Accountant Taking 5 months to close up company

neil_hosey

Hi,

I had a limited company for 6 months from sept to feb of this year. I decided to close up the company and return to permanent work.

I signed a one year contract with the accountant last sept, but since i closed down after 6 months i still have to pay hinm the full amount.

He charged me 1500 odd for the one man band limited company, as well as nearly 2000 for closing up the company aswell as doing my tax returns which will include medical expenses claims for me.

It is now 5 months since i asked him to close up the company and i still havent received a P45, or even forms to claim back medical expenses with tax return he said he would send.

There was also several mistakes made including never actually finishing my registration for VAT correctly, which had to be done on the closing week of the company in feb.

Today I asked him what the delay was and he said "company corporation tax return filing period is still not right, following up with revenue"..

Im wondering if it is reasonable at this stage to cut my losses and pay another accountant to clean this up and finally close the company for me? The initial date he gave me was in april to have it all done, and im just sick of the lack of response and total ignoring of calls and emails, plus i feel the amount is quite a lot. I'm guessing there is no way out, but just on the offchance there is some regulation that is being breached by really bad quality service?

Thanks
Neil

Immy

Sounds like you have given him a lot of money already.


The CT period could be wrong but that wouldn't/ shouldn't hold things up. He's probably just putting it on the long finger as he's busy with other things.

Ask him for an email setting out the timeframes for work etc and if the ball doesn't get rolling soon, walk away. It'd be a PITA to pay for something twice.

neil_hosey

yeah i thought so, but i havent paid any of it yet. Im wondering if it is too late to pull the plug and get someone else to close down my company?

J.Ryan

It can take time to close down a copy, but it should not stop all the other work being done, Accounts, CT1, Form 11, canceling tax registrations etc.,

You have filings due in the CRO, also, but if nothing has been done and nothing paid, you should consider moving.

If you put a posting in the looking for an accountant thread, you should get some quotes

Immy

neil_hosey wrote: »

yeah i thought so, but i havent paid any of it yet. Im wondering if it is too late to pull the plug and get someone else to close down my company?

If you haven't paid, yes I'd be inclined to go somewhere else.

Sunny Dayz

If the corporation tax period hasn't been corrected and all necessary tax returns filed, then Revenue won't issue a Letter of No Objection for the company strike off with the CRO. Revenue can be slow to issue these letters. Then it takes time for the CRO paperwork to be processed. If the accountant hasn't even got all the tax returns in, then you are another few months away from having the company struck off yet.

exaisle

neil_hosey wrote: »

"company corporation tax return filing period is still not right, following up with revenue"..

This is utter bolleaux. The company was only trading for six months. Therefore, the CT filing period is for that six months.

From what you've said, I suspect that you're being overcharged.

As J.Ryan said, it can take time to close a company....about 3 to 4 months if its a voluntary strike off, which can be done if all other liabilities have been paid and there are no assets (less than €150) left in the company.

But given that it's (as OP puts it) a one-man-band company, preparing account and submitting the relevant tax returns shouldn't take very long. Cancelling tax registrations is done online and is done in a matter of minutes rather than hours...

I'd be inclined to go elsewhere too.

billcullen1

exaisle wrote: »

This is utter bolleaux. The company was only trading for six months. Therefore, the CT filing period is for that six months.

From what you've said, I suspect that you're being overcharged.

As J.Ryan said, it can take time to close a company....about 3 to 4 months if its a voluntary strike off, which can be done if all other liabilities have been paid and there are no assets (less than €150) left in the company.

But given that it's (as OP puts it) a one-man-band company, preparing account and submitting the relevant tax returns shouldn't take very long. Cancelling tax registrations is done online and is done in a matter of minutes rather than hours...

I'd be inclined to go elsewhere too.

I'd be inclined to go elsewhere too