Practical Guides to Choosing and Working with an Accountant

A successful change needs a new appointment, authority for the handover and clarity about unfinished work.

Map the live responsibilities

List accounts, returns, payroll, VAT, bookkeeping and advisory work, together with deadlines and current status. Identify software access and records held by each party.

Agree the incoming scope

Do not assume the new accountant will automatically complete work already underway. Confirm tasks, fees, start date and what happens if the outgoing records are incomplete.

Authorise professional clearance and transfer

The new provider will normally explain the authority needed to contact the outgoing accountant. Keep communication factual and retain copies of engagement and termination correspondence.

Protect deadlines

If a deadline is close, agree explicitly who remains responsible. The existence of a handover does not pause HMRC or Companies House obligations.

Use this checklist to structure a conversation, then confirm the current rules on GOV.UK and obtain advice for your circumstances.

• Confirm whether and when you are required to use MTD
• List relevant self-employment and property income sources
• Choose compatible software and understand its cost
• Decide who keeps digital records and how often
• Agree who submits quarterly updates
• Understand the annual tax-return process alongside MTD
• Document what happens when records are incomplete or late
• Check authorisations without sharing HMRC credentials

This list is general information, not a determination that MTD applies to you.

The first meeting is usually more useful when you can explain the shape of the situation, your deadlines and what you want to improve.

Useful non-sensitive information

• Business structure and main activities
• Approximate turnover band and number of employees
• VAT and payroll position
• Year end and known filing deadlines
• Software and record-keeping method
• Current frustrations and desired level of support

Documents come later

Ask how the provider securely receives documents after identity, scope and terms are confirmed. Do not email HMRC credentials, identity documents or bank details simply because a general enquiry form asks for “more information”.

Leave with clear next steps

Confirm what the provider will quote for, what further information is genuinely required, who will contact whom and whether any urgent deadline needs separate action.

Do not treat every accounting title as interchangeable. Ask precisely what qualification or professional status is being claimed, then verify it.

Start with the exact claim

“Accountant”, “chartered accountant”, “chartered certified accountant” and “tax adviser” can point to different training, memberships and regulatory arrangements. Ask for the professional body, membership details and the entity covered.

Use official directories

Search the relevant professional body’s public register or firm directory and confirm practising status where applicable. Check the name, firm and location carefully. A logo on a website is not independent verification.

Ask about protection

Relevant questions include professional indemnity insurance, complaints handling, continuity arrangements and AML supervision. Requirements differ by service and professional body.

Useful starting points include the ICAEW, ACCA, AAT and Chartered Institute of Taxation. This is not an exhaustive list.

A first conversation should help you understand the service, not leave you dependent on assumptions.

Fit and experience

• What experience do you have with clients of my size, structure and sector?
• Who will actually handle my work?
• Can we meet locally, remotely or both?

Scope and working method

• Which filings and tasks are included?
• Who keeps the records and in which software?
• What do you need from me, and by when?
• What is specifically excluded?

Communication and fees

• What is the usual response time?
• Are routine questions included?
• What triggers an additional fee?
• How and when can the agreement end?

Verification

Ask about qualifications, practising status, professional-body membership, insurance, AML supervision where relevant and complaints procedures. Check important claims using official sources rather than relying on a logo.

The labels overlap, but the work you need can usually be separated into regular record keeping, accounts and returns, and advice or judgement.

A bookkeeper may be the right starting point when…

You mainly need transactions recorded, accounts reconciled and records kept current. Ask what training, supervision and quality checks apply, and how their work connects with the person preparing accounts and tax returns.

An accountant may be the right starting point when…

You need accounts or tax returns prepared, help interpreting the figures, more complex tax work or support with business decisions. “Accountant” alone does not confirm a particular qualification, so verify any claimed status.

Often, you need both functions

Many practices combine bookkeeping and accountancy. The useful questions are: who does each task, what information moves between them, what checks occur and whether the full scope is included in the fee.

Describe the support you need

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