It’s one of the questions we hear most often from business owners who come to see us. They’re not always unhappy, exactly. They just have a feeling that something isn’t working the way it used to.

Chasing your accountant for replies? Not confident in the answers you’re getting? Edith Woodward and Michael Carthy talk through the signs that it’s time for a change, and why “I don’t know, I’ll find out” is fine but a made-up answer never is.

If you’re asking the question, you may already know

By the time most people ask whether they’ve outgrown their accountant, they’ve already made the decision in their head. What they need is the confidence to act on it.

That’s understandable. Changing accountant feels like a big step. You might worry about the hassle. You might worry the next firm won’t be any better. Those worries are normal, and they’re usually bigger than the reality.

Five signs you’ve outgrown your accountant

You’re chasing for replies. A good accountant gets back to you within a sensible time. If you’re sending reminders just to get an answer, something has gone wrong.

You’re not confident in the answers. Sometimes the reply arrives, but it doesn’t answer the question you asked. Or it’s so generic it could have been written for anyone.

Guesswork instead of “I’ll find out”. Nobody knows everything. A good accountant will tell you when they need to check something, then come back to you promptly. The real worry is a confident answer that turns out to be wrong. We’ve met business owners who followed incorrect VAT advice for years before anyone spotted it. Fixing that was expensive.

You feel awkward asking questions. There’s no such thing as a stupid question. If you hesitate before picking up the phone, the relationship isn’t working for you.

Your business has grown faster than their firm. A sole practitioner can be exactly right for a small business. As you grow, though, your questions become more frequent and more complex. At some point, you may need a team that can keep up.

Talk to your accountant first

Loyalty matters. If you’ve built a good relationship with your accountant, it’s worth protecting. Before you move, sit down with them and explain what isn’t working. Sometimes that conversation fixes it.

Sometimes it doesn’t. People’s needs change, and relationships run their course without anyone being at fault. If that’s where you are, it’s time to look elsewhere. When you do, switching is far more straightforward than most people expect.

What a good relationship feels like

The best accountancy relationships are built on respect and confidence in both directions. You should feel able to ask anything. You should get answers you understand, in a timescale that works for your business.

Your accountant should also be asking you questions. Are you running the business the way you want to? Do you have the time you need? Are you still enjoying it? If those conversations never happen, you may be getting accounts, but you’re not getting advice.

Helping You Get the Business You Want

If you’ve been wondering whether you’ve outgrown your accountant, it’s worth having a conversation. Talk to your current accountant about what isn’t working. Or talk to us about what a different relationship could look like. Either way, you’ll come away clearer about what to do next.

Get in touch: carthyaccountants.co.uk/contact