Hiring an accountant, whether its your first or if you are looking to switch, can be a daunting process but with our switch over service can be a breeze. We always say that an accountant is an investment and a “cost” to your business. A good accountant or accounting firm should give you back time to focus on running your business, provide proactive advice and submit all necessary information on time.
So firstly, it would depend on the quality of service you need, there are accounting firms that provide compliance only, with no advice or support, with an account manager in another part of the UK or aboard who are going to be much cheaper than a proactive, forward thinking firm based on your door step, and we feel there is a market for both!
Our approach is more on the proactive side, with dedicated accountants based here in Crawley for local businesses not only do we provide compliance for tax returns, company accounts, payroll and VAT but with the latest cloud software combined with a human approach, advise our clients on the latest tax changes and updates so they are running as tax efficiently as possible.
In terms of our pricing, each client has different needs and will require different services in order to meet HMRC obligations and also achieve their business goals.
Some factors include:
- Size and turnover
- Number of transactions
- Number of employees
- Whether you are VAT registered
- Complexity of business (sector or structure)
- System requirements
During our discovery call process, we go into detail about your business, the factors mentioned above and what you want to achieve from your business and next accountant. Our pricing is based on a fixed fee basis and starts from:
- Personal tax returns £225 plus VAT
- Limited company accounts £80 plus VAT
- Bookkeeping £70 plus VAT
- VAT returns £180 plus VAT
- Payroll £30 plus VAT
What questions should I ask a potential accountant?
An accountant or accounting firm is likely to be the most important relationship in your business. Pricing aside, we always recommend to ask yourself “Do I feel comfortable working with this firm / individual?” If yes, you are onto a winner!
While pricing is an important factor, other considerations would be;
- Are they qualified by experience or chartered? i.e. member of a professional body such as ACCA/AAT/ICAEW
- What are their forms of communication? What’s app is becoming increasingly popular!
- How frequently are they in contact with their clients?
- Do they have reviews on Trust Pilot / Google?
- Do they work with similar businesses to you?
- What software and systems do they use / provide?
- Can they meet face to face or is everything via Teams/Zoom?
We would love to discuss your requirements and demonstrate what a forward thinking and proactive firm of chartered accountants can do, feel free to book a discovery call here.
