One of the most common reasons founders stay with an accountant who isn't serving them well is the perceived pain of switching. "My books are all with them. Changing now would be a nightmare." We hear this constantly. It's almost never true.
The professional handover process
When you appoint a new accountant, the standard professional process involves your new firm writing to your existing firm to request your records. This is governed by ACCA professional standards and your existing accountant is required to cooperate — they cannot withhold your records or make the process difficult.
What gets transferred:
- Your statutory books and company records
- Prior year accounts and tax returns
- Details of any open HMRC correspondence
- Agent authorisations (we handle the HMRC online transfer)
- Payroll and bookkeeping records where applicable
How long does it take?
In our experience, most clients are fully set up and operational with us within two weeks. The timeline depends largely on how quickly your previous firm responds — which, in practice, varies. We chase on your behalf and keep you updated throughout.
"The transfer felt completely seamless. Runway handled everything and I didn't have to do a thing except sign one form."
When's the best time to switch?
You can switch at any point in the year, but the tidiest transitions happen:
- At the start of a new accounting year
- After your year-end accounts have been filed by your existing firm
- When you've just started a new financial year and your records are clean
That said, we've successfully onboarded clients mid-year, mid-tax-return, and even during active HMRC enquiries. The right time to switch is when you've found the right firm — not when it's administratively convenient.
What you need to do
From your side, the process is straightforward:
- Sign our engagement letter
- Sign a 64-8 form to authorise us to act with HMRC
- Provide us with your previous accountant's contact details
- Give us access to your bookkeeping software (Xero, QuickBooks, etc.) if applicable
Everything else, we handle. If you're ready to explore whether Runway is the right fit, book a free 30-minute call. We'll tell you exactly what a transition would look like for your specific situation.