what should you be looking for in
an accountant?
We believe your accountant and tax adviser should
»Possess excellent communication and leadership skills to be able to exchange information with their clients and customers meaningfully.
»Possess strategic and critical thinking skills to link data, insight and knowledge together to provide quality advice to their clients
»Focus on the customer, client and markets to ensure that they meet the changing needs of clients and markets
»Be able to give tax and business advice to clients rather than merely routine compliance services
»Able to utilize and leverage technology in ways that add value to clients, customers and employers.
»Be qualified accountants and regulated by an authoritative body
»Your accountant should be a trusted business advisor with significant accounting, tax and financial skills who can bring to you the benefit of an objective perspective and solid advice in many areas of your business.
At Red Emerald, we go far beyond simply being good book-keepers. Our experience gained in various environments like the FTSE100 companies, small medium and big 4 accountancy practice equip us to provide our clients high quality value added service. We believe our clients financial success is the best measure of how well we support them and add value to their businesses.
If you do not believe you are getting the level of service you require, and more importantly the essential tax advice that is essential, then maybe this is a good time to consider doing something to change that.
Please contact us to set up a time to discuss your requirements. Remember we are also tax specialists.
|
 |
should your accountant be
qualified or unqualified?
Here is an extract from a another blog about hiring a professionally qualified accountant with experience
Most people are unaware that the word ‘accountant’ can be used to describe a range of different people. It’s not like ‘dentist’ which always means someone who is qualified to check your teeth.
Anyone can call themselves an accountant or bookkeeper even if they have no professional qualifications. But if any laws are broken, it will be you, not your accountant, who pays the penalty.
If you are serious about making money in your business the chances are that you will want to engage a professionally qualified accountant. That means someone who has passed tough exams and belongs to one of the professional accounting or tax institutes.
This will also ensure that your accountant has to abide by a strict code of professional ethics which should mean they are more reliable and that they carry professional indemnity insurance to compensate you if things go wrong. Finally, if it all goes wrong you will be able to complain to the professional institute if you don’t get the service that was promised.
The most common qualifications and designatory letters that are likely to be relevant are:
»Chartered Certified Accountant - ACCA or FCCA - Member or Fellow of the ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants)
»Chartered Tax Advisor - CTA or ATII – Member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation
»Chartered Accountant - ACA or FCA – Member or Fellow of the ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales).
»Chartered Accountant - CA – Member of ICAS (Institute of Chartered Accountants in Scotland)
»Chartered Management Accountant – ACMA or FCMA – Member of CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants)
It’s invariably safer to rely on professional advice than the ‘advice’ of a friend who’s always bragging as to how he’s got one over on the taxman. Using a professional adviser gives you a degree of credibility. The taxman knows the adviser is not going to be “cooking the books” and so you should be at less risk of tax enquiries and investigations.
|
