So you need to choose a new Accountant!

This often occurs because of a change in your circumstances, or maybe you are dissatisfied with the service provided by your present Accountant. Have you just moved to another city or town? Are you going to establishing a new business? Do you have a complex taxation return to prepare?

The role of the Accountant can vary widely. The title "Accountant" covers a wide range of roles, including those operating in Public Practice who can offer such services as taxation advice and business management to small businesses, those offering auditing expertise to corporations and those employed within larger businesses. In choosing an Accountant to assist you with your personal needs, it is probably one in Public Practice that you need.

Whatever the reason, you need an Accountant that you can trust. What many people do not realise is that their Accountant will probably know more about them than their closest friends, their doctor and possibly even their family. Today's life revolves so much around money. How much we have. How much we earn and how it has been gained. How much we spend. You Accountant could know it all!

The laws governing Accountants can vary between countries and even between states and region within them. In some countries, they must be registered to operate. In others, they may have to be registered to provide particular services. In Australia, an Accountant must be a "Registered Tax Agent" with the Australian Taxation Office to give advice or assistance in taxation matters or be a Registered Auditor to provide that service to public companies. You need to find out the local requirements.

Where do you turn to find the Accountant that you can trust?

Initially family, friends and associates can be a reliable source, however, if you have moved to an area where you do not those sources, you may need to turn to the professional accounting bodies in your area for a selection of their members. Do not stop at that advice. Contact a number of Accountants in your area and talk to them about the services they offer. Do they have knowledge in the field that you need, such as small business management, taxation or other planning? During that discussion, did they talk to you in language that you could understand, or did their comments include a lot of "accounting jargon"? You could ask them for the names of some existing clients, so you can contact them for a reference. Just remember that the contact names will only be the clients the Accountant can trust, but you can get a feel for the type of people that Accountant deals with.

The Accounting profession is a complex area and is also associated with many other professions, including obtaining finance, investment & financial planning and insurance. If the Accountant you see is attempting to offer all these services, is it one person or is it being handled by a team? If one person is trying to handle several of these roles, they may not do them all well. Look for a specialist in the field required, not a "jack of all trades"

Remember that your Accountant will learn much about you and will need to have that knowledge to provide you with the services that you need. You need to be comfortable with the people to whom you are giving your personal information, to develop that feeling of trust and understand their communication.

Having the correct Accountant can be one of the best assets you can have if planning your future, no matter what you do.

Learn more about this author, Eric Taylor.
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