Discussion:Accountant's property vs client's property?
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Discussion Forum Index --> Accounting Questions --> Accountant's property vs client's property?
| 14 August 2007 | |
| Hi,
Was hoping I could get some help. We have spent many, many, hours on a set of client's (that our firm bought), to computerize all their functions that were done manually by the prior accounting firm (paying bills, payroll, etc.)..actually the bills were paid manually and then recorded in peachtree, after the fact. One of the seller's of these clients stayed on board as an employee for one year that ended 6-30-07. Since she left, the clients said that they were going to start processing their own bookkeeping in-house and that they needed their files and a copy of the quickbooks disk. We found out since that the prior accountant that sold the clients to us and has since left the firm, had the client's two companies' mail forwarded to a post office box of hers. We have gathered their paperwork for them to pickup but we are not wanting to give them the quickbooks disk, as we feel it is our property and we never would have spent the time to upgrade them to the computerized systems if we new that they were leaving, we had to writeoff a lot of time that was not billable. Please provide any insight you can!! Need input ASAP... | |
TheTinCook (talk|edits) said: | 14 August 2007 |
| There is a good discussion about this here. It depends on the format requested by the client in the engagment. If they requested that the work be done in Quickbooks or by computer you're required to give them the backup. If not, they are still entitled to the records, but the format is up to you. | |
| 15 August 2007 | |
| The g/l technically belongs to the client. I'd print out a hard copy and that way there is no question about what you gave them. | |
Hgreen1040 (talk|edits) said: | 16 August 2007 |
| We have always operated under the assumption that all of the accounting information belonged to the client. In the old days, when we had hand posted journals and ledgers, we would never have withheld this from the client for any reason. It was their books and generally we worked on them (write-ups) at their office. Simply because the process has become automated is not sufficient reason to withhold the clients records from them. If we are useing a special piece of software the client has we always supply the backup to them so they have an current electronic copy. If not, we save a copy of the detail in Excel and send it to them as backup.
Clients come and clients go -- God bless them all-- | |
Bushmaster (talk|edits) said: | 30 August 2007 |
| Stuff happens. While tempting to do otherwise, its always better to take the high road. | |
