Can I take legal action against my accountant?
Can I take legal action against my accountant?
The short answer is yes, you can sue your accountant for professional negligence but you must be able to satisfy certain legal criteria to prove their actions were negligent.
Can you sue your accountant?
If the accountant claims that there are no errors to fix, or if they refuse to pay back your IRS penalties that they are responsible for making in the first place, then you may be able to sue your accountant for malpractice. In a lawsuit like this, you may be able to claim your penalties as damages.
What needs to be proven to find an accountant liable for negligence?
In order to recover from an auditor under common law negligence theory, the client must prove:
- Duty of care.
- Breach of Duty.
- Losses.
- Causation.
What happens if an accountant makes a mistake?
If the error seems to be the result of an honest mistake, you can ask your preparer to take the necessary corrective steps, including filing an amended return. When the mistake results in fees or penalties, the service provider will often compensate the customer directly in order to smooth things over.
Who do you complain to about accountants?
If you’re still unhappy with the actions of the accountant, you should complain directly to their regulatory body. There are professional bodies that regulate the accountancy profession, but for most consumer-based accountancy work, the regulatory body will probably be one of the institutes of chartered accountants.
Can a company take action against an accountant?
give the company/directors legal ownership of any accounting papers necessary for them to carry out their fiduciary duties, therefore any working papers that are key links between basic records and final accounts belong to the company, not the accountant, and in law the accountant has no right to retain these (even if there are unpaid fees).
Can a professional negligence claim be made against an accountant?
However, this is not always the case. If you have received poor advice or suffered financial loss because of their actions, you may be able to claim compensation. In which case, an expert professional negligence lawyer can help you recover your losses. Has my accountant been negligent?
How to sue an accountant for financial loss?
To successfully sue your accountant you need to be able to prove a financial loss, either to you personally or to your business. It is therefore important to have gathered as much evidence as possible to support your claim in case your matter sends up going to court.
When to make a complaint about an accountant?
Where disputes between accountants and clients arise from poor service, rather than as a result of a mistake that has caused a financial loss or liability, making a formal complaint to the firm may be more appropriate than pursing a professional negligence claim or reporting an accountant to its regulator. Examples of poor service may include: