Understanding the fees charged by CPAs

When you work with a CPA, you receive valuable advice based on strong, proven expertise. But how much does it cost to hire a CPA? Each CPA bills his or her own hourly rate when invoicing a client. To fairly and reasonably evaluate their professional fees, CPAs must take different factors into account, including:

• the time spent on the file; 
• the complexity and importance of the services rendered; 
• their experience and expertise; 
• the importance of the responsibility assumed. 

CPAs should inform you of the approximate and foreseeable costs of their services, and cannot require full payment of their fees up front. In addition to providing all the explanations necessary to understand their statement of fees, CPAs must ensure that the statement is broken down so that the professional services performed can be identified. As a client, you can request a written estimate of the costs of the services to be provided if the CPA does not offer one.

Disputing a statement of fees

If you have a dispute with a CPA concerning a statement of fees (invoice), the first step is to contact the member in question to discuss it and obtain the necessary explanations. If you still disagree after the discussion, you can avail yourself of the conciliation of accounts service offered by the Order’s Office of the syndic.