Changing Accountant? Here's What You Need to Get From Your Old One
Changing accountants shouldn't be stressful.
Unfortunately, one of the biggest causes of delays when moving accountants is missing information. We regularly speak to business owners who know they have a VAT number, Government Gateway account or Corporation Tax reference somewhere, but have no idea where the details are.
The good news is that most of this information can be gathered before the handover starts.
To make things easier, we've put together a free guide covering the most common company codes, references and documents, including where to find them if they've gone missing.
Before You Change Accountants, Make Sure You Have These
Company Information
✅ Company Registration Number (CRN)
✅ Company Authentication Code (CAC)
✅ Corporation Tax UTR
✅ VAT Registration Number
✅ Government Gateway User ID
✅ Employer PAYE Reference
✅ Accounts Office Reference
Important Company Documents
✅ Certificate of Incorporation
✅ Articles of Association
✅ Share Certificates
✅ VAT Registration Certificate
✅ Confirmation Statement
Tax Documents
✅ Latest CT600 Corporation Tax Return
✅ Corporation Tax Computations
✅ Last 2-3 years' Company Accounts
✅ VAT Returns
✅ HMRC correspondence
Payroll Information
✅ Payroll reports
✅ P60s
✅ PAYE registration details
✅ Pension scheme information
Accounting Records
✅ Accounting software access
✅ Bookkeeping records
✅ Bank account information
✅ Copies of important invoices and receipts
Why Does Your New Accountant Need These?
A new accountant isn't just preparing the next set of accounts.
They need to understand:
What has already been filed
Which deadlines are approaching
Whether HMRC registrations are correct
Who owns the company
Whether payroll and VAT schemes are set up correctly
Whether there are any historic issues that need addressing
The more information you can provide at the start, the smoother the transition will be.
Don't Panic If You've Lost Something
The most commonly misplaced items are:
Government Gateway User IDs
Company Authentication Codes (CACs)
Corporation Tax UTRs
VAT Registration Certificates
Previous CT600s
Most can be recovered, replaced, downloaded or obtained from HMRC, Companies House, your software provider or your previous accountant.
That's exactly why we created our free guide.
Free Download: The Business Owner's "I've Lost It" Guide
Inside you'll find:
✔ What each code, document or reference is
✔ What it looks like
✔ Where it originally came from
✔ Common places to look
✔ What to do if you've lost it
✔ A business records checklist showing what you should keep and for how long
Download your free copy below.