See full profile: Edenvale Accountant - Alister van Zyl
Were you always planning to be an accountant and why?
Yes, assisting companies with tax issues and tax structures is a passion
When meeting with clients do they mostly come to your own premises or do you mostly go their theirs?
All our systems run in the cloud so we are always directly connected with our clients
What is your preferred mode of communication with your clients?
Email, Phone, Face to Face
Have you ever done an online video call with a client?
Yes
What do you love most about accounting?
Restructuring for minimum tax liabilities
Would you recommend accounting as a career for school-leavers, and why?
There will always be opportunities in this line of work as there are always new start up companies and being the best at what you do will always guarantee a future in this line of work
What qualities should South African business people be looking for in their accountant?
Someone who will go the extra mile to make sure that all accounting is in place and that the tax risk is minimized at all times.
What is the biggest challenge facing accountants today?
SARS
What aspects of accounting do you focus on most?
Tax
Describe your average client:
Hard working and striving to get to the top
How far away from your premises is your furthest client?
We have branches in Gauteng and Eastern Cape. Our clients are all over South Africa with the furthest client being 325km away from our offices.
From your accounting experience, if you could cite one of the biggest reasons SME's in SA fail, what would it be?
Bad Management
What accounting software do you like best?
Sageone accounting and payroll
What other software, online services or apps do you use?
Smart Office
Do you think the coming wave of automation in the next few years will steal some accounting jobs and why/why not?
Yes, AI is the way of the future, but the taxation side will always have human intervention as AI will never be able to reach that level.
What is your opinion on Bitcoin?
BIG RISK
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Read non-fiction books
What is the most interesting thing on your bucket list?
To reach the number one tax and accounting firm in South Africa
What has your experience been on FindanAccountant?
No referrals yet, but let us see
See how our other local South African accountants have answered the above questions.
