Switching bookkeepers: how it works, step by step

Many founders stay too long with a bookkeeper that no longer fits their company. Not because they're happy, but because switching seems like a hassle: paperwork, handover, and the fear that something falls through the cracks. In practice it's easier than it looks, especially when the new firm handles the migration for you. Here's the step-by-step plan.

When is it time to switch?

A few signals we often see with startups:

• Your figures are structurally behind, so you're steering on outdated information.
• Questions sit unanswered for days or weeks, or every question feels like an invoice.
• Your bookkeeper doesn't know the startup world: terms like runway, MRR or an investor update are new to them.
• You've outgrown your current package and the service isn't growing with you.

If you recognise more than one, the question isn't whether to switch, but when.

Step 1: check your current contract

First look at the agreement with your current bookkeeper: what notice period applies, and until when does your contract run? That differs per firm. Also make sure outstanding invoices are paid; that prevents discussion during the handover.

Step 2: pick the right moment

In principle you can switch at any time. Practically, the start of a new VAT period or a new financial year is the calmest: the previous period is then neatly closed. But don't wait half a year for 'the perfect moment' if you're already steering on outdated figures; a good new firm can also step in mid-period.

Step 3: arrange the handover of your administration

Your administration is and remains yours, not your bookkeeper's. At the switch you transfer: your bookkeeping data, your annual accounts and filings from previous years, and access to your bookkeeping software. If you work in a modern bookkeeping platform, this is often a matter of transferring the admin role rather than moving boxes of paper.

Step 4: transfer the authorisations

Your new bookkeeper needs authorisations to file returns with the Belastingdienst on your behalf and to set up bank feeds. The old authorisations get revoked. A good new firm walks you through this; it's mostly a matter of giving a few approvals.

Step 5: let the new bookkeeper run in parallel

The best way to make sure nothing falls through the cracks: have the new firm build and check the administration while the old one is still running, and only switch definitively once everything is in place. That way there's no gap in your administration and no deadline stress.

How we handle the switch

At De Startup Accountant this is exactly how it works: we run the migration in parallel and only switch over once your books are fully running on our system. We take over your current administration, connect your bank accounts and tools, import your historical data and set up your dashboards. Most startups are fully switched within five working days, and onboarding and migration are simply part of your monthly fee. All you have to do is cancel your old contract.

In short

• Don't stay stuck with a bookkeeper that no longer fits; switching is less work than it looks.
• Check your notice period and pay outstanding invoices.
• A new VAT period is a calm moment, but switching is possible at any time.
• Your administration is yours: data, history and software access come with you.
• Let the new firm run in parallel, so nothing falls through the cracks.