You’ve been with them forever, but they’re consistently late, costing you money, forcing you to pay fines because they missed something crucial. The list can go on and on. You stay because it’s familiar and you think finding someone new will take too long, or you won’t be able to transfer all of your financials over. You are stuck in a toxic relationship and it’s time to end it! Breaking up with your accountant can be just what you need to get your business back on track.
Weigh the pros and cons of the relationship.
There are probably some aspects of the job that your accountant does really well. You may tend to focus on those things in order to convince yourself that it’s not worth changing accountants. But a few good reports do not excuse poor job performance in other areas. Don’t consider the effort of changing in your decision of whether or not to get out of the relationship. Only look at performance. If your accountant is failing you in any areas, they should be fired.
Give your accountant clear expectations.
If you never gave your accountant clear expectations when you hired them, you can’t expect to get everything you want. If you truly feel like you need to give your accountant one last chance, outline your expectations for moving forward. Tell them what you’re unhappy about and give them the chance to make adjustments. If nothing changes, then you have eased your conscience and can leave without reservations.
Make sure your books are current and all of your bills are paid.
Do your best to get your books up to date before you change accountants. It will make the transition smoother and there’s less risk of error. Your new accountant should do a thorough review of your books, especially if you questioned the prowess of your previous accountant. The review will go much faster if you’re current. However, if your current accountant is holding you up by keeping your books outdated, they may be trying to hold you hostage to their ineptitude. You can’t fire them because they have all of your information and you’re worried you won’t get it back. A chronically late accountant will likely never fully catch up, so it’s best to just cut your losses.
Find a new accountant or accounting firm.
Before you break up with your current accountant, it’s best to have a new person or team ready to take over. If you’re considering JADDE Financial Solutions for your business, know that we will make the transition as painless as possible for you.
Decide how you want to break up.
Your relationship with your accountant should dictate the terms of your breakup. Do you have a personal relationship with them? Maybe they’re a friend or relative. If that’s the case, you should do it face-to-face. However if you have to make an appointment with the person and have them come see you just to fire them, don’t waste their time. A phone call would be a better option. If confrontation isn’t your thing, a professional letter is the next best thing. You can outline all of your points and your reasons for leaving while keeping emotion out of it. Start with the things about your working relationship that you appreciated and transition to the reasons for their termination. Some reasons you may cite include:
Poor communication
Outdated technology
Desire to move to cloud accounting
Absenteeism
Costly errors
Lack of reporting
Now you’re ready to move on to a healthy relationship. Once you deliver your termination news, you’re free! You don’t have to hold onto resentment for paying someone who isn’t doing their job correctly. You’ve ended the toxic relationship and can rebuild trust with a new team for your business.
