Tax adviser or accountant in Prague: who is regulated and who is not

The first tax letter in Czech is usually when people start looking for help. The second is when they discover that "accountant" and "tax adviser" are not the same job, and that only one of them has a protected title.

Three different people

Tax adviser (daňový poradce). A protected title. Registered advisers are members of the Czech Chamber of Tax Advisers (Komora daňových poradců ČR), which keeps a public list. They give tax advice, prepare returns and can represent you before the tax office.

Accountant (účetní). Keeps your books, prepares payroll and often files returns on your behalf. Good accountants are everywhere, but it is not a protected title in the same way "tax adviser" is, so qualifications and quality vary. Judge by experience, references and what the engagement actually covers.

Auditor (auditor). Checks the accounts of larger companies and is regulated by the Chamber of Auditors of the Czech Republic. Most individuals and small businesses never need one.

Match the job

An employee on a Czech payroll with a single employer often has nothing to file, because the employer settles the tax. You need help when your situation is more complicated: income from abroad, a trade licence (živnost), rental income or a company.

Freelancers need someone who knows the flat-rate expense options and how social and health insurance contributions work. A company registered for VAT needs a bookkeeper with ledger and VAT-return experience. People with income or property in two countries need an adviser who understands how Czech rules interact with a tax treaty, and who may have to work alongside your home-country adviser.

Describe your case in one paragraph when you first contact anyone. If they answer a different question, move on.

Where to look

Start with the Chamber of Tax Advisers' list for regulated advisers. For bookkeeping, ask other freelancers and small-business owners in your field, because a good accountant for a designer is not automatically right for a restaurant. Many firms advertise services in English, so put your situation into the search, for example "accountant for freelancers" or "VAT registration small company".

What to ask before you hire

Ask whether they work with clients like you, and in English. Ask what is included: bookkeeping, the return, VAT, payroll, correspondence with the tax office. Ask how they charge and what the estimate for your first year is, because fees are set by the firm and vary, so get the number in writing. Ask who holds the power of attorney (plná moc) to deal with the tax office for you and for how long. And ask what they need from you, and by when.

A power of attorney is the normal way to let an adviser deal with the office, and it is not sinister. Read what it covers and when it ends.

Do your part

Even with an adviser, you remain responsible for what is filed in your name. Keep invoices, contracts and bank statements in one folder and answer questions quickly. Most late filings start with missing documents rather than missing knowledge.

A good adviser will also tell you what they cannot do. If someone promises to "optimise" everything without asking about your income, treat that as a reason to keep looking.

Check the rules yourself

The Financial Administration site explains forms, deadlines and electronic filing, with English pages for the main topics. Deadlines move and rates change, so confirm them there (as of 2026; check the official source) rather than from a friend's memory. Spending ten minutes there before the first meeting makes you a better client and a harder one to mislead.

A worked example

Say you arrive in spring, start freelancing and also keep a small rental flat in your home country. That single sentence already involves four questions: how your trade is registered here, how social and health insurance contributions work for the self-employed, whether the foreign rent has to be declared, and which country has the right to tax it. A bookkeeper can handle the routine side of the first two. The last two are tax-adviser territory, because they depend on the treaty between the two countries and on your residence status for tax purposes. The sensible plan is one conversation with a registered adviser to set the structure, then a bookkeeper for the routine work, with the adviser available for the annual return.

That split also keeps cost sensible. Paying a specialist for routine monthly bookkeeping is wasteful, and paying a bookkeeper to make judgement calls about treaties is risky.

Common mistakes

Treating the person who did your friend's books as a tax adviser is the first. Paying for a service without knowing whether it includes the annual return is the second. The third is assuming that moving abroad, or arriving here mid-year, cancels your obligations in the old country. That is exactly the situation for a two-country adviser.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a tax adviser if I only have one employer?

Often not, because the employer settles the tax through payroll. Extra income, income from abroad or a trade licence changes that, so check your own situation.

Can an accountant represent me at the tax office?

With a power of attorney, many accountants deal with the office on your behalf. A registered tax adviser has a defined role in tax proceedings. Ask exactly what is covered.

How do I check that someone is a registered tax adviser?

Use the public list of the Czech Chamber of Tax Advisers (Komora daňových poradců ČR).

Where can I find the official forms and deadlines?

On the website of the Financial Administration (Finanční správa), which publishes forms, deadlines and electronic filing guidance.

Do this today

Gather last year's income documents and write down what you need: a return, books, VAT, or all three. Email two advisers or accountants asking for scope and fee, and compare how clearly they answer.