Why people switch
The reasons are usually ordinary: slow replies, figures that arrive too late to use, surprises at deadlines, or a business that has outgrown a basic service. If your accountant only ever reports what has already happened, and you want help with what is next, that is worth saying before you decide.
Before you decide
Questions to ask yourself
- What do I actually need: accounts and tax, bookkeeping, payroll, clearer management figures, or advice?
- What is currently working, so I do not lose it?
- Is anything urgent or due soon, such as a filing or a letter from HMRC?
- Who else depends on the arrangement, for example a bookkeeper or a lender?
What to gather
- The name of your current accountant and what they handle for you.
- A note of anything outstanding or approaching.
- Access to your accounting records and bank information, when it is time to share them.
- Recent accounts and returns, where you have them.
Please keep a first enquiry general. Do not send identity documents, bank statements or other sensitive records until a proper way to share them has been agreed.
How the handover works
Your new accountant will usually need your permission to ask your previous one for information. Tell your current accountant that you are moving, so records and responsibilities can be passed on in an orderly way. Agree who does what, and from which date, so no filing falls into the gap between two firms.
If your company’s accounts are involved, the official guidance on GOV.UK: prepare and file annual accounts for a limited company shows what the company is responsible for filing.
A worked example
A company decides to move accountants shortly before a filing date. It tells the new firm straight away what is due, shares access to its records and asks the old firm to hand over what it holds. Because the date was identified on day one, it is planned for rather than discovered.
Once the move is complete, review how the new arrangement is working after the first filing cycle. Ask whether the figures are reaching you in time to be useful, and whether you know who to contact for what.