor/HMRC office, and so HMRC didn't bother and cancelled the investigation (allegedly due to a restriction on travel costs within HMRC at the time).

I have no idea where I read this though, it was just one of many things I found when researching my own transition to contracting.

I would just like to say we are based on the Isle of Wight, and the ferry service is awfully expensive and unreliable - we are happy to write to HMRC on a clients behalf and say that

[captainham]

Is there any merit to picking an accountant that is nowhere near you and nowhere an HMRC office?!

I thought I read once (although it may have been urban myth) that HMRC cancelled an investigation into a contractor as he insisted on only meeting them at his accountant's office, which was hundreds of miles away from both the contractor/HMRC office, and so HMRC didn't bother and cancelled the investigation (allegedly due to a restriction on travel costs within HMRC at the time).

I have no idea where I read this though, it was just one of many things I found when researching my own transition to contracting.

[Andrew at Boox]

The world is changing.

That said a tea and biscuit approach is nice occasionally.

I couldn't agree more. Our Operations hub is in Portsmouth, but we meet regularly in London with contractor clients that like to kick things off face to face.

[Jeremiah@RHJAccountants]

I have met 5% of my clients over the years as a contractor accountant and i get the general feeling that most contractors don't feel the need for the face to face meeting.

When i was a normal accountant i had a lot more face to face meetings with clients to review the year end accounts etc

In my opinion if you can respond to emails and telephone calls within a reasonable amount of time ( I do with all my clients within 24 hours) then there is no need to for the face to face meeting

Although the thumbs up for meetings gives me the excuse to have some more biscuits and maybe even sneak in a sarnie too