Blog: Checklist

Most fee disputes, scope arguments and malpractice claims against small accounting firms trace back to one document: an engagement letter that was missing, out of date, or written for a different service. Tax engagement letters usually get attention because the season forces it. Letters for bookkeeping, financial statement and advisory work are where firms cut corners: a one-page template from years ago, a scope line that says "accounting services," and nothing about what happens when the ...

Almost every accountant says they are good at Excel. Most are good at the part of Excel they use every day, and that is a different thing. The gap shows up in the workbook nobody else can follow, the reconciliation that takes three hours because the data had to be fixed by hand, and the lookup that silently returned the wrong row.

This post is a skills checklist for Excel and accounting work, organized by the tasks accountants actually do rather than by menu. For each area it covers ...