- Slow replies and missed deadlines are the clearest signs to change accountant
- A late company tax return now costs £200 on day one, even with no tax due
- You can switch mid-year, and your new accountant handles the handover
Knowing when to change accountant comes down to three signs: slow replies, missed deadlines and bills you didn’t see coming. If your limited company accountant shows two of these, switching is usually simpler than you’d expect. This guide covers each sign, what it costs you and when staying is the better call.
How do you know it’s time to change accountant?
Most directors don’t leave over one bad email. They leave when a pattern sets in, and that pattern usually starts with service rather than price.
Use the checklist below. If two or more rows describe your set-up, it’s time to ask “should I change accountant?” and mean it.
| Sign | What it costs you | What good looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Slow replies | Decisions stall while your question waits | A reply within the working day |
| Missed deadlines | Automatic penalties from HMRC and Companies House | Deadlines tracked and filings sent early |
| Surprise bills | Fees you never budgeted for | A written scope and fee agreed up front |
| No proactive advice | Reliefs missed and tax you didn’t need to pay | Ideas raised before you ask |
| Contact only at year end | Problems found when they’re hardest to fix | Regular check-ins through the year |
These are signs of a bad accountant fit, not always signs of a bad accountant. Some firms are excellent but set up for a different kind of client.
Is your accountant slow to reply or missing deadlines?
These two signs often travel together. An accountant not responding in March is often the same one filing late in December.
They’re also the reason most people search “unhappy with my accountant” in the first place. In Sleek’s UK sales calls, poor communication comes up more often than price when directors talk about switching.
Slow replies
An accountant not responding for a week costs you more than patience. You can’t decide on a hire, a dividend or a director’s loan while the question sits in someone’s inbox.
If you’ve chased the same question twice, write down the dates. Good service means a named accountant who acknowledges you within the working day, even if the full answer takes longer.
Missed deadlines and mistakes
Late filing penalties are automatic. Companies House charges a private company £150 for accounts up to a month late, rising to £1,500 after six months and doubling if you’re late two years running.
HMRC’s fixed penalty for a late company tax return doubled to £200 from 1 April 2026. It applies even when there’s no tax to pay.
An accountant making mistakes on your returns creates the same exposure, because HMRC can charge penalties for careless errors. Our guide to HMRC and Companies House fines sets out every penalty in one place.
Are you getting bills you didn’t expect?
Surprise bills usually mean the scope was never written down. A quick email gets billed as advice, or year-end accounts cost more than last year with no explanation.
Ask for an engagement letter that lists what’s included and what isn’t. If your accountant can’t tell you the fee before the work starts, treat that as a warning.
Clear pricing is a reasonable expectation, not a favour. For a benchmark, see what an accountant should cost for a limited company.
Do you only hear from your accountant at year end?
No proactive advice
A good accountant spots things before you ask. That might be a salary and dividend mix that’s drifted, a relief you’re not claiming or a VAT threshold you’re about to cross.
If every idea comes from you, you’re paying for data entry with a qualification attached. Advice should help you plan growth, not just report what already happened.
Contact once a year
Year-end-only contact means problems surface when they’re hardest to fix. A coding error from April is far easier to correct in May than the following January. It’s also when an accountant making mistakes is most likely to go unnoticed.
What good looks like is simple: books kept up to date through the year and regular check-ins. That way your numbers are ready when you need them for a pitch, a loan or a pricing decision.
When is staying with your accountant the better call?
Sometimes the honest answer to “should I change accountant?” is no. Stay put, at least for now, if one of these applies:
- It was a one-off. A slow reply during a busy January is different from a pattern across the whole year.
- You haven’t raised it yet. Plenty of problems get fixed after one direct conversation about response times or scope.
- You’re in the middle of an HMRC enquiry. A new firm needs time to get up to speed, so let the enquiry close first unless your accountant is the cause.
- You want someone local. If face-to-face meetings matter to you, a good local firm may suit you better. Our online vs local accountant guide sets out the trade-offs.
If you’ve already told them and you still think “I’m unhappy with my accountant”, that’s your answer. The same goes for signs of a bad accountant that keep coming back after you’ve complained.
What does switching accountant involve?
Less than most people expect. Your new accountant does most of the legwork, and you don’t need your old firm’s permission to leave.
Three things happen in the background:
- A professional enquiry. Your new accountant writes to the old one, as the ICAEW code of ethics sets out, to check there’s no professional reason not to act.
- A handover. Prior-year accounts, tax returns and working figures move across so nothing has to be rebuilt.
- HMRC access. Your new firm gets authorised as your agent so it can deal with HMRC for you.
Timing matters more than process. Avoid switching in the last few weeks before a filing deadline, unless your current accountant is the reason that deadline is at risk.
The full step-by-step is in our guide on how to change accountants.
How Sleek helps when it’s time to change accountant
Sleek gives your limited company a named, qualified accountant who replies the same day. AI handles the routine bookkeeping, your accountant checks it, and you can see what was done and what was approved.
When you switch, we contact your old firm, request the handover and get authorised with HMRC, so you’re not chasing anyone. Our accounting services cover your bookkeeping, year-end accounts and corporation tax in one relationship.
Change accountant without the chasing
FAQs on when to change accountant
Can I change accountant mid-year?
Yes. You can switch at any point in your company’s financial year, and your new accountant picks up from your last filed accounts and the books to date. Our guide on how to change accountants covers the order to do things in.
Will my old accountant hand over my records?
Yes, in almost all cases. ICAEW members must deal promptly with reasonable requests to transfer records, and unpaid fees aren’t a reason to ignore your new accountant’s enquiry. An outgoing firm can sometimes hold back papers while fees are outstanding, but ICAEW guidance says this isn’t normally possible for a company client.
Is it worth changing accountant just to save money?
Usually not on its own. A lower fee rarely makes up for slow replies or a missed deadline, and one late filing can wipe out a year’s saving. If price is your only concern, ask your current firm to review the scope before you move.
What should I ask a new accountant before switching?
Ask who your named contact will be, how quickly they reply and exactly what the fee covers. It’s also worth asking how they handle the handover and which accounting software they use, so your records move across cleanly.
How much notice do I need to give my current accountant?
Your engagement letter sets the notice period and any charges for work already started. Tell your accountant in writing and agree the last piece of work they’ll complete, so nothing falls between the two firms.
Am I still responsible if my accountant files late?
Yes. As a director, you’re legally responsible for your company’s filings even when an accountant prepares them, and penalties are charged to the company. Companies House doesn’t treat relying on your accountant as grounds to cancel a late filing penalty.
Does changing accountant change my company's year end?
No. Your accounting reference date stays the same when you switch accountant. If you want a different year end, you’d apply separately using form AA01 to change your accounting reference date, and your new accountant can tell you whether it’s worth doing.
