H&R Block / Jackson Hewitt / etc...

[Derek]

are these big name accountants any good?

our long-time accountant has gotten slowly worse over the past 10 years. doesn't return calls or emails until a month or 2 later.

or is it better to find a local smaller guy who has experience with carpet cleaners?


tx for any advice :!:

 

[Bob Foster]

My wife is an accountant and this advice comes from her.

If you ask most bookkeepers or accountants, the clients that they like the least and are the highest maintenance for issues they usually can't bill for its the shoe box small businessman.

Even though they usually have lower amounts of transactions they are often hard to figure out so they are frustrating to work with.

Your slowly getting worse syndrome may well be your accountants subtle way of telling you to take your business somewhere else.

But in these times there will be plenty of other bookkeepers to do your work. Take it to a bookkeeper and then take your year end to an accountant after the year is completed if not twice annually depending on your business complexity. Your bookkeeper can likely direct you to a good CPA or CA.

Here are things that will help your relationship with whoever does your books.
1. Realize what the bookkeeping is really about and use that information to tune your business
2. If you write a check for something make a note of what it was for. A bookkeeper that sees a check to NAPA doesn't know what NAPA is - make a note and say equipment maintenance supplies etc... use a post it note if you don't want to write on an invoice if you have to.
3. When you get a receipt make sure you do the same thing. And get a receipt for everything.
4. Have a file folder on your desk where you put all your receipts and invoices for the month and label the folder for the month.
5. Submit this to your bookkeeper at the end of the month along with print outs of your bank and credit card statements. Do this promptly.
6. If you do not see your month end report by the 21st day of the following month - have a heart to heart talk with your bookkeeper. Set this expectation with your bookkeeper when you hire them.
7. Insure that your bookkeeper or yourself directs payment for taxes, insurance, WCB on time. Don't blame them if you bring your receipts and invoices to them two days before a deadline.

Your bookkeeper will love you and you will sleep better at night knowing your affairs are in order.

 

[Derek]

tx for the advice Bob. the missus is our book keeper and does a very good job at it. no shoe box here. our accountant always is floored at her thoroughness when we meet him in february, and says none of his other clients are as organized.

it very well could be a subtle hint that we should move on. we emailed him that exact sentiment in question form yesterday, no reply yet lol...

typical.


tx --- Derek.

 

[Bob Foster]

Then I guess your accountant is just not interested anymore. I would look for a younger accountant who has recently left a larger practice to set up their own operation. You might get more personalized service.

Accountants tend to specialize to business types so you want to ask questions. You should talk to a few so you feel who is best to help you leverage the information that's in your books. They are the people that help you see the trees in the forest.

 

[J Scott W]

Accountant and tax service are very different. Account should be able to give you advice on how to operate your business because they know your business and know tax laws and accounting.

H&R Block and similar are mostly tax preparers. Given the right information, they know which line to put it on and how to do the calculation, but they are generally not qualified to give advice. If what you want is tax preparation one of the software packages may suit you and save some money. If you want guidance, go to an account who understands the small service business.

Since winter was always the slow time for carpet cleaning and the busy season for taxes, I spent several years as a tax preparer and later as a tax accountant.

 

[handdi]

ask other bus people on who they use
hr no good for the most part they use part time preparers
hewit is different from what i see\i have one as a client
and i was impressed with what they had to offer

but they use part timers also but they keep a full time staff too
and h and r may do the same
look into a s corp if you have not already and do a monthly spreadsheet
for a p and l
but like bob said shoe box clients are the same as our clients that never pick anything up off the
floors and have trashed places that mistake us as a maid service

 

[Derek]

i did just that Randy. all set now, looks like he will cost twice as much as the guy who was never there for us, but supposed to be "worth it."

 

[Able 1]

Anyone use that "smart desk organizer" for your bills and receipts? Looks cool..

For me it's just my tax lady/cpa, to her I'm probably her pita.. shiteatinggrin