Reply to: Recommend an accountant

[SuperZ]

Having a similar experience to OP but accountant when I contact is either on holiday or planning to be although to be fair probably just coincidence.
More importantly I have been passed around SJD accountants a few times now in the last year or so. Last time was because accountant had too much to do so for better service I was moved to another and their team. Been with new accountant for a while but they've still not processed my personal or company end of year yet stuff. I have been in contact and once was told it should be with me by end of week (about 3 months ago now). Last time I made contact was told my message would be passed on and I think accountant would get back to me and hopefully all done soon and this I think was about 2 months ago and not heard anything since.

So end of company year was May 2013. Got the paperwork to them easily by about 6th July. SLA states should have been done by 6th Aug (30 days). On this occasion I am willing to leave it with them as they have said it will be done, but it's not great, and communication not great either - when it wasn't done by end of the week some months ago nobody gave me an update and since chasing them up again I've not heard a beeball since.

Been with SJD for many years and mostly been okay although during a spot check of their calcs I did spot a problem with the VAT figures they produced - probably the easist calc an accountant has to do! But this year disappointing and might consider finding a good local accountant.

[Johnny Martin]

recommend an accountant

Hi - I have just joined forum and I am Financial Fitness Coach for QuickBooks - its not easy to find a good accountant - best is to find one by word of mouth but QuickBooks has a QuickBook Proadvisor scheme. At the least you could get a quote.

Also the more you can do to keep your own books the better - new online accounting systems are genuinely easier to use and your can link them to your smartphone. I am not sure if I can post links but just search for quickbooks online

best Johnny

[Contreras]

Prices don't equate to quality. You could find someone far cheaper who'll do the same or better job, or you could find someone far more expensive who'll do a poorer job. Prices will depend on the size of the accountancy practice, their overheads, their location, etc. Do you need someone you could meet or are you happy doing it all remotely/online? Certainly plenty of one man bands out there who'll charge a lot less but will provide a personal, quality service - trouble is, they're hard to find because they tend not to need to advertise. With the biggest firms, it'll always be a conveyor belt of staff coming and going, so potentially far less chance of long term relationship with your accountant. So it comes down to personal recommendation, shopping around, talking to various accountants, etc., to find someone who you can happily work with and who can provide the level of service you need.

That is great advice, +1, etc.

[kal]

I think accountancy fees are quite good value.

The typical contractor is billing somewhere between £70k-£150k per year. £1500 a year before corporation and income taxes to keep you in line with HMRC doesn't strike me as that bad.

I pay £120 a month and I don't resent it in the slightest to know that my accounts are competently taken care of. I honestly think it would be cheap at twice the price!

Same here, I moved from Churchill Knight not because of the cost (£140 per month plus VAT) but because of the rubbish service they were giving me. Am now with Forbes Young and can't recommend them highly enough. Service is second to none and I get pro-active advice on how to run my affairs, bonus is that they charge a lot less too

[Kanye]

I think accountancy fees are quite good value.

The typical contractor is billing somewhere between £70k-£150k per year. £1500 a year before corporation and income taxes to keep you in line with HMRC doesn't strike me as that bad.

I pay £120 a month and I don't resent it in the slightest to know that my accounts are competently taken care of. I honestly think it would be cheap at twice the price!

[philip@wellwoodhoyle]

Price doesn't mean quality

Prices don't equate to quality. You could find someone far cheaper who'll do the same or better job, or you could find someone far more expensive who'll do a poorer job. Prices will depend on the size of the accountancy practice, their overheads, their location, etc. Do you need someone you could meet or are you happy doing it all remotely/online? Certainly plenty of one man bands out there who'll charge a lot less but will provide a personal, quality service - trouble is, they're hard to find because they tend not to need to advertise. With the biggest firms, it'll always be a conveyor belt of staff coming and going, so potentially far less chance of long term relationship with your accountant. So it comes down to personal recommendation, shopping around, talking to various accountants, etc., to find someone who you can happily work with and who can provide the level of service you need.

[Maslins]

I'm trying to cut costs across the board, from personal to business and an expensive accountant seemed to me a good area to cut. Even if my new accountant responds to mails in an hour, is she still worth that money, for a bit of paperwork basically? Not so sure. It's not as if I'm going to her with millions of pounds in turnover and she's actively trying to save me tax.

Part of the problem IMHO is that a good accountant makes it all seem so easy. Ever watched a professional plasterer do a wall? Looks like a piece of p!ss...ever actually tried it?

Appreciate you're not talking about DIYing...but as with most things, pay peanuts, get monkeys. If you don't feel you're getting good service, then change...but moving to the cheapest accountant you can find will likely prove a big mistake.

If you've just been allocated a new accountant, give them a chance. Maybe they'll be much better than the one you had before.

As NLUK suggests, good accountants aren't cheap, for £100-150/month you can perhaps expect a couple of hours input. Some of that will be spent dealing with default regular tasks on your account...so it doesn't mean a 2 hour phone conversation every month.

[Contreras]

£126 a month isn't an expensive accountant. My previous one, before moving to InTouch, was charging somewhere in the region of £3k a year to do next to nothing - basically end of year accounts and my tax return. I told them I was leaving, and they came down to £2k, which was still way too much.

Last year mine charged £780 + VAT for EOY accounts only. That includes answering the odd question through the year. It does not include newsletter or 'proactive' support but we have CUK for that.

[alluvial]

If you think a professional is expensive, wait until you hire an amateur...

Or a professional that makes an amateur look good like I had.

A good accountant will save you money in the long run. My current one has saved me literally thousands after sorting out the mess my old one left me in.

[malvolio]

If you think a professional is expensive, wait until you hire an amateur...

[DirtyDog]

I must add that my current accountant has left the company and I have a new one. I haven't had to deal with her yet. My big issue here is not quality of accountant - it's the paying of 126 for an accountant that doesn't do much for me. Is my new accountant in SJD going to be any different in approach to my old one? Surely they have the same company-wide policies.

I'm trying to cut costs across the board, from personal to business and an expensive accountant seemed to me a good area to cut. Even if my new accountant responds to mails in an hour, is she still worth that money, for a bit of paperwork basically? Not so sure. It's not as if I'm going to her with millions of pounds in turnover and she's actively trying to save me tax.

£126 a month isn't an expensive accountant. My previous one, before moving to InTouch, was charging somewhere in the region of £3k a year to do next to nothing - basically end of year accounts and my tax return. I told them I was leaving, and they came down to £2k, which was still way too much.

[heyya99]

Yep you are right. Sack them, do it yourself. Guess that is what you were after? If that is what you really thing you are beyond help so we will agree with you instead.

Go find how much a cheap accountant is and come back and report....

[northernladuk]

I must add that my current accountant has left the company and I have a new one. I haven't had to deal with her yet. My big issue here is not quality of accountant - it's the paying of 126 for an accountant that doesn't do much for me. Is my new accountant in SJD going to be any different in approach to my old one? Surely they have the same company-wide policies.

I'm trying to cut costs across the board, from personal to business and an expensive accountant seemed to me a good area to cut. Even if my new accountant responds to mails in an hour, is she still worth that money, for a bit of paperwork basically? Not so sure. It's not as if I'm going to her with millions of pounds in turnover and she's actively trying to save me tax.

Yep you are right. Sack them, do it yourself. Guess that is what you were after? If that is what you really thing you are beyond help so we will agree with you instead.

Go find how much a cheap accountant is and come back and report....

[heyya99]

I must add that my current accountant has left the company and I have a new one. I haven't had to deal with her yet. My big issue here is not quality of accountant - it's the paying of 126 for an accountant that doesn't do much for me. Is my new accountant in SJD going to be any different in approach to my old one? Surely they have the same company-wide policies.

I'm trying to cut costs across the board, from personal to business and an expensive accountant seemed to me a good area to cut. Even if my new accountant responds to mails in an hour, is she still worth that money, for a bit of paperwork basically? Not so sure. It's not as if I'm going to her with millions of pounds in turnover and she's actively trying to save me tax.

[Old Greg]

I'm not happy with SJD Accounting. My personal accountant was always off sick, very slow to respond and made some administrative errors. I'm paying £126 per month and for what he does, I think that's a lot. I own a small Ltd company with only myself as employee. I've heard people say paying for a good accountant will save me money in the long term but what can a £126 accountant do that a cheaper one can't? He does very little as it is..

Can any recommend an alternative to SJD? Would I get a decent accountant for half the price?

They used to have a guarantee that if you didn't get a response to an email within 2 hrs you go t a month's accountancy free. But then I may have dreamt that as they've always responded within 24 hours. Contact Head Office.