Accountants, lawyers and consultants: finding the right professional

Professional services can involve some of the most important parts of your life or business: tax, contracts, company finances, legal disputes and strategic decisions.

But “professional” doesn't automatically mean the same thing in every field.

An accountant, tax practitioner, attorney and business consultant may all advise businesses, but they perform different roles and aren't regulated in the same way.

Before hiring someone, start with two questions:

What exactly do I need them to do, and what experience, registration or professional standing matters for that work?

What professional services can cost

Professional fees vary significantly according to scope, complexity, seniority, location and the type of provider.

As a broad 2026 planning guide:

These are broad examples, not prescribed national professional fees.

Ask for a written quote, fee estimate or explanation of how fees will be calculated before work begins.

Start with the service you actually need

Don't choose someone simply because their profile says “business services.”

Work out whether you need:

• bookkeeping;
• annual financial work;
• management accounts;
• payroll;
• tax advice;
• tax-return preparation;
• company secretarial services;
• CIPC assistance;
• contract drafting or review;
• legal representation;
• estate planning;
• business strategy;
• financial modelling;
• a business plan; or
• another specialised service.

The person who handles your monthly bookkeeping isn't automatically the right person to give specialist tax advice or represent you in a legal dispute.

Accountants and bookkeepers aren't all the same

“Accountant” can describe people with different qualifications, professional designations and areas of practice.

Professional bodies in South Africa include organisations such as SAICA and SAIPA, while other recognised professional organisations and designations also exist.

Don't assume that every bookkeeping task requires the same professional designation.

Instead, ask:

• What service are you providing?
• What qualifications or professional designation do you hold?
• Which professional body are you registered with, if applicable?
• Is your membership or registration current?
• Does your experience match my type and size of business?
• Who will actually perform the work?

If a particular designation is important to the service you need, independently verify it with the relevant professional body.

Tax practitioners have specific registration requirements

Someone providing tax services may be subject to requirements that go beyond simply calling themselves an accountant.

In South Africa, a person who provides tax advice or completes or assists with tax returns for others for consideration generally needs to be registered as a Tax Practitioner with SARS and belong to or fall under the jurisdiction of a SARS-recognised controlling body, subject to the exemptions in the Tax Administration Act.

SARS-recognised controlling bodies include several accounting, tax and professional organisations.

SARS also provides an online facility that members of the public can use to check whether a Tax Practitioner is registered.

If you're paying someone to handle tax matters for you, ask for their tax-practitioner details and verify them where appropriate.

Choosing a legal practitioner

Legal work is another area where the person's professional status matters.

Under South Africa's Legal Practice Act, a person may only practise as a legal practitioner if they have been admitted and enrolled to practise as such.

The Legal Practice Council (LPC) provides a public practitioner search that can be used to check practitioner information and whether someone is shown as practising.

Depending on how a legal practitioner practises and whether they handle client money, a valid Fidelity Fund Certificate may also be relevant.

The LPC provides a separate facility for checking FFC status.

Before instructing someone on an important legal matter, consider checking the relevant professional status yourself rather than relying only on a logo or claim on a website.

Consultants are different

“Business consultant” covers an extremely broad range of services.

Unlike practising as a legal practitioner or acting as a registered tax practitioner, there isn't one universal registration that every South African business consultant must hold simply to call themselves a consultant.

That makes experience and scope particularly important.

Ask:

• What type of consulting do you specialise in?
• Have you worked with businesses like mine?
• What exactly will you deliver?
• How long will the project take?
• Who will do the work?
• What information will you need from me?
• How will success or completion be measured?
• What happens if the scope changes?

A consultant should be able to explain the service without hiding behind impressive-sounding jargon.

Understand company-registration fees

If you're paying someone to register a company for you, separate CIPC's filing fees from the professional's service fee.

CIPC currently lists R125 for registering a private company with a standard Memorandum of Incorporation.

An optional company-name reservation costs R50.

An accountant, consultant or company-registration service may charge an additional amount for helping with the process.

That additional service fee isn't the CIPC registration fee.

Ask for the quote to make clear what is being paid to CIPC and what you're paying the service provider to do.

Get the scope and fees in writing

Professional-service disputes often start with different expectations about what was included.

Before work begins, understand:

• what the professional will do;
• what they won't do;
• who will perform the work;
• the expected timeline;
• what information you need to provide;
• how fees are calculated;
• whether VAT applies;
• whether third-party or government fees are extra;
• what happens if the scope expands; and
• when payment is due.

For an ongoing service, ask what is included in the monthly fee and what will be billed separately.

Protect your financial and business information

Accountants, lawyers and consultants may need access to highly sensitive information.

Depending on the work, this could include:

• identity documents;
• bank information;
• tax records;
• payroll;
• contracts;
• financial statements;
• company records;
• employee information; or
• confidential business plans.

Ask why information is needed and how it will be exchanged.

Avoid putting confidential documents, passwords, tax numbers or sensitive business information into public enquiries or reviews.

Where access to an online account is required, use appropriate access controls rather than sharing more access than necessary.

Ask who will actually do the work

The person you meet isn't always the person doing every part of the job.

A firm may use junior accountants, candidate legal practitioners, bookkeepers, administrators or other team members.

That's not automatically a problem.

What matters is understanding:

• who is responsible for your matter;
• who will perform the day-to-day work;
• what supervision applies;
• who you contact with questions; and
• which person's credentials are relevant to the regulated work involved.

Reviews are useful, but they're not professional registration

Reviews can tell you about previous customers' experiences with communication, responsiveness and service.

They don't prove that someone holds a professional designation, is registered with SARS as a tax practitioner or is entitled to practise as a legal practitioner.

Use reviews alongside — not instead of — the checks relevant to the service.

For professional registrations that matter to your job, independently check the appropriate official register or professional body.

Understand what ID Verified means

South African Pros complete identity verification as part of the Know a Pro signup process before their profile can go live.

Once completed, their profile can display the ID Verified badge.

ID Verified relates to identity verification.

It does not prove professional qualifications, SAICA or SAIPA membership, SARS Tax Practitioner registration, LPC status, competence, honesty, trustworthiness or quality of advice.

It also doesn't replace the independent checks appropriate to the professional service you're hiring.

Treat identity verification as one piece of information, not as a professional credential.

Be careful with access to money

If a professional needs to make payments, move money or handle funds on your behalf, understand exactly how the arrangement works before giving access.

Don't casually hand over banking passwords or unrestricted account credentials.

For legal matters involving trust money, check the professional and practice information relevant to the arrangement, including Fidelity Fund Certificate status where applicable.

Watch for vague or unrealistic promises

Be cautious if someone promises outcomes that aren't entirely within their control.

Examples include:

• “I guarantee SARS will accept this.”
• “You definitely won't pay tax.”
• “I guarantee you'll win the case.”
• “Your business will definitely get funding.”
• “This business plan guarantees investment.”

A professional can explain a process, provide advice and tell you what they will deliver.

That isn't the same as guaranteeing what SARS, a court, a bank, an investor or another third party will decide.

Find the right professional for the job

Know a Pro lets you browse professional-service providers, compare their profile information and reviews, and see available trust information before deciding who to contact.

Prices and fees in this article are indicative examples for general guidance and were reviewed in September 2026. Actual professional fees vary according to provider, scope, complexity and individual circumstances. Registration, tax and legal requirements may also change or depend on the service being provided. Confirm current fees and requirements with the relevant professional, regulator or authority. This article is general information and isn't accounting, tax or legal advice.