Picking a trustworthy tax advisor — 5 checks to avoid scam firms
Real tax advisors are NOB or RB members, carry liability insurance and have transparent pricing. Avoid "30% no cure no pay" firms for simple matters.
5 checks when picking a tax advisor: (1) Professional body — NOB or RB membership. No membership = ask why; (2) Liability insurance — demand confirmation; (3) Transparent pricing — hourly in quote, not "% of refund" for simple WOZ or IB; (4) Written engagement letter with scope, deliverables, timeline; (5) Reviews from multiple sources. Red flags: (a) "no cure no pay 30-50%" for simple WOZ objection (you can do it free, or €19 via FFCheck); (b) unsolicited call after WOZ publication; (c) demands DigiD handover; (d) no fixed address or KvK. For complex matters (divorce tax, SME BV, international): a real affordable advisor is fine — typically €120-€250/hour, transparently billed.