Is this how accountancy usually is?

Stratvs wrote: »

To the OP, as you said it was deadline pressure caused this situation so if you can deal with your future returns in good time then go back to that and consider it a lesson learned. But if you plan to continue with an accountant then the ground rules (terms of engagement) must be clearly laid out. Who is responsible for doing what what, when it is to be done by, what is the basis of the fee and when it is to be paid, what rate or basis is used for work outside the normal course or if an "all encompassing" annual fee is to be agreed (yes this is still quite common but would normally set limits on what's included). Don't let your experience colour your perception of all accountants in practice. You were deadline pressured and so were they so they shouldn't have taken it on if they couldn't do what was agreed.

You may find fee approaches differ between practices with principal/partners & staff and the sole practitioner. The "all encompassing" fee still exists among smaller practices dealing with small owner managed clients. It gives a level of fee stability for the client and once they don't abuse the situation also gives them largely unlimited access. Being afraid to ring or call in to ask a question because that might result in an extra bill could result in a bad decision which ultimately leaves the accountant trying to sort out a bigger mess than if they'd taken that phone call or meeting.

As an aside, another poster said that accountants can be bad business people and there's truth in that. In particular in sole practice where one deals directly with the client one on one over many years the work can often drift outside the strict terms of engagement. Phone calls can come with no relevance to the business at all but relate to other matters where the client trusts the accountant's judgement. With longstanding clients there can be the sense that both client and accountant are on a journey together rather than on opposite sides of a desk and the accountant can feel mentally/emotionally invested in the client. The ups and downs of the client's business and life generally can lead to a loss of focus that this client should be first and foremost be profitable to the practice. Being needed is nice, but it doesn't always put a nice Chianti on the table.