How easy it is to switch accountants?

If you feel your current accountant can no longer meet your needs, you don’t feel you are getting the support you deserve or you are just looking for a change, we would love to welcome you to Cadence Accounting.

While switching accountants may sound daunting, it’s actually incredibly simple – we do it regularly for clients and have it down to a fine art, making it a seamless process for you:

Research your options

It’s an important decision so do your research first to make sure you can find an accountant that can support you at every stage of your business journey, especially if you are planning to grow. We often meet new clients who initially partnered with an accountant well suited to their early needs. However, as their business has grown and evolved, they find they have quickly outgrown their current accountant’s capabilities and require more advanced support to navigate their growth journey. If you think Cadence Accounting might be the right fit, we would love to chat – get in touch.

Consider timing

Once you have found the right partner, think about when is the best time to switch. Does your contract include a notice period? (We don’t have a notice period because we believe that if you aren’t getting what you need from us, you shouldn’t be tied in.) Would it be best to switch at your business’ financial year-end or do we need to manage a transition mid-year? Switching after year-end is typically simplest, as it allows your current accountant to finalise filings for the year. However, switching mid-year is entirely possible with a bit of planning to ensure a smooth transition – we transition many clients mid-year, usually just working around the VAT quarter end if appropriate.

Inform your current accountant

When you’re ready to make the change, there’s very little you actually need to do yourself. Most new clients prefer to let their current accountant know of the switch themselves, while others prefer us to handle the communication on their behalf – whatever works best for you. It’s good practice to do this in writing and let them know your new accountant (hopefully us!) will be in touch. If you would like us to do it on your behalf, we will handle it professionally through a letter or email.

Engage us

Our onboarding process is simple and can be completed electronically. We will send you an engagement letter which is a document that outlines our relationship. We’ll also need a copy of photo ID and proof of address. Once done, we’ll have the necessary permissions to liaise with your previous accountant and take over your accounts seamlessly.

Leave the rest to us

We’ll handle the rest. We’ll send a professional clearance letter to your current accountant, requesting all relevant information (tax filings, bookkeeping records, etc.) and any work that’s already been completed for the current year. With everything in place, we’ll have you up and running in no time.