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What questions would you ask an accountant before becoming a client?

Posted: May 10, 2011

I've had it with ours. We don't get full copies of our filings back and he never files until the very last day if we owe taxes. He e-files through some company. Yesterday, I received a letter from the IRS that WE DIDN'T FILE FOR 2009! We certainly did but we can't remember how much we had to pay the IRS, if any. We do have checks for local and state taxes paid last year, but not federal. All I get his answering machine when I called (twice). I don't want to call the IRS until I hear from him, but I'm getting very stressed out over it.

I don't need any more problems but other accountants we have had didn't understand self-employment that well and/or missed deductions we could have taken over the years, so I need some questions to ask a 'new guy' before deciding on becoming a client. Any help on this?

;

Wow! - CPA's wife

[ In Reply To ..]
The first thing I would ask is, "Do you have a CPA?" Ask when he/she was certified, in which state(s), and definitely find out if the certification is current. CPAs are required to earn a certain amount of continuing professional education credits to maintain certification. In fact, was your previous accountant a CPA? Not all accountants are. Your state likely has a website that will list professional licenses, so you can check on CPA status.
My husband is a partner in a small accounting firm. Their clients are mostly small to mid-sized business and private individuals. A firm like that will definitely understand self-employment issues, since they themselves are self-employed. You can ask general questions about their client base, what type of businesses do they service? Ask them if they have clients in situations similar to yours. Do ask specific questions that cover the problems you posted. What do their services cover? What documentation is included in their services? Will they go with you to IRS audits? Will they pay penalties due to errors on their part? And of course, ask them for a detailed fee schedule.

Regarding the online filing, the IRS is requiring that more and more. My husband's firm has been phasing into that for several years, and this year all of their returns were filed online. Ask your prospective account about the online filing situation.

I hope this helps you. Good luck!

Thanks for the info. We've always had CPAs - Backwards Typist

[ In Reply To ..]
and even though I would ask if they understood DH's business (mine was easy to understand), they would say yes, but after the first year, I would find that they would still miss deductions.

Our first CPA was great, knew the laws inside and out, but warned us about the cost being raised to $800 and we could no longer afford him (10 years ago).

The next one didn't take all the deductions even though he said he understood self-employment, and the one after that took the full depreciation expense on DH's new truck which really put us in a hole. When I raised heck about it, he said he was doing it to "help us out" since it was only the first year with the newer truck. Yeah, right...we wound up paying in the next 5 years (this was the one who worked for the IRS for years). That's why I go to the IRS site every year to see what's new so we don't miss anything.

We've asked other guys who are in the same business who they use/recommend and one uses someone 30 miles away. Other guys just don't want to tell us for some reason.

I'm still not getting an answer at his business place. I called twice again yesterday and called already this morning. No answer. I'm very uneasy about this. BTW, our guy would go to the audits. Don't know if he would pay the penalties, but truthfully, he is very knowledgeable in IRS rules and regs. That's why we went to him and not getting copies of our filing has only been the last 2 years.

Thanks again for the info. I will check the state to see if they have a list of CPAs.

Had wonderful results with CPA that specialized - Happy tax payer

[ In Reply To ..]
When we had a farm business, I researched and found a great CPA that knew the farm business and understood what deductions we would expect to have. This is important because if the tax preparer does not understand your business, they will not know the questions to ask. Even with a good accountant, I felt it was my responsibility to understand the basics and even found deductions and credits that the accountant was not aware would apply in my situation (renovating business buildings). Also, I always make sure I have my filing copy and my backup documents all filed away nice and neat in case any questions should arise (what if the tax accountant moved/died?). I always keep everything for at least 3 years, and longer if there are any major items such as the purchase of land, sale of property, etc.

Accountant - Confused

[ In Reply To ..]
Don't you have an H&R Block or Jackson-Hewitt in your area?

H&R Block, etc. - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
With H&R Block you still need to check out each individual. I have had 3 different ones from H&R. First one really knew her stuff. The second one, I requested she call in her supervisor to help, which she did. Third one was borderline. It all depends on the complexity of your return; i.e., do you have a business, have you purchased a home, moved, or changed jobs, do you have investment income or an inheritance. Most people can probably get by with the on-line services, some people need a little extra, and some people need a full-fledged accountant. I would recommend anyone doing their taxes for the first time get some help.

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