Changing accountancy firm without interrupting operations
Engagement letter, handover of working files and continuity of filings: a realistic timetable for changing firm.
By Qualified accountants
Changing firm often worries more than it should. Handled under the profession's collegial rules, a takeover interrupts neither your filings nor the follow-up of your accounts.
A clear engagement letter from the start
The new firm formalises scope, deliverables and timetable. That letter avoids grey areas: who produces which filing, who keeps which documents, who speaks to the administration.
Documents to recover
Accounts, trial balances, filings submitted, significant contracts and working papers needed for continuity. Your original documents belong to you and should follow the file.
A realistic timetable
Allow time for correspondence between firms, then for integrating history. The safest course is to avoid a switch in the month before a closing or a major tax deadline.
