Do I Need an Accountant?

This is one of the most common questions asked.  There is an excellent article on the Kash Flow website that says it all really.

Become a client

If you are thinking of starting up or buying a small business, we're delighted to offer you a free initial consultation so that we can introduce ourselves, you can tell us your plans, and we can tell you how we think we can help.  This initial consultation can be a meeting at our offices, via the telephone or an email exchange and is entirely without obligation nor commitment. 

Formalities

Like all qualified accountants in practice, we are quite heavily regulated and monitored and have to comply with various rules and legislation.  We have to satisfy ourselves that our skills and knowledge are appropriate for your requirements (by completing a "know your client" questionnaire) and have to satisfy ourselves as to your identity and address.  This means that we would require you to provide personal and business information about you (and your business partners), and sight of various official documents (such as photo driving licence or passport and a recent bank statement or recent utility bill).  We will also require evidence of the source of any large or unusual amounts of money paid into your business or to purchase your business or property.  We understand that these formalities may seem unnecessary, but they are required by law, and we will do our utmost to be flexible and to work within the legal framework with the minimum of inconvenience to our clients.  We will advise you of our fee structures, fixed price arrangements, retainer packages, and hourly rates, as appropriate to your requirements before we undertake any chargeable work on your behalf.  We will require a "letter of engagement" to be signed by you confirming the scope of the services agreed and agreeing our standard terms of business.  Normally, these procedures don't cause any problems and we will smooth the way as far as we can within the regulations we work under.  Once all the formalities are dealt with, we will formally write to you to accept your instruction, until which time, we aren't appointed and there is no contractual relationship between us.

Previous Accountants

If you are moving to us from another firm of accountants, the professional rules require us to write to them to ask for professional clearance and for various information from their files concerning your previous accounts and tax affairs.  Normally, this process causes no problems and is dealt with entirely between accountants, meaning that the client has little, if any involvement in the process.  We always recommend that the client writes to the ex-accountant as a courtesy and to give their permission for personal information to be sent to us.