A Take-Away Tip

I received a phone call from a fellow tow lady telling me she was waiting for her accountant to send her payroll information, but couldn’t get in touch with him. He was an independent accountant and worked from an office at his home. She tried calling, texting and emailing him, but didn’t get an answer — which was not like him at all. She finally called the police and asked for a wellness check, and ultimately she learned that he had passed away.

The news of his passing was difficult, as he was not only her accountant, but also a family friend.

The nightmare for her began the day she learned of his passing. She was not able to access any information with regard to her financials, as all of his records were closed and secured. She ended up having to hire an attorney and find a new accounting firm.

Because her accountant did all of the payroll, financials, taxes, etc., they had to start almost from scratch and file extensions until everything was finally straightened out.

The reason for her call was to let me know what happened, because I too had an independent accountant and she thought I should know what she went through.

Not long after our conversation, my accountant advised us he would be retiring and was selling his company to a small accounting firm and wanted us to meet with the new owner. We ended up signing up with the new firm and it has proven to be a really good transition, as well as a great reassurance.

The take-away tip from what she learned the hard way was extremely valuable, and a good reason why we as a towing community need to support each other from the lessons we learn.