Ten top tips to avoid professional negligence claims

I created this list recently for a forthcoming article in the professional press. It’s drawn from my talk, How to avoid tax related professional negligence claims, which I have been presenting all over the UK for the last few years.

1 - When providing tax advice always state the known facts on which your advice is based - in writing;

2 – Equally state any assumptions you have made – in writing;

3 – Create contemporaneous notes of all material advice and of the assumptions you provide during meetings and telephone conversations;

4 – When advising, ask yourself whether you’d be happy for a close friend or family member to rely on the advice. If you’re not sure, do additional research, get a second opinion or involve a tax specialist colleague or trusted third-party (such as a member of the Tax Advice Network);

5 – When advising clients of forthcoming deadlines, focus their attention on the date that you need to receive the information to beat the statutory deadline;

6 – Avoid under-pricing work and introducing time-pressure that could exacerbate mistakes;

7 –Stick to what you know. If a client requires or requests advice on subjects outside of your comfort zone, involve a tax specialist colleague or trusted third-party (see above!);

8 - Stop working for those clients who are more trouble than they are worth. These are the clients who resist paying decent fees, don’t contribute to the growth of your practice and who are most likely to complain, given half a chance.

9 – Manage client expectations and avoid over-promising and under-delivery. Remember that a client’s perception of these may be very different from yours.

10 – Keep uptodate – eg: with the free weekly email containing practical topical tax tips for accountants in general practice from the Tax Advice Network.