Solutions for Businesses

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Please call us for a free no obligation meeting or a chat to discuss your needs  on 01438 716625 or 07941 442509 or send us an e-mail by clicking the box below.

Solutions for Individuals

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Frequently Asked Questions

Below are answers to some of the questions that our prospective clients ask more frequently. If there is a question here that is not answered, please feel free to give us a call or use the e-mail option on the right side of this page.

We have been thinking of changing our accountants for some time now but we hear that it can be a complicated process. Is this correct?

The process is straight forward. All you have to do is to inform your existing accountants that you are changing to us. You can do this by phone, in person or you can write them a letter or an e-mail, if you so choose.

Next you need to tell us that you have informed your existing accountant. Our institute’s guidelines require us to write to your previous accountants to inform them of your decision and to ask them to handover all records relating to you or your business, as appropriate. The guidelines also require us to ask them of any circumstances that we need to be aware of in taking over your assignment. This is normally a formality. In accordance with the same guidelines, your previous accountant should not be charging you for the switch over.

We will then send you an engagement letter, as required by our governing body, outlining our services that you have wished us to provide you and the respective responsibilities of each of us for those services. When you sign and return the letter to us the changeover is complete, that’s it.

Are you going to be more expensive than our existing accountants?

Not necessarily although we emphasise that we do not compete on cost alone. Not all accountants are the same. You may not be aware that anyone can set themselves up as accountants and offer all sorts of services that they may not be qualified for. When you deal with us, you know that you are dealing with a member firm of a respectable and reputable organisation, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

We are in business to foster long-term relationships with our clients which can only be developed with being fair and honest about our fees. Our fees are always based upon what we consider to be fair for the amount of work involved and its complexity.

We do not provide quotes over the phone. Our fees are based upon a number of factors including your turnover, the  state of your accounting records, the complication of your business and tax affairs. We prefer to meet with you either at your or our premises to discuss your needs and for us to understand your business better. Information that you provide during this meeting is entered into a template with input from you which produces fees quote for the level of service that you require and decide. We offer three levels of service to all our clients and it is up to you to choose the one that suits you best. Once agreed the fee will not change for that year.

We do not engage in the practice of “lowballing”, whereby a firm quotes a low fee just to get your business and increase it substantially in the following years.  We cannot guarantee that our fees will not increase, but our increases are mainly to keep pace with inflation. In any case, you will be notified well in advance before we propose any fee increase.

Can I pay my fees in instalments rather than a lump sum at the end of the assignment?

Absolutely! We can structure our fees as you wish. If you want to pay monthly, or quarterly, instalments, that is fine by us. We will even give you a discount for paying monthly or quarterly. We will send you our invoices on the agreed basis on a monthly or quarterly basis. If you change your mind, and want to pay when the assignment is completed, that is fine by us too.

If I change my accountants, would the tax or other authorities not get suspicious and start an enquiry?  

HMRC have never quoted “changing an accountant” as a reason for starting an enquiry. Most enquiries take place completely at random, or as a result of some figures crossing HMRC pre-determined thresholds. Businesses or individuals operating within certain industries can also sometimes be targeted for enquiries.

Any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.