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Interviewing Attorneys and Accountants - What to Ask?

Peta of JamRock

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Hello!

One of the (many) crucial topics covered in TMF was finding the right attorney and accountant to bolster your business from seedling stage to beyond, and that it's as important as choosing the right spouse. I'd rather not just pick from the Yellow Pages and hope for the best.

I had registered as a Sole Proprietor right out of college*. I currently freelance as an illustrator and graphic designer, but developing my own Intellectual Properties was always my main goal so I'd want to make sure I'm protected. Keeping on the good side of the tax administration is another, which is where the accountant would come in. I wouldn't leave everything up to them, of course, but they'd step in where I'd need help and guidance where tax filings are concerned.

So, with that bit of background, what are the key questions I ought to be asking when interviewing attorneys and accountants? Are there any red flags I should look for during the process, even if they give all the right answers?


*Yes, I know it's not an LLC. Don't stone me, please! On top of being much more expensive than Sole Proprietor, it also required a Company Secretary. Long story short, I am not in any position now where I could make use of one (or pay one, for that matter) but that will change later.
You have to crawl before you walk, and walk before you run, right?
 
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theag

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Are you sure that you need a lawyer / accountant right now? If you cant afford an LLC, you likely dont need either yet. Remember: sales cure everything. Get some sales first.

On topic: I rely on recommendations. Right now I use the same accountant as my dad and have no lawyer.
 

Peta of JamRock

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Are you sure that you need a lawyer / accountant right now? If you cant afford an LLC, you likely dont need either yet. Remember: sales cure everything. Get some sales first.

On topic: I rely on recommendations. Right now I use the same accountant as my dad and have no lawyer.

Thanks for the advice. It's true that I likely do not need a lawyer right now, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to ask just in case I run into a situation where I require one.

You said you use the same accountant as your father. If you don't mind me prying into your business, do you use them to help with taxes only, or are there other areas where they'd also be of great and necessary help (even for just advice/guidance)?
 

Peta of JamRock

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Ha! I struck gold.

I called up my old auditing boss (long story) for a referral to an accountant, and she offered to help me with the income/tax filing (YAY!).

Please excuse me while I happy-dance.
 
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Vassilios

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I also am running into a problem like this. My company is set up as an S-corp, which is solid, but I need an accountant who can get a little creative. I'm not talking about anything unethical or illegal, but taking advantage of tax breaks and the benefits/negatives of offshoring HQ or creating a holding company and creating multiple companies of what we have now.

My attorney and accountant are good, but they are beyond conservative and simple. They are not versed in these things. When I have asked them they don't know much because they've never dealt with it before.

Has anyone ever found a good attorney and/or accountant without a referral?

Thanks for any input
 

DreamsCameTrue

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Bumping this. Did anyone come up with a list of questions or qualifications? My current accountant is pretty good, but he's hard to work with. He rattles off a bunch of accounting jargon at me and I have no idea what he's talking about. He also has this strange, threatening tone to all the things he tells me. I am getting pretty sick of trying to decode all the things he talks about.
 

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