Moving accountants – complicated? Not at all

25 Jun 2020

In the light of the current COVID-19 events, we are seeing more and more new clients coming to us (both personal and business) because they are unsatisfied with the lack of sufficient support and guidance from their previous accountants.

The process of switching accountants usually is very straightforward and painless, however many people are still reluctant to change, based on the following myths.

I have just had my accounts done so won't I have to wait until the next year end?

Not at all. You are free to leave your current firm whenever you choose to. We would argue that the sooner we look at your affairs the more time we have to give good advice and implement measures to save you time and money before the next year end arrives. Accounting is not just about reporting what has happened in the past year – it's also about making sure you're best prepared for the years ahead.

Won't it be a hassle and take up a lot of my time?

Certainly not. In fact, all it should take from you is one letter which we can help you with. Otherwise we will arrange for a smooth effortless handover without any need to bother you unless necessary. There is not even a requirement for you to have any further communication with your old accountant. We would normally request any information from the old accountant that he holds on file relevant to your circumstances and relevant to us picking up your accounts/tax work. There is normally a legal obligation on him to hand over this without any fuss.

Doesn't switching accountant trigger a tax investigation from HMRC?

Absolutely not. The Revenue do have certain criteria they use when it comes to deciding who to investigate, targeting because you have changed accountants isn't one of them.

My old accountant might charge a fee for moving

Most firms are fair about this and see it as a task that should be performed free. They should also follow professional ethics and respect any client's wishes and not have a “tight – fisted” approach over a client choosing to leave. The terms of engagement should usually inform a client of any fees specific to leaving. For nearly all, the handover of a client from an outgoing accountant to an incoming one is done free of charge.

Is there any point changing – aren't all accountants the same?

Probably the biggest myth of them all. No two firms of accountants are the same. As with all industries there is a mix of the good, the bad and the ugly!

Are you getting what you require at the moment?

You may want to ask yourself the following questions about your current accountant:

• Am I happy with the level of tax I am paying, do I know if I am paying too much unnecessarily?
• Do I feel my accountant always listens to me and fully understands my needs?
• Can I always get hold of my accountant when I need them?
• Do I fully understand the advice that I am being given?
• Am I getting services from a qualified firm, if not, is that important to me?
• Are all my affairs done in a timely manner, or is everything last minute (or worse, late!)?
• Does my accountant give me advice that drives my circumstances forward, or do they just make sure things are done on time each year?

If the answers are all “yes”, then you probably have an excellent accountant looking after you and should stay put.

If there are one or more “no's” in there, you know the time is right to consider moving accountants…

You can contact Nunn Hayward. for a free no obligation consultation with one of the Partners, for us to listen and understand what your needs are.

If you decide to change accountants and join Nunn Hayward as a client, leave it to us – the rest is easy!