I have been self employed for many years in different sectors. Now I am working as a self employed bookkeeper, I am AAT qualified and licensed. I have been doing bookkeeping for self employed people and myself but now I have landed some outsourced work from an accountant.
The accountant has given me a box of paperwork as follows; handwritten sales ledger (including details of cash received), handwritten cash paid book, bank statements, purchase invoices and monthly payroll schedule and sales invoices folder. He tells me there is more paperwork to follow at some point but he doesn't know what until the previous accountant drops it in.
I have always had my own way of doing bookkeeping for myself and my other self employed clients. So here is my question, if an accountant handed that box to you what do you feel he would expect to see in return? I just don't want to miss anything out. The accountant is a very nice laid back kind of fellow so hasn't really given me much indication of what he wants to see in return, he said what I usually do for anyone else will be fine. I am very thorough in what I do but I didn't want to miss something blindingly obvious!
Hi Hannah
Welcome to the forum - or the madhouse as I call it.
Well done on the work from the Accountant. Sounds like you have a very laid back one there - good in some ways, but I understand why you perhaps want him to be more structured in the first discussion with you!
I honestly dont think there is anything blindingly obvious here, but I would be pinning him down as to what (at least broadly) he is expecting of you or how have you agreed a price? So my main ponderings at the moment are around the bookkeeping v accounting issue. Have you signed any kind of agreement with this chap? Do you know if he wants you to do pure bookkeeping and up to trial balance or is expecting a full set of accounts? Quite different perhaps in terms of the fee.
Am assuming this client is not on any kind of VAT scheme you need to be double checking.
Do you know what kind of software the Accountant has a preference for and do you use the same?
Given its all paper based at the moment, my thinking would be to get it all on to some kind of accounting software which would then essentially allow you to run the necessary reports for him (or you) to produce the year end, or for those reports to be dropped into his software package if you arent on the same system.
I would go to TB, entering exactly what you do in the same thorough way you process things - so if you normally do all the accruals and prepayments and wages journals then do so in this case.
In the absence of clearer instructions I would be tempted to drop the chap a line confirming what you are planning to do/how and suggesting if he wishes you to cover more (or if you havent covered anything) to please let you know/you wouldbe happy to discuss it further and see what happens on the back of that.
HTH - a least a little!
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Joanne
Winner of Bookkeeper of the Year 2015, 2016 & 2017
Thoughts are my own/not to be regarded as official advice,which should be sought from a suitably qualified Accountant.
You should check out answers with reference to the legal position
