Questions to Ask a New Accountant: Your First-Meeting Checklist

What if your first meeting with an accountant told you more about the relationship than a list of services ever could? The right questions to ask a new accountant can help you understand their relevant experience, how they’ll communicate, who’ll handle your work and whether their advice fits your goals.

It’s reasonable to want clarity before you commit. You may be unsure what’s included, how fees and responsibilities are agreed, or whether advice will arrive in time to help you make decisions. A good fit should feel like a working partnership, not just a once-a-year exchange of documents.

Use this practical checklist to explore service scope, relevant experience, communication and review processes. If you run a business, ask how an accountant can help with tax planning, business performance, cash flow and regular reviews. You can also discuss longer-term needs such as estate planning. By the end of the meeting, you should have a clearer sense of whether the accountant can support your Australian tax and financial needs now and as they change.

Questions to Ask a New Accountant About Fit, Experience and Your Needs

Your first conversation isn’t a test you need to pass. It’s a chance for you and the accountant to understand each other’s expectations and see whether the working relationship feels right. The best fit isn’t automatically the accountant who serves the most businesses like yours. Look for relevant experience, attentive listening and explanations that connect to your priorities.

An accountant’s work can cover different responsibilities, as this neutral overview of what is an accountant explains. Your meeting should help identify which parts matter to you, whether you’re an individual with tax or estate planning questions or a business owner focused on tax, profit and cash flow.

How do I find out whether an accountant understands my situation?

Start by describing what you want help with, not just the service you think you need. You might be planning a business change, trying to understand cash flow or looking for guidance beyond annual tax reporting. Then ask:

• “What client circumstances or business needs do you regularly support?”
• “How would you approach my priorities, and what would you need to understand first?”
• “Can you give me an example of how you’ve helped a client address a similar challenge?”

Listen for thoughtful follow-up questions. An accountant who wants to understand your goals before suggesting a solution is more likely to tailor their guidance than apply a standard approach. Notice whether they explain ideas in plain language and distinguish between what they know, what they’d need to check and what the next step might be. A relevant example is more useful than a broad promise.

Who will handle my work and keep in touch?

Find out whether the person you meet will be your regular contact or whether other team members will contribute. Ask who will oversee your work, who you can approach with everyday questions and how information or decisions will be shared between the people involved.

• “Who will be my main contact?”
• “Who else may work on my affairs, and what will they handle?”
• “How should I get in touch, and what response process should I expect?”

If you’re in Melbourne’s east, ask whether meetings can be arranged locally or remotely, then consider which option suits you. A business owner seeking regular conversations about performance may prefer a different meeting rhythm from someone who needs help with a specific tax matter. Brown Hamilton Partners is based in Nunawading and serves clients in Melbourne, Box Hill, Donvale, Blackburn, Doncaster and Ringwood as well as Nunawading.

Compare the answers across accountants. Clear explanations, attentive listening and relevant examples give you something concrete to assess. If an answer is vague, ask a follow-up before deciding whether the accountant’s experience and approach feel right for you.

Questions to Ask About Tax Services, Scope and Responsibilities

A service list doesn’t tell you what your own engagement will cover. Before agreeing to work together, ask for a clear explanation of the tasks included, what you’ll need to provide and how extra requests will be handled. This helps prevent different assumptions about responsibilities, especially if you need both ongoing support and year-end work.

What should I ask about tax returns, BAS and ongoing compliance?

Ask which returns, statements or reporting tasks apply to your circumstances, and whether the proposed work includes preparing and lodging them. If you run a business, clarify whether bookkeeping, BAS lodgement or payroll support is part of the arrangement or needs to be discussed separately. Many businesses rely on an external service like McConnell Bookkeeping for monthly reconciliations and financial statements, so understanding where the bookkeeper’s role ends and the accountant’s begins is essential. Don’t assume every service listed by a firm is included in your engagement.

Confirm what information the accountant needs, how to provide it and when it’s due. For example, ask whether they’ll need your business records, invoices or payroll information, and how they’ll let you know if something is missing. Also ask what happens if your circumstances change during the year, such as a change in business activity or a new tax question. A useful answer will explain how to raise the issue and whether it falls within the agreed work.

How do I understand the engagement and fees?

Ask how the fee arrangement works and exactly which tasks it covers. If you request extra advice or your needs change, find out how the accountant will explain any additional work and obtain your approval before proceeding. Ask for the responsibilities, timing and communication expectations in writing, so you can refer back to a shared understanding.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics offers a general overview of accountant qualifications and work, but its information relates to the United States. For your Australian engagement, ask the accountant directly about relevant experience and the services they’ll provide.

Use a simple comparison to keep each firm’s answers clear. Fill it in during or just after each meeting:

Area	What to clarify	Notes
Services	Which tax, accounting and advisory tasks are included?
Responsibilities	What records must you supply, and by when?
Communication	Who handles questions, changes and updates?
Reviews	How often will you discuss work and next steps?

These questions to ask a new accountant can turn a broad service promise into a clear working arrangement. If you’re considering an accountant in Melbourne’s east, review Brown Hamilton Partners’ accounting services as one point of comparison.

Questions to Ask About Proactive Tax Advice and Business Performance

Preparing tax returns and other reporting helps keep records up to date, but it may not answer what to do next. If you want guidance that informs decisions throughout the year, ask how the accountant approaches tax planning and business performance, and what falls within the agreed scope.

These questions to ask a new accountant can help you distinguish advice that looks ahead from work focused mainly on reporting past activity. Ask how they turn financial information into practical next steps. Recommendations will depend on your circumstances and the information available, so ask what assumptions or records would shape the advice.

What questions reveal an accountant’s approach to tax structuring?

Tax structuring should start with understanding your situation and goals, not with a one-size-fits-all recommendation. You could ask, “How would you assess whether my current structure supports my plans?” and “What information would you need before discussing tax-planning options?” For a business, that might include understanding how it operates, its priorities and the financial information available.

Listen for an explanation of the factors being considered, the assumptions behind any options and the trade-offs involved. Ask how a proposed approach relates to your broader goals, rather than focusing only on an immediate tax outcome. If an issue calls for specialist input beyond the accountant’s scope, ask them to explain that boundary and what kind of additional advice you may need.

How can an accountant support profit and cash flow decisions?

Ask which figures would be useful to track for your business and how the accountant can help you interpret them. Depending on your circumstances, conversations might cover profit trends, cash coming in and going out, or changes that could affect upcoming decisions. The aim isn’t to collect reports for their own sake. It’s to understand what the figures may mean for your next steps.

Find out whether quarterly reviews are available, what information they use and what you can expect to discuss. For example, a review could be an opportunity to examine changes in cash flow, check progress against business priorities and consider whether planned spending fits the picture. Clarify how often reviews can be arranged and whether they’re included in the engagement, rather than assuming a particular schedule or service.

If estate planning is relevant to your personal or business circumstances, ask whether it’s within the accountant’s scope and what support they can provide. Brown Hamilton Partners lists estate planning among its services, but confirm the specific work and responsibilities involved for your situation. Clear boundaries help you understand where the accountant can guide you and when another adviser may be needed.

Questions to Ask About Communication, Reviews and Working Together

Advice is useful when you can understand it and act on it. In your first meeting, notice whether the accountant explains ideas in plain English, listens to your priorities and connects recommendations to the decisions you need to make. Ask how you’ll stay in touch after the initial work begins, not just how the first meeting will run.

How will the accountant communicate and explain advice?

Ask which channels the team uses for routine updates and sharing documents. Find out who to contact with a question, how deadlines or missing information will be flagged, and what process to follow if something needs prompt attention. Agree how the accountant will confirm important advice and agreed actions after a conversation, such as in a written summary. That gives you a shared record to refer to later.

You can also ask, “Could you explain a complex issue in plain English, and show me how it might affect a decision I’m facing?” The answer helps you assess whether explanations feel direct and relevant, rather than difficult to follow or disconnected from your goals.

What happens during regular reviews?

If you’re a business owner, ask whether quarterly reviews can be part of the working relationship and what they would cover. For example, you might discuss your tax position, cash flow, profit trends and progress towards business goals. Check what financial information you should prepare, who will attend and how agreed actions will be followed up between meetings.

Reliable records make those conversations more useful. Ask what needs to be kept up to date and how the accountant prefers to receive information. Brown Hamilton Partners’ business bookkeeping guide can help you understand how organised bookkeeping supports clearer financial visibility.

Before you finish the meeting, confirm the practical details: how routine updates are shared, how urgent questions are handled, how decisions are documented and when you’ll next review progress. These questions to ask a new accountant help turn a promising first conversation into clear expectations for working together.

If you’re looking for an ongoing relationship that connects accounting support with business and tax guidance, learn more about Brown Hamilton Partners’ accounting services.

How to Compare Accountants and Choose Your Next Step

After meeting prospective accountants, compare their answers against the same criteria rather than relying on who made the strongest first impression. The questions to ask a new accountant are most useful when they show how each firm would support your actual needs, both now and as your priorities change.

Use a simple scorecard. Rate each area consistently, then add a short note with specific evidence from the conversation:

• Expertise: Did they explain relevant experience and ask questions about your circumstances?
• Scope: Were included work, responsibilities and next steps clear?
• Communication: Could they explain their approach in a way you understood?
• Proactive advice: Did they discuss how guidance could support future decisions, not only reporting?
• Working relationship: Do the contact arrangements and review approach suit you?

Give more weight to clear, specific answers than to broad assurances. If an accountant says they provide tailored advice, note whether they explained what they’d need to understand your goals or how they’d approach your situation. Record unanswered questions too. Follow up before deciding rather than filling gaps with assumptions.

What are good signs in a prospective accountant’s answers?

Look for curiosity before recommendations. A considered accountant will ask relevant questions, explain the proposed scope and responsibilities in accessible language, and outline practical next steps. They should also be able to describe how advice may adapt as your goals or financial information change. This matters if you need support with immediate tax work as well as longer-term business planning, cash flow or estate planning.

How can I move forward after the first conversation?

Write down your priorities and send any follow-up questions that would affect your decision. Then read the proposed engagement carefully. Check that the services, responsibilities, communication expectations and review arrangements match what you discussed. If something is unclear, ask for an explanation before agreeing to work together.

For broader selection criteria, see Brown Hamilton Partners’ small business accountant selection guide. If personalised accounting or tax-advisory support may suit your needs, contact Brown Hamilton Partners to discuss your circumstances.

Choose an Accountant Who Can Support Your Next Steps

The right accountant should offer more than a clear answer to an immediate tax question. They should understand your priorities, explain what’s included and how you’ll work together, and discuss support for longer-term financial goals. Use the questions to ask a new accountant to compare relevant experience, service scope, communication and proactive guidance, rather than relying on a polished first impression alone.

For business owners, ask how you might work together on tax planning, tracking financial performance and reviewing profit and cash flow over time. For personal needs, clarify whether tax advice and estate planning support fit your circumstances and the proposed engagement.

Brown Hamilton Partners has operated for more than 30 years and provides services including tax advisory, business planning, tax returns, bookkeeping and BAS support. The firm also emphasises personalised service and strong client relationships. Confirm which services and arrangements are right for your needs.

Talk with Brown Hamilton Partners about your accounting and tax-advisory needs. A thoughtful first conversation can help you choose a trusted partner and move forward with greater clarity.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most important questions to ask a new accountant?

Focus on whether the accountant understands your situation, what work is included and how you’ll communicate. Ask who will handle your affairs, what information they need from you, how additional work is discussed and whether they can provide proactive tax advice. If you run a business, ask how they can help you track financial performance and discuss profit or cash flow. Clear answers help you compare the working relationship, not just a service list.

How do I know if a new accountant is right for my business?

A good fit is someone who asks about your business goals before suggesting an approach, explains their advice clearly and sets out responsibilities and next steps. Check whether their experience relates to your circumstances, and ask how they could support both tax needs and longer-term planning. Brown Hamilton Partners has operated for over 30 years and provides business tax and advisory services. If you’re in Melbourne, Box Hill, Nunawading, Donvale, Blackburn, Doncaster or Ringwood, consider whether the firm’s local base suits your preferences.

Should I ask a new accountant about fees before switching?

Yes. Ask how the fee arrangement works, which services and tasks it covers, and how extra requests or changes in your needs will be discussed. You don’t need to compare firms on price alone. Compare what each arrangement includes, how responsibilities are divided and whether you understand the proposed work. Request the details in writing, and clarify anything that’s unclear before agreeing to proceed. This helps both sides start with aligned expectations.

What should I ask about changing accountants?

Ask what information and records the new accountant will need, how the changeover will be managed and whether there are timing considerations for current work. Clarify who will contact your former accountant, if anyone, and what you need to arrange yourself. Don’t assume records or unfinished tasks will transfer automatically. A clear handover plan can help you avoid confusion, identify outstanding matters and understand who is responsible for each next step.

How often should I meet with my business accountant?

Choose a review rhythm that matches your business needs and confirm what’s included in the engagement. Quarterly reviews can provide regular opportunities to discuss financial information, tax position, cash flow and progress towards business goals. Ask what records to prepare, who will attend and how follow-up actions will be tracked. The useful measure isn’t simply how often you meet, but whether each conversation helps you understand the numbers and make informed decisions.

Can a new accountant help with tax planning and business structure?

An accountant may be able to discuss tax planning and whether your current business structure supports your goals, depending on their services and the agreed scope. Ask what information they need before discussing options, how they explain trade-offs and whether specialist advice may be needed. Brown Hamilton Partners lists tax advisory and business planning among its services. Confirm which specific guidance is available for your circumstances before relying on it as part of an engagement.

What should I bring to my first meeting with a new accountant?

Bring information that helps explain your current position and what you want to achieve. This might include recent tax returns, financial statements, bookkeeping or BAS information, details of current accounting arrangements and a list of questions. Business owners can note upcoming decisions or concerns about profit and cash flow. You don’t need to guess every document they’ll require. Ask ahead what would make the conversation useful, and confirm how to share sensitive records.