Changing Accountants? What to Expect

What to Expect When Moving to a New Accounting Firm

A practical guide for individuals, investors, business owners and SMSF trustees

The central question is not whether changing accountants is easy. It is whether changing is the right decision for you.

Most people do not change accountants lightly. Your accountant may know the history of your business, understand your family circumstances and hold years of financial records. Even when the relationship is no longer working as well as it once did, the idea of starting again can feel inconvenient or uncomfortably personal.

In practice, changing accountants is usually a straightforward professional process. It does not need to involve conflict, criticism or an awkward confrontation. The more important question is not whether changing is easy, but whether changing is the right decision for you.

Many clients already have an excellent accountant and are well served by remaining where they are. Others reach a point where their circumstances, expectations or advisory needs have changed. The purpose of this guide is to explain how to assess that decision calmly, what a typical changeover involves and what you should expect from both firms.

Why do people change accountants?

There is rarely one universal reason. Sometimes the relationship has genuinely broken down. More often, the client and the firm have simply grown in different directions.

A small business may have become more complex and now require regular management reporting, structuring advice or specialist tax support. An investor may have acquired several properties and want more proactive planning. An SMSF trustee may need an adviser with deeper superannuation experience. In other cases, the client may still need relatively simple services but prefer a different communication style.

Common reasons include:

difficulty obtaining timely responses or knowing who is responsible for the work
receiving accurate compliance work but little forward planning or explanation
fees or scope that are unclear or no longer suited to the services required
changes in the accounting firm’s ownership, staffing or service model
a business outgrowing the firm’s available expertise or capacity
a preference for different technology, meeting arrangements or communication methods
a change in the client’s location, ownership, industry or personal circumstances.

None of these automatically means the existing accountant has done anything wrong. A once-appropriate relationship can become less suitable as circumstances change.

Should you actually change?

Before approaching another firm, identify the problem you are trying to solve. A delayed reply during tax season is different from a repeated pattern of missed deadlines. One unexpected invoice is different from years of unclear pricing. A desire for more advice may simply require a clearer conversation about services and fees.

Where the relationship is fundamentally sound, it can be worth speaking openly with your current accountant first. Explain what you need, give a practical example and ask whether the firm can adjust. The answer may confirm that staying is the best option or clarify that another adviser would be a better fit.

For example, a business owner may feel that their accountant is not proactive because they meet only once a year. The current firm may be able to offer quarterly advisory meetings, but the client has never asked for them and they were not included in the existing engagement. A short conversation may resolve the concern without any change of firm. Try to make the decision when you are calm and have enough time to assess the alternatives. Changing immediately after a disagreement can turn a professional decision into an emotional one. Consider the quality of the work, communication, capability, service scope, fees and mutual fit over a reasonable period.

Signs your current accountant is serving you well

A good accounting relationship is not defined by constant contact or by always hearing the answer you hoped for. An adviser may be serving you very well if they:

complete agreed work accurately and within reasonable timeframes
explain important issues in language you can understand
raise relevant risks and opportunities rather than simply processing forms
ask questions when information is incomplete or inconsistent
set clear boundaries about scope, timing and fees
tell you when specialist legal, financial or other advice is required
are willing to disagree respectfully when an idea is risky or unsupported
understand your goals without losing professional independence.

Occasionally, the most valuable advice is to remain with your current accountant. Familiarity with your history, a strong working relationship and reliable service are worth preserving. A new firm should not encourage change merely to win an engagement.

Signs it may be time to look elsewhere

It may be reasonable to explore alternatives where concerns are recurring, material and remain unresolved after you have raised them. Examples include:

repeated missed deadlines or important matters left unattended
long periods without responses and no explanation or alternative contact
advice that is not explained, documented or tailored to your circumstances
significant errors that are not acknowledged or addressed appropriately
ongoing uncertainty about what work is included and how fees are calculated
feeling unable to ask questions or disclose information candidly
your needs extending beyond the firm’s expertise, systems or capacity.

Fit also matters. A growing business seeking monthly reporting and strategic support may not be suited to a firm focused mainly on annual compliance. Conversely, a client with straightforward affairs may not need the service model or cost structure of a large advisory firm.

There will also be situations where a specialist boutique, national firm or Big Four firm is genuinely the better choice, for example, a complex international expansion, major transaction, public-company requirement or highly specialised tax matter. A trusted adviser should be comfortable recognising when another firm has the more appropriate capability.

Is changing accountants difficult?

Usually, no. Once you have selected and formally engaged the new accountant, the firms can generally manage much of the professional handover directly, with your written authority.

You do not normally need to personally collect every historical document or mediate between the firms. The new accountant will explain what is required, confirm the scope of the engagement and request relevant records. Your former accountant can then provide information they are authorised and able to release.

The process can take longer where records are incomplete, fees remain disputed, entities are numerous or a deadline is close. These are reasons to plan the transition carefully, not reasons to avoid it.

What actually happens during the changeover?

Although each firm has its own procedures, a typical changeover follows these steps:

Initial discussion. You explain your circumstances, current concerns and the services you require. The new firm considers whether it has the capability, capacity and independence to act.
Proposal and engagement. The parties agree on scope, responsibilities, timing and fees. You may also be asked to complete identity checks and provide consent for information to be collected or exchanged.
Professional enquiry. With your authority, the new accountant may contact the former accountant to ask whether there is any professional reason the engagement should not be accepted and to request relevant records.
Transfer of information. The former firm provides available documents and background information that can properly be released. This may include financial statements, tax returns, workpapers, asset schedules, trust records and details of outstanding matters.
Authority updates. The new accountant is added to the relevant tax and accounting systems. Some businesses and organisations must nominate a new registered agent through ATO Online services for business before the agent can access their records.
Review and commencement. The new firm reviews the information received, identifies gaps and confirms priorities, deadlines and any immediate risks.

The professional enquiry is sometimes called an ‘ethical letter’ or ‘professional clearance’. The terminology can sound more dramatic than the process really is. It is generally a routine communication designed to support an orderly transition and help the new accountant make an informed acceptance decision.

Will my previous accountant be upset?

Most accountants understand that clients occasionally move. Professional relationships change, businesses evolve and no firm is the right fit for every person at every stage.

You can keep the message brief and respectful. You do not need to prepare a detailed criticism of the firm. A simple instruction that you have decided to appoint another accountant and authorise the release of relevant information is usually sufficient.

If you have received good service over the years, it is entirely appropriate to acknowledge it. If the relationship has been difficult, remaining factual will usually produce a smoother handover than revisiting every disagreement.

Changing accountants should never feel like ‘breaking up’ with someone. It is simply a professional decision about finding the adviser whose experience, communication style and services best match your current needs.

How long does the process usually take?

A straightforward handover may be completed within several business days to a few weeks. More complex groups can take longer, particularly where multiple entities, accounting systems, finance arrangements, payroll or SMSFs are involved.

Timing also depends on how quickly you sign the engagement, complete identity requirements, provide authorities and answer questions. The former firm may need reasonable time to assemble archived material, especially during peak lodgment periods.

Where possible, avoid changing immediately before a tax return, BAS, audit, settlement or other critical deadline. If a deadline is already close, tell the new accountant at the first conversation. The firms may need to agree which adviser will complete the immediate work and when responsibility will transfer.

What information will the new accountant require?

The exact list depends on your affairs, but you may be asked for:

proof of identity and details of the people and entities involved
recent tax returns, financial statements and notices of assessment
access to accounting software, payroll, bookkeeping and document systems
company, trust, partnership or SMSF establishment documents
loan, lease, finance and asset information
details of property purchases, investments and capital gains records
current ATO debts, payment arrangements, reviews or correspondence
a list of upcoming deadlines and work currently in progress
information about your objectives, concerns and preferred communication style.

Do not assume the new accountant will automatically receive everything from the former firm or the ATO. Some records may never have been held by the former accountant, and access to tax portals does not replace your source documents. Keep your own copies of signed agreements, deeds, contracts, loan records and important correspondence.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to tell my current accountant before speaking to someone new?

No. You can have an initial confidential discussion before deciding whether to move. The prospective accountant should explain when authority and contact with the existing firm will be required.

Can I change part-way through the financial year?

Yes. There is no general need to wait until 30 June. However, consider outstanding work, upcoming deadlines and who will be responsible for each task during the transition.

Can my former accountant refuse to release my records?

The answer can depend on who owns the particular record, the terms of the engagement, unpaid fees and applicable professional or legal obligations. If a dispute arises, ask both firms to identify the specific documents and issues rather than treating ‘the file’ as one item.

Will the new accountant need to redo previous work?

Not ordinarily. They will usually rely on properly completed prior work while applying their own review and risk procedures. Additional work may be required if records are missing, balances cannot be reconciled or a previous issue needs correction.

Should I choose the cheapest accountant?

Price is relevant, but compare scope and service as well as the headline fee. A lower fee may include less contact or narrower work; a higher fee is not automatically evidence of better advice. Ask what is included, what is excluded and how additional work is approved.

Should I choose a larger firm?

Choose the level of capability and service your circumstances require. Larger firms may offer deeper specialist teams and broader transaction support. Smaller firms may provide closer continuity and a more direct relationship. Neither model is universally better.

What if I decide not to change after meeting another accountant?

That is perfectly reasonable. An exploratory meeting should help you make an informed decision, not create pressure to move. You may conclude that your current adviser remains the best fit or that you first need to clarify expectations with them.

When should you seek advice?

Consider speaking with another accountant when you have clearly identified an unmet need, a recurring concern or a significant change in your circumstances. Seek advice early if a transaction, restructure, business sale, dispute, overseas expansion or major investment is approaching; changing firms after the event may limit what can be done.

A useful first meeting should explore your current position, what is working, what is not working and what you expect from the relationship. It should also test whether the prospective adviser has relevant experience, explains matters clearly and is willing to say when someone else would be better placed to assist.

The objective is not change for its own sake. It is to have an adviser whose capability, service model and communication style are appropriate for the work you need for now and as your circumstances develop.

A final perspective
A change of accountant is not a verdict on the previous relationship. It is a practical decision about what your circumstances require next. The best outcome may be a renewed conversation with your present adviser, a carefully managed transition to another firm, or a referral to a specialist with capabilities suited to a particular issue.

General Information Only

This publication provides general information and does not take into account your specific circumstances. Professional and legal requirements may affect the transfer of particular records or engagements.

Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.

Official References

First Published: 20 August 2026
Last Reviewed: 20 August 2026