Accountants and tax reminders

[ardelian]

Every year my accountants never tell me when my CT is due. When I write to them 4 weeks before the CT is due they tell me I need to act immediately and send all the docs urgently as they have long turnaround times.

Is it expected that I need to remember all tax due dates? Guys, what is your experience - do your accountants remind you about taxes due in advance?

[Alan @ BroomeAffinity]

Thats not great service on the accountant's part but you have to take some responsibility for the financial affairs of your company: You should be in a position fairly soon after your year end to provide the accountant all the paperwork and this is when yuo should be contacting them - not nine months later. I can't speak for other firms but we would have sent at least six chaser emails looking for your information before it gets to the urgent stage. So there's fault on both sides, I'd say.

[MonzaMike]

My accountant reminds me well in advance by letter.

I then get emails and/or phone calls nearer the time.

[DeludedAussie]

Every year my accountants never tell me when my CT is due. When I write to them 4 weeks before the CT is due they tell me I need to act immediately and send all the docs urgently as they have long turnaround times.

Is it expected that I need to remember all tax due dates? Guys, what is your experience - do your accountants remind you about taxes due in advance?

Which accountant is this?

[pmeswani]

Every year my accountants never tell me when my CT is due. When I write to them 4 weeks before the CT is due they tell me I need to act immediately and send all the docs urgently as they have long turnaround times.

Is it expected that I need to remember all tax due dates? Guys, what is your experience - do your accountants remind you about taxes due in advance?

Without appearing to be too rude, even though you are paying your Accountant a fee to provide you with a service, it's your responsibility to make sure that you get your CT done, and not your accountant's. Some accountants do provide value add, but not all of them do.

[ardelian]

Without appearing to be too rude, even though you are paying your Accountant a fee to provide you with a service, it's your responsibility to make sure that you get your CT done, and not your accountant's. Some accountants do provide value add, but not all of them do.

I agree it's my responsibility. I believed an accountant takes this responsibility as well when providing a service.

I believe there are two points of view on the role of accountants. First one - they are your little helpers assisting in whatever tax question or task you have.
Second one - you buy their service and concentrate on other aspects of running your business and they tell you what to do to keep books in order and HMRC happy.

The problem in my case is nobody clarified the accountant role from the beginning. It's partly my fault. I assumed they are providing the service and I don't need to remember all filing deadlines and tax obligations. I should have clarified their role at the outset.

[Wanderer]

Without appearing to be too rude, even though you are paying your Accountant a fee to provide you with a service, it's your responsibility to make sure that you get your CT done, and not your accountant's. Some accountants do provide value add, but not all of them do.

While it is a legal requirement on the director to make sure returns etc are filed at the correct times, it's not unreasonable that the director delegates the accountancy stuff to, ummm, an accountant.

If the accountant is engaged on a monthly fee and they fail to remind the director when their returns are due then the accountant isn't doing their job properly and it's time to look for another accountant.

[pmeswani]

While it is a legal requirement on the director to make sure returns etc are filed at the correct times, it's not unreasonable that the director delegates the accountancy stuff to, ummm, an accountant.

If the accountant is engaged on a monthly fee and they fail to remind the director when their returns are due then the accountant isn't doing their job properly and it's time to look for another accountant.

I agree that they should find another Accountant, but, and this is dependant on how long a contractor has been in business, they should know when their obligations should be due. (If the contractor is in their first year or two of business, I may be a bit more sympathetic).

[VectraMan]

I agree that they should find another Accountant, but, and this is dependant on how long a contractor has been in business, they should know when their obligations should be due. (If the contractor is in their first year or two of business, I may be a bit more sympathetic).

The first year or two is when you need an accountant the most.

SJD do the returns within a week or so of the year end, tell you how much is due, then 9 months later send a text and email reminding you to pay and how much. They do the same with VAT, and recently have been nagging me about not doing my annual return in time (which they will also do for you). Some people object to paying for that sort of service though.

The accountant isn't there to take responsibility, because it's your responsibility, but they should be helping you with the things you're responsible for.

[pmeswani]

The first year or two is when you need an accountant the most.

SJD do the returns within a week or so of the year end, tell you how much is due, then 9 months later send a text and email reminding you to pay and how much. They do the same with VAT, and recently have been nagging me about not doing my annual return in time (which they will also do for you). Some people object to paying for that sort of service though.

The accountant isn't there to take responsibility, because it's your responsibility, but they should be helping you with the things you're responsible for.

I see your point. However, I would prefer to be one step ahead of my accountants if I can. I had to send a stroppy email to my accountant about them not sending me copies of my Bank Statements.