That first call won’t last long, and the owners who get the most out of it are the ones who show up with a few notes scribbled down. They tend to leave with a price. The ones who wing it get a shrug, followed by a week of emails that open “just one more thing.”
So, notes. Here’s what goes in them.
First, Why Are You Calling?
Keep it plain. Something like one of these:
- “Sole proprietor, about $90,000 a year in sales. I’m drowning in bookkeeping and need someone to do my return and HST.”
- “My corporation’s accountant retired. I need a new firm for our T2, payroll and year-end statements.”
- “I received a CRA review letter about my rental property and the deadline is in three weeks.”
Two lines like that and the person on the other end already knows if this is their sort of job, and roughly how much work it is. Deadline coming? Open with it.
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The Paperwork to Have Handy
You won’t be emailing the whole filing cabinet on day one, but it helps to know where these are.
Just you, no business? Then your last return or two and the notices of assessment. Any CRA letters. And a note on where the money comes from: a job, a rental, investments, some freelancing, anything from overseas.
Sole proprietors, add last year’s return (business income statement included). Are you registered for HST? How often do you file? Then tell them how you keep the books, whether it’s software, a spreadsheet or honestly a shoebox, and guess at how many transactions you have a month and how many bank and card accounts they run through.
Incorporated? Grab last year’s financial statements and T2. They’ll ask when your year ends, how many people you pay and how often, how often you file HST, and whether there are related or associated companies. The big one, though, is the state of the books. Up to date? A few months behind? Way behind?
On that last one, please be honest. They’re pricing off it, and when the one shoebox you mentioned turns out to be three, the quote’s going to change.
Which Services Do You Think You Need?
Maybe it’s bookkeeping and payroll. Maybe HST filing and year-end statements, or personal and corporate tax, tax planning, help with a CRA issue, incorporating, or catching up on old filings. Not sure? Doesn’t matter. A good accountant will spot the gap, or talk you out of the extras.
Questions Worth Asking
Start with experience. How many clients do they have in a spot like yours, do they know your industry, and are they a CPA firm registered with CPA Ontario? Those three answers tell you a lot in under a minute.
Then ask how the work actually gets done. If you phone with a question, who answers? Who prepares your file, and who reviews it? How do documents change hands (a secure portal, ideally, rather than email attachments)? How fast do they usually reply? And can they work right inside your accounting software?
Money next. Is the fee fixed, hourly or monthly? What’s in it, and what would show up as an extra? Is a routine CRA letter covered, or a quick question by phone? Will you get an engagement letter?
Last, timing. When would they need your documents to hit your deadlines, and can they realistically take you on right now, given the time of year? Ask that in March and you may get an honest no.
Your Goals Change the Answer
Tell them what you’re after, because it changes everything. Two owners can have identical books; if one plans to sell next year and the other’s about to apply for a mortgage, they’ll get very different advice. Maybe you want less tax this year, or more in retirement, or simply to stop thinking about deadlines. Say so.
Comparing Firms Without Fooling Yourself
Talking to two or three firms? Tell every one of them the same story, or the quotes won’t line up. And when you compare accounting services near me results against online firms, remember that price is only part of the picture.
Then, once the calls are done, go back over each one. Did they understand your situation and ask good questions? Was it obvious what the fee covered? Did anyone raise something you hadn’t thought of? Who got back to you quickly, and politely? And, maybe most telling, could you ask them a basic question without feeling silly?
A bargain quote that skips work you needed, or that leads to mistakes you pay for later, wasn’t a bargain.
After You Choose
Picked one? Then there’s some setup. Expect an engagement letter to sign and a CRA form making them your representative. They’ll want a login for your accounting software, and documents will start going up through their secure portal. Leaving another accountant? Ask the old firm for its working papers and prior-year files. The handover goes a lot smoother with those.
Conclusion
You get half an hour, maybe. Spend it well: your little summary, the main documents, a guess at the services, a few pointed questions, what you’re hoping for. Do that and the quote’s one you can budget around. The first month together goes smoother too.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the first consultation with an accountant free?
The short intro call often is. Real advice, the detailed kind, generally comes once you’ve signed on.
What documents should I bring to my first accountant meeting?
Your recent returns and assessments and any CRA mail. Business statements too, if there are any, plus a quick list of where your income comes from.
Should I tell the accountant my books are behind?
Yes. It affects the quote and the timeline, and catch-up work is routine for most firms, so there’s no need to be embarrassed.
What’s an engagement letter?
It’s the written agreement: which services, what fees, who’s responsible for what, and by when.
