Světlana Prikazčiková.

How to choose an accountant in Prague - some practical advice

Every entrepreneur knows that an integral part of entrepreneurship is accounting, the responsibility for which we entrust to a specific person. My name is Světlana Prikazčiková (on the photo) and I am a professional accountant with experience of working in the Czech Republic since 2006. I would like to give you some of my own recommendations and tell you what to look for when choosing an accountant.

1. In face-to-face meetings, have plenty of questions:

- Does the accountant have an economic or accounting education?

- Does the accountant have a Czech accounting qualification?

- Does the accountant have professional indemnity insurance?

2. You can find out how long an accountant has been working in the Czech Republic on the portal for licensed trades (www.rzp.cz) and on the website of the Trade Court (www.justice.cz). Other information is available in the portal for licensed trades. For example, whether the accountant works alone or with a responsible representative (odpovědný zástupce). If the accountant works with a responsible representative, it means that the accountant does not bear all the responsibility, but his guarantor does. 

3. Find out what kind of accounting software your potential accountant uses. If you decide to move to a new accountant, the process will be less painful if the transfer of documents is done by forwarding identical program files. Stromware Pohoda and Money S are the most popular accounting software available today. When transferring your accounts, it is essential to enlist the help of your new accountant to draw up a complete checklist for the correct transfer of your complete accounts. It is better to hand over the bookkeeping to a new accountant either after the annual accounts have been submitted, i.e. documents as at 30 June, or at the end of the calendar year, i.e. 31 December.

4. Ask your friends about the accountant, look for information about him or her on the internet. "Word of mouth is still a very powerful tool. Ask everything in detail, right down to the adequacy of communication - how quickly he or she responds to questions, requests, emergencies, etc.

5. Make sure you have an agreement with your accountant. The director is always responsible for the business activities and a documented agreement will allow you to claim from the accountant's insurance company for losses caused by his or her mistakes.

6. Make sure that your accounts are handled by the person with whom you have an agreement, and not by another accountant from an intermediary firm.

7. Before closing the annual accounts, always ask about the final financial result, whether the company will have a profit or a loss. A professional accountant will always inform you about the results of the year and the taxes you will have to pay to the Czech state.

8. Once the financial statements have been prepared, study the Rozvaha analytické document carefully. Pay particular attention to the accounts beginning with 3xx. These are debts - both yours and those owed to you. Ask yourself what these amounts are. They have a big impact on the picture of your business activities.

9. I recommend that you access your tax box at www.mojedane.cz (Daňové informační schránky / DIS+) yourself or with the help of an accountant. On this website you can see all your debts to the tax authorities, all the declarations you have made, all the calculations and deductions.

Světlana Prikazčiková.

Your accountant in Prague: www.businessvet.eu