Accounting Firm and Auditor Insurance
An accounting firm employs several accountants and business professionals to provide a medley of financial services to clients. Services include auditing, bookkeeping, accounting, payroll processing, billing, maintaining accounting records, tax returns, budgets, statements, and more. Professionals such as certified public accountants (CPAs), certified management accountants (CMAs), accounting assistants, auditors, general office workers, and other professionals help to keep an accountant office running smoothly. Taking care of the budgets, finances, and taxes of others is a big responsibility, one which makes you vulnerable to a cluster of risks. Some of the more common risks of an accounting office are accounting, payroll, or tax errors, misleading financial statements, conflicts of interests, and employee fraud, to name a few. These and other risks should be covered with the following business insurance policies.
Types of Accounting Firm Insurance
There are a variety of types of accounting firm insurance policies that will give your business optimum protection. The following are the best insurance policies to purchase for your accountant office:
Accounting Firm General Liability Insurance
Your accountant office insurance policies must include a general liability insurance policy. It covers a number of liabilities, including completed operations, premises liability, and products liability. Monetary damage caused to a client from accounting, auditing, or tax services provided can be turned around on your business in the form of a lawsuit.
Accounting Firm Errors and Omissions Insurance
Errors and omissions insurance is the go-to coverage for an accounting office in the case of a possible mistake made during the course of your business. With the responsibility for handling audits, tax returns, acquisitions and budgets for your clients, a tiny mistake can cause a big mess. This professional liability coverage protects your business and employees from such risks in the event of a lawsuit.
Accounting Firm Property Insurance
You may not think many things can happen to your accounting office’s property, but you are at risk for a number of events. Unforeseen events like fire, flood, or natural disasters are dangerous because you don’t always see them coming. The only way to protect your business against potential damage and loss from these types of risk exposures is to have property insurance. Property insurance covers your office building and property inside the building.
Accounting Firm Crime Insurance
Crime insurance for accounting offices covers an assortment of crimes that might occur within your office, ranging from thefts from outside sources to employee dishonesty practices. If you have an accountant that embezzles money through your company, crime insurance will cover any loss or damages caused.
Accounting Firm Commercial Auto Insurance
If the accountants and other personnel in your office drive for business purposes to meet clients or pick up supplies, then each time they get out on the road with a business vehicle, that vehicle should be covered by commercial auto insurance. Commercial auto provides exceptional protection against property damage and bodily injury caused by accidents, and many policies cover theft and vandalism as well.
Accounting Firm Umbrella Insurance
Every business insurance policy for accounting offices has a maximum coverage amount. In many cases, the maximum amount offers plenty of coverage for liability risks, but sometimes damage is more extensive. Umbrella insurance will supplement your business liability insurance coverage with additional protection in the event that you need more than what other policies are willing to cover.
Accounting Firm Workers Compensation
In an accounting office, employees spend a lot of time behind their desks and are prone to repetitive motion injuries such as carpel tunnel, shoulder, and back pain. These injuries and others that can occur in an accounting office are covered by worker’s compensation insurance. Worker’s comp, which is required in most states, will pay for any medical care needed for your workers as well as income assistance if they take time off work for recovery.
Owning and operating an accounting office makes you responsible for your client’s money, budgets, and finances in general. Purchasing adequate business insurance for an accountant office helps you become more responsible when it comes to your own business.
