Many company directors stay for years with an accountant they are unhappy with. The reason rarely has to do with the quality of the service, but with fear: the fear that changing accountants will stall operations, disrupt filings, or trigger penalties. In reality, a well-coordinated transition is a simple administrative process that interrupts nothing and misses no tax deadline.
The law does not require you to stay with the same provider. You can change your accountant whenever you see fit — at the start of the year, mid-year, even with a return in progress. What matters is that the handover of records is complete and that the new accountant takes over responsibly, not blindly. A serious professional does not sign off on a company’s past without first verifying it.
In this guide we explain, step by step, how a change of accountant runs without disruption: what you announce, which documents are handed over, what the new accountant checks, and how to make sure you don’t inherit someone else’s mistakes along with the records.
Why directors hesitate to change accountants
The most common concerns relate to continuity. The director wonders: “If I switch now, who files this month’s return?” or “What happens to the accounting balances?” These worries are legitimate, but they have clear answers.
Your company’s accounting does not “belong” to the accountant — it belongs to the company. The ledgers, trial balances, journals, and SAF-T files are your documents, and the provider is obliged to hand them over. Filing continuity is ensured simply by updating the authorization in the tax authority’s online portal (Spațiul Privat Virtual, SPV): once the new accountant has access, they can file any return that falls due.
Staying with a weak accountant “for the sake of peace” often costs more than switching: last-minute filings, cumbersome communication, a lack of proactive advice, and sometimes errors that quietly accumulate year after year.
When you can change accountants
The short answer: anytime. There is no legal “window” in which you are required to make the change. Practically, however, some moments are more convenient than others.
| Timing | Advantage | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Start of the fiscal year | Clean takeover with clear opening balances | Ideal, but not required |
| During the year | Quickly resolve a problematic relationship | Requires accurate takeover of current-year activity |
| After annual financial statements | The prior year is “closed” and verifiable | Facilitates balance reconciliation |
Whatever the timing, the principle remains: no return should be missed during the transition. That is why coordination between the old and new accountant is essential — not a pause, but a handover with controlled overlap.
The steps of an accountant change
A proper transition follows a few predictable steps, which we walk through with every client who comes to us from elsewhere.
- Communicate your intention. You notify your current accountant, ideally in writing, and review the contract clauses on notice period and document handover.
- Documents are handed over. The previous accountant is obliged to give you the complete accounting records: trial balances, ledgers, journals, account sheets, payroll records, along with electronic files (SAF-T, e-Factura) and access to the relevant applications.
- The new accountant verifies the records and balances. This is the stage that makes the difference. Opening balances are reconciled, and filings, VAT, payroll, and correspondence with the tax authority (ANAF) are checked.
- Authorizations are updated. The new representative is registered in the SPV so that filing and communication with ANAF continue uninterrupted.
- Operations continue without a pause. From the first month, the new accountant fully takes over the current reporting.
Documents handed over when changing accountants
- Trial balances (the latest and relevant interim ones)
- The journal ledger, inventory register, and general ledger
- Account sheets and customer/supplier subledgers
- Payroll records (payslips, contracts, REGES/REVISAL)
- SAF-T files (D406) and e-Factura / e-Transport records
- Filed annual financial statements and tax returns (D100, D300, D394, D112, etc.)
- Cash book, bank statements, and supporting documents
Verification matters: don’t take over the past blindly
The most important thing you can ask of a new accountant is to not take over the records without verification. The reason is simple: from the moment they sign your company’s returns, they also assume the consequences of previous errors. A responsible accountant performs a takeover review (a mini-audit) before signing.
What is checked, primarily:
- Opening balances — do they match the latest trial balance and the filed financial statements?
- VAT — are the returns (D300) and the D394 statement aligned with the journals and e-Factura?
- Payroll — does the D112 return match the payslips and registered contracts?
- Depreciation and fixed assets — is the depreciation register properly maintained?
- ANAF correspondence — are there open notices or unresolved differences in the SPV?
This review protects you: if errors exist, you identify them now, at takeover, when they can be corrected in an orderly way — not two years later during a tax audit. See our range of services for details on how we structure takeover and verification.
Relevance for foreign-owned companies
For companies owned by investors from Germany, Austria, Italy, or the Netherlands, changing accountants has an added dimension: reporting to the parent company and compliance with double taxation treaties. An accountant who understands both Romanian rules and foreign reporting expectations ensures a smooth transition for your group as well.
At takeover, we pay special attention to reconciling Romanian statutory reporting with the group’s reporting package, the correct treatment of intra-group transactions, and tax residency documentation. Learn more about how we help foreign investors on our dedicated page.
How long it takes and what it costs
Typically, a takeover takes between a few days and 2–4 weeks, depending on the complexity of the company and how quickly the previous accountant hands over the documents. The takeover review is part of onboarding and should not block the filing of current returns.
The cost depends on transaction volume and the state of the records taken over. Orderly records are taken over quickly; records with discrepancies require additional reconciliation time — one more reason not to postpone the change, because problems worsen over time.
Conclusion: the change is simple when well coordinated
Changing your accountant is not a leap into the unknown. It is an orderly administrative process: communicate your intention, hand over the documents, have the new accountant verify balances and records, update the authorizations, and operations continue without a pause. The only real condition for success is that the takeover is done with verification, not blindly.
At Conta Fiscal we manage the entire transition, including coordinating with the previous accountant, verifying the records, and updating the authorizations in the SPV. If you are unhappy with your current arrangement, contact us and we will explain exactly how the takeover would work for your company.
Frequently asked questions
Can I change my accountant at any time of the year?
Yes. The law does not impose a specific period. You can change accountants at any time, including mid-year, as long as the document handover is complete and current filings are not missed.
Who owns the accounting records and documents?
The accounting documents belong to the company, not the accountant. The provider is obliged to hand over your trial balances, ledgers, journals, and electronic files (SAF-T, e-Factura) when the engagement ends.
Are tax filings interrupted during the change?
No, if the transition is coordinated. Once the authorization in the SPV is updated, the new accountant can file any return that falls due, with no gap in reporting.
Why is verification at takeover important?
Because by signing the company’s returns, the new accountant also assumes any prior errors. A takeover review identifies problems now, when they can be corrected in an orderly way, rather than during a future tax audit.
What must be reported to ANAF when changing accountants?
In practice, the authorization in the online tax portal (SPV) is updated so the new accountant gains access to the tax file and can submit returns and communicate with ANAF.