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A merger or acquisition is a reason to reassess your accounting relationship, not proof that service has improved or declined. Decide whether the successor firm has the right people, expertise, capacity, access, safeguards and written terms for the work you need. Stay if those pieces check out; ask for changes or clarification if they do not; and compare alternatives when important concerns remain unresolved.
Start by finding out what actually changed
A new name or owner does not tell you who will prepare, review or oversee your work. Ask the successor firm whether the transaction changed the legal entity, engagement team, office, systems, engagement terms or scope of service. Get the name and role of the person accountable for your engagement, plus a contact for routine questions.
If you depend on specialized tax, audit, industry or advisory knowledge, ask which professionals will continue that work and who can cover it if they are unavailable. AICPA Insurance Programs’ acquisition-risk guidance treats personnel, client and service fit, technology, quality, conflicts and integration as diligence concerns for firms. For you, the practical question is whether the successor can deliver your particular work reliably and appropriately.
Check whether day-to-day service will remain workable
Ask for a transition plan with dates for any engagement-letter changes, portal or system migration, document requests, reporting or tax deadlines, and billing changes. Confirm whether your usual partner or manager will remain involved, who reviews the work, how to reach the team, and what response time you should expect.
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Notice whether the new process is genuinely usable. Extra handoffs, an inaccessible portal, changed office arrangements or slow answers can make service impractical even when the firm has technical expertise. A 2016 Journal of Accountancy article on practice sales emphasizes communication and convenience; its author, Harry L. Olson, wrote, “Even the best CPAs can lose a client due to inadequate communication or if the transition makes it too difficult to do business with the buyer.” (How to keep clients after an accounting practice sale.)
Assess expertise, capacity and risk fit
Ask how the successor evaluated your engagement under its client acceptance and continuance process. For an audit or other attest engagement, ask whether the transaction brought new affiliates, relationships or services that require a conflict or independence review. For specialized work, ask who has relevant experience, how that person will supervise the engagement, and whether the team has capacity when you need the work completed.
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Do not assume a larger combined firm is automatically more qualified for your needs. You can ask for relevant credentials or experience and a clear staffing plan. A Journal of Accountancy article on post-transaction liability discusses screening acquired clients against the successor’s acceptance process and considering competence, independence and conflicts (Managing liability risk after a merger or acquisition).
Compare scope and fees before accepting changed terms
Before work proceeds under new terms, request the proposed engagement letter or a written fee proposal. Compare what the firm will deliver, what is excluded, your responsibilities and deadlines, access to advice, staffing, the fee basis and circumstances that trigger extra charges. Ask the firm to explain any change from your previous arrangement.
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Ask how information and records will be handled
Financial, payroll, tax and personal records are sensitive. Ask which systems will store or transmit them, how access is controlled, and how the firm will notify you of an incident. Confirm how you can obtain your records and deliverables if you continue with the successor or change providers.
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Do not assume every internal working paper belongs to you or that a successor automatically receives every file. Client records, working papers, confidentiality, retention, consent and local requirements are related but distinct issues; applicable rules depend on jurisdiction and service. AICPA Insurance Programs’ guidance on changes at a firm discusses working-paper transfer and retention in context (How do I handle working papers when there are changes at the firm?). State law and accountancy-board requirements may affect notice and records procedures, so check the rules that apply where your engagement is governed.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Compare the successor with a suitable alternative
Ask at least one other qualified firm or provider for a comparable proposal. Use the same scope and compare the factors that affect both results and the experience of working together:
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- Relevant expertise and the specific services included.
- Named engagement lead, review responsibility and team capacity.
- Access, response expectations, continuity and location or remote workflow.
- Total fees, billing terms and extra-charge triggers.
- Quality indicators, reputation, conflicts and risk controls.
- Data security and handling of records.
- Transition timing, document transfer and effort required from you.
Professional literature on selecting a CPA firm also identifies chemistry, location, cost and perceived value, expertise, and trust as relevant considerations (Keeping It Together). A like-for-like comparison helps distinguish a real service difference from a different proposal format.
Use the answers to decide whether to stay or switch
Staying may be reasonable when the successor gives clear answers, provides suitable expertise and capacity, maintains workable access and safeguards, and offers terms you can accept in writing. Ask for clarification or changes when the people, workflow, scope or billing are still unclear but the firm appears capable of addressing the issue.
Interview alternatives and plan a handover early if key questions go unanswered, access becomes impractical, deadlines or quality are concerning, conflicts cannot be managed, or the new scope and price no longer fit. AICPA & CIMA announced on August 17, 2026, that its Professional Ethics Executive Committee adopted a temporary enforcement policy related to firm mergers and acquisitions, effective immediately until rescinded. The announcement does not by itself establish how a particular client engagement is affected; consult the current policy text and applicable rules for a specific ethics question (Temporary Enforcement Policy for Firm Mergers and Acquisitions).
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