Home
>
Small Business
>
Small Business Operators - 7 Reasons You Should Change Your Accountant

Small Business Operators - 7 Reasons You Should Change Your Accountant

A recent survey showed that only 28.7% of small business owners were happy with their accountant, and only half of those would recommend him to their friends because he was too busy already.

The following are the most common reasons small business owners give for their dissatisfaction. Do any apply to you?

1. The accountant in charge is not accessible and never returns phone calls. In the early stages he couldn't do enough. He used to come out to the factory at least once a year to have a look. Now he seems to have time only for the big fellows. It seems I'm too small for him to be bothered with.

2. I am forever being foisted onto less senior staff who just do not know the answers. They have to research the matter or get hold of someone more knowledgeable It means delays and wasted time that I am being billed for.

3. The change over in staff is frustrating. I have a complex structure and I have to explain it anew every time I visit. It would be lovely to build up a relationship with someone permanently. (or at least for two years in a row).

4. I deliver my work in plenty of time but the accountant sits on it like a clucky hen for months. Sometimes I receive fines from the Tax Office which are not my fault. My accountant reimburses me if I kick up a stink about it, but I am afraid I am building a bad reputation with the tax people.

5. Even though the work has been in his office in loads of time, the completion always seems to be hurried. Work is sent to me with errors. Surely this isn't right? Now, I insist on seeing the work in draft form first, and I am able to pick up most of the errors

6. He charges for everything. I rang him to point out a mistake his firm had made in my account and he charged me $35 for fixing it.

7. The fee he charges is out of all proportion to the service he gives! The fee goes up each year while his service gets poorer. I don't mind paying the appropriate fee but he charges like a wounded bull.

These are the perceptions only from disgruntled clients and may be colored by many things. They may be even untrue! I am sure that the accountant would tell another story, but?

Before you engage an accountant or even in dealing with your presentaccountant you should clarify his terms of engagement. You wouldn't go to a mechanic and say, "Fix my car. Do whatever you think is appropriate. Never mind the cost just send me the bill."

Nor should you with your accountant. Your accountant may be performing a service you don't need and don't use. How will he know if you don't tell him?

On the other hand, there may be a service you really do need which he is not doing. Ask him to give you an estimate. Don't be put off with,"It's a bit hard to estimate I charge an hourly fee".

Once his tasks for the year are nailed down why shouldn't he have an idea of how long each task takes.

The charge out rate for each employee may range from $35 to $200 dollars per hour according to the skill and experience of the employee. The Accountant should be able to estimate the fee using the rate for the appropriate employee. If during the year a specialist just happens to do some data entry over the weekend to get the task finished you shouldn't have to pay his rates.

The most important attribute of a good accountant is his ability to act as your confidante. You should be able to tell him anything.

You won't be able to if each time you are in his office you are worried about the fee he is going to charge for the visit.

Kelvyn Peters and Associates
http://www.profitstrategies4business.com

About the Author

Kelvyn Peters is one of Australia's longest serving Tax Agents. Kelvyn was registered in February 1962 and became a CPA in September 1964.

Kelvyn has served on many not-for-profit and charitable boards including St Aubyns Private Hospital, Alzheimer's Association, Older Peoples Advocacy Service and the Golden Years Center.

As a young man he won the Outstanding Jaycee Award three year's in a row. Kelvyn is a generous and kind man who loves helping people. Kelvyn feels their pain.

Kelvyn Peters was Mayor of Kingaroy Shire Council from 1977 to 1983 and campaigned as the 'Young Man of Action"

Over 20 years later he still regards himself as a 'Young Man of Action'.

He is a director of Restaurant Catering Qld Inc the peak employer representative in Queensland, and has advised the hospitality industry for many years.

His specialty is moving in to rescue an ailing business.

Kelvyn Peters CPA has spent over 20 years experimenting and researching methods to help small business in meaningful ways that are affordable.

weekly home cleaning Highland Park ..

In The News:

Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.

FoloToy restored sales of its AI teddy bear Kumma after a weeklong suspension following safety group findings of risky and inappropriate responses to children.

Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.

Viral video shared by Elon Musk shows Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots performing tasks from cooking to construction, garnering over 58.5 million views on social media.

Chinese hackers used Anthropic's Claude AI to launch autonomous cyberattacks on 30 organizations worldwide, marking a major shift in cybersecurity threats.

Apple's new Sleep Score feature gives you a rating for your nightly rest quality. Learn how to set it up on your Apple Watch and iPhone today.

Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Cybersecurity research shows weak passwords remain a major threat, with simple patterns and number sequences putting millions of accounts at risk.

New Android malware BankBot YNRK silences phones, steals banking data and drains crypto wallets automatically. Learn how this advanced threat works.

FDA approves first human trial for Paradromics' brain-computer interface that could restore speech for paralyzed patients through neural technology.

New phishing platform QRR targets Microsoft 365 users across 1,000 domains in 90 countries. Learn how to spot fake login pages and protect your accounts.

OpenTable now uses AI to track your dining habits and share insights with restaurants. Learn what data they collect and how to protect your privacy.

Google's discontinued Nest thermostats still secretly upload home data to company servers despite losing smart features, raising serious privacy concerns.

New Android malware NGate steals NFC payment codes in real-time, allowing criminals to withdraw cash from ATMs without your card. Learn protection tips.

DoorDash confirms data breach exposing customer names, emails, addresses after social engineering attack. Learn how to protect yourself from scams.

Concerned about Google's AI scanning your Gmail? Learn how to disable Gemini features that access your emails, Drive files and Chat messages for privacy.

Google warns Android users about dangerous fake VPN apps hiding malware that steals passwords, banking details and personal data from phones and tablets.

Apple's digital passport feature lets iPhone users breeze through TSA checkpoints this holiday season using Digital ID technology at 250+ airports.

A new phishing scam targets family photos with fake "Cloud Storage Full" alerts. Criminals steal credit card information through fake sites. Learn protection tips.

South Korean scientists create ultra-thin fabric muscles that turn clothes into robotic assistants, lifting 33 pounds while weighing under half an ounce.

Archer Aviation has acquired Hawthorne Airport for $126M to launch an LA air taxi network ahead of the 2028 Olympics, featuring AI-powered eVTOL operations and next-gen aviation tech.

Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Fake AI apps disguised as "ChatGPT" and "DALL·E" are flooding app stores with dangerous malware that steals data and monitors users without detection.

Fake buyers demand specific vehicle reports from unknown sites to steal credit card information from car sellers, but warning signs can help identify these scams before paying.