The questions we get asked most
Grouped by where you probably are in the process. If yours isn't here, email hello@accountforme.com and we'll answer it properly rather than routing you to a sales call.
Getting started
What's the smallest way to try this?
A two-week paid pilot on one entity or one process, billed at half the equivalent monthly rate. If the output doesn't match your standard you walk away with no notice period and no fee — and you keep the process documentation we built.
How long does onboarding take?
Twelve working days from signed scope to first reviewed deliverable, in most cases. Complex multi-entity engagements or unusual software can extend that to three or four weeks; we'll tell you which you are on the first call.
What do you need from us to get going?
Access to your accounting system, a walkthrough of how the process runs today, and one person on your side who can answer questions during the first fortnight. That's it.
Do you work with businesses directly, or only through accounting firms?
Both, and they are separate service lines with separate pages. Businesses hire us directly for their whole finance function; firms use us as a delivery team behind their own brand.
How we work
Who reviews the work before it reaches us?
A second qualified accountant, always, on every deliverable. The preparer and the reviewer are different people and the review is against a checklist built from your file standard, not a generic one.
How do we communicate day to day?
A shared Slack or Teams channel with a named engagement lead. Not a ticket portal, not a shared inbox. You know who is doing your work and you can message them directly.
What about time zones?
Teams are rostered to overlap with your working day — typically four to six hours live. For US clients this often runs as an overnight cycle: work sent at 6pm is reviewed and waiting by 8am.
What happens when volumes spike?
Managed tiers include 20% volume headroom before a band review, and we don't retro-bill. Dedicated-team engagements flex by adding part-time equivalents on fifteen days' notice.
Risk and control
Where is our data physically held?
In your systems, under your subscription — exactly where it is now. There is no Accountforme platform and no migration. Our accountants hold named user logins with MFA, and nothing is downloaded or stored on our machines.
Who authorises payments?
You do, without exception. We prepare payment runs and match them to invoices and approvals; you release them. We never hold banking credentials carrying transaction rights.
What certifications do you hold?
None, and we would rather say so than imply otherwise. Hosting certifications audit how a provider stores your data in their own platform — we do not store it anywhere, so there is nothing of that kind to certify. What we will do is answer your security questionnaire in full and put our access commitments in the contract. See data and access.
What if we want to leave?
Thirty days' notice, free handover support, and every SOP and workpaper transferred to you. There's no exit fee and no data held hostage. Lock-in isn't our retention strategy.
Commercials
Are there set-up or onboarding fees?
No. Scoping, SOP documentation, system access setup and the parallel-run period are all included in the quoted fee.
How are we billed?
Monthly in advance, 14-day terms, in USD, GBP, AUD or CAD as you prefer. No annual prepayment and no automatic escalation clause.
Do you charge for staff replacement or handover?
No. Replacement, training and handover overlap are our cost — you should not pay twice for the same seat because someone resigned.
Is there a minimum contract length?
After the pilot, engagements run rolling monthly with thirty days' notice. Project work has no ongoing commitment at all.
Let's size your first engagement
A 30-minute call, a written scope, and a fixed monthly price. No obligation, no procurement process, and a two-week paid pilot before you commit to anything longer.