Switching accountants is easier than you think

Most people who stay with an accountant they have outgrown do so because they expect leaving to be difficult. They imagine awkward phone calls, lost paperwork and a missed tax deadline that lands them with a penalty, so they put it off year after year and grow steadily more frustrated.

In practice it is a good deal duller than that, and switching accountants is one of the easier pieces of business admin you will ever deal with. It usually costs you nothing, takes about 10 to 15 minutes of your time and leaves no gap in service, and we do most of the work, including the slightly awkward conversation with your old accountant.

This guide runs through the fears that keep people stuck, explains why none of them holds up, and sets out the four simple steps to making the move.

The four fears that keep people stuck

Nearly everyone weighing up a switch has one of four worries in mind, and it is worth taking them one at a time.

• The first is that it will be awkward. You never have to have the uncomfortable conversation yourself. Once you tell us you would like to switch, we send a standard, polite clearance letter to your old accountant on your behalf. This is a routine courtesy between firms; they receive them all the time, and there is nothing personal about it.
• The second is that it will be a hassle. In fact your part is limited to signing an authority or two, which takes a few minutes, and we deal with the records, the handover and the HMRC paperwork.
• The third is that you have to wait for your year-end. You do not, and you can switch whenever suits you. Just after your year-end is often the tidiest moment, but there is almost never a reason to wait if you are unhappy now.
• The fourth is that your old accountant will not hand your records over. In almost all cases they will pass them straight across, because that is how the profession works, and we chase it so that you do not have to.

How switching works, step by step

The whole process, from start to finish, is set out below, and very little of it lands on you.

• First, you tell us you would like to switch. One message is enough to get things moving. Book a free, no-pressure chat and we will talk through your situation.
• Second, we contact your old accountant. We send a professional clearance letter, which is a standard request between firms, and ask them for your records and a proper handover.
• Third, we set up HMRC authorisation. We arrange agent authorisation using form 64-8 or the online equivalent, so that we can act for you and deal with HMRC directly. You sign the form and we do the rest.
• Fourth, we take it from there. Your bookkeeping, accounts, tax returns and deadlines are all in hand, and there is a real person looking after them.

What it costs

Switching to us typically costs you nothing. There is no charge to move your affairs across, and we agree your ongoing fee in advance as a fixed price, so you always know what you are paying and there are no surprise bills at the year-end.

Because we work with cloud accounting, none of this depends on where you are based. We are based in Kent, but we look after business owners, landlords and trades across the UK. You can see everything we do on our services page.

Why people move to us

The most common reason clients give for switching is that they were tired of being treated as a number. With us, you deal directly with Bobby Gardiner (CAT FMAAT); there is no call centre and no rotating cast of juniors whom you never quite get to know.

We work in a straightforward and proactive way: fixed fees are agreed in advance, we get in touch well ahead of each deadline, and we explain the tax in plain English. The aim is that you stop worrying about the money side and get back to running your business.

If you are in the trades and have been on CIS, switching is also a good moment to check that you are not leaving money with HMRC. Our CIS refund estimator gives you a quick idea of what you might be owed.

Ready when you are

There is no bad time to switch, and there is no obligation in having a conversation about it. If your current arrangement is leaving you anxious or in the dark, it is worth finding out what the alternative would look like before another year goes by.

When you are ready, book a free chat. We will answer your questions, tell you whether we are a good fit, and if you would like to go ahead we will take it from there.