1. Deadline map
List your next Companies House, Corporation Tax, VAT, payroll, CIS and Self Assessment dates. The closer a deadline is, the more cautious the handover needs to be.
Buying decision guide
Switching accountants: a calm checklist before you move.
Changing accountant is often less about paperwork and more about trust, deadlines and whether the business owner finally gets useful answers. This guide helps you make the move carefully without losing records or creating avoidable tax risk.
When to review
Signs your current support may no longer fit.
A switch is worth considering when the relationship is reactive, unclear or no longer matched to the decisions your business needs to make.
Deadline stressAccounts, VAT, payroll or Self Assessment work keeps becoming urgent at the last minute.
No forward viewYou hear about tax after the year has ended, not while there is still time to plan.
Weak records routineReceipts, invoices, bank notes and payroll/VAT evidence are not being organised monthly.
Little commercial contextYou receive filings, but not enough clarity on cashflow, director pay, tax set-aside or growth decisions.
Before approaching a new accountant
Prepare the handover facts first.
2. Latest filed position
Gather the latest accounts, tax return, VAT return, payroll summaries and any HMRC or Companies House notices. The new accountant needs to see what has already been filed.
3. Software and records access
Check who controls bookkeeping software, payroll tools, bank feeds and document storage. Access issues can slow a switch more than the professional clearance process.
4. Reason for changing
Be specific: slow replies, unclear fees, tax planning gaps, messy records, missed reminders or needing more advisory support. This helps avoid recreating the same problem.
5. Current engagement terms
Review notice periods, unpaid fees, file handover terms and what work is already in progress. Do not leave urgent filings ambiguous between firms.
6. First-year priorities
Decide what must improve first: deadline control, director pay review, VAT/payroll routine, management accounts, bookkeeping workflow or tax planning.
Timing matters
A clean switch protects the next filing cycle.
The best handover gives the new accountant enough time to understand the business before the next deadline. If a deadline is already close, the first conversation should be about risk, records and whether the work can be reviewed safely.
- Ask what work is currently complete, in progress or not started.
- Confirm whether VAT, payroll or Companies House deadlines fall during the handover window.
- Keep access to old records until the new workflow is stable.
- Avoid assuming the new accountant can fix historic issues without a proper review.
Compliance-safe boundary: this page does not promise tax savings or criticise another adviser. It helps business owners prepare the facts so a careful accountant can assess fit.
Gardian route
Use the Tax Review Check as a switching conversation.
If you are thinking of moving, the review should establish what is happening now, what needs attention first and whether Gardian is the right fit before any paid handover work begins.