A good accountant will always deliver – in many ways.
As a contractor, you may think you’re too busy to consider switching to a new accountant, especially if you’ve used your current accountant for many years and they’re a part and parcel of your business set-up. It can feel easier to simply carry on with an unsatisfactory service.
Your accountant should provide a significant saving to the day to day running of your business, by realising tax benefits and supporting you with potentially stressful tasks that come with working for yourself. These include matters related to HMRC, tax, payroll, bookkeeping and auditing.
The accountancy industry is no different to any other in the sense that it is constantly evolving. At Gorilla, we offer a market leading service that cannot be disputed – just check our Trustpilot and Feefo reviews!
Your relationship with your advisors, especially your accountant, should be reviewed regularly and it’s essential that you’re treated as a real person, not just another number.
But, when is the best time to switch accountants, and how do you go about it?
Let’s take a look…
Switching Accountants
The best time to switch accountants is at your company year-end, or before the new tax year, which is on April 6th.
However, it is possible to switch mid-year if you’re really unhappy with the service you are being provided by your current accountant. We take on new clients every day, throughout the year.
It doesn’t need to be a stressful, disruptive or costly process. We can provide all the knowledge you need to switch accountants seamlessly.
Your accountant needs to understand you and your business, including who pays you, who you pay, and how to maximise your return on investment. Above all, your relationship with your accountant should be built on trust. They are involved in all your financial decision-making, so if the trust has gone, it’s time to move on.
It’s time to switch when you’re not 100% happy with the service you have received from your current accountant. Some of the tell-tale signs to switch accountants can include the following:
1. They’re not available when you need them
You’re incredibly busy and when you need to get a job done, you may only have that day to get it sorted. It can become frustrating that you can’t reach your accountant by phone or email, especially if it becomes a regular occurrence. You need to make informed business decisions in a timely manner, and being able to easily contact your accountant is paramount.
At Gorilla, we operate under a ‘Client Service Guarantee‘. This means that all requests made to your accountant before 3pm will be responded to that very same day, guaranteed.
2. Your accountant has insufficient understanding to your industry or business
When you first start out as a business, you may reach out to accountants who have been recommended to you by other business owners, or you may do a quick Google search to find someone local to you, thinking it would be easier to do business that way.
When you’ve been with an accountant for so long, it can be easy to presume they know everything about your business and it would be best to stick with them. However, some accountants may not have the knowledge to fulfil client needs in certain areas or industries.
At Gorilla, we are experts in our field and go above and beyond to be an expert in your field too. Your accountant will know your industry and provide you with a level of service to be proud of. We’re a specialist accountancy firm for Contractors, Freelancers and Locums operating as Limited, or as a Sole Trader.
3. Your accountant lacks approachability
The way some accountants speak to their clients can seem a little intimidating. Being an accountant involves years of training and a lot of legal and financial knowledge. Sometimes, accountants forget that not everyone knows the ins and outs, talk down to business owners and make them feel as though they don’t understand their finances.
We make things simple. Gorilla Accounting was born after a group of specialist accountants with decades of experience amongst them, decided that accounting shouldn’t be a laborious process packed with incomprehensible jargon, extortionate charges and a personal accountant that’s never to be seen.
4. People around you are not getting a good service
It’s unfortunate but true that if people receive a bad service, they’re more likely to speak out about it. In the past few years, this has grown to new levels as people have even more outlets to express their opinions, usually over social media. If you see more and more people complaining about your own accountants, it could well push you to make the decision to move.
Luckily, Trustpilot and Feefo offer a good balance, and we’re extremely proud to receive so many great reviews and be so highly recommended. We’ve even just been awarded the Gold Platinum award over on Feefo!
5. They’re not affordable
When you’re reviewing your finances, it could become apparent that you’re paying a lot of money for a service that you feel doesn’t match the price tag. If you’re paying too much for accounting services that aren’t meeting your needs, it’s time for a change.
At Gorilla, we offer packages to suit all your business needs. Our all-inclusive package includes advice from a dedicated accountant with direct dial, unlimited support and 24/7 access to FreeAgent. You can find out more about the packages we can offer those who are self employed, contractors or own small businesses here.
6. Your accountant isn’t technology driven
Software packages can dramatically speed up the accounting process. By joining Gorilla, you’ll have full, unlimited access to FreeAgent at no extra cost. FreeAgent is cloud-based accounting software for Contractors & Freelancers, trusted by tens of thousands of freelancers, contractors and small businesses. It allows us to provide our clients with the latest and best cloud bookkeeping software on the market.
Gorilla are also fully MTD compliant. MTD is a key part of the government’s plans to make it easier for individuals and businesses to get their tax right and keep on top of their affairs.
Making Tax Digital introduces digital record-keeping to make the tax system more efficient, effective, and easier for taxpayers, accountants and the government. The goal behind MTD is to support HMRC in becoming the world’s most digitally advanced tax administration.
On top of that, we have specialist knowledge in Cryptocurrency accounts if that is an area you’re working in.
Switching Accountants with Gorilla
Changing your accountant is as easy as changing something like your doctor or dentist – just with less waiting lists! Your accountant has a duty to ensure the transfer of your accounts are simple and stress free, and Gorilla are no different. We can get you on board in 4 easy steps:
Step 1
Sign up with Gorilla Accounting
Step 2
Give notice to your existing accountant
Step 3
We’ll get in touch with your existing accountant to get the info we need
Step 4
Get on board with Gorilla Accounting and begin enjoying our services!
Joining Gorilla
Once you’ve switched, continue to be mindful that your accounting partner is meeting your needs. We will always give you impartial advice, so having an open relationship with your accountant will ensure you’re always happy with the level of service we’re giving.
If you’re interested in working with Gorilla, we make everything as simple as possible for you to switch. Simply fill in our online form by clicking here and we can take a few details then arrange a callback to discuss your needs. You can find out more information on switching to Gorilla here.
We also offer a refer a friend scheme, to thank our current clients for their loyalty. If you know someone who is looking for a new accountant and successfully refer them to Gorilla, we offer £200 for every client that you refer to us. This will be paid to your limited company once your referral has paid two monthly fees. You can find more information about referring a friend on our website.
