Switch Accountants Without Losing Your File
You can change accountants at any time, including mid-financial year. You keep ownership of your documents, and it is your new accountant who contacts the previous one. At Viseeon, we handle the handover for you: you only have one letter to sign.
- File handover organised by us
- Template termination letter included
- Call back within 1 business hour
Why do so many business owners hesitate to switch?
"My accountant no longer answers me"
Unanswered emails, questions waiting for weeks, annual accounts delivered at the last minute. You pay for support you don't get. It is the first reason people switch.
"I'm afraid of losing my documents"
Your invoices, ledgers and tax returns belong to you. Switching doesn't make them disappear. They simply need to be handed over in the right order.
"I don't know how to terminate"
The engagement letter sets the terms for ending the contract, often with a notice period. Few business owners reread it. A clear termination letter avoids any misunderstanding.
"It's not the right time"
There is no bad time, only easier ones. Switching mid-year just requires a precise review of the work already done and what remains.
"I pay too much for what I get"
Fees that rise without explanation, services billed on top, no proactive advice. Comparing your fee with your real needs is the first step.
What we do for you, from A to Z
You sign your termination letter. We take care of the rest: contact with your current accountant, retrieval of documents, takeover of ongoing work and your deadline calendar.
We analyse your situation
Year-end date, work already completed, upcoming tax deadlines, the amount you pay today.
You terminate, using our template
You send your current accountant the template termination letter, respecting the notice period set in your engagement letter.
We contact your former accountant
Professional rules require the new accountant to inform their predecessor before accepting the engagement. We send that letter and request the items needed for the handover.
We take over your file
Trial balance, general ledger, latest tax packages, VAT (TVA) returns, payroll: we check opening balances and flag anything unusual.
You have a point of contact again
A dedicated accountant, a clear calendar and a first follow-up meeting after the handover.
Can you switch accountants mid-year?
Yes. No rule obliges you to wait until the end of the financial year. What matters are the terms of your engagement letter: its duration, renewal method and termination notice.
In practice, switching mid-year means clearly dividing the work:
- what the former accountant has already billed and completed (bookkeeping, VAT (TVA) returns, payroll for past months);
- what the new accountant takes over (remaining bookkeeping, annual accounts, tax package, shareholder meeting).
This split is what we formalise in your transition plan. It prevents paying twice for the same work, or a deadline falling between two firms.
When is the best time to switch?
| Timing | Advantages | Points to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Just after the previous year's accounts are delivered | "Clean" file, approved accounts, handover on a validated base | Check that the tax package and the filing of the accounts are done |
| At the start of a financial year | The new accountant follows the whole year, no bookkeeping to split | Respect the notice period of the current engagement letter |
| Mid-year | You don't endure another year of a service that doesn't suit you | Precisely split the work already done and what remains |
| Just before year-end | Possible, but the accounts timetable is tight | Plan ahead to retrieve documents and entries |
For a company, accounts must be approved within 6 months of year-end (SARL, EURL, SA). They are then filed with the commercial court registry (greffe) within one month, or within 2 months if filed online (Service Public Entreprendre, F31214). Your transition plan takes these dates into account.
Can your current accountant keep your documents?
Your accounting records (invoices, statements, contracts) belong to you. Your current accountant must return them to you.
The profession regulates the switch. The code of ethics for chartered accountants requires the new accountant to inform their predecessor before accepting the engagement (article 163 of the decree of 30 March 2012). That letter mentions any fees still owed. In case of a dispute over those fees, the Order of Chartered Accountants (Ordre des experts-comptables) can propose conciliation.
The same code regulates the right of retention (article 168): an accountant who considers withholding work for non-payment must inform the president of the Order's regional council. According to the Order, they can only retain work they carried out themselves (annual accounts), for a certain and due debt. Documents that belong to you (invoices, statements, contracts) can never be withheld: they are returned as soon as you request them. The simplest approach is still to pay the fees due before switching: the handover then happens without blockage.
How do you terminate your engagement letter?
- Reread your engagement letter. Note its duration, renewal date and the notice required.
- Send a termination letter by registered mail with acknowledgement of receipt, or by email if the engagement letter allows it.
- State the desired end date and any work you still wish to entrust to your current accountant.
- Request the return of your documents and specify that your new accountant will contact them.
- Pay the fees due for work completed, or list in writing those you dispute.
Our free guide includes a template termination letter you can complete in 5 minutes.
Guide "Switching Accountants Without the Stress" + template termination letter
The ideal timeline, a checklist of documents to retrieve and a termination letter ready to complete. PDF and Word template.
Get the guideWhich documents should you retrieve from your former accountant?
- The trial balances and general ledgers for the last financial years.
- The annual accounts and tax packages filed.
- The VAT (TVA) returns for the current year and their acknowledgements of receipt.
- The fixed assets and depreciation schedule.
- Employment contracts, payslips and DSN filings if you have employees.
- The minutes of shareholder meetings and the register of decisions.
- Your access to professional portals (impots.gouv.fr, URSSAF, net-entreprises.fr), which must be in your name.
We draw up this list with you and send it to your former firm ourselves.
Can you switch accountants at any time?
Yes, as long as you respect the termination terms of your engagement letter, notably the notice period. No rule requires you to wait for the financial year to close.
Do you need to tell your current accountant?
Yes, you terminate your engagement letter in writing. For their part, your new accountant must inform their predecessor before accepting the engagement: it is an ethical obligation.
Can my former accountant refuse to hand over my file?
Your accounting records belong to you. In case of unpaid or disputed fees, the Order of Chartered Accountants can propose conciliation. Pay, or dispute in writing, the sums owed to avoid any blockage.
What happens if I switch mid-year?
The work is shared: the former accountant bills what they completed, the new accountant takes over from there and prepares the annual accounts. Our transition plan lists who does what, month by month.
When is the best time to switch?
Right after the annual accounts are delivered is the simplest time. But if the service no longer suits you, switching mid-year is still possible and often better than enduring another year.
Will I pay two accountants in the same year?
You pay each one for the work actually done. The transition plan avoids duplication: the same work is never billed twice.
How long does the file handover take?
It depends on how responsive the former firm is and the state of the file. We give you a target date on the first call.
My impots.gouv.fr and URSSAF access is in my accountant's name: what should I do?
Your professional accounts must be in your company's name. We help you regain control of your access, then give us the necessary delegations.
Do I also need to change my invoicing software?
Not necessarily. We work with the main tools on the market. If a change is useful, we plan it after the handover, not during it.
What does the template termination letter contain?
Your details, the engagement letter reference, the desired end date, the request to return your documents and a note that your new accountant will be in touch. It is included in our free guide.
Why do you ask how much I pay today?
To compare your current fee with your real needs and propose a consistent plan. This field is optional.
Get your transition plan
An accountant calls you back within 1 business hour. Before sending your termination, review things with them: notice period, fees still owed, order of steps. Your new accountant will then inform your current accountant, as professional ethics require.