You hired an accounting firm. Why are you still chasing answers?
An Ontario IT-business owner left an accountant after waiting more than a month for replies. With the next accountant, the figures still needed explaining—and the owner worried about being annoying.
That last detail stayed with us. Asking about your own business had started to feel like asking a favour.
For this Anytime Accounting study, we reviewed nine Canadian Reddit discussions about choosing and working with accountants. Below are four recurring difficulties, in the authors’ own words, and what you can take from them when choosing help. These are personal accounts; we have not independently established the events they describe.
1. You send a message. Then you wait.
Helpful at first. Then missed meetings and silence.
“Both times, the accountants were initially very helpful and great, but then began inconsistently replying, not showing up to meetings I had planned with them and not responding to my requests to reschedule.”
A new business owner in BC describes the same frustration with two accountants, both found through personal referrals.
Original Reddit post
This owner had done something sensible: asked for recommendations. Yet the helpful first conversations did not turn into dependable contact.
Silence leaves another job on your desk. You have to decide whether to follow up, book another meeting or keep waiting. Agree who you can contact and when to expect a reply. A referral starts the conversation; the way it continues matters too.
2. How will your accountant bill you?
The estimate was $1,800. Could the bill be $3,000?
“His original estimate was $1,800 to help with T2 filing. Now there's a chance he's gonna charge $3,000 (he put it on my balance sheet and said he's rounding up for simplicity).”
An Ontario holding-company owner is trying to find out what the work will cost. The higher amount is a possibility in the post, not a confirmed final bill.
Original Reddit post
This owner is trying to understand how the original estimate relates to the work and the eventual bill. A number on its own has not answered that question.
Accounting firms have different ways of billing. Before you start working together, ask: ‘How will you bill me?’ Have that conversation about everyday contact as well as the main service.
For example, you can ask:
- Do you charge by the job, by the hour or through a monthly arrangement?
- How do you bill for emails and phone calls?
- Which questions are part of the service, and which need separate work?
Our view on clarification charges
We do not think a client should receive an unexpected separate bill simply because their accountant needed to clarify a detail in work already commissioned. The client should understand how the firm bills before making that call or sending that email.
3. The figures arrive. The explanation does not.
Waiting over a month—and worrying about being a nuisance.
“However 1 year down the line, he stopped responding to my questions in time (taking over a month to respond) and hence we had to part ways. […] I know these are just basic business questions and I don't want to seem annoying to my accountant.”
An Ontario IT-business owner changed accountants after long waits. With the replacement, the owner still wanted basic explanations of the figures.
Original Reddit post
This is the owner from our opening. With the replacement accountant, one question was especially concrete: why did the telephone-expense total differ from the records the owner had sent?
A useful explanation would connect the owner's records to the result. You can ask where a figure comes from without learning to prepare the accounts yourself. That question should be part of choosing support, not something you save for strangers on a forum.
4. You pay for the work. You cannot see where it stands.
$400 a month for bookkeeping. What had actually been done?
“His office handled my taxes, corps, my husbands taxes, and also did the bookkeeping for my corp at an extra $400/month. Ive always personally struggled and loathed dealing with taxes, paperwork and accounting so my head was in the sand for months before I realized nothing was really being done. That was my fault.”
The owner describes paying for corporate bookkeeping and later questioning the progress. The excerpt also preserves her admission that she put off checking.
Original Reddit postThe payment message arrived at 4pm. It said: due today.
“On top of this, she emailed me with no warning at 4pm on March 31 to tell me I owe $26k in corporate taxes, and they are due that same day.”
A first-time corporation owner describes when the payment instruction arrived. March 31 is the date in this person's account, not a deadline for every corporation.
Original Reddit post
One owner put off checking. Another says the payment instruction arrived on the day it was due. Both accounts raise a practical question: how does progress reach the person running the business?
You should not have to reconstruct it from invoices and last-minute messages. Agree how you will see what is finished, what is waiting on you and what comes next. A short update can make the next action understandable without handing the accounting work back to you.
What our research found
Across these posts, owners are trying to find out why nobody replies, how the bill is calculated and what is happening with their work. We grouped those concerns and counted how often each appeared.
Our research · Anytime Accounting
Four concerns kept coming up
Our sample: nine Canadian Reddit threads about business-accounting difficulties and choosing help.
Sources checked August 30, 2026
| Concern | Posts |
|---|---|
| Slow replies or difficulty reaching someone | 5/9 |
| Price, increases or value for money | 5/9 |
| Unclear explanations or scope of work | 4/9 |
| Reported problems with work or timing | 4/9 |
We looked specifically for problems, so these counts do not measure satisfaction across Canada. One post can mention several concerns; the rows overlap.
Where do these numbers come from?
The links below are the nine posts we counted. Open any one to read the original account; the labels show which concerns we included in our totals.
How we counted
- On August 30, 2026, we checked nine Canadian business-accounting posts found through targeted searches and earlier research notes. We selected difficulties and questions about choosing help, not a cross-section of all client experiences.
- One thread counts once. We marked concerns explicitly described in the original post; comments add nothing to the totals. One post can have several labels. An absent label means we did not identify that concern in the text.
- We excluded duplicates, inaccessible or fictional stories, non-Canadian accounts and personal-return-only discussions. The sample includes corporations, a sole proprietor and a business owner's spouse. Six of these posts supply the featured excerpts.
- Search and theme assignment were AI-assisted, without an independent second coder. We did not interview anyone or independently verify the reported events.
Anytime Accounting prepared this study and provides accounting services. These posts do not establish wrongdoing or a fair market price; our comments express our view of the working relationship.
The nine original posts
- 1.[BC] Is ghosting normal for accountants?
A business owner describes inconsistent replies and missed meetings with two accountants. Counted once, not as two clients or two cases.
- Contact
- 2.[ON] Is my Ontario accountant charging fairly? $3000 for T2 Filing With No Bookkeeping, No Engagement Letter
The author reports a changing estimate, disagreement about included work, unexplained adjustments, apparent draft errors and an unacknowledged request. We did not inspect the accounts or agreement.
- Contact
- Fees
- Explanations
- Delivery
- 3.[CA] Dealing with incorporated consultant accounting
An incorporated consultant asks whether annual filing or ongoing support is needed and how to judge quotes. This is uncertainty about buying help, not an allegation of misconduct.
- Fees
- Explanations
- 4.[ON] Accountant bill of $2,500 too much for Small Biz?
A business owner's spouse questions a year-end bill. The post does not establish what was agreed or whether the accountant withheld fee information; it is coded only as a price concern.
- Fees
- 5.[ON] What to expect from an accountant?
An IT-business owner reports waiting more than a month for replies and not understanding the expense figures supplied by a replacement accountant. A general fee question is not coded as a price complaint.
- Contact
- Explanations
- 6.Should I fire my accountant or is this purely on me?
A new corporation owner describes unclear payment guidance and learning about a tax payment on its due date. Tax interpretations and alleged consequences in the post were not adopted as facts.
- Explanations
- Delivery
- 7.Reporting an accountant: concerns about unfinished work (editorial label)
A corporation owner alleges unfinished bookkeeping, late or incorrect work and an unanswered follow-up. No professional finding or underlying documents were checked.
- Contact
- Delivery
- 8.[ON] Questions about an accounting engagement (editorial label)
A sole proprietor describes unanswered questions, late filings and a higher fee. Included for the business-accounting relationship, not as evidence specifically about T2 preparation.
- Contact
- Fees
- Delivery
- 9.[BC] My accountant is charging me $3,500 for filing my T2 with a relatively simple operation...
An owner questions an increased T2 fee while describing a year that includes investments. Neither the post nor this review proves overcharging or establishes a fair market price.
- Fees
What these stories leave with us
‘I’d rather just go to a dentist.’
“And she files and disappears. My questions or concerns don’t get answered. […] I’m dreading tax season every year because I’d rather just go to a dentist. They take better care of me there.”
An Ontario sole proprietor describes unanswered questions and is considering a fourth accountant. This is a business-accounting relationship, not a T2 filing case.
Original Reddit post
The writer has paid for help and is still left alone with questions. Our main takeaway is simple: being able to ask your accountant a question is part of the working relationship.
When you leave your car at a garage, you expect to hear what has been done. With an accountant, you also need to know how to reach someone, how the bill is worked out and when you will hear about progress.
For your first conversation
Four questions to ask an accountant
- Contact
How do I reach you?
Who handles questions during our work together?
- Billing
How will you bill me?
Including calls, emails and work outside the main service.
- Explanations
Can you explain my figures?
Using the records and activity of my own business.
- Progress
How will I know what is done?
When to expect an update, and what you still need from me.
Keep these questions handy when you first talk about working together.
How we work with clients at Anytime Accounting
To us, an honest working relationship means answering your questions, explaining the figures and keeping you informed about your accounting. You should be able to ask when something is unclear.
We can handle your bookkeeping and corporate tax preparation. In our first conversation, we discuss your situation, the help your business needs and how we bill for that work.
Let’s talk about your business accounting
Bring your situation to a free initial consultation.
What clients say about working with us
Reviews from our public Google profile
Reviews on the chosen topic come first
I had a great experience with Anytime Accounting for my self-employed tax return. Olha Vozna was incredibly helpful, knowledgeable, and patient throughout the entire process. She made what can be a stressful time feel completely manageable and ensured everything was handled accurately. I felt confident every step of the way knowing I was in good hands. I highly recommend Anytime Accounting to anyone looking for reliable and professional accounting services!
We had a consistently professional and well-organized experience. Olga Vozna is detail-oriented and structured in her approach, making the process smooth and stress-free. The team at Anytime Accounting was also responsive and supportive throughout. Everything felt efficient and well managed, and we were confident that all documents were prepared and submitted correctly. Highly recommended for anyone looking for reliable accounting support.
This article is general information, not personal tax advice. Your situation may differ. For advice specific to you, book a free call.