How to Choose an Accountant | Bayar Hughes & Co

Why the choice matters more than the fee

Anyone in the UK can call themselves an accountant — the title is not protected. The difference between a good accountant and a poor one is rarely visible in the monthly fee: it shows up in missed reliefs, late filings, HMRC letters answered badly, and advice that arrives after the decision has already been made.

A good accountant is not a cost line; over a year, the tax saved and the problems avoided should comfortably exceed what you pay. The checklist below is what we would tell a friend to ask — of any firm, including ours.

Points 1–5: credentials and commercials

1. Qualifications and regulation — look for chartered or chartered certified accountants (ACCA, ICAEW or equivalent): regulated, insured, and subject to professional standards and continuing education
2. Clear fees — fixed fees agreed in advance beat open-ended hourly billing for most small businesses; you should never hesitate to call because the clock might be running
3. Experience with businesses like yours — a firm that already acts for your type and size of business (contractors, landlords, retailers, family companies) spots sector-specific reliefs and pitfalls
4. Cloud software support — with Making Tax Digital expanding, your accountant should be fluent in the main cloud bookkeeping platforms and able to set you up, not just tolerate whatever you send
5. The full service range — bookkeeping, VAT, payroll, accounts, tax returns and advice under one roof, so nothing falls between two providers

Points 6–8: how they actually behave

6. Responsiveness — ask existing clients how long a reply takes; an accountant you cannot reach in January is not an accountant
7. Proactive advice, not just compliance — filing what happened last year is the minimum; the value is in being told what to do before the year ends, while it can still be changed
8. A named person who knows you — you should deal with someone who knows your business, not a different voice from a pool each time

The proactive point deserves emphasis. Two firms can file identical, fully compliant accounts — and one client pays thousands more in tax because nobody suggested the pension contribution, the timing change or the restructure while there was still time. Ask a prospective accountant for an example of advice they gave a client unprompted.

Points 9–10: switching, and local versus online

9. Switching is easy — your new accountant handles it: professional clearance, records transfer and HMRC authorisation; you rarely need an awkward conversation, just a short letter to your old firm
10. Local versus online — pure-online firms can be cheap but faceless; a local firm offers someone you can sit across a table from when something serious happens, while still working with cloud software day to day

Fear of the switching process keeps many businesses with the wrong accountant for years. In reality the handover is a standard professional courtesy between firms and typically takes a couple of weeks with no involvement from you beyond a signature.

Red flags to walk away from

Guaranteed refunds or promises of specific tax savings before seeing your figures
No engagement letter setting out the service, fees and responsibilities in writing
No professional qualification or professional indemnity insurance they can name
Encouragement to claim expenses you know are not genuine — you carry the liability, not them
Chronic slowness with your own affairs during the quoting stage; it only gets worse once you have signed

Bayar Hughes & Co is happy to be measured against every point on this list. Chartered certified accountants established in 1991 and based in New Eltham, London SE9, we work on fixed fees, with a named accountant who knows your business, and we handle the entire switch from your current firm. Call +44 7441 347796 for a no-obligation conversation.