Accountant versus bookeeper

[mark alexander]

Hi Guys , Have just installed quick books on my PC and want to streamline orders and accounts etc
( just had a big Vat bill as my books are not accurate )
Should i get an accountant in or a bookeeper ?the accountant i know wants £ 500 a day but i'm not sure if he will know how to incorporate online sales from actinic within my accounts package
Want to get everthing as streamlined as poss
your comments would be appreciated
Regards Mark Alexander
www.alexanders-direct.co.uk

[chris ashdown]

Your accountant should give you the opening balances to apply based on last years accounts for free. He should also be able to give you what nominal codes he would like you to use but may well charge for his time

Some large accountant firms have lackies who are paid a pittance but know the software who they will send out and only charge about £15-£20 per hour ask around

You could advertise in the local paper for a part time bookeeper who can use actinic link and quickbooks either both (verry unlikely) or either worth a £10 advert

If you are small enough you do not need an audit and large accountant fees in which case a good bookeeper can do it all, I think the turnover must be over about £250000 to be required to have an audit


Paul Barker 0239-2790990 is a expert on Link but I do not know if he is ok for quickbooks as i used him for sage line 50

Hope this helps

[pinbrook]

The most economical solution is a part time bookkeeper, who uses Quickbooks and also services other clients.

Tax returns and Vat returns are a doddle if you choose this route.

In my opinion the bookkeeper is worth 100x more than an accountant. -They do the daily grind, you can then concentrate on the bigger picture

[jont]

Depending on your company / products / turnover / setup an accountant can save you a lot of money but you have to pay for their expertise and the savings may not offset against their retainer (depending on your situation).

A bookkeeper will do just that - keep the books, an accountant will find ways to offset taxes, make savings etc.

Start with a bookkeeper and then progress depending on how your company progresses. You will often find a lot of retired / part time accountants who are happy to work on your books for a much more realistic fee and have the experience to hopefuly save your tax returns.