Using an Accountant On-Call - Is it a Good Idea for You?

If you're starting a business, you'll soon find that one of the most important members of staff will be your accountant. He or she will be responsible for the majority of your finances, including payroll, tax preparation, and a wide variety of other money-related tasks.

One way to find an accountant for your business is to use an accountant on-call. These types of employees are typically hired from staffing or placement agencies and can be hired on a temp or temp to perm basis.

There are a number of benefits to utilizing an accountant on call, including:

• Saved time and effort. With an accountant on call from a placement agency, you don't need to go through the time, effort, and money required with posting a job ad, sorting through resumes, and interviewing potential candidates - all of this takes you away from running your business.


• Save money. New hires cost, on average, $2,000 a piece just to start and train. This does not count the amount of money lost by taking the interviewer away from his or her own duties.


• Easier payroll. With a temp or accountant on-call, you don't have to worry about benefits or tax preparation; the employer simply pays the agency for the use of "their" accountant, and they in turn take care of all payroll and tax information for that employee.


• Little commitment. Hiring an employee on a temporary basis leaves you with little commitment to that employee. You have not invested a great deal of time and money in training and other expenses. In addition, if you are not pleased with his or her performance, or would rather go to someone else, you simply call the agency and tell him or her not to send the accountant back.

However, the main drawback of accountants on call is that they are transient - these employees are usually looking for something permanent, and if a more permanent offer comes their way, they will most likely take it. However, if you decide to hire the accountant on a permanent basis, you face steep fines from the agency for taking "their" employee. This is usually a flat rate or a one-time fee that is a percentage of the starting employee's salary.

Should I Use an Accountant On-Call?
Whether or not you use an accountant on call depends on your status as a business as well as your needs. A business just starting out would be wise to get their accountant from a staffing firm, as it will not take valuable time away from running the business to conduct interviews, review resumes, and other such duties that go along with hiring. The staffing firm has already taken care of that; they simply send you the employee.

If you don't have use for a full-time accountant just yet, an accountant on call is certainly the way to go, as you only pay for the accountant when you need him or her, whether it's tax time or once a week to prepare payroll.

Ultimately, the decision to hire an accountant on call will depend on the state of your business and your needs at the time. If you don't have the workload or resources for a full-time accountant, or if you are unsure of the hiring practice, then an accountant on call is a good choice.

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