Hi Hutch,

There are a couple of avenues you can look at dependent upon the agreement between yourself and the accountant.

Usually, your accountant should provide you with a fee schedule and a letter of agreement. If this was not provided, then unfortunately, you cannot go to the department of fair trading as they will require this information to process your complaint. If you do not have this agreement, then your other option is to go to the Consumer Affairs Tribunal within the small claims court.

Before you complain to the above regulatory body, you need to negotiate your concerns with the accountant. They may be able to give you a break down in fees and you can negotiate the cost from there. Please make sure that when you ask for a breakdown, the accountant does not charge you for this as some accountants do.

Your dissatisfaction seems to be related to the charges incurred and miscommunication of the expected charges not the actual work undertaken.

Hope the above helps.