Switching Accountant
Locums stay with accountants they are unhappy with because they assume changing is disruptive. It is not. The professional clearance process exists precisely so that the outgoing and incoming firms deal with each other rather than making it your problem.
On This Page
- What Actually Happens
- When to Switch
- What to Ask a New Firm
What Actually Happens
- You tell your current accountant
- A short email is enough. You do not need to give a reason and you do not need to have an argument about it.
- We write for professional clearance
- We ask your existing accountant for professional clearance and for the handover information: last accounts, tax computations, capital allowances position and any HMRC correspondence.
- You sign an engagement letter and authorise us with HMRC
- The authorisation lets us file on your behalf. It takes a few minutes.
- We review what we receive
- We check the position we are taking over rather than simply continuing it, and tell you if we find something that needs correcting.
When to Switch
Any time works, but shortly after a return has been filed is the smoothest, because the handover position is clean and there is time before the next deadline.
Do not wait until January because you are unhappy with the service. That is the worst point to move and the point at which a poor accountant has the most leverage over you.
What to Ask a New Firm
- What exactly is included in the fee, and what is charged extra
- Who will actually do the work and who do I contact with a question
- How quickly do you respond to an email
- Do you handle Making Tax Digital quarterly updates, and is that in the fee
- How many locum veterinary surgeons do you act for
- When will I know my tax figure for the year
Frequently Asked Questions
What if my current accountant will not release my records?
A firm may exercise a lien over certain documents where fees are genuinely outstanding, but your own records belong to you. In practice most handovers are straightforward, and where they are not the professional bodies have complaints procedures.
Will switching trigger an HMRC enquiry?
No. Changing accountant is routine and is not a risk factor. Enquiries are driven by the content of returns, not by who prepares them.
Move Your Accounts Without the Hassle
Tell us who you are with now and where you are in the year. We will handle the rest and tell you exactly what we need from you, which is very little.