The Ordre des experts-comptables and the TNS SOFFRES polling institute have unveiled the results of a survey of business leaders and associations. The results testify to the integration of chartered accountancy firms in the country's economic life.
Over the past six years, around seven out of ten companies and associations have been assisted by a chartered accountant. The chartered accountant is by far the preferred partner of companies and associations.
By way of comparison, lawyers are present in around 40% of very small businesses, and notaries in around a third.
At a time when the profession of chartered accountant is undergoing profound change (particularly with the development of new technologies), this particularly high presence rate represents a competitive advantage for accounting firms.
The very positive image that exists between chartered accountants and business leaders illustrates the trust placed in the profession. Nine out of ten small business owners are satisfied or very satisfied with their current chartered accountant. The same proportion describe their chartered accountant as a "trusted professional", and over 75% see them as a "key business partner".
The study was carried out during 2016 on 660 companies and 260 associations with fewer than 250 employees. They were questioned on around twenty themes, and the results obtained were adjusted according to size and sector of activity. The aim is to represent all French companies and associations.
Balance sheet preparation and administrative complexity are the two main reasons for using a chartered accountant.
The certification of accounts, i.e. the preparation of the balance sheet at the end of the year, is a technical task for anyone with no accounting experience. What's more, it engages the responsibility of company directors in the event of errors or anomalies.
In addition to bookkeeping, your chartered accountant will be able to draw up all the documents you need to close your annual accounts. If your accounting is behind schedule, he can also help you regularize your situation with the tax authorities.
The chartered accountant also has a key role to play in helping the business owner manage complex administrative and tax issues. For example, when it comes to drawing up pay slips, tax returns and invoicing.
At the same time, the number of companies and associations acknowledging the need for a chartered accountant to help them manage their business has been rising in recent years.
Generally speaking, a chartered accountant is a professional you can trust to support you throughout your business, whatever your accounting, tax, social security, legal or financial needs. He or she will be able to offer you advice and optimizations that you might never have thought of on your own.
The full study is available on the official website of the French Institute of Chartered Accountants (Ordres des experts-comptables).
Written by our expert La Rédaction
April 17, 2020
