Accountant Negligence - Can I Sue My Accountant? - By: Tim Bishop

Your company has expanded and you have consulted an accountant to make the change from self employed to a limited company. This is not an area you are familiar with so when you were recommended to a local accountant you had no hesitation in trusting him. You certainly did not think about a professional negligence claim.

Unfortunately you had no idea about Corporation Tax or the necessity to file your accounts and records on time with HMRC and Companies House. Well, you left everything to your accountant to deal with, this was his job and it was a great weight off your shoulders to leave all that complex paper work to him to sort out.

You had no reason to question his professional integrity so you got on with your job and worked hard to increase your profits.

When you didn't hear from him for months, you had no reason to think of professional negligence; it was natural to assume he had everything under control and your accounts would be dealt with in a logical, satisfactory way. You had impressed upon him that compliance with HMRC was an absolute priority.

Concern began when you heard that the deadline date for filing company accounts was fast approaching and you hadn't had time to get your receipts and invoices to him.

When you called him, and informed him of your concern, he made you feel you were panicking about nothing, that all was fine and he sounded so calm you felt foolish. Making a professional negligence claim against your accountant simply did not occur to you.

Neither would it have occurred to you he was acting with accountancy negligence. He surely was used to dealing with much larger companies and was probably busy.

Then you had a call from Companies House. You managed to sort that one out alone as the accountant wasn't answering his phone and you couldn't make contact.

Next you received a shock phone call from HMRC, demanding payment which had escalated with interest. The accountant had completely failed in his duty and was professionally negligent.

By now you were shaking. The accountant seemed unconcerned, backing away, busy; a professional negligence solicitor could help to support you in this.

If this sounds like you, incurring a fine after placing your trust in a qualified accountant to comply with HMRC regulations and file accounts before deadline, you need to see a specialist lawyer and consider making a professional negligence claim. Don't let accountant negligence cripple your business.

About the Author

Considering making a professional negligence claim? Bonallack & Bishop are solicitors specialising in accountant negligence claims. Tim Bishop is senior partner at the firm, responsible for all major strategic decisions. He has grown the firm by 1000% in 13 years and has plans for further expansion.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/Tim-Bishop/62652

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