Meeting an accountant for the first time can feel quite daunting, particularly if you are a small business or this is the first time you have ever needed accountancy support before.
In this blog the Clayton & Brewill team outline how to prepare for your first meeting with an accountant and ensure that it is productive and valuable for you.
Know what you’d like to achieve
Before your meeting, it’s important to consider why you have chosen to meet with an accountant and what you would like to get from the interaction.
Typical reasons to meet with an accountant include:
- Setting up or planning to grow a business
- Tax planning and compliance
- Administrative support with payroll or streamlining services
What should you bring with you?
For your first meeting with an accountant, it is important to bring with you your essential identity documents, recent financial records and HMR details. Having all of these to hand will help to make the initial meeting more productive and will ensure an accurate quote and targeted advice. If you are unsure of what exactly you need to bring, please do not hesitate to call ahead of time and ask.
Typical documents needed include:
- ID – this could be a passport or driving licence and a utility bill or bank statement for proof of address
- Financial records – these include bank statements, ingoings and outgoings, previous accounts and software tools if you are using them
- HMRC letters – any recent notices, tax codes or penalty warnings
Limited Company or Sole Trader details – national insurance number and Unique Taxpayer Reference or certificate of incorporation, company number and details of directors and shareholders
How we can help
The majority of Clayton & Brewill clients are busy individuals and successful business owners, and we know that it can be a headache keeping on top of finances. We can relieve you of the regulatory burden concerned with financial management, leaving you with more time to run your business and your life.
Our clients range from farmers who rarely switch on a computer through to large businesses with sophisticated in-house finance functions. However large or small your accountancy needs, when you choose Clayton & Brewill you can be assured that your finances are in safe hands.
The Clayton & Brewill head office is on Canal Street in Nottingham, and we also have offices in Long Eaton and Melton Mowbray. We are happy to meet clients at our offices, or we can come and see you – an approach that works well for many busy business owners and also our farming clients.
