‘Well that was worth every penny’ – that’s what SHE said!
Picture the scene: A brand new client, it’s their first ever accounts clearance meeting. I tell her that I can half her tax payments over the next 7 years. No tricks, nothing dodgy, just applying the rules as they’re supposed to be applied.
She’s over the moon, this is incredible news for her and her business. She says
Well, your fee is worth it…You’ve just saved me £70,000!
It’s important to note… The lesson here isn’t how good we are at tax (although we are pretty good!). The real lesson is the importance of getting to know your clients!
I don’t mean “follow the rules that accountants must follow under anti money laundering rules”. I mean REALLY getting to know your clients. That’s how I discovered the full picture and enabled me to apply a different set of rules, saving the company £70k!
I would not have known about the exact circumstances if we hadn’t met, or if I hadn’t followed my detailed, personal methodology to get under the skin of a business.
There’s many accountants out there who don’t meet with their clients at all. They don’t take advantage of meetings to figure out the ins and outs of their business.
You should always make sure your accountancy fees include at least one meeting a year. This can be virtual if needed. Sure, you could be saving a few hundred quid by going cheap and doing all of your accounting via email, but what does that really cost you?
If you want to take advantage of your accountant, contact us here to find out how we can help you.
