If you run a business in France, your relationship with your accountant – or expert-comptable – can be one of your most important professional relationships.
Yet many business owners stay with the same accountant for years out of habit. Sometimes it’s because changing feels complicated. Sometimes it’s because they assume every accountant essentially offers the same service.
They don’t.
If you regularly find yourself frustrated with your accountant, struggling to get answers or unsure what you’re actually paying for, it may be time to step back and assess the relationship.
Your accountant is a professional service provider. You should be able to establish what services you’re paying for, what you can expect from them and what remains your responsibility.
Before deciding to change accountant, however, there’s an important first step.
Start By Asking: What Do You Actually Want From Your Accountant?
Think about hiring a tradesperson to work on your home.
Imagine telling a builder to “sort the house out”, leaving them to make all the decisions and then complaining because the finished result isn’t what you had in mind.
It’s difficult for either side to succeed without clear expectations.
The same principle applies to your business finances.
You need to understand what you want from your accountant – and your accountant needs to understand what you expect from them.
Do you simply want someone to manage your accounting and tax obligations?
Do you want regular conversations about your numbers?
Do you need help with payroll?
Do you want advice when making significant financial decisions?
Do you expect someone to proactively alert you to issues affecting your business?
Starting with clear expectations makes it much easier to assess whether your existing accountant is actually providing the service you need.
Read Your Lettre de Mission
In France, your relationship with your accountant should be set out in your lettre de mission.
Before deciding that your accountant is doing a bad job, read it.
What have they actually agreed to provide?
It’s easy for expectations to grow over time, particularly when you’ve worked with the same firm for several years.
Accounting, bookkeeping, tax compliance, payroll, legal formalities and broader business support can involve different services and potentially different fees.
If your agreement covers a defined set of accounting and tax services, don’t automatically assume that every additional service or meeting is included.
The important question is:
Does the service you’re paying for match the service you now need?
Your business may simply have developed beyond the relationship you originally established.
Signs It May Be Time to Change Your French Accountant
If you’ve checked the scope of your agreement and the relationship still isn’t working, there are several warning signs worth considering.
You Struggle to Get Answers
Every professional can be busy, particularly around major accounting and tax deadlines.
But if you consistently struggle to get answers to reasonable questions, communication may be a problem.
Important Issues Always Feel Last-Minute
Some issues genuinely arise unexpectedly.
However, if you’re repeatedly discovering important obligations or deadlines at the last minute, it’s worth discussing how communication and planning could be improved.
You Receive Numbers Without Understanding Them
Receiving a set of accounts isn’t the same as understanding them.
You should be able to ask questions about the figures and understand what they mean for your business.
If you’re presented with numbers that you don’t understand, ask for an explanation.
Your Accountant Doesn’t Seem to Understand Your Business
As your business grows, its needs can become more complicated.
International customers, employees, investments, new services, TVA and changing business structures can all affect the type of accounting support you require.
If your accountant doesn’t understand how your business operates today, it may be worth reviewing whether the relationship is still the right fit.
Understand the True Cost of Accounting Services
If you decide to explore alternatives, don’t simply compare monthly prices.
Accountancy quotes aren’t necessarily like-for-like.
One firm might include a service within its monthly fee while another charges separately. Some services may include access to software, regular advice or legal support, while others may price these separately.
Before requesting quotes, write down exactly what your business needs.
Then ask potential accountants to explain:
What’s included?
What’s excluded?
What costs extra?
Who will I deal with?
How do I ask questions?
What happens when I need advice outside routine accounting work?
The aim is to compare the overall service, not simply the headline price.
You Don’t Necessarily Need Everything From One Provider
There’s another approach worth considering.
Your accountant doesn’t necessarily have to provide every type of business support you need.
Think of it like shopping at two different supermarkets.
You might use one because it offers excellent quality and value for certain products, while using another for things it does particularly well.
Your business support can work in the same way.
An expert-comptable can handle the specialist accounting and tax elements appropriate to your business, while other professional resources can help you develop your wider understanding of running and growing a business in France.
The important thing is knowing who you rely on for what.
Considering an Online French Accountant
For business owners comfortable managing their finances digitally, an online accounting firm may be another option to investigate.
One provider I regularly recommend is Dougs, an online French accountancy firm registered with the Ordre des Experts-Comptables.
Dougs combines accounting software with professional accounting services and offers different packages depending on the level of support required.
As with any accountant, however, don’t choose a provider simply because somebody else recommends them.
Look at your own business.
Consider your structure, activity, number of transactions, employees, international activity and the level of personal support you want.
Then compare those requirements with the services included in the package you’re considering.
Where Does the ABC Business Club Fit In?
This is where it’s important to distinguish accountancy services from wider business support.
The ABC Business Club isn’t intended to replace an expert-comptable.
Instead, it gives English-speaking entrepreneurs in France somewhere to improve their understanding of the wider financial and practical issues involved in running their businesses.
That might mean understanding terminology, learning which questions to ask, discussing business planning or becoming more confident about your numbers before speaking to your accountant.
Used together, professional accounting support and greater business understanding can help you become a much more informed business owner.
Your accountant can deal with the specialist accounting and tax work within the scope of their engagement.
You remain responsible for understanding and managing the business you’re building.
Ready to Review Your Accounting Setup?
Changing accountants doesn’t have to be a nightmare.
But don’t change simply because you’re frustrated.
First, establish what isn’t working.
Then decide what you actually need.
Read your lettre de mission, define your expectations, compare services properly and choose the arrangement that best fits the business you run today.
Considering Dougs?
If you’d like to investigate whether Dougs could be suitable for your business, you can find out more about its accounting packages and services below.
Find Out More About Dougs Here
Affiliate disclosure: If you sign up through this link, we may receive a commission. This doesn’t increase the price you pay.
Looking for Wider Business Support?
Join the ABC Business Club for plain-English information, practical resources and a community designed to help English-speaking entrepreneurs better understand running a business in France.