How to hire an accountant in Delhi without regretting it later

The short answer: decide what work you need before you look for a person. Then check credentials at the source, get scope and fee in writing, give access through your own controlled logins, and agree at the start how you get your records back.

1. Write down the work first

Most bad hires begin with "I need an accountant". Answer these on one page, and every later conversation gets easier:

• What needs doing? Monthly books, GST returns, TDS, payroll, a one-off clean-up, or a notice?
• How much of it? Rough invoices per month, bank accounts, GST registrations and staff.
• What software? Tally, Zoho Books, a spreadsheet, or a folder of bills?
• What is overdue? Be candid. It changes the scope and the fee.
• Is any of it reserved? A statutory audit, for example, needs a CA. See accountant vs Chartered Accountant.

2. Choose the arrangement

Arrangement	Tends to suit	Watch for
Full-time employee	Enough daily work, and bills that need someone on site	Salary, PF and ESI where applicable, cover during leave, and reliance on one person
Part-time accountant	Small volumes and a few visits a month	Who is accountable, what happens at deadlines, and data kept on personal devices
Accounting or CA firm	Regular work plus compliance, including work that needs a qualified signature	Who actually handles your file, and whether small clients get attention
Outsourced or remote provider	Digital records and standard processes	Document exchange, access control and response times

Delhi businesses often assume they need someone in the next lane. Nearness helps if your records are on paper or you want regular visits. If records are digital, experience with your kind of business usually matters more than the distance. Either way, ask directly where they work from.

3. Check credentials before you compare fees

• Claiming to be a CA? Ask for the membership number and whether they hold a certificate of practice, and search ICAI's CA Connect (opens in a new tab).
• Handling GST filings as a practitioner? Ask for the enrolment details. Rule 83 of the CGST Rules provides for authorising a practitioner on the portal through Form GST PCT-05, and rule 84 allows only an enrolled practitioner to attend before an authority in that capacity.
• Just "an accountant"? That is fine for much work. Ask for evidence of experience, and speak to a client if you can.

4. Questions that reveal more than a CV

• What does a normal month look like, and what do you need from me, and by when?
• Show me what you would send me each month, with confidential details removed.
• What happens if I send documents late and a deadline is close?
• Who covers for you when you are unavailable?
• What have you got wrong for a client, and how was it fixed?
• Which part of my work would you hand to someone else?

5. Understand how the fee is built

You will usually see a monthly retainer, a per-filing fee, a one-off project fee, or some mix. Compare like with like by asking for:

• What is included, with volume limits such as invoices per month
• What is charged extra: notices, revised returns, clean-ups and visits
• Whether GST and government fees are included
• What happens to the fee if your volume grows

See what affects accounting costs in Delhi.

6. Put it in writing

A short engagement letter prevents most disputes. It should cover:

• The services included and, just as important, those excluded
• Who does the work and who reviews it
• What you must provide, and the dates
• Fee, billing cycle and how extras are approved
• Confidentiality and how data is stored
• How either side ends the arrangement, and what is handed back

A letter does not shift your legal responsibility for your own returns. For GST, section 48(3) of the CGST Act keeps responsibility for what a practitioner furnishes with the registered person. When a practitioner furnishes a statement for you, you are asked by email or SMS to confirm it, and if you do not respond by the last date for that statement, you are treated as having confirmed it. Review the figures before that date.

7. Control access from day one

This is where owners get hurt, because the accountant knows the logins and the owner does not.

• Keep ownership. Portal accounts should use your email and mobile number, and you should hold the passwords.
• Use proper authorisation where the portal offers it, rather than sharing your password. Accounting software usually lets you add separate users.
• Treat OTPs as your signature. Know what each OTP approves before you pass it on.
• Own your data. Keep the company file or software subscription in your name, with regular backups you can open.
• Limit bank access. Read-only access or statements are enough for most bookkeeping.

8. Plan the exit before you begin

Agree now that, when you part ways, you receive the data file and backups, working papers, the filing record and any pending notices, and that access is removed. It is much easier to agree this while everyone is on good terms.

Warning signs

• Promises a refund, a tax saving or that a notice will "go away"
• Offers to backdate, or to show figures that do not match your records
• Will not give a membership or enrolment detail they claim to hold
• Keeps portal logins in their own name
• Refuses to put scope and fee in writing
• Is vague about who will do the work

A simple comparison sheet

Score each candidate from 1 to 5, and do it before you look at the fee.

Criterion	Candidate A	Candidate B
Credentials checked at the source
Experience with my kind of business
Clear about who does the work
Written scope and exclusions
Works with my own logins and data
Monthly output I can understand
Agreed exit and handover

Every step here works without outside help. If you would rather talk your requirement through first, you can contact Deepak Mittal at AccountOrbit to discuss it. The same checks apply: agree the scope, the fee and the timing in writing before work starts.