There’s no denying that accountants can big a big help when it comes to business and personal finance, they can help with a huge variety of tasks after all. However, you need a good and open relationship with an accountant if you want to ensure it is long lasting and beneficial.
To help ensure that you and your accountant are always working alongside each other in harmony, we’ve picked out our top five questions you should make sure to ask your accountant. From helping you with your small business accounts or your own personal tax return our top five questions will help you ensure your accountant will be a benefit to your finances.
“What are your qualifications and experience”
When it comes to accountants there’s a great range to choose from, so how do you know who is the best for you? Well just like a job interview you ask questions and find out more about them, one of the main things you should focus on is their experience and qualifications.
The term accountant isn’t regulated after all so anyone could claim to be one if they wanted, but accountants can join professional bodies and groups as a sign of their professionalism and qualifications. So before your relationship even gets started make sure you are dealing with a professional, qualified accountant who can actually assist you. It’s always a good idea to check any independent reviews left by other people as well.
“How can you help me with tax”
Ok, that question is a little general I know, but tax encompasses so much doesn’t it? An accountant is incredibly valuable come tax time because they can help you find out if you are due any tax refunds or if you can claim any tax you didn’t know about it.
Many people don’t know they can actually claim tax back on a number of everyday business expenses, but with an accountant helping you you’ll always be able to ensure you only pay what you need to. Because tax laws can also change often an accountant is also a great way to stay up to date on new legislation. So make sure you get all the details on how they can help you when it comes to tax.
“How can I reach you and how often should we meet”
This may seem to be an obverse question but it can be easy to forget about it, with all the talk of business, tax refunds and everything else. If you want a lasting and positive relationship with your accountant then you need to ensure you’ll always be able to reach them in an emergency.
You’ll also need to agree on a regular time to meet each other, so make sure you ask this question before you move on to talk about taxes and other business matters. It doesn’t have to be in person just as long as they are available by phone and email when you need them.
“Can I meet the goals I’ve set out”
Whether your accountant is for your business or personal finances (or both) one the main questions should make sure to ask your accountant at every meeting is whether you can meet your goals.
A professional accountant will be sure to have a tough love attitude and outline exactly whether you can or you can’t. But don’t worry even if you can’t your accountant will be able to explain how you can in the future.
“What am I doing wrong”
This is a difficult question to ask and an even more difficult one to answer. But if you want a successful and beneficial relationship with your accountant you need to be sure they can tell you when you’re doing something wrong. No one likes being told they are in the wrong or making a mistake but everyone makes mistakes.
Whether you’re missing out on a tax break or are buying the wrong materials or have made errors on tax returns, mistakes can take many forms and you need to be sure your accountant can be frank with you and tell you when you are. An accountant is no use if they just agree with you all the time so you need to be sure they can tell you what you’re doing wrong and explain how you can correct it.
