# How do I switch accountants?

Pick My Accountant (https://pickmyaccountant.co.uk/answers/how-do-i-switch-accountants/): How do I switch accountants? — Quick answer. Switching is simpler than it looks: choose the new firm, tell your current accountant you're moving, and the new firm handles the rest through 'professional clearance' — a standard letter requesting your records and confirming there's no reason not to act for you. It usually takes one to three weeks and shouldn't cost anything beyond any unpaid fees.

## Key facts

- The new accountant does most of the work via a professional clearance letter
- Typical timeline: 1–3 weeks end to end
- Your old accountant must hand over your records — they belong to you (they may hold work they haven't been paid for)
- Best timing: just after a year end or filing, not days before a deadline
- New firms must run anti-money-laundering ID checks before acting — have ID ready

## The steps in order

1) Pick the new firm and agree scope and fees in an engagement letter. 2) Notify your current accountant — a short email is fine. 3) The new firm writes for professional clearance and your records (accounts, tax computations, payroll data, VAT workings). 4) Sign new HMRC agent authorisations (form 64-8 or the digital handshake). 5) Confirm who files anything currently in flight so nothing falls between firms.

## When to time the move

The clean break is right after your year-end accounts or tax return is filed — the old firm finishes what they started, the new firm begins a fresh period. Moving mid-engagement works but expect the new firm to charge for re-doing work in progress. Avoid switching in the fortnight before a deadline unless the relationship has genuinely broken down.

## Common friction points

Unpaid invoices: an accountant can exercise a lien over their own working papers until paid, though core records must be returned. Software access: if the subscription is in the firm's name, ask for an export or transfer of your Xero/QuickBooks file before you leave. Ethical clearance is almost never refused — it exists to flag serious issues like fraud, not to trap clients.

## FAQs

**Q: Will HMRC be told I've switched?**
A: Yes — signing the new agent authorisation replaces the old one, and HMRC then corresponds with your new accountant. Nothing about your tax position changes.

**Q: Can my old accountant charge an exit fee?**
A: Only if your engagement letter provides for it, which is rare. They can charge for genuine handover work beyond returning your records, but routine clearance responses are normally free.

**Q: What if my accountant has disappeared or been struck off?**
A: A new firm can reconstruct your position from HMRC records and bank data. If the old accountant was a professional body member, you can also complain to that body.

Updated: 2026-07-08

Source: https://pickmyaccountant.co.uk/answers/how-do-i-switch-accountants/