Switching accountants is easier than you think
Switching accountants is simpler than most owners think. Your new CPA handles the handover letter, records and CRA authorizations — here's how and when.
Many owner-managers keep the same accountant years after the fit has stopped working, because switching feels like a project they don't have time for. The reality is more reassuring: in Canada, changing accountants is a routine, well-defined process, and most of the work falls on your new firm, not on you.
Why owners hesitate
Perceived friction. Owners picture weeks of chasing old files, re-explaining their business and juggling two firms at once. In practice, the profession has a standard handover process because clients change firms all the time. Your part usually comes down to a few signatures and one confirmation click.
Loyalty. If the same person has prepared your year-end since you incorporated, leaving can feel personal. It isn't: transitions are a normal part of professional practice, and CPA codes of ethics require the outgoing accountant to cooperate with the one taking over.
Mid-year fear. "I can't leave in the middle of my fiscal year." You can. A new firm can pick up a year in progress; what matters is a clean cut-off — everyone knows who files what — and access to prior-year files. Both are settled during the transition.
The actual mechanics of switching
The professional courtesy letter
Before accepting your file, your new CPA contacts your current accountant. This predecessor communication is built into CPA codes of ethics: it confirms there is no professional reason the new firm shouldn't take the engagement, and it starts the file transfer. You simply authorize the exchange — there is no awkward breakup call you're required to make.
Transferring your records
The documents you gave your accountant belong to you: bank statements, contracts, minute book, invoices. Your former accountant must return them and give your new CPA access to the key files behind your financial statements and tax returns — prior-year statements, notices of assessment, adjusting entries, tax depreciation schedules. In Quebec, the CPA order is explicit that unpaid fees are not a reason to withhold your documents. Your new firm requests all of this directly.
Updating CRA and Revenu Québec authorizations
Your new firm needs authorization to deal with tax authorities on your corporation's behalf. Federally, your new CPA submits a request through the CRA's Represent a Client service (using the firm's RepID or business number); you confirm it in two minutes in My Business Account — unconfirmed requests expire after ten business days — and you can cancel the previous firm's access from the same screen. For Quebec corporations, form MR-69 authorizes your representative with Revenu Québec; a prior authorization stays valid until revoked, so remember to cancel the old one.
Reviewing the engagement terms
Before you sign, read the engagement letter closely: which services are included (year-end financial statements, T2 and CO-17 corporate returns, tax planning), the price, the deadlines and how you'll communicate. If scope and fees aren't clear in writing, treat that as useful information.
The best time to switch
The cleanest window is right after your annual filings go out. Your fiscal year-end package is done, nothing is in flight, and the new firm gets a full cycle to work with. Since corporate returns are due six months after year-end, this handover point is easy to plan around.
The second-best window is two to four months before year-end, which leaves time for pre-year-end planning: salary versus dividends, equipment purchases, bonus accruals. Keep in mind that any balance of corporate tax is generally due two months after year-end (three months for many CCPCs claiming the small business deduction), so starting early also helps you plan the cash. If neither window is practical, switch when you're ready — mid-year transitions happen every week, and a competent firm will manage the cut-off.
Your switching checklist
- Gather your last two years of financial statements, T2/CO-17 returns and notices of assessment.
- Confirm scope, price and deadlines in the new firm's engagement letter before signing.
- Authorize the courtesy communication between your new CPA and the outgoing firm.
- Confirm the CRA authorization request in My Business Account, and sign the MR-69 for Revenu Québec if applicable.
- Cancel the former firm's authorizations with the CRA and Revenu Québec.
- Agree in writing on the cut-off: who files what for the current year.
- Move access to your cloud accounting file (QuickBooks, Xero) and payroll platform.
- Note any deadlines that land during the transition so nothing slips.
What Stamped does in your first 30 days
When an incorporated business joins Stamped, the first month follows a set path. In week one, we hold a short onboarding call, open your secure space on our platform, submit the CRA and Revenu Québec authorization requests, and send the courtesy letter and records request to your outgoing accountant — you never have to chase anyone. Over the following weeks, our CPAs review your prior statements and corporate returns, flag anything worth a second look and confirm your filing calendar. You get a fixed quote up front for each of our services — compilation engagements from $2,900, corporate tax returns (T2 and CO-17) from $1,475 — and answers within 24 hours, from a CPA team headquartered in Quebec City serving businesses in every province, entirely online. Curious what that looks like for your corporation? Talk to us.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to tell my current accountant myself?
No. Your new CPA sends the professional predecessor communication required by CPA codes of ethics and requests the file transfer. A short note from you is a nice touch, but it isn't required.
Can I switch accountants in the middle of my fiscal year?
Yes. A new firm can take over a year in progress. The key is agreeing in writing on who files what for the current year and getting access to prior-year files — both are handled during onboarding.
Can my former accountant withhold my records?
No. The documents you provided belong to you and must be returned. In Quebec, the CPA order is explicit that unpaid fees are not grounds for withholding them — you still owe the fees, but your documents follow you. Your new CPA requests the records directly.
How long does switching accountants take?
Usually one to two weeks. Confirming your new representative in the CRA's My Business Account takes minutes, the Revenu Québec MR-69 can be signed the same day, and records transfers typically follow within days.
Does it cost anything to switch accountants?
Normally no. You pay your outgoing firm for work already completed, but the transfer itself doesn't usually carry a fee. At Stamped, onboarding is included in our fixed quotes.