Free scorecard

Is your accountant actually working for you?

You pay them every month and you have nothing to measure them against. Eighteen statements, four minutes, and a score for the six things an accountant is paid to do.

Score yours See the six things

Two people going through a printed report together, one pointing at a figure

The scorecard

Score yours

Eighteen statements

Answer them as things actually are, not as you would like them to be.

Deadlines · whether things get filed on time without you chasing

Our filing deadlines are met without me having to chase anybody.I am told what is needed, and by when, before it becomes urgent.We have never had a penalty for something being filed late.

Tax · whether anyone plans it, or just reports it afterwards

Somebody raises tax with me before the year end, while I can still do something about it.I have been told about a relief or an allowance I did not know I could claim.I know roughly what my next tax bill will be before it arrives.

Your numbers · whether you see them in time to use them

I see my figures within a month of the period ending.I understand what they are telling me without needing them explained twice.I know which parts of what I do make money and which lose it.

Cash · knowing what is coming, not just what has gone

I know roughly what my cash position will look like in three months.Tax money is set aside before the bill lands, rather than found afterwards.Somebody has warned me about a cash problem before it happened.

Advice · whether anyone is thinking about your business, or only recording it

Somebody asks me what I am trying to do with the business, not only what it earned.I have been talked into, or out of, a decision by something they showed me.When something big comes up I ring them before I decide, not after.

Being looked after · whether you can reach them and know what you pay

I get an answer within a working day when I ask something.I know exactly what I pay and what it covers, with no bill I did not expect.I deal with somebody who knows my business, rather than whoever picks up.

Your score

Not scored yet– / 54

Deadlines–/9
Tax–/9
Your numbers–/9
Cash–/9
Advice–/9
Being looked after–/9

Fills in as you answer.

Late filing

The only part of this with a price on it

Everything else here is a judgement you have to make yourself. This is not. Companies House and HMRC charge these automatically, and they do not ask why you were late.

£150Company accounts one month late

£1,500The same accounts six months late

£100A late return, even with no tax to pay

£10A day on top, after three months

They double if you were late the year before, and the record stays on your public file. Source: gov.uk and Companies House guidance, checked September 2026. See the full list of deadlines.

What it scores

The six things

Three of them are the reasons people actually leave an accountant: the filing was late, nobody rang back, or a bill turned up they had not agreed to.

Deadlines

Whether things get filed on time without you chasing

Tax

Whether anyone plans it, or just reports it afterwards

Your numbers

Whether you see them in time to use them

Cash

Knowing what is coming, not just what has gone

Advice

Whether anyone is thinking about your business, or only recording it

Being looked after

Whether you can reach them and know what you pay

The written version

Get it in writing

1
Answer the same eighteen
One at a time, with a progress bar. Four minutes.
2
Your scores land in your inbox
Every area written up, not just the weakest, with the things to ask for on each one.
3
Print it and put it in front of your accountant
That is what it is for. Good answers mean you stay put, which is cheaper and less disruptive than moving.
4
Book half an hour if you want a second opinion
The booking link is on your results and you pick the slot.

Get it written up and sent to you

Frequently asked questions

Common questions

How is it scored?

Each statement is Never, Sometimes, Usually or Always — nought to three. Three statements an area gives nine an area, and six areas gives fifty-four. Under nineteen and something needs fixing; over forty-eight and you are well served.

Can my accountant come out well?

Yes. Above forty-eight it tells you to keep them.

What if I score badly on deadlines?

Start there rather than anywhere else. It is the one with a price list, and the penalties are automatic.

My accountant does the filing and nothing else. Is that normal?

It is the most common result on this scorecard. Most firms are built to file returns, so filing returns is what you get. Whether that is enough depends on what you are trying to do next.

I am not thinking of switching. Is this any use?

That is most people who take it. The part that gets used is the list of things to ask for, and it is aimed at the accountant you already have.

What do you do with my answers?

The version on this page is scored in your browser and stays there. The written version stores them against your email address so you can get back to your own results, and one click on the email stops us writing to you.

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