Strengthen Your Business Relationship with Your Accountant

Maintaining a strong relationship with your accountant is essential for optimizing business efficiency and financial strategy. Here are three key tips to improve this relationship:

1) Initiate Planning Meetings Early

Don't wait for your accountant to reach out. In a busy world, many accountants end up being reactive. Be proactive and schedule a pre-year-end planning meeting in the fall. This allows for effective business planning and tax minimization strategies well ahead of tax season when accountants are inundated.

2) Enhance Efficiency in Year-End Work

• If your accountant charges a fixed fee, inquire about changes you can make to reduce costs. If billed hourly, ask how you can streamline their work. Unorganized records can increase fees, so ensure your submissions are structured efficiently.
• Improve their 'first pass yield' by delivering a complete and organized file simultaneously. This reduces their time spent and your final bill.
• Direct your questions to the technician handling your file for clarity and efficiency.

3) Get Clarity on Extra Charges Ahead of Time

Prevent surprise fees by requesting that your accountant informs you of any extra charges before work starts. This way, fee increases won't catch you off guard, much like approving service changes when fixing your car.

Being proactive and enhancing communication with your accountant will lead your business to financial success.