Switch Your UK Company Accountant to Fileminder
Switching your UK company accounting and tax compliance to Fileminder is free of charge. We manage the handover, request professional clearance from your previous accountant, request your prior accounting records, set up our HMRC agent authorisations, and arrange Companies House filing through your company's authentication code.
Who it's for
UK limited companies, non-resident directors, and business owners who are dissatisfied with slow communication, missed filing deadlines, unexpected fees, or inadequate international tax understanding from their current accounting provider.
What you provide
Your company name and registration number, contact details for your current accountant, a signed letter of authority authorizing us to request your records, and standard proof of identification for statutory anti-money laundering checks.
How it works
After agreeing on your future service scope, we send you a simple letter of authority to sign digitally. Our compliance team contacts your previous accountant to seek professional clearance and request your trial balances, prior-year tax returns, capital allowance schedules, and payroll records. We set up our agent authorisations with HMRC and, for Companies House, file using your company's authentication code, which you share with us securely. We agree a precise responsibility handover date and confirm your complete filing calendar.
Price
Free. Our switching and onboarding coordination service is completely free of charge. You pay nothing for the professional transfer. Ongoing fees depend exclusively on the ongoing compliance modules, plans, or standalone services you select for current and future periods.
What is included
- Drafting and issuing formal professional clearance and enquiry letters to your current accountant
- Requesting and reviewing the prior records available, such as trial balances, ledgers and past tax returns
- Verification of opening balances and capital allowance records brought forward
- Setting up HMRC agent authorisations for Corporation Tax, VAT, PAYE, and Self Assessment
- Companies House filing of confirmation statements and accounts, using your company's authentication code
- A formal responsibility handover date, so it is clear who files what
- Complete onboarding health check of upcoming company statutory deadlines and compliance status
What is not included
- Settlement of outstanding historical invoices or fees owed to your former accountant for past work
- Filing overdue prior-year accounts or correcting past accounting mistakes (scoped as rescue or catch-up work)
- Ongoing monthly or annual accounting service fees, which commence from the agreed handover date
- Direct legal disputes or contentious arbitration with your previous professional advisor
Professional Clearance and Accounting Ethics Protocols
Under the AAT Code of Professional Ethics, before accepting a new client we assess any threats to our professional obligations, and contacting the previous accountant (a professional enquiry, often called professional clearance) is one of the safeguards we use. It asks whether there is anything professionally relevant we should know; it is not a request for their permission. It also gives a formal route for requesting the records and balances we need to take over.
Clear Start Date and Continuity of Compliance
The greatest risk when changing accountants is ambiguity over who is responsible for an imminent statutory filing. We remove that ambiguity by agreeing an explicit responsibility start date in our engagement letter, and we check every pending deadline at Companies House and HMRC, so each filing has a named owner during the transition.
Frequently asked questions
- Is it difficult or disruptive to switch accountants in the UK?
- Usually not. Taking over from another accountant is routine work for us, and we follow our professional obligations under the AAT code when we do it. Once you provide signed authority, our team handles the communications, requests your historical files and sets up official HMRC agent authorisations, so little is needed from you.
- Can my previous accountant refuse to release my company accounting records?
- It depends on the document. Who is entitled to each item turns on who owns it and on the engagement terms. Records that belong to your company, such as bank statements, invoices and its own ledgers, should normally be returned. In limited cases an accountant may lawfully keep certain documents until fees are paid (a lien), under strict conditions. We request what is needed and deal with any disagreement case by case.
- What is the best time of year to switch my company accountant?
- You can switch at any point during the year. Many business owners switch immediately after a financial year-end or following a quarterly VAT return, but if your current accountant is unresponsive or missing deadlines, switching sooner limits further risk.
Official sources
Content reviewed by Ibrahem Ali Almahawe MAAT AATQB (AAT licence 1009686) (2026-10-01).