Changing accountant in Paris
Switching accountants: we handle the transfer. Collegial letter to the outgoing firm, file collection and completeness check, handover of tax portal, software and bank access, then we take over the bookkeeping. Paris 8, from EUR 258 excl. VAT per month.
Quick answer: how does changing accountant work in France?#
It happens in two steps. You terminate your current engagement letter, with the notice it provides for, often three to six months. We do the rest: (1) the collegial letter required by article 163 of the professional code of conduct, which informs the outgoing firm and organises the handover, (2) collection of the file (entries file for the last three years, trial balance, general ledger, fixed assets, reconciliations, filed returns), (3) a completeness check before the next filing deadline, (4) handover of access (tax portal, accounting software, bank feed) and (5) taking over the bookkeeping. From EUR 258 excl. VAT per month, firm quote after a first discussion (price list).
What we handle, and what stays with you#
Termination is yours: it is your contract, nobody can end it on your behalf. Everything that follows is our work.
| Step | Who does it | What it involves |
|---|---|---|
| Terminating the engagement letter | You | Written notice, contractual notice period, fees settled pro rata |
| Collegial letter | The firm | Article 163 of the code of conduct: informing the outgoing firm, organising the handover |
| Collecting the file | The firm | Formal request, follow-up where needed, written acknowledgement of what was received |
| Completeness check | The firm | A written list of what is missing, before the next filing deadline |
| Access and tools | The firm | Tax portal substitution, software invitation, bank connection |
| Taking over | The firm | First VAT return, first year-end, deadline calendar rebuilt |
Timing is the real subject#
Nothing requires you to wait for the year-end. What matters is the notice period in your engagement letter and where your deadlines fall. A badly timed handover leaves a VAT return or an annual filing between two firms, each assuming the other is on it.
So the first thing we do on a handover is set the calendar: what the next deadline is, who carries it, and what has to be collected before then. Everything else, including friction with the outgoing firm, comes after.
What the outgoing firm must return#
Your own records belong to you. A right of retention exists but it is narrow: it covers only the work the firm produced itself and that remains unpaid, and it requires informing the president of the regional council of the Ordre (article 168 of decree no. 2012-432). In practice, fees settled pro rata clear nearly every situation, and a dispute over the exact amount should not block the file from leaving.
Handover, catch-up, or both#
A file that changes firms is sometimes also a file that is behind. The two are not the same job: a handover organises a transfer, whereas accounting catch-up rebuilds financial years that were never kept. We tell you which one applies once we have seen the file, and the quote follows that finding.
If your books are already kept in Pennylane, the transfer happens without re-importing data: see our Pennylane accountant page.
What it costs#
The handover is not an entry fee: it is priced into the engagement. Bookkeeping starts at the EUR 258 excl. VAT monthly base of our price list, and the firm quote follows a first discussion about volume, deadlines and the real state of the file once collected.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change accountant mid-year in France?
Who informs the outgoing firm?
Can my former accountant hold on to my documents?
What exactly should be collected?
What does the change cost?
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Article written by Samuel Hayot
Chartered Accountant, registered with the Institute of Chartered Accountants. Certified Pennylane trainer.
Regulated French accounting and audit firm based in Paris 8, built to support companies across France with a digital and decision-oriented approach.
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Samuel Hayot is a French chartered accountant and statutory auditor registered with the Paris professional bodies.
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