Changing accountants is one of those jobs that often gets pushed to the bottom of the to-do list. For many dentists, the biggest concern is worrying that switching will be time-consuming or disruptive.

At Hive, we’ve designed our onboarding process to be as straightforward as possible. Whether you’re an associate, practice owner, specialist, or running multiple businesses, our goal is to get everything in place quickly so we can start adding value from day one.

Why onboarding matters

The first few weeks of working together set the foundation for everything that follows.

A thorough onboarding process allows us to complete all of the necessary regulatory requirements while building a clear picture of your finances, business structure and future plans. The sooner we have the right information, the sooner we can begin offering proactive advice rather than simply processing paperwork.

For dentists, that could mean helping you prepare for tax liabilities, reviewing whether your business structure is still appropriate, supporting a practice purchase or expansion, or identifying opportunities to improve profitability.

Our New Client Checklist

Once you’ve accepted our proposal, your dedicated onboarding contact will introduce themselves and send you our New Client Checklist. Rather than asking for information over multiple emails, we collect everything we need in one place. This saves time for everyone and helps avoid unnecessary delays.

Here’s what we’ll ask for and why:

Personal information

We’ll ask for your basic personal details, including your name, address, date and place of birth, nationality and contact information. These details are required to complete our anti-money laundering (AML) obligations and ensure our records are accurate. While it may feel administrative, these checks are a legal requirement for all accountancy firms and help protect both our clients and the wider financial system.

Your Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR)

We’ll also ask for your Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR). If you’re self-employed, you’ll have your own personal UTR for Self Assessment. If you operate through a limited company or partnership, we’ll also need the relevant UTR’s for those entities.

If you can’t locate your UTR, don’t worry. It’s usually shown on previous tax returns or HMRC correspondence, and if necessary we can help you obtain it or liaise with your previous accountant.

If you don’t already have a Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR), we can request one from HMRC on your behalf. We’ll simply need to know the date you started trading as a self-employed individual, and we’ll take care of the registration process for you.

Information about your current accountant

Changing accountants is a well-established process. Once you’ve let them know you’re leaving and settled any outstanding fees, we handle the process for you. As part of our professional responsibilities, we contact your previous accountant to request what’s known as professional clearance. This allows us to obtain relevant information and confirms there are no professional reasons why we shouldn’t act on your behalf.

We’ll ask for:

• Your current accountant’s contact details.
• Whether you’ve informed them you’re moving.
• Whether there are any outstanding fees that could delay the transfer of information.

If you haven’t yet told your accountant you’re leaving, that’s absolutely fine. We won’t contact them without your permission and can provide a simple template letter when you’re ready.

Companies House addresses

If you run a limited company, we’ll discuss your registered office and directors’ service addresses.Many dental companies use their accountant’s address for Companies House correspondence. If that’s currently the case, we’ll help you update these details as part of the transfer process and make sure you’re comfortable with the address that will appear on the public register.

Giving us access to your records

Much of the transfer process is now completed digitally. We’ll request the appropriate authorisations with HMRC so we can act on your behalf, and where possible we’ll obtain information directly from your previous accountant. This allows us to review your existing records, ensure continuity and minimise the amount of work required from you.

Designed around busy dentists

We know that most dentists don’t have spare hours to spend completing forms or chasing paperwork. Whether you’re balancing NHS and private work, running a growing practice, managing multiple income streams or planning your next career move, our onboarding process is designed to keep the administrative burden to a minimum. Our team will guide you through each stage, explain anything you’re unsure about and keep you updated throughout the process.

Ready to make the move?

Switching accountants shouldn’t feel overwhelming. With the right preparation and a structured onboarding process, the transition is usually far simpler than many people expect. Once everything is in place, we can focus on what really matters: helping you build a more profitable, tax-efficient and financially secure future.

If you’re thinking about changing accountants or would like to find out how Hive supports dentists across every stage of their careers, we’d be delighted to have a conversation.