Switch accountant without the hassle

Easier than most people expect. You do not need to have a difficult conversation or chase anyone for files. You sign one form. We write to your old accountant, collect your records and register as your agent with HMRC. You can switch accountant at any time of year, not only at your year end.

Accountants who are members of a professional body follow set rules for handing over a client. Your old accountant should pass on the information we need to carry on your work. They may ask that any fees you owe them are settled first.

Switching does not mean starting from scratch. Your company number, your tax references and your filing history all stay the same. HMRC simply records that a new agent is acting for you. Your bookkeeping software usually stays the same too: we are added as a user, and your old accountant is removed.

• Emails and calls that go unanswered for days
• Being passed between different people each year
• A large bill at the year end that you did not see coming
• Returns filed at the last minute, leaving no time to plan
• Advice that never goes beyond filing the forms
• Your accountant is retiring or closing

Sometimes the reason is simpler. Your business has changed and your accountant has not kept up. You might have started letting property, taken on staff, registered for VAT or moved into a company. A practice that fitted you five years ago may not fit you now, and that is a perfectly good reason to look around.

We are a two-person practice led by an ICAEW Chartered Accountant. You speak to the person doing your work. You can read more about us.

1. 1

   Free 20-minute chat

   Tell us what you have now, what you pay and what is not working. We ask about upcoming deadlines.

2. 2

   A fixed price in writing

   Within one working day you get an exact monthly fee, fixed for 12 months unless your business changes.

3. 3

   You sign one form

   That is the only paperwork for you. It lets us act for you.

4. 4

   We handle the handover

   We write to your old accountant, collect your records and last returns, and register with HMRC as your agent.

5. 5

   A fresh check and a deadline list

   We review recent returns and give you a list of every date that applies to you from now on.

Any time works. There are a few points to keep in mind so nothing falls between two firms:

• Your old accountant’s name and email address
• Your UTR, and your company number if you have a company
• Your VAT number and PAYE reference, if you have them
• Copies of any recent HMRC letters you have not dealt with
• Access to your bookkeeping software, if you use one

If you have copies of your last tax return or accounts to hand, send those too. It lets us start checking straight away while the formal handover goes through, and spot anything urgent early.

When you switch, you move onto a fixed monthly fee: from £99 for self-employed people and landlords, £150 for limited companies and £220 for growing businesses. If your books need catching up first, we tell you before we start. See our fees page, and our guide on how much an accountant costs to compare quotes fairly.

We work with Xero, QuickBooks, Sage, FreeAgent and spreadsheets, so in most cases you can keep the software you already use.