Frequently Asked Questions

Is Five+ Accounting a Chartered Accounting Practice?

Five+ is not a Chartered Accounting Practice. The New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants has strict rule relating to the ownership structure of an Accounting firm to call itself Chartered Accountants. Five+ doesn’t meet those ownership requirements, however we can and do employ individual Chartered Accountants. So you can be assured you are getting qualified and trained people preparing your accounts.

Five+ Accounting has high standards of best practice for all work completed and our company values and ethics are aligned to the Institute's Code of Ethics.

What difference does that mean for me as a customer of Five+ Accounting?

You won’t notice much difference. We still have professional indemnity insurance, we want to be around for a long time, so it is in our best interest to provide the best quality result for you as a customer. Also our staff who are CAs have to adhere to the NZICA rules and ethics at all times and complete the mandatory continuing education training.

How much will it cost me to use your services?

It depends. We are not the cheapest in town, however our goal is to provide you with more value than the fees you pay. The key is that there will be no surprises. Before we start doing any work with you, we will agree together on the price for an agreed scope of work. If there are changes that become evident we will mention these with you and again agree on any extra (if at all) that is required. We prefer to set a fixed fee up front because charging by the hour rarely resembles the value to you. If we do your annual accounts you will also have the option to have a fixed price agreement where the total for the year is spread out over 12 months.

Is it difficult for me to change Accountants? What is involved?

It is easy to change accountants. If you are unhappy with your existing accountant, then it is at least worth finding out what is possible. No matter how good your accounts are, there is always something extra that may be missed at present.

To make the change see this page about the process - Changing to Five+ accounting. It is easy, and we can even deal with your old accountant if you don’t want to. There is no point putting up with any service provider who is not performing. Your accountant should be no different.

My accounts are a mess and I am a bit embarrassed about it. Can you help me clean up the mess?

Whatever the reason may be that caused you to get into a mess, the longer you leave it, the worse it will get. There is no point brushing it under the carpet. We will not judge you for your situation. All we will do is help you sort it out, so you have a fresh start and peace of mind with your financial position.

So let us know your situation, warts and all! The more truthful you are about your situation, the more we can help.

How good is Five+ with Tax Minimisation and providing me with the best structures to save on tax?

There are two points to address here. Firstly our philosophy to tax minimisation is that we will help you have the optimum structure so you pay only the tax you are required to legally pay. With a review of your structures and tax you are paying at present we can tell you if there is a more efficient way to do things. However ultimately you want a business that is making a very good profit, which will mean paying tax. This should not be seen as a bad thing. We will not doing anything that is illegal, or unethical. We can however get an opinion from the IRD before a transaction takes place if need be.

The second point is that with tax rules changing so often it is very hard for any firm to have the resources to be right on top of the latest tax  rules. So if we are faced with a situation we need an expert opinion on, we access our network of specialists in the relevant tax area.

How is Five+ Accounting Different to other Accounting Firms?

The front page of the website explains it in more detail, but in a nutshell:

1. We have a Price Guarantee- no more scary surprises as we will agree on the cost of every job before we start.
2. Fixed Price Agreements- There is an option to pay a flat fee throughout the year for all your accounting services. With this you also gain telephone access for ad hoc questions without the fear of the clock ticking.
3. The People- the founder of Five+ Accounting is an entrepreneur who has won the Young Entrepreneur of the Year title. He understands more than most what goes on in a business and the pressures you face. Plus his skills in helping businesses grow their top line sales will outperform 99.9% of other accountants in the country.
4. Speed- We guarantee how quickly we will get your accounts done for you. We can do this because of excellent systems and processes. For every day we are late on the agreed date, we will pay you $100! The same goes for filing your tax returns.
5. Time and Information to Help You Grow Your Business- You will get proactive help from us with your business and we will monitor your results throughout the year. Plus you’ll receive highly profitable information on business strategies you can apply to your business.

What Results Have You Achieved

See the client results page by clicking here

What are the important dates I need to know about?

We’ll keep you posted on the key ones, but here they all are by following this link on our website.

And Receive These 5 Valuable Profit Making Resources…

+ CD 1 - Confessions of a Young Entrepreneur
+ CD 2 - Access to Millionaire Minds- Bill Day
+ CD 3 - Time & Productivity for Entrepreneurs
+ Excel Sheet - Daily Cash Flow Forecasting Tool
+ Report - The Definitive Guide to Controlling Business Expenses

Loads of Money Making (and saving)
Ideas for Your Business