--- title: "12 Questions to Ask Before Hiring an Accountant | EverStone" url: https://www.everstonecpa.com/questions-to-ask-an-accountant description: "Twelve questions that separate a real CPA engagement from a tax-season stranger — with the answers you should expect. Compare them with our own answers." type: service-or-info updated: 2026-10-08 faq_count: 4 publisher: EverStone CPA Inc., a Chartered Professional Accountant firm registered with CPA British Columbia and CPA Alberta service_area: British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Manitoba language: en-CA contact: info@everstonecpa.com · https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online --- [Home](https://www.everstonecpa.com/) [Resources](https://www.everstonecpa.com/resources) Questions to ask Choosing an accountant # Twelve questions to ask an accountant *before you hire one* Updated 8 October 2026 **Quick answer:** Test an accountant with checkable questions: who does the work, what the fee includes, what happens between filings, how CRA letters are handled. Below are our twelve, each with a good answer and our own, so you can hold us to it. What this covers, at a glance. ## Credentials and the person doing the work - **1. Are you a CPA, and can I verify that?** The designation is verifiable — our [verification guide](https://www.everstonecpa.com/how-to-verify-a-cpa-bc) shows how. *Ours:* yes; the steps to check are published on that page. - **2. Who actually prepares and reviews my file?** In some firms the person you meet is not the person who does the work. *Ours:* the CPA you speak to is the person on your file, year-round. - **3. How many clients like me do you act for?** “Like me” matters — incorporated contractors and owner-managers have different needs than employees. *Ours:* owner-managed corporations are the practice, not a sideline. ## Fees and scope - **4. Is the fee fixed and quoted in advance?** Hourly billing makes every question cost money. *Ours:* fixed, in writing, before work starts — [published here](https://www.everstonecpa.com/pricing). - **5. What exactly does the fee include?** The gap between quotes is usually scope, not efficiency. *Ours:* the engagement letter lists inclusions; questions between filings are part of the fee, not billable events. - **6. What costs extra, and how is that decided?** A good firm can name the boundary. *Ours:* one-time work — like [catch-up](https://www.everstonecpa.com/behind-on-bookkeeping) — is quoted separately, once, before it begins. ## The service between filings - **7. What happens the other eleven months?** A year-end-only relationship means planning happens after the year is closed — too late. *Ours:* deadlines tracked, questions answered, planning done in-year. - **8. If the CRA sends a letter, what do you do?** The answer should be a process, not reassurance. *Ours:* send it before responding; reading it is part of the service. See our [letter decoders](https://www.everstonecpa.com/cra-letter-t2-review). - **9. How fast do you respond, in writing?** Ask for a stated standard. *Ours:* one business day. ## Fit and exit - **10. How does the year-end handover work if I join mid-mess?** *Ours:* the [switching process](https://www.everstonecpa.com/switching-accountants) is published, and we do the chasing. - **11. What do your clients say, verifiably?** Reviews should be checkable at the source, not quoted at you. *Ours:* [on Google](https://www.everstonecpa.com/reviews), unedited. - **12. If I leave, what happens to my records?** The records are yours; a professional says so plainly. *Ours:* handed over completely, promptly, no hostage-taking. [Get My Fixed Quote](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online)[Ask a Free Question](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question) General information, not tax advice. A letter’s own wording and dates govern — confirm anything that affects a decision by [sending us an enquiry](https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online). [Choosing an accountant in Mission](https://www.everstonecpa.com/blog/choosing-an-accountant-mission-bc) adds the questions that matter there. ## Common questions about questions to ask **What is the single most revealing question?** Number 2 — who actually does the work. It predicts the quality of everything else, and firms where the answer is vague tend to be vague about scope and fees as well. [Ask about your case →](https://www.everstonecpa.com/quick-question) **Should price be the deciding factor?** Price should be knowable in advance — that is a professionalism test — but the deciding factor is usually fit: whether the firm’s core clientele looks like your business, and whether the person on your file answers you in-year. **Is it rude to ask an accountant these directly?** A good accountant enjoys these questions, because they are easy to answer well and they filter for clients who value the service. Any offence taken is itself an answer. **Can I ask EverStone these in an enquiry?** Please do — the list exists because we are content to be measured by it. Book the consult, bring the twelve, and hold the answers to the standard on this page. --- Source: https://www.everstonecpa.com/questions-to-ask-an-accountant Prices: https://www.everstonecpa.com/pricing · Contact: info@everstonecpa.com · https://www.everstonecpa.com/book-online