Bureaucratised
Posted: Mon 2 January, 2023 Filed under: Accounting, Business, Customer Services, Domestic, Getting Organised 4 Comments »One of the things that always surprises me when it comes to dealing with my accountants is how gob-smackingly disorganised a lot of their clients must be. They send out reminders through the year for people to get their receipts in order, to make sure they match what’s in the online portal, and keep on saying about when the deadlines are, when everything has to be ready by.
Personally, I hate being like that – all the stuff I can do for my accounts for last year is already done. My receipts are scanned and linked, my bank statements and transactions files are all completed, all the expenses and so on are logged, it’s basically done. When my accountant sends out their request for everything, I can supply it all by return of email.
It’s still a frustrating experience, though. They’re really geared towards the late submitters, the last minute merchants – so even though I submit rapidly, I still have to wait ’til the processes are done and so on, and that seems to be reliant on the disorganised ones.
I’ve said repeatedly to the accountants that they should have a team that specifically deals with “easy” clients, the ones who are organised and who just get stuff done. Nothing in my accounts is complex – I already know what my 2022 Corporation Tax will be, because the prediction on the online portal is (for me) rarely out by more than a couple of quid. So sorting out clients like me should be at most a week’s work, just get the files in, agree them with what’s been submitted, calculate the figures, and job done. It really can’t be difficult.
But while they always say “Oh yeah, we could do that“, they never do. So I’ve done what I can, and I’ll just wait for the accountants to catch up. It’s deeply fucking annoying, but at least I know I’m on top of things and have done what I can.
I email my accountant in the summer, when I’ve got everything together and it’s all done before the late rush. A friend likes to have his completed by the end of April – it’s not as if you have to pay earlier. Although one year, I had such a massive rebate due that it was worth getting in early, to get it back.
Yeah, it’s just that I like knowing that everything’s in order, that it’s all done and dusted and I just have to pay [x] on [y] date.
I do kinda-sorta get it – my accountants are large, so it’s probably more “efficient” to wait and do everything as a bulk process rather than getting things done when they arrive. But it’s frustrating when I’ve submitted all my paperwork etc. by (for example) Jan 5th and still have to wait ’til June/July for them to get their finger out. (And no amount of nagging/asking will get them to move faster) Mind you, once I’ve sent it – and can prove I sent it, having been bitten in the past by a scumbag accountant who took the money and didn’t do the submission – then it’s Not My Problem.
And yes, I could change accountants, but partly I’m lazy, and mainly they’re not that bad. They could be a lot worse (see above comment re scumbag accountant, for example) even thought we’ve had our disagreements and issues over the years. They’re just slower than I’d like on these things, but there we go.
That sounds like a truly appalling service. I’m surprised you put up with that!
It sounds like you could easily do your own submission and save lots and lots of money.
If you do feel you need someone to do it, a qualified bookkeeper would be a lot cheaper (and would likely be better qualified than the office juniors doing it at an accountants).
It’s always been intended to be a finite thing – I went from using their “Umbrella contracting” service and moved across to the ‘own company’ side once the first six months of the contract had completed. It tied me in to using their account of the FreeAgent portal for invoicing/receipts/expenses etc. , and from what I have surmised since, splitting out of that (even to another FreeAgent-using accountant) is quite a ‘mare, even assuming that both sides are competent and efficient.
And of course this contract has then gone on for far longer than I ever intended it to, which is good, bad, beneficial, depressing and terrifying. This is now the longest-running stint I’ve ever had with one primary client, by a long way.
As and when I’m finally done with it, I’ll wrap up contracting under this company name, and split away from the accountants cleanly. I’ve already got the plans, business names, and company names sorted for that eventuality.
For now though, it’s easier to stay. And the fees they charge reduce my corporation tax liability as a business expense, so all told it could be a lot worse.