Switching guide
How to switch bookkeepers without missing a beat
A 30-day plan: handover checklist, payroll continuity, and keeping your BAS agent in the loop.
Quick answer
The short version
Plan on 30 days: weeks 1–2 overlap (the old bookkeeper closes the month while the new one observes and audits the file), week 3 the new bookkeeper runs payroll with the old one on call, week 4 full handover. The non-negotiables: transfer Xero/MYOB admin access, get an open-items list, confirm payroll and STP continuity, and brief your BAS agent on the change.
The risks
Why switches go wrong
Most bad switches share one cause: no overlap. The old bookkeeper stops on Friday, the new one starts Monday, and nobody knows what's half-finished. Unreconciled months, unprocessed bills, and payroll setups nobody documented all surface at once — usually at BAS time.
Payroll gaps are the most painful failure. STP reporting, leave balances, and super obligations live in the payroll software setup. If that setup doesn't transfer cleanly — or the new operator doesn't verify it before the first pay run — employees notice before you do.
The BAS agent gets left out. Your BAS agent lodges from the books your bookkeeper maintains. If they don't know the bookkeeper changed, lodgement-season questions go to someone who no longer has access.
Lost access. Bank feeds, ATO portals, payroll logins, and software subscriptions registered to the old bookkeeper's email. Every one of them becomes a support ticket if it isn't transferred deliberately.
The plan
The 30-day switch plan
Days 1–7: Audit. The new bookkeeper gets read access to Xero or MYOB and audits the file: reconciliation status, open items, payroll setup, and any historical mess. You get a written list of what's clean, what's not, and whether a one-off cleanup is needed before monthly work starts. Any provider that skips this step is guessing.
Days 8–14: Overlap. The old bookkeeper closes the current month — reconciliations, bills, invoicing — while the new one observes and asks questions. This is the knowledge transfer: recurring quirks, supplier arrangements, and the "we always do it this way" items that aren't written down anywhere.
Days 15–21: Shadow payroll. The new operator processes a full pay run with the outgoing bookkeeper reviewing it. STP is verified as filed correctly. Leave balances and super settings are confirmed. Only after a clean shadow run does payroll cut over.
Days 22–30: Full handover. The new bookkeeper takes the next month from day one. Old access is revoked, logins are transferred to addresses you control, and your BAS agent is briefed on the change with an open-items summary.
Checklist
The handover checklist
Work through this with both bookkeepers. If any item has no answer, that's your risk:
Software access. Xero/MYOB admin login transferred to an email you control; bank feeds still connected; payroll software (Xero Payroll, KeyPay, MYOB) admin transferred.
Open items. Unreconciled transactions, unpaid bills, overdue invoices, unallocated payments — listed with amounts and ages.
Payroll. STP registration verified, employee records complete (TFN declarations, super funds, awards), leave balances confirmed, super obligations current.
Tax and compliance. Prior BAS/IAS copies, GST registration details, PAYG withholding setup, and your BAS agent's contact details with a handover note.
Balance sheet. Loan balances, fixed asset register, director/shareholder loan accounts, and any suspense accounts with explanations — not mysteries.
Recurring items. Standing supplier payments, direct debits, annual subscriptions, and anything else that happens without an invoice.
Your advisers
What to tell your BAS agent and accountant
Your BAS agent lodges BAS from the ledgers your bookkeeper prepares — so loop them in early. A short email works: who the new bookkeeper is, the cutover month, and confirmation that BAS-ready ledgers will continue in the same format. If your BAS agent also does your payroll or year-end, confirm exactly which tasks move and which stay.
The same applies to your accountant: they need to know who's maintaining the file they'll review at year-end. A two-week heads-up beats a surprise in June.
At FinanceDesk, we run this handover as standard: file audit first, overlap with your outgoing bookkeeper, shadowed payroll, and a written open-items summary for your BAS agent. Our bookkeeping packages start at $299 a month — pricing is published, and there's no lock-in, so the switch itself carries no contract risk.
Related reading
Keep going
- Fixed-fee vs hourly bookkeeping — the break-even maths.
- What does outsourced bookkeeping actually include? — the monthly deliverables checklist.
- Bookkeeping packages — $299/$499/$899 tiers explained.
- All FinanceDesk pricing — every package and add-on, published.
FAQ
Switching bookkeepers: questions
How long does it take to switch bookkeepers?
Around 30 days done properly, including an overlap period where the old bookkeeper closes the final month while the new one takes over. A clean file with no payroll can switch faster; messy historical books add a cleanup phase first.
Will switching bookkeepers disrupt payroll?
Not if it's handled right. The new payroll operator should shadow one full pay run — processing it while the outgoing bookkeeper checks it — before taking over. STP continuity depends on the payroll software setup transferring cleanly.
Do I need to tell the ATO when I change bookkeepers?
No. Changing bookkeepers doesn't require ATO notification. If your BAS agent changes, your new agent handles their own ATO registration for your business.
What if my books are a mess when I switch?
Expect a one-off cleanup quote before monthly pricing starts. Any honest provider audits the file first and prices the cleanup separately — starting monthly work on broken books just carries the mess forward.
Can I switch bookkeepers mid-financial-year?
Yes. Month-end is the cleanest cutover point — the old bookkeeper reconciles to month-end, the new one starts the next month. Avoid switching mid-pay-cycle if you can.
Switch without the chaos.
File audit, overlap handover, and shadowed payroll — handled. From $299 a month, no lock-in.
Response within 1 business day.