You did the tax work as you were engaged to. Then the client ends up in trouble and asks: “Why didn’t my accountant tell me?”
Every accountant knows this conversation.
A director draws money out of the company for years then swears they had no idea about the director loan account. One BAS goes unlodged. Then four. Turns out that “contractor” should have been paid super. Staff have been underpaid… then the first thing the business owner says is: "I didn't know, my accountant never told me!"
As the accountant, you did what you were engaged to do. You prepared the tax return, maybe lodged the BAS, exactly as per your engagement letter. You thought the business owner understood what they were responsible for. They thought you’d tell them if there was a problem. But somewhere between your compliance work and the client’s running of their business, basic financial obligations were missed, or maybe a big director loan account built up.
That’s the assumption gap. The gap between what the client thinks you’re doing, what you think they’re doing, and what you have actually agreed to do.
In this session, Amanda Gascoigne, Founder & Director of Amanda Gascoigne Consulting and creator of the Better Practice, Better Life program, joins Jarvis Archer of Business Reset to unpack why the assumption gap in accountant-client relationships happens, how it shows up in the numbers, and what accountants can do to make sure they are never the last to know when a client is in trouble.
What You’ll Learn
You’ll leave with a practical understanding of:
Why clients assume their accountant is responsible for more than the engagement letter says
Where responsibilities sit between the director, bookkeeper and accountant
How to make responsibilities clear from the start
How to raise concerns without taking responsibility for running the client’s business
What Payday Super means for accountants, bookkeepers and directors
How to ensure clients receive the advice they need, even when you don’t provide it
Two real examples: overcoming blame to get clients back on track
Who This Webinar Is For
Accountants and bookkeepers who want clearer client relationships
Advisers supporting small business clients through compliance pressure, stalled growth, or financial distress
Anyone who has ever had a client say "I thought you were handling that"
