Our Simple Guide to Switching Accountants

How to Change Accountants (It’s Easier Than You Think)

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Changing accountants takes three steps, and you can do it at any time of year. You tell your new accountant you’d like to move, they write to your current one to request your records, and your history transfers across. You’re only really involved in the first step; we handle the rest. There’s no switching fee, and you don’t need to wait for your year end.

Why people change accountants

You don’t need a dramatic reason. The ones we hear most are a build-up of the “little things” and completely reasonable:

Invoices that arrive as a surprise. No warning, no fixed fee, just a bill.
The January-only accountant. Your return only gets touched in the last week before the deadline.
Calls and emails that go unanswered. You’re chasing them, not the other way round.
Still working on paper. They want everything printed and posted, while you run your business from your phone.
No proactive advice. They file what’s in front of them and never tell you what you could be doing differently.
You’ve outgrown them. The business has changed and their service hasn’t kept up.

You shouldn’t dread opening an email from your accountant. If you do, that’s reason enough. (You really shouldn’t.)

How switching actually works

Here’s the whole thing, start to finish. There are three steps, and you’re primarily involved in the first.

You say yes, and we take it from there. Once you decide to move to us, we write to your current accountant with what’s called a professional clearance letter. This is the standard, professional courtesy between firms. It lets them know you’re moving and asks for the information we’ll need to pick things up cleanly. You don’t have to have an awkward conversation; the letter does it for you (but you will have to confirm you are leaving them!)

Your records come across, and we get authorised. Your old accountant passes over the handover information (your accounts, tax history, and any related working papers), and we register as your agent with HMRC so we can deal with them on your behalf for your tax, VAT and payroll as needed. You approve the authorisation; we set it all up.

We pick up where they left off. Once everything’s across, we get your records straight, tell you what’s due and when, and carry on. On your side, the main change is that things happen on time and invoices no longer catch you by surprise.

Common questions about changing accountants

How do I change accountants?

In three steps. You tell us you’d like to move, we write to your current accountant to request your records (this is called a professional clearance letter), and once everything’s across we register as your agent with HMRC and pick up where they left off. You’re only actively involved in the first step.

Is it hard to change accountants?

No, and it’s the part people most often overestimate. The formal side runs between the two firms, not through you. Most of our new clients are surprised by how little they had to do.

What do I say to my old accountant?

Nothing, unless you want to. The professional clearance letter handles the formal notice for you, so there’s no awkward conversation to have. Plenty of people send a short thank-you note, which is a nice thing to do, but it’s entirely up to you.

Is there a bad time of year to change accountants?

There isn’t one. You can switch any time. Some people think they should stay “just for this last set of accounts”, especially if your year end has passed. In fact, this is a great time to move as it allows us to get stuck in straight away and really understand your business needs. We take on new clients all year round.

Will anything fall through the cracks when I switch?

That’s exactly what the handover process is designed to prevent. We make sure nothing is missed between one firm finishing and us starting, and if there’s a deadline coming up, we prioritise it.

What does it cost to change accountants?

There’s no switching fee to move to us. You’ll get a fixed fee for the work itself, agreed upfront, so you know what you’re paying before we start. (Your existing accountant may send a final invoice for work they’ve already done, which is normal.)

What if my records are a mess?

They won’t be the worst we’ve seen. Getting them straight is part of the job, not a reason to put off the move.

The best time to switch is before you need to

If there’s a deadline bearing down, sooner is better, because it gives us time to do the work properly rather than at a sprint. But honestly, the best time to move is whenever you’ve realised you want to. Waiting for a tidy moment usually just means another year with an accountant who isn’t right for you.

Here’s how we help

We move people over from other firms all the time, and Tracy will make it about as painless as it can be. She will handle the clearance letter, the handover, and the HMRC side, and keep you informed at each step without burying you in admin.

If you’ve been thinking about it...

Please tell us roughly where things stand, and we’ll tell you exactly how the move would work for you and what happens next.

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