Whether you need someone to keep track of your personal finances, help you with tax preparation at the end of a year, or keep your business revenue in order, having an accountant you can rely on can hardly be overstated. There are many good accountants out there who will keep track of your money and do their best to keep you from getting into trouble with the law. However, not all accountants are created equal, and you need to find one that fits your needs. Luckily, there are some key traits to look for that make for a good accountant.
1. Providing A Clear Overview
Your accountant should be able to provide you with a clear overview of your financial situation. As it’s noted at https://www.suretax.co, an accountant should give you an idea of how much money you are taking in, what expenses are cutting into that income, and where the extra cash is going. You can compare this information to your past results for an accurate picture of whether or not you’re reaching your financial goals and whether or not you should change anything that you’re doing. Instead of having to go through every single one of your bank and credit card statements, your accountant should be able to provide you with a clear overview of your financial situation so that you’ll be able to get a good idea of what’s going on and make informed decisions.
2. Reliable
Accountants are people too, and just like everyone else they can make mistakes. The difference with your accountant is that the mistakes they make with your information could be far more costly. Not being reliable is one of the biggest signs that someone isn’t a good business partner -regardless of whether you’re using their service for your business or personal finances. An accountant needs to not only do the initial task at hand but also do their due diligence to go over the books again at the end to make sure that nothing slipped through. If a mistake was made, they need to be upfront about it and do their best to make it right. Trustworthiness and reliability are not only key traits of any good business partner, but of any person in general – especially one who will be handling your money. You should feel comfortable talking to them about anything when it comes to your finances, and they need to be honest with you even when it’s bad news
3. Well Organized
A disorganized accountant can lead to a lot of problems. If they’re not organized, then they’re going to be wasting your time and money by making you do extra work that should’ve been done in the first place. Of course, you can’t know for sure how organized they are before you hire them, however, it might be worth it to try and spot some common organized personality traits during the hiring process. Having a tidy office, using organizational tools, making lists, and more – are all signs that the person you’re talking to is an individual that’s well organized. It’s especially important that an accountant possesses this trait when it comes to tax preparation, because this is when they need to make sure that nothing falls through the cracks. It’s also what will enable them to do their job quickly or under a deadline – otherwise, if they’re not good with time management, then you’ll get stuck with procrastinating and late fees.
4. Easy To Work With
Working with an accountant is not like working with some other professionals, who might be a bit more inflexible and strict about what they need from you to get the job done. An accountant needs to be easy going and flexible, especially when it comes to deadlines. If you have a busy schedule and they’re not able to work with it, then that might not be the right fit for you. Of course, most accountants that are worth their salt will usually have a good enough network and be able to find other accountants that can help them accommodate your needs. They also need to have good communication skills in order to be able to answer any questions that you might have about their service. If they’re not easy to work with, then there’s no point in having them help you out.
What makes a good accountant? Those who are reliable, organized, well-spoken, and easy to work with while also being able to do their job quickly or under a deadline. This requires you to do your due diligence by either speaking to them directly so that you can see how they handle themselves in person or by making sure that the people who wrote the reviews of their service are trustworthy and reliable. Either way, it’s important to get references from previous clients if you can, so that you can find an accountant who is a good fit for your needs.
