# What questions should I ask before hiring an accountant?

Pick My Accountant (https://pickmyaccountant.co.uk/answers/what-questions-should-i-ask-an-accountant/): What questions should I ask before hiring an accountant? — Quick answer. Ask about qualifications and regulation (which body, practising certificate, insurance), exactly what the fixed fee includes and excludes, who your day-to-day contact is and their response-time promise, which software they support, experience with businesses like yours, and how leaving works. The answers reveal more than any brochure.

## Key facts

- Verify their professional body membership on the official register before the meeting
- The single most useful question: 'What is NOT included in this fee?'
- Ask who actually does your work — partner, qualified staff, or offshore processing
- Response-time promises in writing beat verbal assurances
- Ask what happens at exit: record handover, software ownership, notice terms

## Credentials and fit

Which professional body are you regulated by, and do you hold a practising certificate and professional indemnity insurance? How many clients like me — same size, same sector — do you act for? Who will handle my account day to day, and what happens when they're on holiday? A firm confident in its answers will welcome these; hesitation is data.

## Money and scope

What exactly does the monthly fee include, and what triggers extra charges? How do you handle HMRC enquiries — included, insured, or hourly? When did you last raise prices and by how much? Will you tell me before doing chargeable work outside the package? Get the answers reflected in the engagement letter, not just the sales call.

## Ways of working and exit

Which software do you support, and who owns the subscription? How quickly do you respond to emails, and do you offer calls or meetings? What do you need from me each month or quarter, and when? If I leave, what does handover look like and is there a notice period? Asking about exit up front is not rude — it's the question that keeps everyone honest.

## FAQs

**Q: Should I meet more than one firm?**
A: Yes — two or three quotes reveal the market rate for your situation and make differences in scope obvious. Comparing only one quote means comparing against nothing.

**Q: What's a red flag in a first meeting?**
A: Guaranteed tax savings, vagueness about what's included, no engagement letter, reluctance to name their professional body, or pressure to sign before you've seen terms in writing.

**Q: What information should I bring?**
A: Last year's accounts and tax return if you have them, rough turnover and transaction volume, VAT and payroll status, and your software. Accurate inputs get you an accurate fixed quote rather than a teaser rate.

Updated: 2026-07-08

Source: https://pickmyaccountant.co.uk/answers/what-questions-should-i-ask-an-accountant/