Switching accountants: what businesses should ask before they move


Businesses switch accountants for familiar reasons: poor communication, surprise fees, missed deadlines, or simply outgrowing the one-person practice that was perfect at the start. The move itself is straightforward, but asking the right questions before you sign makes the difference between an upgrade and a repeat. Here is the checklist.


Ask about the team, not just the partner


You will deal with the manager and the juniors far more than the partner who pitches you. Ask who your day-to-day contact will be, how experienced they are, and what happens when they are on holiday. A firm is only as good as the person who answers your email.


Ask about fees in writing


Get the fee structure in writing: what is included, what is extra, and how extras are priced. The cheapest quote is rarely the cheapest year; surprise bills for "additional work" are the number one complaint against accountants. Fixed monthly fees with a clear scope beat hourly billing for most small businesses.


Ask about technology


Which software do they work in? Do they use bank feeds, receipt capture apps, and a client portal, or are they still emailing spreadsheets? A firm whose technology matches yours will be faster and cheaper to work with. If you are on Xero and they live in Sage desktop, expect friction.


Ask about the handover


A professional firm handles the handover: the professional clearance letter to your old accountant, the transfer of records, the takeover of deadlines. Ask how they manage it and how long it takes. If they seem vague about clearance, that tells you something about their professionalism.


Ask about capacity


The best time to switch is before you are desperate, and the worst time to discover your new firm is overloaded is January. Ask directly how many clients your contact manages and what their turnaround times look like in peak season.


Firms like Finex Outsourcing, a Global Business Services provider supporting UK businesses and their accountants, build the answers to all five questions into their onboarding: named contacts, fixed scopes, cloud software, managed handovers and planned capacity.

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