“My Friend Handles My Taxes. I Think I’m Fine.”

This is one of those thoughts that brings instant relief to many business owners.

You know someone. Someone you trust. Someone who has “done this before.” Someone who has helped others submit declarations, visit the tax office, or “settle things.” And most importantly, someone who costs less than professional services.

So you relax.

You tell yourself that the taxes are being handled, that things are under control, and that there’s no reason to worry. After all, something is being done, right?

That belief is common. It is also one of the quietest ways businesses fall into serious compliance trouble.

Why This Thought Feels Reasonable

In Cameroon, small businesses rarely start with structure. Things are informal at the beginning, even when the business itself is registered. Accounting is not yet organised. Payroll may not exist. Records are scattered between notebooks, WhatsApp messages, and memory.

In that environment, informal help feels natural.

A friend submits a declaration. A cousin visits the tax office for your taxes. Someone “who understands the system” steps in. It feels practical. It feels affordable. And because nothing bad happens immediately, it feels safe.

But compliance does not work on feelings or intentions. It works on responsibility, documentation, and traceability.

The Reality Most People Learn Too Late

When something goes wrong, the tax administration does not look for your friend. They look for you.

Legally, the business owner remains fully responsible for all tax obligations, regardless of who assisted with filings. If declarations are missing, incorrect, late, or incomplete, the penalties are addressed to the company — not to the person who helped.

Good intentions do not cancel legal obligations. And this is where many business owners get stuck. Because most compliance problems do not show up immediately. They surface when something important is needed.

• An attestation of tax compliance.
• A contract or public tender.
• A bank loan.
• A partnership or investor discussion.

That is usually when past years are reviewed, filings are checked, and gaps appear. By then, the friend who “handled everything” is often unavailable, unsure of what was filed, or unable to explain details clearly.

At that stage, fixing the situation becomes expensive, stressful, and urgent.

The Real Issue Is Not Trust — It’s Accountability

Having help is not the problem. Lack of accountability is.

Many business owners assume that as long as someone submits something, they are compliant. But compliance is not just about submitting papers. It is about knowing exactly what applies to your business, what was filed, when it was filed, and what still remains outstanding.

If you cannot answer those questions yourself, then you are not truly in control of your compliance — even if someone else is “handling it.”

Professional support does not remove your authority over your business. It gives you visibility. It ensures that filings are not only done, but documented, explained, and aligned with the law.

Why Informal Help Often Creates Bigger Problems

Friends usually mean well. But informal assistance often comes with limitations.

• They may not follow up consistently.
• They may not track changes in the General Tax Code.
• They may submit declarations without proper records.
• They may not inform you of obligations you didn’t ask about.

Most importantly, they are not accountable to you in a professional sense.

When penalties arise from not well-managed taxes, explanations are rarely enough. The tax administration works with documents, timelines, and filings — not verbal assurances.

This is why many businesses only realise they were “not fine” years later.

A Better Way to Think About It

Support is good. Structure is better.

What protects a business is not who you know, but how clearly your compliance is handled.

You should be able to say, at any moment, that you understand your tax situation. You should know what regime you fall under, what declarations apply, and whether everything is up to date.

That clarity reduces fear. It also reduces costs. Because small, correct compliance done early is always cheaper than emergency corrections later.

How We Add Structure and Clarity

At OpenHub Consulting, we work with many business owners who believed they were compliant — until they needed proof.

Our role is not to shame or scare. It is to bring clarity and structure.

We help businesses with:

• Proper tax filings and follow-up, aligned with the General Tax Code
  → https://openhubconsulting.com/our-services/tax-management/
• Accounting records that actually make sense to the business owner, not just to professionals
  → https://openhubconsulting.com/our-services/accounting/
• Clear compliance monitoring and advisory, so nothing accumulates quietly
  → https://openhubconsulting.com/our-services/business-consulting/

Everything is documented. Everything is explained. Nothing is hidden behind assumptions.

We also support capacity building through OpenHub Academy, where entrepreneurs and professionals are trained in bookkeeping, payroll, tax basics, and business compliance — so they are not dependent on guesswork or informal help.

A Quiet Question Worth Asking Yourself

If someone else is handling your taxes today, ask yourself one simple question:

Do I actually know what has been filed in my name? If the answer is no, this is not a failure. It is an opportunity to regain control. Because peace of mind does not come from hoping everything is fine. It comes from knowing.

Schedule a short compliance check with OpenHub Consulting and get clarity on where your business truly stands.

Sometimes, the smartest business move is not doing more — but making sure nothing is quietly piling up behind the scenes.