Moving Accountants

[glenmore3685]

Hi All

Just a quick question, how easy is it to move between accountants assuming both use FreeAgent?

I'm not happy with my current and I'm thinking of moving. Just wanted to understand the level of pain involved transferring.

Thanks in advance.

[Craig@Clarity]

Hi,

In theory it should be easy. The process would be to notify your old accountant you’re leaving and advise your new accountant that they’re authorised to speak to the old accountant. They will then write to them for professional clearance and handover information and hopefully make the switch seamless.

[Alchemy Accountancy]

Others will be able to give you a more impartial response than I can, as a FreeAgent Accountant.

However, in my experience, and in the absence of any material issues in your historic record keeping, the part of the switching process with the most client involvement is getting your records up to date on FreeAgent. This is why a lot of accountants tell you to switch at the year end, though some may offer to help bring it up to date. If you are already on FreeAgent, then you own the data (which should be in reasonable shape) and it is easily ported into the new accountant's dashboard.

Almost all of the remainder of the transfer process is dealt with between the old and new accountant.

Craig

[Neil@Intouch]

Hi All

Just a quick question, how easy is it to move between accountants assuming both use FreeAgent?

I'm not happy with my current and I'm thinking of moving. Just wanted to understand the level of pain involved transferring.

Thanks in advance.

The process of transferring your FreeAgent account, assuming both Accountant's use FA, is very simple.

You contact FA support and ask them to move you to another practice dashboard, and once approved by all parties, they transfer this.

The other information i.e. handover of payroll, VAT, Accounts etc, would be done via a professional clearance from the new Accountant.

[glenmore3685]

Great, thanks for the replies.

Sounds like its probably easiest to leave this until the end of the current tax year.

[northernladuk]

Great, thanks for the replies.

Sounds like its probably easiest to leave this until the end of the current tax year.

How do you get that? I see three FA accountants touting for your business saying the process is very simple?

Even if it's a little more complex than they say I'd rather deal with a known quantity than an accountant I don't want for the rest of the year.

[Lance]

Great, thanks for the replies.

Sounds like its probably easiest to leave this until the end of the current tax year.

and when your current accountant takes 4 months, of you still paying them, to do those accounts, you'll wish you'd moved when it was fresh in your mind.

[Maslins]

Sounds like its probably easiest to leave this until the end of the current tax year.

I'd agree with this (though for clarity it's your company's accounting year which is relevant, not the personal tax year).

You can switch whenever...but with "pay monthly" firms, you'll minimise the risk of duplicated payments if you tie it in with a year end. Eg if you were to leave 1 month before the end of your accounting year, your "old" accountant would unlikely be prepared to do that year end's figures without you sticking with them for the final month. If you wanted the "new" accountant to do them, they'd likely want a one off payment in addition to one month's fees to do so.

[Lance]

I'd agree with this (though for clarity it's your company's accounting year which is relevant, not the personal tax year).

You can switch whenever...but with "pay monthly" firms, you'll minimise the risk of duplicated payments if you tie it in with a year end. Eg if you were to leave 1 month before the end of your accounting year, your "old" accountant would unlikely be prepared to do that year end's figures without you sticking with them for the final month. If you wanted the "new" accountant to do them, they'd likely want a one off payment in addition to one month's fees to do so.

If the OP paid you up front for the whole year would you do the year end for no additional fee?

[Maslins]

If the OP paid you up front for the whole year would you do the year end for no additional fee?

We don't do up front fees for a whole year like that...but if we did, yes. Unsure what you're getting at?