Would you leave this accountancy firm

I have a trust issue with my accountant

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I was extremely busy and distracted yesterday when I was paying some large invoices due by my company. I accidentally paid my accountant £XXXX in error by bank transfer. I immediately noticed my error and duly emailed my accountant requesting that the funds are returned. I got a reply to say yes and no problem and the funds would be returned just to confirm the bank details. I got an email this PM to say the return would be made less a deduction for an outstanding invoice to the accountants firm. Initially I said yes that is no problem but on double checking I realise the invoice the accountant was making a deduction for had already been paid a week after the invoice issue. I felt really angry that the accountant initially tried to get me to pay an invoice due to my banking error and I feel doubly angry and diatrusting of them now I have discovered I never owed them any additional funds. 

 

Would you find a new accountant? I must point out that each invoice from my accountant is paid within a week of receipt and I pt other standing fees via direct debit monthly. All without issue. I have never owed this accountant money. Am I being unreasonable or am I justifiably annoyed at how the accountant has behaved. Bear in mind I would my have minded paying the accountant for any fees their encountered due to my error. 

Replies (18)

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By Ruddles
01st Mar 2017 19:29

Rearrange - jerk, reaction, knee.

It depends on your relationship with the accountant. If it's otherwise hunky-dory, I'd let it pass as an unfortunate slip-up. If on the other hand you're already looking for a reason to ditch him, he's served you one on a plate.

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By Tim Vane
01st Mar 2017 19:33

*Sniff Sniff* What's that smell?

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Glenn Martin
By Glenn Martin
01st Mar 2017 19:49

"you were busy and distracted when you made your mistake"

Have you perhaps thought your accountant might been equally busy when he overlooked the fact you had paid his bill, or are only you allowed to make errors.

If the matters resolved and you otherwise happy with the service why change it over an minor issue like this.

Life is too short

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Replying to Glennzy:
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By Littlemix1
01st Mar 2017 20:35

I agree with you partially. I am annoyed as he was going to deduct funds for an invoice he thought was outstanding. I thought it was actually sneaky. Almost as if he thought I was not going to pay the invoice and felt it necessary to deduct from the funds which had arrived accidentally in his account. For all he knew the company may have required the full funds back to pay a more urgent invoice. My issue is he thought it was reasonable to deduct funds and put his invoice as a priority one. I just did not appreciate his behaviour and my question is am I being unreasonable. Generally I have contact with the accountant twice per year on average. He prepares the books after I provide him with income outcome spread sheets and runs the payroll for three employees. And charges a handsome £2300 which is always paid on time and without question.

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Replying to Littlemix1:
By Ruddles
01st Mar 2017 20:52

If you're annoyed, take it up with him and stop whining about it here. Only you can decide if a complaint is worthwhile - no-one here can tell you what to do.

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Replying to Ruddles:
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By Littlemix1
01st Mar 2017 21:03

Being annoyed and complaining are two very distinct things in my view. I don't know if what has happened is worthy of a complaint.

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Replying to Littlemix1:
By Ruddles
01st Mar 2017 21:16

Neither do I, and I doubt that anyone else here will be able to answer that question for you.

A very good point was made above - accountants often work under considerable pressure, some more than others, and like everyone else will make mistakes from time to time.

Only you are in a position to judge whether it was an innocent error or whether you thought he was 'at it'.

Some people are also more easily wound up than others by others' shortcomings. I don't know you, your accountant or your relationship with him - but the bottom line is that if you're seeking approval to have a go at your accountant you're unlikely to get it here.

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Replying to Ruddles:
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By Littlemix1
01st Mar 2017 21:26

Thank you for your reply. I wasn't wishing to have a go at him. Ordinarily he is a reasonable chap who I have few dealings with if I am honest. I just thought the behaviour was odd if I am honest. I'm trying to understand if I am the one being unreasonable. I suppose it's a bit of red flag for me that he would behave the way he did as that's not how I conduct my business with my customers. Alas, I will need to consider my future dealings with him and ensure I do not send him thousands of pounds in error again!

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Replying to Littlemix1:
Glenn Martin
By Glenn Martin
01st Mar 2017 21:42

But you accepted the deduction initially it's only after did you start to question it.

If you had been on top of your numbers you could of said no and repay full money back.

Anyone with money outstanding (or thought it was) would certainly ask if they could withhold there bill from the refund to save you having to repay him a week later or whatever.

What would you do in same circumstances if you were owed money and a supplier over paid, give them it all back or offset it.

A bird in the hand and all that.

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Replying to Glennzy:
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By Littlemix1
01st Mar 2017 21:45

Being entirely honest I would return their money and mention the invoice which I believed was outstanding and needed to be paid. I would leave it to the person to make the decision about the deduction. I operate my business very honestly and pay debts when due so I guess that's why I was surprised. Thanks anyway. Appreciate I am boring some people with my thread so will buggar off now.

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Replying to Glennzy:
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By 356B
02nd Mar 2017 12:04

I think the word you're looking for is "have".

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Replying to Rubberstamp.io:
By Ruddles
02nd Mar 2017 08:16

I get annoyed too - by spammers hi-jacking threads

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RLI
By lionofludesch
01st Mar 2017 21:31

[sigh]

A thread about nowt.

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abc
By Kim Jong Un's Hair
01st Mar 2017 22:07

I'd leave him.

Complete [***].

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By Manchester_man
02nd Mar 2017 03:20

There's a good chance he is reading this. If i were the accountant and came across this thread, i would save you the job of sacking me.

...Just saying

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By User deleted
02nd Mar 2017 09:01

Good trusted professionals are, of course, like buses. Miss one, get on the next one. Fall out with one, associate with the next one. Easy peasy.

Why is it that people have to ask the most elementary of questions, these days. Is it the Twatter, or Faceless mentality - social megia?

If I have an issue with someone and, I think it's worthy of being dealt with, I "communicate" my feelings/comments, with whomever my grievance is with.

You could have been party to the perfect storm, where each of you made a mistake, almost at the same time?

But, of course, we live in Utopia and, within that environment, everything is, as one.

Tip; Engage brain, open gob and ears.

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By Jackie0802
02nd Mar 2017 13:23

My business has a multi millon £ turnover, and some people would be shocked at how often we are over paid, sometimes by a global company. One firm alone made in access of £60k in overpayments to us in a three month period. Another paid the same £5k invoice 3 times. It's quite shocking at times. One global company we deal with consistently overpays us, so I was not in the least surprised this month to learn that they are in the midst of a cash-flow crisis, not helped by the fact that they discovered a £3m overdue tax bill they were not aware of. In the case of this particular company, with whom we trade at about .75m PA, they had a lot of overdue invoices that they kept missing off the pay run. In some cases they would pay a random amount off an invoice and leave the rest. Overall a very difficult accounting department to work with. Obviously we return over-payments. With the exception of the random payer. In that case we deducted payment for all the old overdue invoices, about £10k worth, and sent them the change! I see nothing wrong with this. If they are too stupid to manage their own accounting and I have to spend my time sorting out their PL the least that is going to happen is that I am going to deduct what they owe me. Some of the companies involved are traded in foreign currencies, so returning payments incurs costs. In the scenario described in this thread I simply wouldn't over think it. A simple error on both sides that was quickly remedied and no harm done. I would have probably deducted any outstanding payment before returning the balance too!

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Replying to Jackie0802:
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By I'msorryIhaven'taclue
02nd Mar 2017 19:30

Quote:

One firm alone made in access of £60k in overpayments to us in a three month period. Another paid the same £5k invoice 3 times. It's quite shocking at times.

My first major client had kept shtum for many years about its supplier regularly omitting £5k+ invoices from hand-typed monthly statements.

When I was sacked off I went straight to the supplier, who became a very grateful second major client.

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