You have decided to change accountant?
One step formalises your decision: the termination letter sent to your current firm. It is short and quick to prepare.
What the letter contains
- Your details: your company, its address, your name and position.
- The reference of the engagement letter you are terminating.
- Your decision, with no need to give a reason.
- The notice period and the intended effective date.
- The documents to hand over for the takeover: latest annual accounts and tax returns, trial balance and general ledger, accounting entries file (FEC), filings in progress.
- The upcoming contact from your new firm, if already chosen.
- Your commitment to keep sending your documents and to settle the fees due until the end of the engagement, and thanks for the work carried out.
How to send it
Follow the form set by your engagement letter.
It is usually a registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt: it dates your letter with certainty, which matters for the notice period.
When to send it
The date you send it, combined with the termination clause of your engagement letter, sets the date of your change.
Most commonly, termination takes effect at year-end, with a letter received a few months before the year-end. Allow a few days for delivery. Work out the date of your change
A smooth transition, in everyone’s interest
Your letter opens the last stage of your work with your current firm. It goes best when everyone sees their commitments through:
- your current firm completes the agreed work until the end of its engagement and hands over the file;
- on your side, you keep sending your documents and settle the fees due;
- the tone stays courteous: thanking them for the work carried out always makes the next steps easier.
Our example letter is written in this spirit.
Get an example termination letter
Get an example termination letter free of charge, pre-filled with your details (company, current firm, city, date).
It is displayed immediately and also sent to you by e-mail. It includes the subject line, the notice period reminder and the list of documents to be sent to you for a smooth handover.
It is an example to adapt to your situation and does not commit our firm as to its content: it is for you to review it and issue your letter under your own responsibility.
After sending it
Once you have announced your departure and signed the new firm’s engagement letter, the new firm contacts your current firm, as required by French professional rules.
It collects the documents and organises the handover, with no disruption for you. Fees due for work performed remain payable.
When you entrust your file to us, our role is to make this transition easier, in liaison with your current firm, in English. See the steps to change accountant
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to give a reason?
No. A termination letter does not need to be justified: you simply respect the notice period and terms set in your engagement letter.
Is an e-mail enough?
Follow the form set by your engagement letter. Failing that, a registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt remains the safest option: it dates your letter with certainty.
Can the new firm send the letter for me?
No: it is your decision, and it is for you to announce it. The new firm then contacts your current firm to organise the handover.
Are fees still due during the notice period?
Yes: the fees provided for until the end of the engagement, and those for work already carried out, remain due under your engagement letter. The notice period also lets your current firm prepare the handover of the file.
Can I send my letter before choosing my new firm?
You can, but it is better to choose first: the handover is then organised with no gap, and current deadlines are identified from the start. Compare proposals with our grid