Frequently Asked Questions

We sure do!

We believe that you need to get to know us, and us you, so we all know that we are a good fit.

We like to understand your current situation, goals, and dreams, so that we can formulate a service plan for your particular needs.

This first meeting generally takes an hour, but we don’t have a stopwatch. It takes as long as it takes.

Within 7 days, we provide a proposal for how we might work together and what it will cost.

Often your fees are high because your records are a mess. We no longer take new clients who don’t use some form of accounting system for that reason.

Tops tips to reduce your accounting fees include:

• • Use a cloud-based accounting system, such as Xero
  • Have separate bank accounts and credit cards for business and private
  • Pay only business expenses from business accounts or by business credit card
  • Set up bank feeds for your business accounts
  • Attach scanned invoices to your payments/creditors in your accounting system
  • Ask your accountant to set up your chart of accounts for you and train you on how to process and code correctly (it’s a one-off investment that will save you mega bucks over time)
  • Reconcile your bank accounts daily or weekly (it’ll only take a few minutes)
  • File and pay taxes on time
  • Respond to your accountant promptly
  • Ask for feedback and how you can improve your record keeping

Margaret has been a Xero enthusiast since it launched in 2007 and has watched this homegrown company conquer the world.

Xero was developed from the business owner’s perspective, not the accountant’s, so it is easy to use but has a powerful backend to ensure that it runs a true double-entry system for accounting purposes.

We are looking at the same data as you – so at any point in time we can check on how you are going, and ensure you are on track.

Xero also allows you to run your business from anywhere at any time. At home, at the beach, at work, on a desktop, laptop or mobile device. You don’t have to worry about backups or upgrades, that all happens behind the scenes. It has high-level two-factor authentication to keep your data safe.

We love it and so will you!

Xero comes with the standard features that you would expect from a small business accounting package, including a simple payroll, project management and inventory system.

Sometimes these aren’t enough. Your business might need something industry specific like MechanicDesk for automotive or similar service businesses, or a bigger system like Unleashed for inventory management, or a CRM system.

There are literary hundreds of packages to choose from, running in the cloud like Xero. We can help you make sure that you choose the right one for your business and get it connected properly.

Often little things will begin to frustrate you:

• • They often make mistakes and don’t seem to care
  • They only do taxes and don’t offer you any advice
  • They only talk to you once a year or not at all
  • They don’t understand your business goals
  • Every time you call, you talk to someone different
  • They don’t offer to explain what the numbers mean
  • They don’t explain their advice in a way you understand
  • They don’t tell you about taxes, or legal changes that affect you
  • They don’t talk to you about business improvement
  • They don’t encourage you to plan or think strategically

If any of the above apply to you and your current accountant, contact us today for an obligation-free first meeting.

The decision to change accountants can be difficult – your existing accountant may have done nothing “wrong”, and you may have a personal relationship. BUT… your decision to move should be based on what is best for your business.  Weigh up all the considerations, not just costs!

Think about your medium to long-term goals and whether your current accountant has the capacity, ability, or desire to help you achieve them.

Once a decision is made to move, the process gets much easier!  Simply inform your new accountant that you want to move to them.  They will handle everything from that point onwards (engagement letters, AML / CFT compliance, transfer of accounting records from the previous accountant, linking to their tax agency, transfer of Xero subscription, and so on).

The decision to move is the hard part. But you owe it to your business and your future to have an accountant who can help you achieve your medium to long-term goals.

As your accountant, we do hold a lot of personal information about your financial affairs.

The Government requires us to verify your identity before we undertake any work, and the amount of verification and information we need to keep depends on individual circumstances. This means that along with your IRD number, and contact information, we keep your birth date and place of birth.

All your data is protected by two-factor authentication where available, including Xero, our Practice Management system, email, and document storage. Email and document backups are encrypted.

The only systems where we access your personal or business information that don’t have two-factor authentication are the IRD and ACC, but they are working on it.