Why You Should Be Talking To Your Accountant Before The Tax Year-End

As we approach the end of the tax year, there is huge value in meeting with your accountant. Scheduling a meeting with us in the months leading up to tax year end opens up great opportunities for us to save you money and provide strategic guidance for the following year. It’s prime time for us to really make a difference for you and your business. 

This post will explain the benefits of arranging your accountancy meeting in advance of the year-end, as well as providing you with our checklist of key questions to come along with. With our dynamic business growth accounts by your side, you’ll minimise your tax liability, plan effectively for the future, and achieve sustainable growth.

What Are The Benefits Of A Pre Year-End Meeting?

There are many benefits to talking to your accountant before the tax year-end, both for businesses and individuals. Here are some of the key advantages to keep in mind:

• Consulting with your accountant before the tax year-end provides an opportunity to clarify your tax obligations. You’ll gain a clear understanding of your liabilities and can then strategically plan for them well in advance. This ensures that you have sufficient time to adjust your cash flow strategies accordingly. This proactive approach will mean you can make more informed decisions and guarantee financial stability for your business.
  

• Arranging a pre year-end meeting also allows for a thorough review of your tax situation. Your dedicated adviser will assess your current tax payments to determine if you might be overpaying and identify potential areas for savings. We’ll devote time to understanding your unique circumstances and then develop a tailored strategy to enhance your tax efficiency.

• It’s also a chance to evaluate and discuss how your business is performing. Your accountant can review your financial statements, assess key performance indicators, and take a look at various metrics to understand your business’s health and growth. You’ll sit down together in an open discussion to share your business’ successes and challenges, identifying areas of improvement and tapping into your adviser’s knowledge.

• Meeting before the tax year-end presents an opportunity to forward plan and create a roadmap for the year ahead. During the session, you can take the time to articulate your business goals and then develop a tax strategy together in line with this. This will support the long-term success and growth of your company, positioning your business for success.

• The months leading up to year-end are a quieter time for accountants, meaning we will have the time to sit down with you and have a productive discussion (rather than you simply sending over the documents for us to prepare the tax return). Scheduling a meeting at this time allows for a more comprehensive and in-depth discussion where you’ll receive valuable advice and foster a stronger client-adviser relationship.

When Is The Best Time To Have A Pre Year End Meeting?

We recommend booking a meeting with your accountant around 1-2 months ahead of the tax year end. This is increasingly becoming standard best practice amongst proactive SMEs as it provides time to implement changes. Waiting until after the year-end wouldn’t allow for any steps that could be taken to lower taxes for the prior year.

What Questions Should You Ask Your Accountant?

Once you’ve scheduled your meeting, it’s a good idea to prepare some questions in advance. Here’s a few ideas to guide your discussion and make the most of your meeting:

• How much tax should I be prepared to pay?
• What does my business’ tax position look like for the following year, are there any new tax liabilities my business will face?
• How can I structure my business most effectively?
• Are there any tax reliefs that we are not taking full advantage of?
• Is my cash flow healthy?
• Can you provide guidance to increase the value of my business and achieve my goals?
• Are my business’ processes efficient for growth?
• Can you review my budget?

What Our Experts Say About Scheduling A Meeting With Your Adviser

You shouldn’t miss this opportunity to plan correctly for the year end and make sure you do finish in the position you thought you should and have implemented all the best tax planning possible.

Tree Accountancy

Here at Tree, we make sure to meet with our clients prior to the year-end to put them in the best position for growth. Our year-end meetings cover far more than just our clients’ tax returns. We take the time to truly understand your personal and business goals to ensure we can offer the best and most tailored advice. 

Our tax accountants will unlock opportunities for tax relief, work with you to develop a strategy for the year ahead, and show you how a meeting with your accountant is not something to dread!  Arrange a pre year-end meeting with us today to discover how you can make savings to achieve your growth goals.