Next, try to match size with your needs. So you will need to avoid the big firms as they have high costs and therefore high fees and are for the bigger businesses and complicated tax setups. Also, they charge you for every phone call and letter and we have seen some eye watering bills for simple straight forward work. 

At the other end of the spectrum, Accountants who work from home seem cheap, however, some – not all - are prone to moving and not advising their clients. One of my first clients had an Accountant who worked from home and when I tried to get information from him – he had left the country without warning. It was only by going to his house that I managed to rescue the records for the client which were about to be put out with the rubbish by the new owner.

So go for a firm in the middle which will still give you a big list to work with. Look at their website and see if there are reviews on there. Are they recent? What do their clients say about them. You can give them a call as most good Accountants will have a chat with you to see what you need. Some will give you a free initial consultation either in person or over Zoom or one of the other video links available. If you can’t speak to someone straight away, ask for a call back. If they are too busy to call you back, then they are not for you. You can usually see if there is a going to be a good business relationship from how the conversation goes.