Your accountant is more than just someone who punches in numbers and prepares your financial statements. Any tax accountant Adelaide worth their salt will not only help you stay out of trouble tax-wise but will also help your business save some money. So how do you find such an honest and reliable tax accountant? Here are 5 crucial and key questions to ask before you sign a contract with any accountant.
Who have you worked with in the past?
This is more like taking a look at the tax accountant’s portfolio of past clients. It will help you to know if they are the right accountant for you. There are literally thousands of businesses so it is important to make sure that you get a tax accountant Adelaide who is familiar with the tax laws and nuances that govern your particular area of business. A real estate tax accountant will be different to a tax accountant who works with bakeries.
When are they available?
Tax accountants will normally have more than one client at a time. Hence you will need to know when your tax accountant Adelaide is available to do your own books. You also need to be aware that accountants work with a certain time frame and so they might not always be available at your beck and call, so it’s important for you to know when they will be available.
Will you be outsourcing help to handle my bookkeeping?
This is a very important question because in the event that something comes up and you need to talk to your bookkeeper, you might find that getting access to that third party is almost impossible. You also need to understand that a lot of accounting firms do outsource some of the minor bookkeeping details to smaller firms, who are more likely to do a better job anyway. Just make sure you are clear on this point before you proceed.
How do you charge for your services?
If you are a small business, chances are you do not need an in-house accountant. You most likely won’t have a lot of ongoing work to keep them busy full-time. This should make it easier for your tax accountant Adelaide to charge you an hourly fee. However, do ask them first how they bill for their services because some accountants do not operate on hourly services and so you may end up on the receiving end of a flat rate bill.
How often do you expect to meet in person?
In a world of busy people and dominated by technology, you still need some face-to-face time with your accountant. Meeting in person allows them to go over tax planning issues you may need to know. This doesn’t mean that you need to schedule weekly meetings. Even a quarterly meeting may be enough, and the rest of the time you can catch up over Skype and email. Meeting in person just helps to formalize and help you get to know your accountant better.