Firing an Accountant

[HankMcPrank]

Please can I have any advise as to how I can terminate my agreement with my accountant who has been great over the few years, but has been incredibly negative and rude today: I wouldn’t mind if it was just a bad day, but the voicemail and email I received were incredibly nasty. I am already in a bad place without any negativity surrounding me and my business.

I’ve been thinking and thinking, I don’t wish to be treated that way again so cutting ties.

Google is of no help unless I’m not concentrating enough

 

[JoeBloggs]

I’ve done this in a professional nature due to the lack of experience and rudeness of an accountant we used.

Just write a professional letter or email, stating that as of this date you wish to terminate their services, give a reason if you want or not and asked for all paperwork to be returned to your as soon as possible.

They will probably charge for any unbilled work todate.

 

[Yel]

I'd tell them you've moving, they'll probably be entitled to charge up until the day you give your notice. But pay it and move on.

I kinda want to change my accountant too. Mainly because all these documents they send self destruct after 30-days so you always have to download them. The disk space used by these pdfs is absolutely tiny, why can't they just stay on the system indefinitely? That alone drives me mad and I will be moving once my time with them is up.

Mine never stresses when things are due and so easy to miss all their messages that look like spam.

I just want an accountant that takes the stress out of it.

 

[Wishiwasaninfluencer]

I work in an accountancy firm (in tax)

Like others have said, just email them to say thank you for the help over the last few years but you will no longer require their services. They will bill you and send you a disengagement letter. If they have your books and records they will send them back to you if you need them.

When you engage a new accountant they will contact your old accountant for the information they need.

I wouldn’t give a reason why you’re leaving and I doubt they’ll ask tbh. If it’s a big firm you could say you are disengaging because of the nasty customer service and they would likely just write off the fees. If it’s a one man band it might be a bit different!

When you engage a new accountant they will contact the old accountant for the information they need.

 

[Tazzie]

As an accountant my advise would be to refer to your engagement letter if you have one. This would usually give the “notice” period, however you can just send an email to them saying that you are moving on. This would the most professional way, in spite of the unprofessional correspondence from you accountant. Most clients don’t usually advise that they are leaving but the first the firm knows of the intention to leave is when they get a letter of professional clearance from a new accountant. This basically is a letter from the new provided asking your current accountant if there is any professional reason why they shouldn’t take your business and they usually request certain information from your current provider, such as various reconciliations and copies of prior year tax returns. If you have specific reasons fir leaving I would let your accountant know why so if it is a internal issue they can try and resolve, this doesn’t mean you would stay but perhaps the managing partner is noir aware of the service issues that you have experienced. There may well be fees due but this is not a valid reason for the current provider to with hold professional clearance. As a previous poster says if you are in agreement with the outstanding fees then pay and move on.. best of luck with it all..

 

[Kim Mild]

Could you make a complaint about how they behaved towards you? It certainly sounds like they've upset you.

I agree with the other posts about writing to say you no longer require their services.