SME Accounting
Indice Bankeo : la méthode de vérification d'un comptable (20+ critères)
23/7/2026
En bref. L'Indice Bankeo est la grille de vérification que chaque comptable passe avant d'entrer dans le réseau Bankeo : plus de 20 critères regroupés en six familles, de la légitimité (tableau de l'Ordre des CPA du Québec, Registre des entreprises) jusqu'à la qualité d'accompagnement. Cinq critères sont dévoilés publiquement, parce qu'ils sont factuels et vérifiables par n'importe qui ; le reste constitue la recette de jumelage. Cette page publie la méthodologie : la structure de la grille, le processus d'entrée dans le réseau de 1 500+ comptables, le suivi continu, et ce que la vérification garantit (et ne garantit pas). À notre connaissance, aucun annuaire ni plateforme comparable ne publie sa grille.
“Accountant” is not a protected title: anyone can offer bookkeeping or tax return preparation services. The CPA designation, however, is protected by the Quebec CPA Order, but it says nothing about availability, industry expertise, or the quality of service. As a result, entrepreneurs looking for an accountant are left to navigate between directories that list without verification and online reviews that are impossible to compare. This is precisely the problem that the Bankeo Index addresses, and that’s why we’re publishing its methodology. Since 2023, Bankeo has received over 15,000 matching requests; every accountant presented in response to one of these requests has been assessed using the criteria described here. For a “do-it-yourself” approach, consult our guide on how to verify the reliability of an accountant in Quebec .
Many websites promise "verified" professionals. Almost none explain what the word actually means: how is it verified, based on what criteria, by whom, and how often? A promise of verification without a published method is a marketing ploy; a published method is a commitment. By documenting the Bankeo index, you agree to be judged on the criteria themselves: if a criterion is poorly chosen, it can be challenged; if it is well chosen, it can be reused by any entrepreneur, even without going through Bankeo.
This is also what distinguishes a verification from a simple listing. The table below compares what is actually checked depending on where you search for your accountant:
| Where are you looking? | What is actually controlled | Is the method published? |
|---|---|---|
| Online directory | A registration (often paid or free): name, contact details, description written by the professional themselves | No: a reference directory, it does not verify |
| Review platform | Opinions of varying volume and reliability, without fact-checking (insurance, title, company) | No |
| Recommendation from a close friend | The experience of one person, in a situation that is not yours | Not applicable |
| Bankeo Index | Plus de 20 critères passés avant toute présentation, dont 5 publics, plus un suivi continu après jumelage | Yes: this page and /indice-bankeo |
To our knowledge, no accountant directory or networking platform in France publishes a comparable verification checklist. That is precisely why we are publishing it: so that "verified accountant" is a verifiable statement, not just a slogan.
The framework wasn't developed from a theoretical document. It was built from real-world experience: over 15,000 requests received since 2023, recurring reasons for dissatisfaction reported by entrepreneurs (accountant unreachable in April, poorly understood sector, unexpected invoice), and feedback gathered after each matching process. Each set of criteria addresses a real, observed risk:
| Family of criteria | The question she answers | Examples of evidence examined |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Identity and legitimacy | Does the company exist, and is the displayed title true? | NEQ at the Business and Companies Register; Quebec CPA Order list if the professional presents themselves as a CPA |
| 2. Customer Protection | Are you covered if a case goes wrong? | Proof of current professional liability insurance (insurer, coverage period) |
| 3. Skills and specialization | Does the accountant have a firm grasp of your actual obligations? | T1 and TP1 or T2 and CO-17 declarations, 5% VAT and 9.975% VAT, payroll and DAS, provisional payments, sectors served |
| 4. Reputation | Did real customers at the time testify to this? | Google reviews spanning time, verifiable references, history of practice |
| 5. Availability and capacity | Can he really take your case now? | Measured response times, declared and then observed capacity, behavior during peak tax season |
| 6. Quality of support | Does the experience hold up after the signing? | Feedback from paired contractors, monitoring of completed contracts, clarity of proposals and fees |
Why six categories instead of a single title check? Because no single criterion is sufficient. A CPA in good standing can be overwhelmed and unreachable for three months of the year. An excellent technician can work without professional liability insurance. A firm with a strong online presence may have no clients in your area. The grid system intersects the plans precisely where a single check allows problems to be overcome. The weighting of the criteria and the precise thresholds, however, remain internal: this is the recipe for matching.
Sur les plus de 20 critères de la grille, cinq sont publiés en détail, parce qu'ils sont factuels et que n'importe quel entrepreneur peut les contrôler lui-même, gratuitement, dans un registre public ou une preuve concrète :
Pourquoi ne pas publier la grille au complet ? Deux raisons. D'abord, une grille entièrement publique s'optimise en façade : on prépare la bonne réponse au lieu d'améliorer la vraie pratique. Ensuite, une partie des critères repose sur des données que seule une plateforme de jumelage accumule : la rétroaction des entrepreneurs après jumelage et le comportement observé en mandat, sur des centaines de dossiers. Le principe, lui, est ferme : tout critère dévoilé publiquement doit être vérifiable par vous-même, gratuitement, sans compte à créer.
An accountant or firm wishing to join the network presents itself: company details, services offered (bookkeeping, personal and corporate taxes, payroll, incorporation, tax audits), territories served, software used, and languages of service. This declaration becomes the basis for the audit: everything stated must be substantiated.
The factual criteria are checked first: registration with the Trade and Companies Register, professional status (listed with the professional body for displayed qualifications), proof of insurance, and existing reviews. Interview criteria follow: actual specializations, skills, and work ethic. A file that does not meet the criteria is simply not presented to the entrepreneurs; the door remains open if the professional corrects the missing information, such as a renewed insurance certificate.
Being in the network isn't enough: for each request, the grid acts as a matching filter. Sector of activity, company size, applicable obligations (GST and VAT, payroll, corporate tax), territory, language, software: categories 5 and 6 carry significant weight here, because an excellent accountant without available capacity isn't a good match. This filtering process allows for connections that are often finalized within 48 hours: the verification is already done when your request arrives.
The verification process doesn't end with joining the network. After each match, feedback from entrepreneurs feeds into the evaluation grid: quality of the initial contact, adherence to deadlines, clarity of fees, and experience during the engagement. This feedback loop maintains the 4.7/5 rating based on over 180 Google reviews, and it's what sustains the promise of support: if the assigned accountant is no longer a good fit, even months later, a replacement will be found for you at no cost. A professional who fails to maintain the expected level of service is removed from the network; the grid is a standard to be upheld, not a one-time test.
A published methodology must also honestly acknowledge its limitations. The Bankeo Index is not an audit of the accountant's client files, nor a public ranking of firms, nor a guarantee of tax results: no one can promise a tax refund, and a professional who does will, in fact, fail the assessment. What the index guarantees is that verifiable facts have been checked before an accountant is presented to you, and that a follow-up process continues afterward. The final choice always rests with you: to prepare for it, use our questions to ask an accountant before hiring them .
Côté budget, la vérification ne coûte rien de plus. Le repère du marché est une médiane d'environ 3 000 $ par année, la plupart des mandats se situant entre 500 $ et 6 000 $ selon le service et le secteur. Ces montants sont basés sur les honoraires réels de 1 248 mandats conclus via Bankeo (2024-2026), sur plus de 15 000 demandes reçues ; le détail, ventilé par service et par secteur, est publié dans le Baromètre Bankeo, et on en présente la lecture québécoise dans notre étude sur le coût d'un comptable au Québec en 2026. Les deux actifs se complètent : l'Indice dit qui est vérifié, le Baromètre dit combien ça coûte réellement.
Bankeo connects you, free of charge, with audited accountants from its network of over 1,500 partners. Each profile is reviewed by the Bankeo Index before being presented to you: you compare, you choose, and we support you every step of the way. This free, no-obligation service often results in a perfect match within 48 hours. Rated 4.7/5 based on over 180 Google reviews.
Find my accountantC'est la grille de vérification que chaque comptable passe avant d'entrer dans le réseau Bankeo et d'être présenté à un entrepreneur : plus de 20 critères regroupés en six familles (identité et légitimité, protection du client, compétence et spécialisation, réputation, disponibilité et capacité, qualité d'accompagnement). Cinq critères sont dévoilés publiquement parce qu'ils sont factuels et vérifiables par n'importe qui ; le reste constitue la recette de jumelage de Bankeo.
No, and that's intentional. The five public criteria (professional liability insurance, a real and registered business, registration with the professional body for CPAs, genuine customer reviews, and industry expertise) are published because each can be verified free of charge in a public register or through concrete evidence. The others rely on internal data, such as feedback from entrepreneurs after introductions, and a completely public framework would only superficially improve the system instead of actually improving practices.
Cross-reference public records with concrete evidence: the Quebec CPA Order's directory on cpaquebec.ca if the professional displays the CPA designation, the Quebec Enterprise Register for the NEQ (Quebec Enterprise Number) and the actual existence of the business, a current liability insurance certificate, client testimonials spanning a period of time, and three specific questions about your situation, such as GST/QST or DAS (Declaration of Social Security Contributions). This is the "do-it-yourself" version of the Bankeo index's public criteria.
No. The Index does not publish rankings or individual scores for firms. It serves as a standard for entry and retention within the network: an accountant meets the criteria and can be presented, or they do not and are not. During the matching process, the criteria then act as a filter to match your needs (sector, obligations, territory, language) with the available verified profiles.
We'll find you another one, free of charge, even several months after your initial match. Feedback from entrepreneurs informs the ongoing monitoring of our network: quality of contact, adherence to deadlines, and clarity of fees. This feedback loop is what maintains our 4.7/5 rating based on over 180 Google reviews, and any professional who doesn't maintain the expected standard is removed from the network. We'll support you for as long as necessary.
Le service Bankeo est entièrement gratuit pour l'entrepreneur : le jumelage, la vérification et l'accompagnement ne vous coûtent rien. Bankeo est rémunérée du côté des comptables du réseau, par des frais fixes par dossier conclu, connus d'avance. Pour les honoraires du comptable lui-même, le repère est une médiane d'environ 3 000 $ par année, la plupart des mandats entre 500 $ et 6 000 $, basés sur les honoraires réels de 1 248 mandats conclus via Bankeo (2024-2026), sur plus de 15 000 demandes reçues ; le détail est publié dans le Baromètre Bankeo.
General information provided for guidance purposes only, reflecting the current 2026 tax regulations. It does not replace the advice of an accountant or chartered accountant: always consult a professional for your specific situation.
Bankeo account pairing is 100% free, always. You only pay your accountant directly.
We can present you with the right accountant from our network, for your needs, with as many profiles as you require.
We will support you for as long as necessary. We will remain by your side.
Your request will be processed within a maximum of 48 working hours.
