The services of an accountant are often indispensable or if not at least extremely useful, however, when you need one, a fundamental question arises: How to choose one? Well, in this guide we would like to help you find a way out of this confusion and give you clear guidelines so that you can choose the most suitable one for you.
When looking for how to choose an accountant, it is possible to wonder which one is the best. However, no accounting service is perfect and better than all the others, it all depends on the needs and preferences of the person seeking the services. While a small firm offering highly personalized services may be ideal for one company, it may not be ideal for another that needs the services of a large, multi-competent and experienced firm with a broad international presence.
Not all accountants offer the same services or have the same experience or specialization in each of them, so to find the best accountant for a given case it is necessary to match the particular needs with the best offers that can meet them.
To achieve this, it is essential to first be clear about the roles or services that an accountant can offer. Below are then some of the main roles or services offered by accountants in Luxembourg:
One of the main services of any accountant is to ensure that the financial operations of a company or individual are accurately recorded and kept up to date. This includes the preparation and maintenance of accounting books, the preparation of financial statements such as balance sheet, income statement and cash flow and the performance of accounting closings which can be monthly, quarterly or annual.
Tax management is another of the pillars of accounting services, which are generally responsible for the preparation and filing of tax returns with the tax authorities in order to comply with tax obligations. These include, for example, the corporate income tax return for payment of corporate income tax (Impôt sur le Revenu des Collectivités, IRC) and the personal income tax return for payment of personal income tax (Impôt sur le revenu). In addition, many accountants offer advice to optimize the tax burden within the legal limits.
Accountants also provide services related to payroll and human resources management. This service includes the calculation and administration of salaries, tax deductions and social security contributions.
The regulatory environment in Luxembourg is rigorous and complying with all the rules is not always an easy task, so accountants play an essential role in ensuring that the company always operates in accordance with these rules. Services in this area may include the preparation of regulatory reports for the competent authorities or assistance in the implementation of programs to prevent money laundering and comply with Anti-Money Laundering (AML) regulations
In addition to doing the accounting and ensuring that the company is compliant, accountants can go beyond that and act as strategic advisors. They can create budgets, perform cost analysis and financial projections to help companies plan their growth or even assess the feasibility of projects and propose solutions to improve profitability.
Although not all accounting firms offer auditing services, many do and prepare companies for external audits by official auditors. In addition, some accountants perform audits themselves, reviewing the company's financial and accounting systems to detect errors or possible irregularities before they become a problem.
The process of setting up a company in Luxembourg can be complex, especially for foreign entrepreneurs. Accountants in Luxembourg offer valuable support in this process by working closely with lawyers and notaries. While lawyers draft the articles of association and handle the legal aspects before the Trade and Companies Registry (RCS), accountants advise on the most appropriate tax and legal structure, prepare financial projections and handle administrative registrations, such as tax or VAT registration. They also assist in meeting practical requirements, such as opening bank accounts or preparing documents related to share capital.
Luxembourg has become over time a global financial center that attracts many international companies seeking to take advantage of its tax and regulatory advantages. Accountants specializing in this field offer such companies services related to the management of international structures such as holding companies and domiciled companies. They also help companies comply with international standards such as BEPS (Base Erosion and Profit Shifting) and the Common Reporting Standard (CRS).
Thanks to all these services, accounting services represent an innumerable series of advantages for companies, some of them are the following:
Whether you are looking for an accountant, a chartered accountant, an associate chartered accountant, a certified accountant or a law firm, below you will find the main criteria to consider when choosing one:
Now that we have seen the main criteria for choosing an accountant, let's take a look at some of the most important ones in Luxembourg. While it is true that the “Big Four” dominate a large percentage of the Luxembourg accounting landscape thanks to their international experience and strong local presence, they are not the only ones, there are a multitude of other accounting firms or independent experts, here are some of them:
EasyBiz is a Luxembourg startup that offers company incorporation and professional accounting services for companies of all sizes. This company was founded by Daniil Kirikov, a serial investor with 12 years of experience in innovative products and is headed by Aurore Calvi as CEO, a tax expert, accountant and financial advisor who has 25 years of experience in fiduciary services.
EasyBiz offers accounting services that combine fiduciary expertise with a digital platform to simplify accounting management. It handles all tax obligations and timely tax filings, while providing access to expert accountants via live chat with quick responses. In addition, it offers real-time interactive reports to provide clarity on the cash flow and financial status of the company.
The company's platform includes intuitive tools for managing invoices and documents, automatically linking bank transactions and contacts. EasyBiz also ensures tax compliance with reminders and assistance in filing tax and VAT returns. In addition, EasyBiz has a strong focus on security and ensures RGPD compliant storage of all documents.
Baker Tilly is a leading Luxembourg firm that offers comprehensive accounting, tax, audit and business advisory services together with payroll and human resources services. With more than 50 years of experience and around 140 employees, the firm combines in-depth local knowledge with a global reach thanks to its membership in the Baker Tilly International network, which is present in 141 countries. In addition, the company organizes training seminars to keep its clients up to date on regulatory changes.
RSM is a global network of independent firms offering accounting, audit, tax and consulting services and is the sixth largest worldwide in its sector. In Luxembourg, RSM is comprised of five legal entities that provide a wide range of services tailored to the needs of companies of all types, from large international corporations to local businesses and independent individuals. They have a team of about 120 employees which makes of RSM in Luxembourg a solid mid-sized organization.
Devaux & Associés is a Luxembourg-based firm of chartered accountants offering comprehensive accounting and tax services. They provide detailed reports on a monthly or quarterly basis and assist in the analysis of these reports through performance indicators, offering customized solutions for long-term planning. The firm also helps in administration and payroll management, offers domiciliation services and handles the incorporation and management of various corporate structures. They stand out for their personalized approach and their ability to adapt to the specific needs of each client.
Agir Luxembourg is a family business founded 18 years ago specialized in accounting, tax and economic advisory services in Luxembourg. Its team offers a wide range of services tailored to the needs of individuals, sole proprietors and companies of various sizes.
In the field of accounting, Agir Luxembourg takes care of the complete management of corporate finances and includes a wide range of services and ensures compliance with tax obligations and the preparation of accurate financial statements. In addition, they provide other services outside pure accounting such as advice on the creation, management, and dissolution of companies, as well as on the securitization of assets.
Agir Luxembourg's approach allows clients to work with a single trusted partner to meet all their financial and administrative needs and Agir Luxembourg's philosophy is based on adaptability and personalized attention.
Choosing the right accountant for your needs is a task of utmost importance, in this article we have provided some of the main criteria to be taken into account and some of the main accounting firms in Luxembourg. This represents only a start for the analysis, it is necessary to go deeper into the subject by putting it into practice, making a thorough study of your own needs and examining how the different accounting firms are positioned against your needs and the criteria we mentioned for their choice.
Source: guichet.public.lu, en.wikipedia.org, tulpartax.com, easybiz.lu, www.bakertilly.lu, www.odoo.com, www.rsm.global, www.rsm.global, en.wikipedia.org, devaux.lu, oec.lu
We took photos from these sources: Karolina Grabowska on Unsplash