Finding the right accountant can be a lot like dating. Admittedly, it’s a lot less awkward, and it’s unlikely you’re going to find one on Tinder. But it can be hard to find the right match, and once you’ve snagged yourself a good one, you’ve still got to do a little bit of work to keep the relationship sweet.
We don’t want flowers every week (though they brighten up the office and they’re certainly appreciated), but when it comes to bookkeeping, there are some things you can do to make things easier for yourself and keep your accountant smiling.
Maintain Good Records
We really can’t stress this one enough. If you only choose one thing to take note of in this list, please pick this one and we will love you forever… probably.
We know you’ve got better things to do, but in today’s digital world, it’s easier than ever to keep track of your invoices and receipts, and with the tax office’s requirement to keep records for up to 6 years, (failure to do so can mean being slapped with a fine of £3,000) it’s one of those minor annoyances that we just have to do. A bit like going to the dentist.
Fines aside, a bad mistake might take good money to fix. Just last month we posted a story about how Reading Council’s failure to keep good records has so far cost them an eye-watering £200,000 to put right.
If we spend more time accounting and less time trying to chase up bits of paperwork that might have fallen down the back of the coffee machine, we can sort out your accounts quickly, more efficiently, and we can ensure you’re saving the very most you can on both your accounting and your tax bill.
Keep Checking In With Us
While it’s tempting to throw an Everest-sized pile of receipts at your accountant and then run away until the same time next year, keeping up a great working relationship can really pay off.
Checking in every now and again with any updates to your business or working practices will help us get a greater hold on how you and your company works. We like to get to know you, so we can tailor any advice based on your goals for the company, and really drill down on the things that mean the most to you.
As a Brucey bonus, we’re always up-to-date on changes in legislation (it’s no secret that HMRC likes to keep everyone on their toes), and we can let you know if we think you might be affected.
Tell Us Everything
There’s no point in hiring an accountant if you’re not going to give us the whole picture. And the numbers don’t lie! We don’t want to know the gory details of your deepest, darkest secrets, but we do want to know the figures. All of them. Especially the ones you might not want to tell us about.
When we know the facts, we can give you the very best financial advice. If things aren’t going quite as well as you might have hoped, we can point out where you’re losing out and help you to recover. On the other hand, if business is good, we can help you to keep hold of as much profit as possible and point out areas of possible growth.
When you help us to help you, everyone ends up happier, things get done faster and you save those all-important pennies. Win-win!
It would make us really happy to have chat with you about numbers. Click here to call us today and see if we’re the right accountant for you.