Proactive Advice vs Silent Risks: What Your Accountant Isn’t Warning You About

Quirk & Co Allan
Aug 22
3 min read

Everything looks good on paper. Your sales are steady, the ATO’s happy, and your accountant sends you a polite email at tax time saying, “All sorted.”

But here’s the thing: “all sorted” doesn’t mean all safe. If your accountant isn’t warning you about risks you can’t yet see, you’re flying blind, and it’s only a matter of time before it hits your bottom line.

It usually means you’ve got a tax accountant focused on compliance, not a strategic business advisor focused on your growth, profitability, and sustainability.

Let’s talk about the silent risks your accountant might be skipping over, the “everything looks fine” trap, some self-check questions, and what to do instead.

Why "All Sorted" Isn't Enough; What Your Accountant Isn't Warning You About

Most accountants work to avoid mistakes… not to spot opportunities or threats. If they’re not warning you about these, you’re missing the early-warning system your business deserves:

Declining gross margins (the percentage of each sale you keep after covering the costs of delivering it)
Sales might be up, but if the cost of delivery is creeping higher, you’re actually keeping less per sale.
It’s like serving more tables but needing extra staff on shift—you’re turning over more sales, but the wage bill eats into the profit.

Slow-paying customers
Revenue looks healthy on paper, but if cash is stuck in unpaid invoices, your flow dries up fast.
It’s like holding an invoice marked “paid soon” on your desk—it looks good on paper, but you can’t use it to pay your staff until the money lands.

Expense creep
Small costs snowball until they quietly chew into your profit.
Think of that $5 subscription you forgot about, suddenly it’s $60 a year leaking out the back door.

Inventory or stock build-up
Cash tied up in products that aren’t moving can lock away money you actually need.
It’s like a wardrobe stuffed with clothes you never wear—you’ve spent the money, but it’s not giving you any value.

The “Everything Looks Fine” Trap

Here’s the sneaky part: warning signs often appear while things look good. That’s when complacency sets in.

It’s like a leak under the floorboards, you won’t notice until the damage is too big to ignore.

Quick Self-Check: Is Your Accountant Proactive or Reactive?

Ask yourself:

Have they ever flagged a risk before you spotted it?
Do they send forecasts (where your numbers are heading), not just reports of what already happened?
Have they warned you about industry or economic changes before they hit?

If the answer’s “no” more than “yes”, you don’t have a financial partner, you’ve got a compliance officer.

What to Do Instead (and What to Ask Your Accountant)

Insist on regular check-ins (monthly or quarterly) so issues are caught early.
Review trend reports, not just totals, to spot patterns before they become problems.
Ask for “what’s next”: What risks and opportunities should I be watching?
Challenge vague answers; clarity beats comfort every time.

Questions worth asking at your next meeting:

“What costs have crept up compared to last quarter?”
“Which clients are slowing down our cash flow?”
“What risks do you see in the next three months for our industry?”

The VBA Difference

Don’t wait for red flags to turn into sirens. If your accountant isn’t warning you, we will, and we’ll give you the straight answers most won’t.

See if VBA’s Business Advisory is the right fit for you and take control of your numbers before they control you.