Interesting facts from the previous accountant

What gems have you picked up?

Didn't find your answer?

Finally Mr Bloggs gave me the name of his previous accountant and I emailed him, apologising for not having done this earlier, but explaining I didn't have his details before.

Back came the friendly reply that they'd actually sacked the client due to his rudeness.

I have known Mr Bloggs vaguely for a while before he signed up, so don't expect this to happen with me. It's a simple SA return, and he pays up front. And if he does cheese me off I shall just give him his marching orders and not lose sleep about it.

So I wondered...

What interesting facts have you been given in the handover period? Did you decide not to act? Or did you go ahead and regret it?

Anything amusing to make us all laugh would be very helpful!!!

 

Replies (15)

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By Crouchy
17th Feb 2021 13:35

Nothing on the way in, I guess most are just happy to get rid of PITA clients!

I've only ever once told another accountant about a client that we ditched, and that's only because he lived next door to me at the time, he still took on the client, but a few months later admitted he wished he hadn't

Thanks (1)
A Putey FACA
By Arthur Putey
17th Feb 2021 13:44

I've had the odd "good luck" but usually handovers are conspicuously short of useful information!

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By Mr_awol
17th Feb 2021 15:02

I've had an off-the-record phone call about how my shiny new client will not provide information, will lie about various items, and will try their level best to avoid paying. I took that as sour grapes, but it turned out to be fairly accurate.

I've sent a letter telling the new advisor that i will respond more fully once my outstanding fees of £x which relate to an invoice raised x months ago is paid. The client got quite tetchy about that.

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Red Leader
By Red Leader
17th Feb 2021 17:31

A client sacked me and after quite a gap appointed another accountant. In truth, it was a relief for me to see him go, I had rather unprofessionally lost my temper in a meeting. A few years later by chance I met the new accountant. He told me that after two years, he got fed up with the client and resigned.

The client kept creating a financial mess for himself and expecting his accountant to get him out of a hole.

Thanks (2)
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By Calculatorboy
17th Feb 2021 21:47

I remain completely cold in professional correspondence, I stopped acting for a pain
And explained was due to practice restructure ( he replied thats a shame, I thought we got on well , more fool him ) .forwarded him all the info to prepare future returns.

Over a year later get professional enquiry from local cowboys about this client ..explained i ceased acting and enquiry was not necessary , but as a courtesy forwarded the same info again whilst gritting teeth.

Thanks (1)
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By New To Accountancy
17th Feb 2021 23:22

All my professional clearance letters are the same; I edit the name, utr etc. and remove CT600 if sole trader etc. Anyway, one day I was editing the name, but my cursor was still on 'google' on the other screen and I pressed enter - the client was one of the biggest criminals around our area and the stories that came up online were shocking. His face (mug shots) in the papers (online) were confirmation that i hadn't got the wrong person.
I told my boss and what did my boss say.. 'Well he's not in jail now, let's give him the benefit of doubt but you look similar to his ex, so I'll take him, we don't want him doing to you what he did to her do we?'
I don't know what confused me more, my boss not wanting to disengage or the fact this client had 6 houses yet earned less than me. I do not work there anymore but it was nice to feel protected when i did...

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Replying to New To Accountancy:
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By rocket_queen
19th Feb 2021 09:59

What did he do to his ex?

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Replying to rocket_queen:
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By New To Accountancy
19th Feb 2021 10:11

I don't really want to say I'm sorry, but images of her were in the papers, that's how we knew what she looked like. There were so many stories, this was just the one that stuck in my mind as she looked like me, had the same first name and was born the same year. This wasn't his worst crime mind, just the one that made me feel most uncomfortable.

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Replying to New To Accountancy:
ALISK
By atleastisoundknowledgable...
19th Feb 2021 13:24

I suspect this is the client who offered to me by an IFA. He was in need of help with a SA investigation and 6 other firms had turned him down already. 30 seconds on Google and I added myself to that list.

I understand that his previous firm had disengaged after he literally kicked their door down because he didn’t like his tax liability.

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Replying to atleastisoundknowledgable...:
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By New To Accountancy
19th Feb 2021 16:47

Yes, he had an IFA. That's why I did not state what he had done to his ex or mention his other crimes; I just knew other accountants would know who I was talking about.
'Googling' clients became the new due diligence. I had one murderer client too, and his first words to me were 'do you know, I always wanted to be an accountant. He made me question my judgement as, (murder aside), he was a great bookkeeper and I preferred him to any other client! '

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By Paul Crowley
18th Feb 2021 01:50

Amazed how often I get nothing at all

Particularly prevalent with Service charge companies where 'accountant' shares the address of the larger property managers

One I remember on an ordinary trading company was where last preparers had passed info on to an intervening firm where we got nothing useful from either company
Intervening firm did nothing useful other than wages and mucked that up

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By sallyrichardson
19th Feb 2021 09:47

Recent handover from old advisor. Simple SA. "I know we have treated XXX incorrectly, but the old accountant did it that way when we took over and we didn't want to confuse the client by changing it". I kid you not. And this was in writing.

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Debbie Franklin
By Debbie Franklin
19th Feb 2021 09:57

Had a previous agent advised, in writing, that they had created a ficticous bank account to avoid S.455 tax for the client!

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Red Leader
By Red Leader
19th Feb 2021 12:00

Slightly related topic. I went along with my client to visit a business he was thinking of buying. The vendor was there with his accountant. The profit figures didn't look great but the accountant told me this was because his client puts through false purchase invoices!

Thanks (1)
Replying to Red Leader:
ALISK
By atleastisoundknowledgable...
19th Feb 2021 13:18

I have a client who regularly buys businesses with the vendors’ accountants providing accounts to us with lots of add backs at the bottom of the P&L!

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