A relationship with an accountant is often a relationship of years. Your accountant knows your business, your history, and sometimes the stories behind the numbers. So when doubt creeps in, you don’t switch after a single bad day.
But doubt that keeps coming back deserves attention. Especially if you increasingly wonder whether your bookkeeping is correct, why answers stay away, why you get so little insight, or why the bill goes up every year without you being able to explain what you get in return.
Sometimes it surprises us too
We regularly take over the books of business owners who were no longer happy with their previous accountant. And let’s be clear upfront: working differently isn’t automatically working wrong.
One accountant chooses a different ledger account than another. One works in more detail, another more compactly. Fellow professionals can debate that for hours, while it usually doesn’t help the business owner much.
But sometimes it’s no longer about a difference in approach. Reconciliations are missing, entries sit unresolved for years, the numbers don’t add up, or nobody can properly explain why certain choices were made. In cases like that, we think a business owner is allowed to be critical.
A high price isn’t the problem
We’ve seen situations where business owners paid their previous accountant more than three times our monthly fee. That doesn’t automatically mean that accountant was too expensive.
A higher price is fine. Every firm sets its own rate. But that price should come with service in return: attention, quality, availability, oversight and accountability.
Paying three times as much doesn’t automatically make your bookkeeping three times better. In the end, you should be able to understand what you’re getting and why you’re paying for it.
We won’t trash your accountant
That’s not our style. We don’t like it when someone makes claims about our work without proper grounds. So we don’t do that about a fellow professional’s work either.
We’d rather look at the facts. Does the bookkeeping reconcile? Can choices be explained? Do you get usable information? Are agreements kept? Is the service still in proportion to what you pay?
That’s where we give our view. Calm and objective. The decision stays yours.
When is doubt a reason to look further?
A missed callback or a human error doesn’t have to be a reason to part ways immediately. It’s different when problems become structural.
Signs can include: weeks without a response; not knowing where your bookkeeping stands; returns or annual accounts structurally handled late; no clear explanation; the same mistakes keep recurring; or you pay a lot but can no longer name what service you get for it.
If you recognise several of these, it’s wise to at least have the conversation. With your current accountant, with us, or both.
Maybe you don’t need to switch at all
That might sound strange coming from an accounting firm’s website. We mean it anyway.
Maybe we look at your books and it turns out the basics are simply fine. Maybe the problem is mostly communication. Maybe one clear conversation with your current accountant can solve a lot.
And maybe there turns out to be good reason to look further. Even then, you don’t have to decide overnight.
Understand first. Then decide.
A good relationship with an accountant is more than numbers and returns. It’s also about trust, availability, and the feeling that someone takes responsibility for the work you’ve outsourced.
Trust is worth a lot. But trust doesn’t mean you’re never allowed to be critical.
Have doubts? Just come and talk. We listen to what’s going on and, where useful, take an objective look with you. No mudslinging. No sales pitch. Just an honest conversation about your books.
Frequently asked questions
When is it time to switch accountants?
When problems become structural and conversations don’t resolve anything. Think of poor availability, recurring mistakes, lack of insight, or a price that no longer feels in proportion to the service.
Can I have my books reviewed first without switching?
Yes. You can first ask for an objective second look. Then you decide yourself whether to stay with your current accountant or look further.
Do I need to tell my current accountant that I’m talking to you?
Not for an initial introduction. For an actual handover, or when we need to request information from your current accountant, we’ll of course align that with you first.
Want to know how your bookkeeping really stands?
Let us take an objective look. Then you decide what to do with it.