A field manual for communicating with legacy accountants

#taxtwitter #accounting #bookkeeping

A thread

Legacy accountant [L]
I don't like web apps. It takes too long to click around.

Future-proof accountant [F]
Web apps allow you to connect your data. Rather than clicking around, keying in data, you're reviewing output.

[L] The staff doesn't need to learn new tool X - All our clients use Z.

[F] If there is time/money/simplicity to be bought by using this tool, we can:
-Save our clients money
-Bill them for the value

[L] Why would we want to be more efficient, we bill hourly

[F] Switch to value billing

{L] That's unfair to clients

[F] Do you adjust bills?

{L] Yes

[F] Based on what?

{L] Prior year

[F] You're already value billing

[L] I don't need to learn these tools. There will always be a place for me with my clients, because my clients aren't interested in these tools.

[F] They aren't until they realize there is money to be saved, at which point I hope we're the ones to show them.

[L] Put in your years. You'll get there

[F] I'm already there based on metric X Y and Z. Help me to understand why I should put in my years here, specifically?

[L] Realization is the only true measure of an accountant

[F] Who decides what to charge the client?

[L] Well I do

[L] We don't need to be their entire accounting department. My clients will always need me for tax.

[F] You're right, they will always need tax support. My concern is when other good tax accountants will support their entire actg dept, what's to stop them from switching?

[L] Tax is where the margin is. You'll never make as much money in client accounting service.

[F] CAS fees go up each year, and automation continues to improve. That's a nice place to set yourself up for the long-term.

[L] Don't tell anyone about what we do. Those are valuable company secrets.

[F] By sharing our playbook for X, we can show talented accountants & clients what makes us different. Imitation is validation.

[L] If they aren't working in the office how will I know they're working

[F] How do you know they're working when they're in the office?

What other old-timey accounting-isms am I missing?