subject: Choosing An Accountant For Your Personal And Business Needs [print this page] Are you desperately in need of some way to find out how you can choose a good accountant to deal with your tax issues and financial statements? Are you looking for tax accountants in Montreal who can take care of your mortgage tax in Montreal, make business tax preparation in Montreal, payroll accounting in Montreal, and other Montreal accounting services? Before you hire an accountant, it would be helpful to know some tips how to go about the process.
The easiest and fastest way to find a good accountant is to get a referral from your friend, lawyer, or a business colleague. Also, you can inquire with the Society of Certified Public Accountants in your state and ask for some referrals.
When you finally come up with your short list of candidates, the next thing to do is to set a short meeting or phone conversation with them so that you can find out about their services, fees, and personalities.
Regarding services, most accounting firms offer tax and auditing services. If you need other kinds of specific services like bookkeeping, estate planning, management consulting, and the likes, you should inquire about them immediately to know if your needs will be met by that particular firm. Also, it would be a good idea to ask the firm what they aspect or field of accounting they specialize on so you can have a better informed decision whether to hire them or not.
If you are a small entrepreneur, smaller accounting firms are generally a better choice but if you are looking for more services, they may not offer all those extra services other than tax preparation. Make sure the firm has what you need. If it can not offer specialized services, they may recommend sister companies or other firms to which they have a relation with and who can give you the specific service you need. Also, make sure the accounting firm you get has knowledge and experience in your specific business or field.
Next thing to check is the accountants personality and way of communicating to his or her clients. Is their style and approach to doing business compatible with yours? Will they give you dedicated attention and answer your phone and mail inquiries promptly? Be sure the people you are meeting are the same ones who will be handling your business since a lot of bigger firms have people to handle sales, then they pass the work on to other accountants.
Finally, you should ask about the fees that the accounting firm will charge you upfront. There are accounting firms who charge by the hour with fees ranging from $100 to $275 while others work on a monthly retainers fee. Try to get a range of quotes from different firms and also try to get an estimate of the total annual charges based on the services you have discussed. However, do not base your decision just on the fees, you should weigh overall experience of the accountant since this will also make him or her work faster than a novice who charges less.
