What to expect from your bookkeeper | Incite Tax

Your bookkeeper or tax professional needs to be available and accessible. Absolutely 100% true. And you need to have realistic expectations on what available and accessible means. You won't be their only client, so don't expect them to drop everything for you at a moment's notice. And I can hear some saying right now, of course I know I'm not their only client. Most of those people are the same ones that will email us, call us right after they sent the email because they didn't get a response within 10 minutes, send us a text, they left a voice message saying they sent us an email, and then complain to us 15 minutes later they can't get ahold of anyone at our firm. Don't be that person. Here are some ways to get on the same page with realistic expectations of what is a prompt response and what does your accessibility to the accountant look like. Review your agreement. What does it say about their availability to you based on the services you agreed to? A client that pays us to file their taxes is not receiving the same accessibility as a client that is paying for email responses to their answers and questions, or a client that is paying for additional consulting services. Ask about response times. Asking about their typical turnaround time for emails, calls and other communications is going to give you an idea of how promptly they will address you. Preferred communication methods: Find out how they prefer to communicate. Is it by phone? Is it email? Is it meetings? And how do they handle urgent requests? For example, many of our clients pay for unlimited email responses. This means they are not paying for unlimited phone calls or meetings. Client load: Ask about their current client load and how they manage their time. This can help you understand if they have the capacity to give your business the attention it needs, or in this case, the attention that you're paying for. Availability during peak times. Discuss their availability during these times, such as tax season. This is going to help you gauge their accessibility when you might need them the most. Here are some realistic expectations to consider. Remember that bookkeeping and tax issues, while important, are rarely emergencies. Set reasonable expectations for response times. Understand that scheduled meetings might be the best way to get dedicated time with your bookkeeping or tax professional, assuming of course that you're paying for that service. And respect their professional boundaries. Continuous availability is not sustainable and it's not a sign of a well-managed business. Your bookkeeper or tax professional needs to be able to scale with the needs of your business. As your business grows, your tax and bookkeeping needs will inevitably grow as well. But will they grow in complexity or just in volume? So 2 things to consider. First one, if you outgrow your accountant, it's okay. You can find a new one when that happens. The second thing to consider, if your business is at $100,000 in revenue, you don't want to pay for the accountant you need when you are at $5 million. Your needs will likely be different at that time, but that's expensive, right? So now that being said, most accountants will likely be able to scale with your business. If your growth is mainly from volume and not complexity, your accountant doesn't need to be able to scale with the needs of your business. A better question to ask about scalability, though, is can your accountant scale without affecting the quality of their service to you? Here are some questions you can ask. What's their firm growth been like over whatever period of time you want to know? Do they have systems for their services? What is their training process for new team members? Do they have a hiring system? Those types of questions can help you determine if the firm's growth will affect your service. Your bookkeeper or tax accountant needs to have clear fees and pricing structures. Understanding what you'll be charged and what services are included is crucial to avoid any surprises. However, the responsibility for clarity lies with both the accountant and the client. As a client, you need to listen carefully to what is being explained and thoroughly review the contract or agreement you may sign. On behalf of all bookkeepers and tax professionals, bookkeeping is not consulting. If you want consulting, make sure you are asking for the service that includes that. Tax preparation is also not tax consulting. If you sign up to have your taxes filed, then a meeting with your tax accountant would be to go over the return to see if you have any questions about the return. But if you want advice on how to lower your taxable income or future tax planning, that is consulting and would be a separate service. To avoid these misunderstandings, make sure you ask enough questions. So the summary: clear fees and pricing structure is a must. Your accountant should be clear what services they offer, and that clarity should match the contract you sign. It is not important that your bookkeeper or tax professional can scale with the changing needs of your business as you grow. What's more important is that your accountant can provide the same level of service you expect as their accounting business grows. While it's important your bookkeeper or tax professional is available and accessible, it's equally crucial to set realistic expectations. By asking the right questions and understanding their communication practices, you can figure out if their availability and accessibility match Your accountant should be clear what services they offer, and that clarity should match the contract you sign. Take time to make sure you fully understand what you get and what you aren't getting. Having clear expectations that match the conversation and contract can save you from frustration and unexpected costs down the line.