Software access when changing accountants

Software access during an accountant change should preserve business ownership of records and a clear handover of administrator rights. Confirm who controls the subscription, exports and connected services before ending the old engagement.

Keep enough access for an orderly transfer while removing obsolete permissions afterwards. Identify pending submissions and corrections so no task is lost between advisers.

Identify who controls each account

List the main accounting subscription, document store, receipt tool, payroll connection and any reporting or banking integration. Record the legal subscriber, administrator and recovery contact for each. An accountant may pay for a subscription while the business owns the underlying records, but the practical rights need to be established from the arrangement. Do not wait until access is being removed to discover that the only administrator uses the outgoing firm's email address.

Accounting records can contain personal information about staff, customers and suppliers. ICO security guidance supports controlling access and considering the responsibilities of service providers. The handover should therefore preserve the business's ability to use its records while restricting unnecessary continued access. A change of adviser is an opportunity to review actual permissions, not simply to replace one contact name on the invoice. ^[1]

Agree the handover work and dates

Identify the last period the outgoing accountant will complete and the first task handled by the new adviser. Include outstanding queries, tax submissions and corrections. Keep those responsibilities separate from the subscription transfer date. A provider may still need limited access for an agreed historic correction after the new accountant has taken over current bookkeeping, but that access should have a defined purpose and review point.

Give the incoming adviser an index of available records and any gaps. Confirm where supporting attachments, audit trails and submitted-return evidence are stored. A ledger invitation alone may not grant access to a separate receipt archive or historic report folder. Resolve those dependencies before closing the old engagement so the receiving team can understand the figures rather than work only from unexplained opening balances.

Transfer administration through supported processes

Use the software provider's approved method for changing the subscriber, administrator or adviser relationship. Confirm any effect on billing, features and data availability. Avoid copying credentials between firms or creating shared accounts that obscure who made a change. The business should retain a named person with appropriate control and an account-recovery route that does not depend on either adviser's personal device.

Where a full transfer is not possible, agree a controlled export or migration and test the result. Check transaction detail, documents and audit history, not only a summary balance. Keep the original system available until the required information has been reconciled and the archive can be retrieved. A rushed cancellation can turn an administrative change into an expensive reconstruction of records that were accessible the previous day.

Reconcile permissions with actual tasks

Decide whether each person needs to view, enter, approve, submit or administer. Give the new adviser the access required for the agreed engagement and avoid granting broad permissions solely because they are the software default. Review bank-detail changes, bulk exports and payroll data particularly carefully. A bookkeeper maintaining purchase records may not need access to every employee's salary or the authority to change payment settings.

Keep a dated list of temporary permissions and their purpose. After the transition, remove obsolete users and connections, including access through shared folders or third-party applications. Changing the main accounting password does not necessarily revoke an independent integration. Verify the relevant settings through the supported process and retain a concise record of what was removed, without exposing credentials in the handover log.

Confirm the first task under the new arrangement

Ask the incoming adviser to complete a defined reconciliation or reporting task and identify any missing access or evidence. Resolve those gaps while the outgoing team remains available for agreed questions. The business should know which dataset is authoritative and who can change it. Avoid parallel edits to two copies of the same ledger without an explicit reconciliation and change-control process.

Use Changing accountants during a VAT period if a VAT return falls during the handover and Accounting software migration support to discuss accounting-software access and record transfer. State the systems, subscription owner and next reporting deadline. A practical scope can then address administrator control, data access, unfinished work and removal of obsolete permissions as separate parts of the transition.

After the first completed period, review whether temporary arrangements are still necessary. Close resolved handover issues and retain the archive index with the business records. This prevents a former provider's access from continuing indefinitely merely because nobody confirmed that the last outstanding query had been answered.

Illustrative scenario

A business discovers its accounting subscription is controlled by the outgoing firm. It agrees the supported transfer process, exports key records and confirms new access before the old account is closed.

Preparation checklist

• Identify the account owner
• Export essential records
• Transfer authorised access
• Assign outstanding tasks