Accountant Liability: Your Question Answered

Questioner

Hello, I have a question about the liability of my accountant when filing my income tax return. My accountant filed my tax return for 2014, but made an incorrect calculation, which means I now have to pay back a large sum of money. To what extent is my accountant liable for this?

Lawyer

Whether your accountant can be held liable depends in short on whether the incorrect calculation can be attributed to him. The nature of the error also plays a role and whether you gave instructions that led to the 'error' being made. On the other hand, one may expect a reasonably acting and reasonably competent person to perform his work carefully. In other words, he must comply with his duty of care. Whether this is the case must be assessed.