How to find the right accounting firm for you

Choosing an accountant is an important decision. You are essentially trusting someone else entirely with your taxes and finances. Your accountant will be ensuring you comply with tax regulations and can provide you with sound advice. Therefore, it is vital that you find the perfect accountant for you and your individual or business’s needs. Here we share how to find the right accounting firm for you.

Choose an accountant with experience in your field

It is important to look for an accountant who has experience that matches your needs. When looking for an accountant for your business, check to see if they have experience working in that industry before. If they do, they should already have extensive knowledge that can be useful. For an accountant to deal with personal finances, check to ensure that the accountant can tailor to this and is not only corporate focussed.

Meet them in person

If possible, try and meet your accountant in person, or at least via a video call before committing to working with them. You will be potentially working with them closely and you, therefore, need to trust them and get on well with them. A personal connection is important. When you meet them it is a great chance to see if you think they are a good fit. Will they be a company you will like working with? The meeting is not only a chance for the accountants to get to know you, your finances or your business. It is also a great time for you to discuss their range of services and their previous experience that means they will be a good match.

Know who you can contact

Sometimes you can be given a dedicated account manager. This is great as you will be able to turn to them with any questions you have and you know who you need to contact. Having a dedicated main point of contact also means that they get to know your accounting needs inside and out. Overtime a great working relationship can be built when you are only dealing with the same person. Even if you are not given a dedicated account manager, ensure you are introduced to the team that you will be working with and have the relevant contact details for them. You need to feel confident that you can get hold of someone who is familiar with your finances whenever you need to.

Good communication

Communication is key when you are working with anyone but especially when it is a company working with your finances. Not only do you want to know who to get in touch with if you need anything, you need reassurance that you will hear a quick response. When doing your research look for signs of good communication. For example, do they reply to emails in a timely manner? This may seem like a small thing but it’s important that you have faith that the accountant you choose will be able to help you quickly and professionally. Whilst you may not always need a quick response, there are inevitably times when you need something done urgently and your accountant needs to be able to cope with this.

Location, location, location

Whilst the majority of services will be able to be carried out remotely, you may want the opportunity to meet them face to face if you need to. Therefore location of their offices may be an important factor. If it is, start your search locally and then expand to a wider area if none of your local firms are offering the level of service you desire.

Read reviews and testimonials

Reviews and testimonials can be extremely important when helping you choose the right accountant. Although you shouldn’t necessarily go on reviews alone, they are a great thing to look at. They can provide different view points and help you get an overall feel of the company. Even better would be a personal recommendation. It may be worth asking other individuals or business owners that you know to see what accountants they use and whether they would recommend them. The accountant should also be able to provide some testimonials for you.

Discuss fees

Whilst you should not choose your accountant simply on the price of their fees, it is still an important element you need to discuss. Whilst hiring an accountant will come at a cost, their aim is to help save you money in the long run whilst also protecting you from certain risks. Therefore you should talk with them about how their services will help deliver you or your business value. It is important that you discuss all the services you need and agree on how these services are paid. Whilst some may be a monthly fee, others may be charged by the hour and you need to have a thorough understanding of this from the beginning.

Whilst you may start by having an accountant for your bookkeeping, this may soon change. As a business grows you may start increasingly relying on your accountant for more complex financial tasks. Ranging from financial reporting, compliance, payroll, business planning, exit planning and more. These are all important aspects for businesses and individuals alike. So it is vital that you make the right decision when choosing your accountant. You need to ensure they are providing a thorough service and give you financial information that is reliable.

Unless you are a trained accountant or have a business that remains small, it is inevitable that you will eventually need the assistance of an accountant in order to save you time and help you grow your business. Whilst there are a myriad of accountants to choose from, they do not all offer the same level of service. Therefore, you need to find the right accounting firm and opt for the accountant that best suits your needs.