Accountant messed up, can the cost of doing accounts be claimed back?

[Donny909]

Well, first off this is for my mums partner and asking here as I cant seem to find the or a correct section to place this issue.

 

Anyway for the last tax year my mums partner who is a self employed taxi driver and pays an accountant to go through all his income to correctly try and work out just how much he has to pay out to the tax man etc. He apparently paid the previous accountant about the £400 mark to sort his accounts out for the year and ended up with a a tax bill of about £1600 according to the first accountant.

 

When HMRC looked at the details they refused the findings on the basis that they were all wrong, were not calculated correctly and made little sence to HMRC with what was presented to them as done by the accountant.

 

My mums partner then had to go to another accountant (costing more than the first I think as they needed sorting quickly) and pay a second time for everything to be done, this time correctly so and the calculated tax was correct at near half the amount due in tax that the previous accountant had calculated.

 

Now the issue is that my mum feels he probably has a right to claim back what the first accountant was payed, about £400 as they never did the job they were paid to correctly and he had to pay a second accountant to go over everything again. I also feel he probably does have a right to claim back what he paid the first accountant but a little unsure and my mums partner feels he does not want to make a fuss unless there is a clear issue of he is entitled to and can rightfully claim back what the first accountant was paid yet failed to do what they were paid to do.

 

So does anyone know what rights my mums partner has when an accountant is paid to go over a persons accounts. incorrectly does them, findings refused by HMRC leaving him to pay a second accountant to correctly sort things out?.

[honeybee13]

Hello and welcome to CAG.

 

I'm not sure which forum this should go.

 

Should they speak to the ICAEW or the Scottish equivalent, depending on where they are?

 

My best, HB

[Donny909]

Well my mums partner lives and works mainly in North Wales, unsure of if it comes down to if the accountant in also in Wales or England?

[rebel11]

Hi donny

 

You need to find out which firm regulates the accountant in question, here's some info:- http://www.icaew.com/en/about-icaew/what-we-do/act-in-the-public-interest/protecting-the-public/complaints-process

 

Thread has been moved to the correct forum.