Before choosing an Accounting Firm for your Business

DueDiligenceQuestions.com













Questions to ask before choosing an Accounting Firm for your Business

116 due diligence questions.

This white paper is a preview. Get the full white paper here: https://duediligencequestions.com/accounting-firm-for-your-business.asp for 4,95 USD.



Copyright notice

This white paper and its content is copyright of DueDiligenceQuestions.com. All rights reserved. Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited. You may not, except with our express written permission, distribute or commercially exploit the content.

Top 10 questions

  1. Why should you hire them as your accounting firm?
  2. Does the accountant speak your language (do you communicate on the same level)?
  3. --- ---- ---- ---- ---- -- ---------?
  4. -- ---- ---- --- ---------- ----------- ---- ------- --- ------?
  5. --- -- ---- --------- ----------- ---- ----- --------?
  6. ---- -- --- ----- -- ----- -------- ----- --- --- --------- ---- ---- --- ------?
  7. ---- ---- ------- -- ------- -- - ------ ------ -- - ---- -- -------?
  8. --- -- ---- --------- ----- -----?
  9. ---- ---- -- ---- -- ---- --- ---- --------- ------ ---- ---- ------- ---- --------- ?
  10. --- ---- -------- ---- ---- -------- ---------?

Their background

  1. How long have they been in business?
  2. What differentiates them from other accountants?
  3. --- ---- ----------- ------ --- ---- -------- -- -- -- -------- ----- -- -----?
  4. --- ---- ------ -- ---- -------?
  5. ---- -- ----- ------- ----------- ?
  6. --- ---- --------?
  7. ---- ---- -- ---------- -- ---- --------- ---- -- --------?
  8. ---- -- ---- -- -- ---- ----------- ?
  9. -- ---- ---- --- --- ------ --- -------- -------- -- -------- ?
  10. --- ---- ---- -- --- -------- ------------- ?

Pricing, fees, billing and contract

  1. Will they provide an itemized invoice when billing?
  2. How do they calculate their fees?
  3. ---- --- -- ------- --- ----- ----- ----- ----- --- -------- -----------?
  4. ---- --- -- ---- -- ------ - ---- --- - --- --------- ---- -- ------- - ---- ------- -----?
  5. --- ---- ---- -- ------ -- - ----- ----- --- ---- ------ -------?
  6. ---- ----- ---- --- --------?

  7. ---- --- -- ------- --- ---------- ---- -- ---- --- -- ---- -- ----- --- -- ---- ----- -- ---------?
  8. --- ----- ------- ------ -------- --------- -- ---- --- ----- - ------?
  9. -- ---- ---- - ---- ---------- -----?
  10. ---- - ------ -------- -- ---- ------- --- ------- ----- --- ------- ------?
  11. ---- --- --- ----- --- ----------- --- ---------?

Scope of services

  1. Can they assist in arranging bank financing?
  2. Can they help with business planning?
  3. --- ---- ------ --------?
  4. --- ---- -- ---- -------- --- ------- --- ------ --------?
  5. --- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- -----------?
  6. --- ---- ---- --- ---- - -------- ---- -- -------?
  7. --- ---- ------- ------ ---------?
  8. --- ---- ---- --------- ---------?
  9. --- ---- ---- --- -- - -------?
  10. --- ---- -- ---- ---------- --- --------?
  11. --- ---- -- -------- -----------?
  12. --- ---- -- -------- ---------------?
  13. --- ---- ---- --- ---- ------- -------- --- -------------?
  14. --- ---- -- -------- --------- -------- ----- ---------- ----------?
  15. --- ---- ------ -- ------ ----- ---------- ----- -- --- ------ -- --- - ------------?
  16. --- ---- ------ -- --- --- --- --- ------- ---- -------- ----- ------- --------- ----------- ------- ------?
  17. --- ---- -- ---------- --- ---------?
  18. --- ---- -- ------- -------- -------- ---------?
  19. --- ---- ------ ---- ------- --------- -------?
  20. --- ---- ------ ---- --- ---------- -------?
  21. --- ---- -- -------- ---------- ---------- -- ------ --- ------------ --- ------------?
  22. --- ---- --------- --- -- --- --- ------- -- --- --- ------------?

Contract

  1. Will there be a formal contract/agreement in place?

  2. Is it possible to object to items or add to the agreement so it better suits your needs?
  3. --- ----- -- --- --------- -- -- ------------- ?
  4. --- ---- ----- - ---- -- ----- -------- ------ ----------?
  5. ---- -- --- ------ -------- -- --------- --- ----------?
  6. ---- -- --- ------- ------- ------ -- --- ----------?
  7. -- --- --------- - -------- -------- --- -- ----- ------- ---- -- -----?
  8. ---- --- --- ---- -- --- ------ --- --------- ------?

Communications

  1. Will there be a single point of contact?
  2. If you contact them with a question by email, what is their typical response time?
  3. --- -- --- ----------- - ------ ------ -- ------- -- -------?
  4. --- ---- -- ---- ------- ------- ----------?
  5. --- -- ---- -------- ----------- ---- --------?
  6. -- ---- ----------- --- ----- ---- -------- ---- ---- -- ------?
  7. --- --- ----- --- ----- ----- -- ----- -- -- ------ ----------?

Software and digital solutions

  1. Do they support your current, or require that you use a specific type of bookkeeping/accounting software?
  2. What accounting software are they the most familiar with?
  3. -- ----- --- -------- -- --- ------ ---- ---- --------- --- --- -- ----?
  4. -- ---- ---- ------------ ---- ------- -------- --------- ---- --- ---- --- --- ---------?
  5. ---- -------- -- ---------- -------- --------- ----- -------- -- ---- --------- ---- --- ---------- ----- ?
  6. ---- --- -------- ---- --------- --- --- ---- ---- ---- --- ------ --- ---- -- ---- -------- -- -- -- -- ----- ---- ----?
  7. -- --- ------ -- ----- - -------- ---------- -------- -- ----- --------------- ---- ---- ---- ----- ---- ------ --- ---- ----- ---- ------- ---- -----?

Scenarios and procedures

  1. You're being audited by the tax authorities. Can they represent you?

  2. You've lost some receipts. How will they handle that situation?
  3. ---------- ------- -- ------ ---- -------- --- --- -- --- ------- --- -- --------- --- --- ---- ------ --- -- ---- - ----------- -------- ?
  4. --- ------- --- -- ---- --------- -- ---------- ---- --------- --- --- ---- ---- ----?
  5. --- ---- -- - -------- ---- --- --- - --- -------- -------- ----- --- ---- --- ---- ---- ---- -----?
  6. ---- ---- --- ---------- ---- ---- -- ------ --- -- ------ --- -- ---- -- --- --- ------------ --- --- ---- ---- --- -- ---- ---------- ?
  7. -- -------- ---------- ---- -- ---- --- -------- --- --- ---- ---- --- ---- --- --------- ----?

Negotiations

  1. Will they be able to give a discount if you commit for a longer period than the standard contract suggests?
  2. Will they be able to give a discount if refer other businesses to them?
  3. ---- ---- -- ---- -- ---- - -------- -- --- ----- -- -- ------------ - -- -------- -- ----- --------- -- - ----- -------- --- -----?
  4. --- ----- ----- ---- --------- -- ---- -- ------- - -------- ---- -----?

Other questions

  1. Will they keep track of deadlines or is that up to you?
  2. How will they improve your business's bottom line?
  3. ---- ---- ---- ---- ----- -- --- ------------?
  4. -- ----- ----- ---- ---- -- -------- ---- ---- -------- --------?
  5. -- ---- -------- -- -- ---------- -- - ----?
  6. --- ---- ------ ---- ---- ----------- ------- -- --- ---- ------- -- --- ----?
  7. ----- -- --- --------- ------ -- -------- --- -------- ---- -------- ---- -- ----------- ---- ----- --- --------- ----- --- ?
  8. --- ---- --- -- - -------- -- ------------?
  9. ---- ---- -- ---- ----------- -- -----?
  10. --- ----- ---- ---- ---------- -- ---- -- -- ----- -------- ---------- ------------ -- -------?
  11. --- ----- ------ --- ---- --- ------- ---- ------?
  12. ---- ---------- ------- ---- --- ---- ----- ---- -------- ---------?
  13. -- ---- ---- --- --------- -- -------- -- --- ---- -- ------ -----?
  14. ---- -- --- ------- --------- -- ------- --- ---- ------ -------- --- --- --------?

  15. --- ---- ------- - --------- ---- ----- ------- ---- ---- -----?
  16. -- ---- ---- ----- ------- ---- --- ---- ---------- -- --------------- ?
  17. -- ---- ---- ---------- ---- ---- ---- -- ---------?
  18. ---- -- ----- --- ----------- ---------- -- ------ ---- ---- ------?
  19. ---- --- --- -- -- ---- ----- ---- ------ ---- ----- ---------?
  20. ---- ----- -------- -- ---- ------- ------- --------- ---------- --- --------- ------?
  21. --- ----- --- -- --- ----------------- --- ----------- --- ------ -----?
  22. -- ---- ---- --- ----- -- --- ---- ------- --- --------- --- ------- ---- -------- --- ---------?
  23. --- --- ---- ---- --- ---- ---- ---------?
  24. ---- ----- -- ------ -------- ---- --- ------ ----- ---- ------- ---- -----?
  25. ---- ----------- -------- -- ---- --------- ---- --- ---- ---- ---- --- --- --- ------- --- -------?
  26. --- ---- --------- --- -- ----- --------- --- ------ -- -------- --------- -- ---- ------- -- ----------?
  27. -- ---- -- ----------- ------- ------- ?
  28. ---- ----- ---- ---- --------- --- ------------ ---- ---- ---------?
  29. --- ---- ----- ------- ---------- ----- --------- ---- ---- -- --- -----?
  30. ---- --- ---- ---------- -- ---- ------- ---- --- ---- -- ------- -- --- -------?