Should I change accountant?

Signs it may be time to move

• Deadlines missed, or met at the last minute, more than once, with penalties or stress as a result.
• No reply to emails or calls, even after you have chased in writing. See My accountant isn't responding.
• Your business has changed and the firm does not offer what you now need, such as payroll, monthly figures for a lender, or advice on growth.
• You do not understand what you are paying for, and the firm will not explain. ICAEW members must give a fee breakdown if a client asks for one.¹
• Mistakes keep happening, and they are not put right when you point them out.
• The firm has changed hands and the new terms no longer suit you. See My accountancy firm was bought by a group.
• Your accountant is retiring or closing the practice. See My accountant is retiring.

Signs it may not be time

• It happened once. A single late reply in a busy month may be worth a conversation rather than a move.
• You have not asked. Your firm may offer the service you want, such as management accounts, but nobody has discussed it.
• The fee went up and you have not asked why. Ask for the reason and what the fee now covers before you compare.
• Your records are the hold-up. If the firm is waiting on you for paperwork, a new firm will be waiting too.
• A deadline is close. Moving takes time. Sort out the next filing first, then decide.

Ask first

Before you start looking, write to your accountant. Say what is wrong, what you would like to change, and by when. Questions you might ask:

1. Can you confirm in writing what my fee covers?
2. Who is my contact, and how quickly should I expect a reply?
3. Can you offer the extra work I now need, and what would it cost?
4. What do you need from me, and by when, for the next deadline?

The answers help either way. If you stay, you know what to expect. If you move, you know what to ask the next firm for.

If you decide to move

You can choose to change accountant, subject to any notice period or other terms in your engagement letter. ICAEW's guidance to its members starts from the point that clients have the right to choose their accountants and to change them if they want to (section 320 of the ICAEW Code of Ethics).² Your old accountant cannot stop you moving.²

• How changing accountant works: the steps, who does what, and timing.
• Switching checklist: tick off each step as you go.
• What your old accountant must hand over.
• Questions to ask a new accountant.

How often do businesses change accountant?

We have not found a reliable published figure on how often UK businesses change accountant. If we find one with a stated sample and fieldwork date, we will add it here.