Switch accountants in 30 days. We run the handover.
Specialist UK agency accountants. We email your current firm, collect your records, and run Xero from day one. No awkward conversation and no gaps in your books.
- ACCA Registered Practice
- Chartered certified accountants
- Xero-first practice
- UK agencies only
Five steps. 30 days. No conversation with your old firm.
The handover is standard practice. We follow ICAEW and ACCA professional clearance rules so your current accountant has to cooperate.
- 01
Day 1: Free 15-min call
We check fit, walk through your set-up, and answer questions. No sales pitch and you keep the recommendations whether you switch or not.
- 02
Day 2 to 3: Engagement letter and 64-8 signed
Two documents: our engagement letter and the HMRC 64-8 form. Sign electronically. You do not need to contact your current accountant.
- 03
Day 4 to 7: We email your current accountant
Professional clearance letter sent on your behalf. Standard ICAEW and ACCA practice. We request the handover pack and chase if needed.
- 04
Day 8 to 21: Records arrive, Xero set up
We pick up your bookkeeping where they left off. If you are not on Xero yet we migrate from QuickBooks, FreeAgent, or Sage as part of onboarding.
- 05
Day 22 to 30: Live on Alto
First management period under our care. PAYE, VAT, and bookkeeping cycles continuous. Nothing falls through the cracks.
Want this for your agency?
Book a free 15-min call15 minutes with a chartered accountant. No sales pitch.The full handover pack. You sign once.
This is what your current accountant has to send across. We request it on your behalf and chase if needed.
- Last filed accounts at Companies House
- Opening trial balance with backing schedules
- Payroll year-to-date and P11D data
- Fixed asset register and depreciation schedule
- VAT return history and last MTD submission
- Corporation Tax computation and CT600 from last filing
- HMRC agent authorisation transfer (64-8)
- Companies House authentication code if relevant
Fixed fee. No lock-in. We do the talking.
Three things that should be standard but rarely are.
Fixed fee. No surprise bills.
Monthly fee from £200. Includes VAT returns, PAYE, year-end, Self Assessment, and advisory. No hourly meter and no scope creep.
Monthly rolling. No lock-in.
30 days notice on either side. No setup fee and no minimum term. If we are not the right fit you leave clean.
We do the talking.
You sign one form. We email your current accountant, request the records, and chase the handover. You avoid the awkward conversation.
What agencies ask first.
Do I have to tell my current accountant first?
What if my year-end is coming up?
What if my current accountant makes the handover difficult?
Do I owe my current accountant anything before I switch?
What happens to PAYE, VAT, and bookkeeping during the switch?
Do you charge to migrate me from QuickBooks, FreeAgent, or Sage to Xero?
Is there a long contract or setup fee?
Ready when you are.
15 minutes with a chartered accountant who already gets agency business models and the practical side of switching firms mid-year.
- Honest read on whether your year-end timing makes switching easy or tricky
- What your current accountant should hand over and what to do if they stall
- Salary and dividend split review, quick wins to apply this month
- Specific next steps, yours to keep whether you switch or not
Prefer email? hello@alto-accounting.com