Changing Tax Advisor
in Germany
There are many reasons why a business may decide to change tax advisor. Your company may have grown, you may now have employees, your advisory needs may have changed, or you may want to manage financial accounting, payroll and tax matters through fully digital processes.
Sometimes the existing setup simply no longer meets the needs of the business as it stands today.
SKD Tax Advisory takes on suitable ongoing engagements with businesses and self-employed professionals throughout Germany. We manage both the transition itself and the structured transfer of the data and information needed to continue the work..
You Can Change Tax Advisor During the Year
There is generally no need to wait until the end of the year before changing tax advisor.
What matters is establishing what has already been completed, which deadlines are coming up and which data and documents are needed to continue the work.
Where financial accounting and payroll are already being handled on an ongoing basis, a well-organised handover is particularly important so that these services can continue without unnecessary disruption.
Reasons for Changing Tax Advisor
A change may make sense when the needs of the business have evolved.
Typical reasons include:
- your business has grown and now employs staff
- you want to move financial accounting and payroll to digital processes
- your need for ongoing tax advice has increased
- you want financial accounting, annual financial statements, tax returns and tax advice to work together more closely
- you want to work digitally with your tax advisor regardless of where your business is located
- you want a consistent point of contact for tax and business-related questions
- the current way of working no longer meets your requirements
Changing tax advisor does not have to be the result of a dispute. Businesses develop, and the level and type of tax support they need can change with them.
Transferring Your DATEV Data
A structured transfer of existing data makes the transition considerably easier.
If your current tax advisor also works with DATEV, many accounting and payroll records can be transferred directly within the DATEV environment. Exactly what can be transferred, and which additional documents will be required, depends on the individual engagement and the stage reached by your previous advisor.
At the outset, we therefore review which records are available and which work has already been completed.
This may include:
- financial accounting
- payroll
- annual financial statements
- tax returns
- master data required for ongoing work
We then agree with you how the remaining work will be taken forward.
Taking Over Ongoing Financial Accounting
Where financial accounting is already in progress, we first establish the period up to which the previous advisor has completed the accounts and which tax filings have already been submitted.
Once the relevant data has been transferred, we continue the financial accounting within our digital processes.
Documents are provided through DATEV Unternehmen online, bank transactions can be imported through the DATEV data centre, and financial reports are made available digitally.
This creates a consistent basis for ongoing financial accounting, annual financial statements and tax returns.
Continuing Payroll Without Unnecessary Disruption
For businesses with employees, payroll is one of the most time-sensitive parts of a change of tax advisor.
Payroll dates, social security reporting and payroll tax filings continue regardless of the change in advisor.
We therefore establish at an early stage which payroll period was last completed, which filings have already been submitted and which information is required to continue the payroll process.
A timely and complete transfer of payroll data is particularly important.
Annual Financial Statements and Tax Returns
Outstanding annual financial statements and tax returns can also be taken over as part of a change of tax advisor.
We first review the work already completed and determine which accounting or closing work is still required.
This allows us to establish how the outstanding work can be continued efficiently.
We also require previously completed annual financial statements, tax returns and tax assessments so that we can understand the tax history of the business and base future advice on a complete picture.
If There Are Urgent Deadlines
Not every change of tax advisor is planned months in advance.
There may already be filing deadlines approaching or correspondence from the tax office that requires prompt attention.
In these situations, we first establish which deadlines apply and whether the engagement can be taken over within the time available.
SKD Tax Advisory accepts suitable time-sensitive engagements throughout Germany where the work can be completed properly within our available capacity.
If you have already received a Zwangsgeldandrohung or an estimated tax assessment from the German tax office, please see our separate page on Coercive Penalty Notices and Estimated Tax Assessments.
Who We Work With
SKD Tax Advisory primarily works with businesses and self-employed professionals looking for an ongoing, long-term tax advisory relationship.
A change of advisor is particularly suitable where the engagement includes more than annual tax returns alone — for example financial accounting, payroll, annual financial statements or ongoing tax advice.
Before accepting an engagement, we therefore consider whether the required services, working arrangements and mutual expectations are a good fit.
Changing Tax Advisor – Fully Digital and Nationwide
You can move your tax affairs to SKD Tax Advisory regardless of where your business is located in Germany.
Documents and records are exchanged digitally, meetings are held by video or telephone, and ongoing work is organised through digital DATEV processes.
This allows us to work with businesses and self-employed professionals throughout Germany without the need for regular in-person meetings.
Considering a Change of Tax Advisor?
If you are thinking about changing advisor, the first step is to establish which services you need and how your tax and accounting work is currently organised.
It is particularly helpful if you can tell us:
- which ongoing services you would like us to take over
- whether your business employs staff
- which accounting system is currently being used
- whether there are any upcoming deadlines or outstanding work
Book a free 15-minute introductory meeting to discuss your requirements and find out whether SKD Tax Advisory is the right fit for your business.