Anyone know a good accountant?
Discussion
My accountant has got to go.
She has yet to complete a tax return with no errors in it, she managed to b*gger up my VAT returns for three years before a routine enquiry to Customs & Excise revealed a problem, and now she's managed to make a mess of not one, but two of my VAT returns before going off on holiday yet again (6 or 7 times a year!!) and refusing to help me put the figures right before she went. And the real clincher - she once returned a large cheque to the Inland Revenue that they'd sent her to pass on to me. Without even bothering to tell me!! It took nearly three months to get the cash back out of them.
Oh, and despite her being a so-called tax advisor, the only advice she'll ever give me is "pay your tax". I don't want to do anything illegal, I just want to make sure I'm operating as tax-efficiently as possible - but she won't (or can't) advise me on bank accounts in other countries, buying a company car ("you don't need one!") or anything else that might possibly help me save a few p a year.
Oh, and she gives all my paperwork to her bookkeeper to do, which may explain the errors. But of course she bills me for her time, not her bookkeeper's...
So, if anyone in the South Bucks area is an accountant, or knows an accountant who'll work with sole traders, please drop me a line!
Thanks chaps!
She has yet to complete a tax return with no errors in it, she managed to b*gger up my VAT returns for three years before a routine enquiry to Customs & Excise revealed a problem, and now she's managed to make a mess of not one, but two of my VAT returns before going off on holiday yet again (6 or 7 times a year!!) and refusing to help me put the figures right before she went. And the real clincher - she once returned a large cheque to the Inland Revenue that they'd sent her to pass on to me. Without even bothering to tell me!! It took nearly three months to get the cash back out of them.
Oh, and despite her being a so-called tax advisor, the only advice she'll ever give me is "pay your tax". I don't want to do anything illegal, I just want to make sure I'm operating as tax-efficiently as possible - but she won't (or can't) advise me on bank accounts in other countries, buying a company car ("you don't need one!") or anything else that might possibly help me save a few p a year.
Oh, and she gives all my paperwork to her bookkeeper to do, which may explain the errors. But of course she bills me for her time, not her bookkeeper's...
So, if anyone in the South Bucks area is an accountant, or knows an accountant who'll work with sole traders, please drop me a line!
Thanks chaps!
Just drop them a line telling them you do not wish to use their services any longer. Ask them for any books and records belonging to you that they may still have in their posession. They are legally entitled to hold on to such books and records if you owe them any outstanding fees. They ARE NOT allowed to delay passing information over to a new accountant.
As a matter of interest:
Have your most recent accounts been completed?
Is your 2002/03 Self assessment Tax return completed and submitted to the Inland Revenue?
If not, now would be a good time to change accountants as leaving it any later might see you running up against the 31 January Self Assessment deadline.
As a matter of interest:
Have your most recent accounts been completed?
Is your 2002/03 Self assessment Tax return completed and submitted to the Inland Revenue?
If not, now would be a good time to change accountants as leaving it any later might see you running up against the 31 January Self Assessment deadline.
Thanks Eric. FWIW she's been trying to get me to take back my records for ages now because her garage is full (!!), but we don't have room for them at home so I keep making excuses. 
Luckily my most recent accounts are complete - if incorrect so far. She's got to put that right when she gets back from her latest jaunt around the world.
But she hasn't completed my 2002/03 tax return yet, so I suppose she'd better do that first. She's got all the paperwork and so it'll probably be easier than switching straight away.
But once that's done, I'm away! Hurrah, looking forward to it already!
Actually, I do feel a bit mean talking about her in these terms - she's a very nice person. But she doesn't do her job properly, so.......
Luckily my most recent accounts are complete - if incorrect so far. She's got to put that right when she gets back from her latest jaunt around the world.
But she hasn't completed my 2002/03 tax return yet, so I suppose she'd better do that first. She's got all the paperwork and so it'll probably be easier than switching straight away.
But once that's done, I'm away! Hurrah, looking forward to it already!
Actually, I do feel a bit mean talking about her in these terms - she's a very nice person. But she doesn't do her job properly, so.......
eric mc said:
I'd like to think some of us know what we're doing.
Eric, I'm sure there are! A lame attempt at end of week humour and sweeping I grant you!
I had an accountant who help to send me bust about 12 years ago and then bugured off to Aus so no music could be faced so I've I slightly jaundiced view of the profession.
But hey - an account whose a PH'er - you get my vote!
Microsoft Works .....now THERE'S an Oxymoron!
[threadhijack]
SGirl, any chance we will so yourself and TamLin at BTaP this year? Might allow you two to blow off a little steam? I could hold a small class for new parents. Plotloss could attend. CarZee could moderate
Seriously - it would be good to meet you two...
[/threadhijack]
ErnestM
SGirl, any chance we will so yourself and TamLin at BTaP this year? Might allow you two to blow off a little steam? I could hold a small class for new parents. Plotloss could attend. CarZee could moderate
Seriously - it would be good to meet you two...
[/threadhijack]
ErnestM
ErnestM said:
[threadhijack]
SGirl, any chance we will so yourself and TamLin at BTaP this year? Might allow you two to blow off a little steam? I could hold a small class for new parents. Plotloss could attend. CarZee could moderate
Seriously - it would be good to meet you two...
[/threadhijack]
ErnestM
Hi Ernest!
I think you'd better make that a big class for new parents - there seems to be a lot of us about on here these days!
Don't know about CarZee moderating, though - could you afford to buy him the copious amounts of alcohol it'd take to get him to do that?? 
I don't think we'll make BTaP, though - nothing's for definite yet, but we may well be elsewhere at the time (hopefully involving sunshine and interesting cocktails...). But if you're going to be in the country for a few days at around BTaP time, drop me a line and maybe we could meet up somewhere if we're around? It'd be good to see you. Might even bring you some teabags.
I won't have any transport as I am not going to rent a car (the last time I was in the UK was 20 years ago, so I thought I would check out the roads first before I jump into the left lane 
). I will be arriving on the 7th in Daventry and be departing on the 9th to Scotland for about a week and a half though...
Hopefully you and Tam Lin can make it. Would love to meet you two in person (and see whether or not Tam Lin is getting any sleep now)
Cheers
ErnestM
). I will be arriving on the 7th in Daventry and be departing on the 9th to Scotland for about a week and a half though... Hopefully you and Tam Lin can make it. Would love to meet you two in person (and see whether or not Tam Lin is getting any sleep now
) Cheers
ErnestM
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